Water purification machines, do you trust them?

[xtrnuno41]

I ve red a true RO filter gets everything out, even germs and bacterie.

A ceramic filter element with high pressure pumps.

UV light afterwards to kill any naughty bacterie or germ. escaped.

Take care with UV light as it can give you burns and or welding eyes. It is not good for you. In covid time, they "invented" UV-c robots for cleaning rooms, killing covid.

Robots as no person could be present while UV-c was working.

Using that UV device, you showed, take care !

You can also just boil your  drinking water.

 

I dont believe the street water installations are like that.

You dont need chlorine when having a true RO filter. The water is so clean, you need to add minerals back in the water, otherwise your body doesnt like that in time. You desalt your body.

Also red for 1 glass of water, you throw away 2 glasses, as the system has a needed auto clean flush back system.

Never the less Israel is using such systems to create millions of liters of sweet water from the salt water of the Mediterranean Sea.

 

Plastic bottles: the plastic needs a softener, to shape and I understood this solves in the water, you drinking that. Dont know if they improved that or otherwise we are still drinking that along with the containing fluids.

But not only the bottles, also vegetables, meat and so. 

 

Micro plastic is hard to get out with normal filter, not with the true RO filter. 

That plastic is found everywhere from water to beer. It has already also be found in humans body. What will that do in time? Clogging up in your body and causing some attack? It is a major problem these days.

As you might think, ah only fluids, but no it is in meat, fish and what ever.

They use micro plastic for instance in cosmetic appliances to make you look good, as shampoo. But the overshoot is going in the world systems water, waste water.

Ending back up to you, in your body.

We do our best to pollute the oceans to create lots of tiny plastic, we dump 

8000000 TONS of plastic, EVERY YEAR in the oceans to make another challenge to clean up.

 

[Fortean1]

We bought a reverse osmosis filter system made by Safe and Beyond.  It cost 10,200 baht.  The filter is changed every six months.  We bought in May 2022.  First filter replacement was in November.  It does not have a UV light.

 

Terry

( a few miles south of Hua Hin )

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.

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[SunsetT]

On 1/28/2023 at 1:38 PM, ozimoron said:

5 litres of bottled water from 7-11 costs 39 baht for their own brand. I prefer to do that rather than refill from those machines.

Yeh right! More plastic pollution!

[SunsetT]

Been using these machines for years...usually OK  but use your taste buds. If it tastes OK, it is OK.  If tainted in anyway find another machine. They are everywhere. They also vary greatly in how much you get for 1 thb.

[KhunLA]

46 minutes ago, SunsetT said:

Been using these machines for years...usually OK  but use your taste buds. If it tastes OK, it is OK.  If tainted in anyway find another machine. They are everywhere. They also vary greatly in how much you get for 1 thb.

I'm not sure about that, as taste isn't everything.   Definitely get a <deleted>/PPM pen, and test before drinking.   Won't tell you what it is, but clue you to something may not be right.

 

Bottled water is usually <10 ppm

Tap about 170 ppm

Good to have, especially if you drink the 'free' water on tables at vendor.

http://www.xiaomithailandstore.com/product/121/xiaomi-ปากกาทดสอบคุณภาพน้ำ-รุ่น-mi-<deleted>-meter

 

[bunnydrops]

I guess I am the odd man out. After cleaning out the gutters and a few hard rains, I store the rain water. 14 years now. Guests from out of country have never gotten any form of sick. Back when I was a young avid hiker, nothing tasted as good as water from a mountain stream. Few I knew would drink it, afraid of Giardia. They really missed one of the best parts of the great outdoors.

[1FinickyOne]

I wouldn't lend them any money w/o proper security... 

[1happykamper]

But, doesn't RO water mean that EVERYTHING is killed in the water... Including the the minerals that are healthy and necessary for us ? 

[Salerno]

18 hours ago, bunnydrops said:

Back when I was a young avid hiker, nothing tasted as good as water from a mountain stream.

Agree, although I have to admit I had second thoughts once when 10 to 15 minutes after quenching my thirst with icy cold beautiful clear fast flowing water we found the water had been filtered though the guts of a dead deer straddling the stream further up the mountain 555

[xtrnuno41]

3 hours ago, 1happykamper said:

But, doesn't RO water mean that EVERYTHING is killed in the water... Including the the minerals that are healthy and necessary for us ? 

RO doesnt kill a thing, it filters. UV light afterwards is for killing germs and bacterie, left overs.

Yes, true RO system gets all minerals and other materials out (like heavy metals and or organic poisons used in farming, but also bacterie and germs), so you do have to put back minerals again to prevent desalting, demineralization of your body. The good minerals.

Or be aware your food , other drinks contain all minerals for your body. Or have supplements to add on in your body, as having mineral pills.

More about average intake vitamins and minerals:

Vitamins and Minerals | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

[Lee65]

On 2/2/2023 at 12:40 PM, KhunLA said:

I'm not sure about that, as taste isn't everything.   Definitely get a <deleted>/PPM pen, and test before drinking.   Won't tell you what it is, but clue you to something may not be right.

 

Bottled water is usually <10 ppm

Tap about 170 ppm

Good to have, especially if you drink the 'free' water on tables at vendor.

 

Interesting, thanks.  Here's a refreshingly sane review of the Xiaomi Mi <deleted> Water Quality Tester Pen, including surprising bottled water test results.  And some very sane reviews of the Review:

 

https://www.richardbarrow.com/2019/03/review-of-xiaomi-mi-<deleted>-water-quality-tester-pen/

 

 

[KhunLA]

10 minutes ago, Lee65 said:

Interesting, thanks.  Here's a refreshingly sane review of the Xiaomi Mi <deleted> Water Quality Tester Pen, including surprising bottled water test results.  And some very sane reviews of the Review:

 

https://www.richardbarrow.com/2019/03/review-of-xiaomi-mi-<deleted>-water-quality-tester-pen/

That review motivated me to buy mine  ????

 

Also my AQI meter, which was same as his, till it krapped out early on (refunded) and bought a better & cheaper one from CH ????

 

I shouldn't watch some these people.  He also has Xiaomi air purifiers and stand up scooter.  I followed suit again, though a different scooter, and it also  krapped out first ride (refunded).  Thankfully, as didn't care for it at all.

[Lee65]

High fluoride content in some Thai bottled waters:

 

https://www.tm.mahidol.ac.th/seameo/2016-47-5/27-691223-1112.pdf

[Andre0720]

I put water from different sources in my blender.

Quite the experiment.

Here is a picture of the results from water from one of those 20 liter water bottles, described as from Reversed Osmosis, UV and what else.

I brought a small bottle of water from Bangkok hospital, one of those bottles that are free. Just about all the same. I showed the results to a doctor, suggesting that he could use his facilities to determine what is in there... There is one supplier in Phuket for which the results are better. And the best results are from small bottles of Nestlé Pure Life, as one could guess.

Could be plastic residue from those old bottles. Or else hehe. Does not have to be bacteria to be bad I suppose. 

[lopburi3]

There is no medical need for any minerals in water - you get what you need from food.

 

Stand alone street filters indeed are not a good bet for pure water - both external contamination and non working filters are possiable.

 

Store bought water of name brand should be fine - but can be a PIA to carry.

 

Home basic RO filters systems can be bought for less that 3k from Lazada or Shopee and in most cases will work a year or two before filters need replacement (first filter can be more often but extremely cheap).  Not that nice looking on wall but works well and if you want to spend more can be more attractive.  Have been using units like below for a decade now.

 

[Lee65]

On 3/7/2023 at 5:57 PM, lopburi3 said:

 

 

The water in my place causes the wire mesh filter upstream of the shower water heater to be half-clogged after 3 weeks with what appears to be dark rust particles.

 

Do you think a unit such as you have pictured would work in this circumstance?  Can that first (sediment) filter be washed and reused?    

 

 

[lopburi3]

27 minutes ago, Lee65 said:

The water in my place causes the wire mesh filter upstream of the shower water heater to be half-clogged after 3 weeks with what appears to be dark rust particles.

 

Do you think a unit such as you have pictured would work in this circumstance?  Can that first (sediment) filter be washed and reused?    

 

 

No this would not help - this is for drinking water only and not more than a dribble flow when having to process water - it fills a small pressure tank to allow us to get a few liters of water before have to start RO process again.  What you need is a whole house filter and they are available with backflow to clean like used in water softener.  Should have local filter knowledge for what type of filters required.  But if only issue is wire filter on shower just clean every week may be all you need to do.

[Yellowtail]

18-liter bottles of Singha water delivered and carried up to the third floor for 65 baht...

 

 

[tomazbodner]

Don't trust them. Used to have water delivered, 10-20 packs of 6x1.5l, but when realising the amount of plastic waste I was generating, I went out and bought water purifier. It was UF type, and water tasted and looked OK, it had UV light inside and all, but I was always nervous about using it, as the TDI meter didn't show much if any difference between tap water and what came out of it. A few months back there was Coway stand downstairs, and they had promotion on RO box with heater and cooler, like a hot/cold/ambient water dispenser, so I subscribed. 690 baht/month, a lady comes once every 2 months to clean it, and every other time she replaces all the filters. The box she has with her does full water analysis and shows what it finds in it on that big screen. I've also tested water myself and TDI numbers are very low.

 

As such, I'm quite happy and a lot more confident using this filter than I was the previous 5 step + UV UF filter, or any public water purifier. And I don't use plastic pollution I used to.

[Lee65]

1 hour ago, lopburi3 said:

No this would not help - this is for drinking water only and not more than a dribble flow when having to process water - it fills a small pressure tank to allow us to get a few liters of water before have to start RO process again.  What you need is a whole house filter and they are available with backflow to clean like used in water softener.  Should have local filter knowledge for what type of filters required.  But if only issue is wire filter on shower just clean every week may be all you need to do.

Think there was a bit of misunderstanding here.  I intended to use the unit you've described for drinking water.  Just mentioned the shower filter experience to give an indication of the water quality.  Do you think the system you've described (the one in the photo) would be suitable?  Can the 1st (sediment) filter be washed and reused in these units?   Thx.

 

 

[matchar]

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

18-liter bottles of Singha water delivered and carried up to the third floor for 65 baht...

 

 

Where from?

[scubascuba3]

8 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

18-liter bottles of Singha water delivered and carried up to the third floor for 65 baht...

 

 

Have they given you a hernia humping them up onto the base?

[lopburi3]

10 hours ago, Lee65 said:

Think there was a bit of misunderstanding here.  I intended to use the unit you've described for drinking water.  Just mentioned the shower filter experience to give an indication of the water quality.  Do you think the system you've described (the one in the photo) would be suitable?  Can the 1st (sediment) filter be washed and reused in these units?   Thx.

 

 

In that case will work fine as RO removes any that filters do not get.  First filter only cost 20 baht or less and will normally last multi months.

[lopburi3]

10 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

I went out and bought water purifier. It was UF type, and water tasted and looked OK, it had UV light inside and all, but I was always nervous about using it, as the TDI meter didn't show much if any difference between tap water and what came out of it

Not sure what UF is but the RO system i posted above making mineral water will not have much difference in <deleted> as that is a measurement of mineral conductivity and that unit is designed to return minerals after RO process.  In a normal RO system <deleted> should be about 80-90% lower after RO process, but that varies some. 

[Yellowtail]

10 hours ago, matchar said:

Where from?

Singha

[lopburi3]

52 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Not sure what UF is but the RO system i posted above making mineral water will not have much difference in <deleted> as that is a measurement of mineral conductivity and that unit is designed to return minerals after RO process.  In a normal RO system <deleted> should be about 80-90% lower after RO process, but that varies some. 

Unbelievable - Total Dissolved Solids - banned abbreviation on forum?

[tomazbodner]

39 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Unbelievable - Total Dissolved Solids - banned abbreviation on forum?

Yes, I had to go back to edit it also...

 

UF otherwise stands for Ultra Filtration. Unlike RO, it doesn't require power (except when you have UV lamp inside) and doesn't have brine drain. So it keeps minerals in the water but only removes harmful substances. Or so marketing material says.

[Harveyboy]

On 1/28/2023 at 1:39 PM, CharlieH said:

No ! There is no incentive whatsoever to spend money for most to change the filter.

I would NEVER use one when you can buy bottled water so cheaply.

 

Makro 6ltr 29 bht !

Local supplier do a 20ltr bottle for around 20 bht.

Yes. Bottle water from makro for drinking and 20 litre bottles from local shop for cooking ..job done 

[matchar]

13 hours ago, Yellowtail said:

Singha

Do you have a link? I can only see 12L for 78 baht.

Singha online

[KhunLA]

I don't trust the water purifier we use at the house, let alone one that someone else is supposedly maintaining.

 

If in the A. Muang, PKK area and need a source for drinking water, can recommend one locally, 18+L @ ฿20 each, delivered weekly or monthly as needed, no minimum or contract.   Supplements our rain water supply.

 

Tested w/<deleted> meter @ 5 ppm, so as good as any store bought.  For reference filtered tap is 170ppm.   Store bought bottled <10ppm, unless mineral water, then usually higher.

https://twitter.com/RichardBarrow/status/1104275427378454528