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Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

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  • #16
    Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

    Okay, Ive bought a new in tank resin filter, thanks to Coffee-A-Roma. At $7 Ill be buying one every 3-6 months.

    However Ive been doing a bit of research on the Brita, and it seems it already has some resin ion-exchange filtering. This is the contents of a standard Maxtra cartridge:

    * Pre-Filtration: the water flows through a fine mesh filter - simply fill from the tap.
    * Ion Exchange Filtration - the ion exchange resin reduces the heavy metals, including lead and copper, as well as the carbonate hardness that causes limescale build-up in kettles and affects the taste and aroma of tea or coffee.
    * Activated Carbon Filtration - the granulated activated carbon significantly reduces substances that affect the taste and odour of your tap water, such as chlorine, certain pesticides and organic impurities.
    * Final Filtration - fine mesh particle filter.
    * MAXTRA Flow Control - ensures a consistent flow rate through the cartridge and optimises the contact times between water and filtration media for superior performance.

    Im wondering what further technology is utilised by the special coffee filtering systems?

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    • #17
      Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

      Hello Andrew,

      Plenty about this written elsewhere in CS.

      To keep it brief, the standard Brita jug will have some softening effect for the first few litres. You can also get a fair bit of carbon in the first few litres. The cartridges need to be soaked prior to use and many forget to do that. You can be pretty sure that by 10L in, they are cactus in terms of softening ability.

      A story from last year:
      Diadema Junior Elettronica comes for service- run exclusively on non rinsed Brita. We found 5cm solid carbon in the base of the boiler. It and associated severe scale led to replacement of the control board, group solenoid, element, pump and other items leading to a huge repair bill.

      Enter at your own risk.

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      • #18
        Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

        Originally posted by 5C696463574B676E6E6D6D080 link=1300164138/16#16 date=1300253091
        Hello Andrew,

        Plenty about this written elsewhere in CS.

        To keep it brief, the standard Brita jug will have some softening effect for the first few litres. You can also get a fair bit of carbon in the first few litres. The cartridges need to be soaked prior to use and many forget to do that. You can be pretty sure that by 10L in, they are cactus in terms of softening ability.

        A story from last year:
        Diadema Junior Elettronica comes for service- run exclusively on non rinsed Brita. We found 5cm solid carbon in the base of the boiler. It and associated severe scale led to replacement of the control board, group solenoid, element, pump and other items leading to a huge repair bill.

        Enter at your own risk.
        Thanks Chris, I guess I did get a bit off topic.

        That is a really scary story about finding 5cm of carbon in the base of a boiler.

        Just goes to show how careful you need to be with all of this.

        Im not sure whether to use the Brita at all now! Great to have the new resin filter at least.

        Thanks for sharing your knowledge/expertise.

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        • #19
          Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

          I only have the original Brita with the carbon filter, not the Maxtra.

          Originally posted by 0F3A37300418343D3D3E3E5B0 link=1300164138/16#16 date=1300253091
          The cartridges need to be soaked prior to use and many forget to do that.
          :
          How hard is it ?
          The instructions are on every packet.

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          • #20
            Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

            Originally posted by 6A564B505A5B4C59515A3E0 link=1300164138/18#18 date=1300255255
            How hard is it ?
            The instructions are on every packet.
            Seemingly very hard TG :

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            • #21
              Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

              Really off topic but TG you realise your 10,000th post better be something special...

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              • #22
                Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

                Originally posted by 6F534E555F5E495C545F3B0 link=1300164138/18#18 date=1300255255
                I only have the original Brita with the carbon filter, not the Maxtra.

                Talk_Coffee wrote on Mar 16th, 2011 at 4:24pm:
                The cartridges need to be soaked prior to use and many forget to do that.

                Roll Eyes
                How hard is it ?
                The instructions are on every packet.
                Yikes! - I hope this does not apply to the Maxtra - I follow this instructions on that, it says it does not need rinsing - just toss the first couple of jugs (which I do). I hope this is enough....

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                • #23
                  Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

                  This is an interesting topic.

                  I have exclusively used a Brita filter/jug for my machine for over 2 years. I follow the instructions, soak the new cartridge first, then run 2-3 jugs full of water through it before using. I have also changed the cartridges once they are only halfway used (as per the digital indicator on the jug).

                  As for the resin filter, I soaked every 2-3 months in a salt solution, then flushed. I did this for the first year until I decided that I really couldnt be bothered messing about with the salt solution given the low cost of the resin filters, so for the past year I replace them every 4 months or so.

                  I recently took my machine to a sponsor for service and was pleasantly surprised to be told that the machine was very clean, little sign of scale.

                  Despite this, yesterday I had an under sink unit installed by a plumber and made sure to select a cartridge specifically designed for lime scale (Everpure H54). Did I need to, well not based on the feedback from the service but it will provide that little extra piece of mind and perhaps save me a couple of bucks on the resin filters ;D

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                  • #24
                    Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

                    Hi

                    I follow my Expobar Leva directions:

                    • Connect to the water softener filter a plastic tube
                    • Fill a water container with 2 liters of water.
                    • Dissolve 300 grams of table salt into the water
                    • Insert the water softener filter inside the water container.
                    • Drain the water container through the water

                    repeat the above process with unsaturated water prior connecting filter to machine

                    I first did it after 3 month of use (3 coffes/day) , e.g. 300 coffees as mentioned in the manual

                    however, as Ive always used Bottled Drinkable Water, Im not sure how often it may need regeneration and replacement.

                    Any advice ?

                    Cheers

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: Maintenance of water softener/filter on end of water intake pipe

                      you can go to an aquarium supplier and buy a water hardenss test kit, they are about $15-20, and you can do LOTS of tests (over 20 from a kit), some aquarium shops even do it for free (wouldnt mention its for a coffee machine though) . Measure water in and run some water through your machine and measure what comes out. Do it with a new filter, and then whenever to see how effectively it still works.

                      Yes ..... I have an aquarium.

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