Flow rate through filtered tap

[Kes]

Hi,

Our kitchen supplier has delivered a tap with a cold water filter option, including a separate filter cartidge and fittings (as we asked for!). The plastic pipe for the filter bypass is a very small diameter, about 3 mm at the most.

We are on a private water supply with only moderate pressure and flow. Does anyone have any experience with the flow rate through these filters? I can't see the flow being very good whatever the mains pressure.

I think that the tap, an Abode Aquifier, has a flow rate of approx 2 litres a min, at best. That sounds rather frustrating. I'll try a few experiments.

Rgds.

 

[Paul Barker]

Yep that's normal for a cheap under sink filter.

You can get osmotic filter with expansion vessel to provide better flow at a cost.

WRAS don't like osmotic devices so you have to fit a double check valve.

Osmotic filters best price is ebay. They are a nightmare to fit, not diy and you loose the whole of a 600mm cupboard. Nice water though.

 

[ChrisR]

If you use the fat cartridges from LIFF, and their plumbing bits, you can get I think about 7 litres / min. Quite a good system, you can add as many cartidges as you want, to filter out different undesirables. Last set I did was £70 odd for the bits.

Just fitted a nice Tri-flo tap which was a mere £420 but had a far inferior cartridge.

 

[Paul Barker]

Yes I have fitted the Liff nad have a few rolling around in the van.

The osmotic filters are however only a little more and have in addition to the osmotic filtering various other filter stages each one the equivalent of a single liff, added to which they store filtered water under pressure such that you have full flow for the time you wish to use it unless you want to fill the fish tank.

Then there are the distillers but that water tastes bland. Osmotic filters are the best in my book, excepting the fact you have something like 5 cartridges to renew every 6 months, but the nice man selling you them oin ebay for about 100 will sell you your first set of replacement cartridges at the same time at a wonderful knock down price. Of course the other difficult issue is it needs a load of space to occomodate it and the plumber will be required to come and change the cartridges because they are so many so stiff so prone to leak afterwards and so inconveniently positioned. A combination of difficulties which in my experience only people of superior intelligence and tactile ability can overcome (vis a vis plumbers).

BUT if you are a vegan style health nut these are the filters for you.