drinking water machines is it a big scam

[marcusd]

If your condo management is not a bunch of monkeys they will make sure that the filter is changed often enough.

Of course if you refil in the street you are the monkey,

Anyway bottled mineral water is better for health and still cheap.

The chemicals in water won't often hurt you. Thai water is safe. If you live in an older area it is usually the pipes which are the problem

[bartender100]

Only picture I have managed to find of the inside, is this big container cleaned regularly?

[icare999]

We've got an under sink one. As soon as the flow rate drops or it tastes funny, I'll change the filters. Been about a year since we've had it. I'm still alive. Spare filter that came with it is still in the cupboard.

iof its proper reverse osmosis it has little to do with filters at least 30 years ago when i sold first ones in UK

[NamKAheng]

Has a friend who starts a business for cleaning and disinfect water cooler in offices because she know that only change the bottles, never cleaning the coolers. She showed me some pictures of inside of these coolers, I was astounded at what I saw some of witch green slime in the pot. Now she has 4 people working for her cleaning and disinfecting water coolers, she got a contract with a company that provide water filtering machine for stores, she is also changing filters, she showed me pictures of when she started the cleaning of those machines, unbelievable. Now they are cleaning and disinfecting those machines once a month and changing filter every 2 months.

Not hard to believe that people are getting sick with those machines.

[craigt3365]

If your condo management is not a bunch of monkeys they will make sure that the filter is changed often enough.

Of course if you refil in the street you are the monkey,

Anyway bottled mineral water is better for health and still cheap.

The chemicals in water won't often hurt you. Thai water is safe. If you live in an older area it is usually the pipes which are the problem

Pipes break all the time...and many have cracks which let surrounding water in. Even the supply is questionable at times:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/761682-sattahip-investigates-water-supply-quality-after-610-fall-ill/

My wife won't even use tap water for cooking. We get brown stuff coming out on a regular basis. Terrible.

[poulet]

I had not even come across these machines till recently. They were just in hotels and offices. Then I come home and TGF has one in London house! My TGF wont even drink London tap water now and cant believe I do. I admit the water is better but I dont like children growing up on such pure stuff - they wont have any immunity. I still make tea where I work with mosquito infested water that may have lain in a tank for months!

[mania]

We've got an under sink one. As soon as the flow rate drops or it tastes funny, I'll change the filters. Been about a year since we've had it. I'm still alive. Spare filter that came with it is still in the cupboard.

iof its proper reverse osmosis it has little to do with filters at least 30 years ago when i sold first ones in UK

I think a lot of folks do not realize the difference & think all machines are plain micro filtered water

But as you say Reverse Osmosis is a different technology & not filtering in the classic sense

The machine I use is a RO type..Just took this pic today while refilling.

Only picture I have managed to find of the inside, is this big container cleaned regularly?

Most folks knowingly or not get their water from a container. Most homes or Condos cannot get water straight from a supply

as supply would never keep up with demand.

So Condos have a storage tank on roof they pump water to & it is then for use by rooms.

Homes have a storage tank usually out back or even buried they draw from which is also filled initially by well or city water etc.

then drawn from

So the same scenario exists of a container between supply & use.

Edited October 27, 2014 by mania

[sitti]

my wife was getting drinking water out of machines near house till i watched machines over time people would come regular to empty machines of money

i have never seen on both machines anyone over past 12mts change filter or clean maybe clean middle night// or have best filters in world // or no filters

or maybe have super secret filters western world dont know about yet also how was it everyone drank town water and never hurt anyone years ago

but through scare tatics the largest companys in the world now own the bottle water industry coke cola pepsi chang singa cheers allan

Unless you watch the water machine 24 hours a day, how can you possible be sure that no one ever change the filters. It takes only a few minutes. I have water machines in sukhumvit. Our machines are absolutely clean and many people (including myself) are drinking water from it. Owners are supposed to change the filters at least every 6 months. I have my people change filters in our machines every 4 months since so many people are using it. But I'm sure there are dishonest owners who never change the filter and clean the machine.

[canarysun]

Well i am " out and about sniffing about like an old grey sniffer dog " every day and talking to many people ( mainly Thais as i live in a Thai area ) and even they admit that the filters are NOT changed very often or even if they have ever been changed! The large water container inside the machines are NEVER cleaned either! I know how the Thais run there businesses round this area and just the thought of having to " spend money " on changing a water filter would bring " tears & misery " into there lives for several days to come............

Farang Jaidee ( " a rather chirpy character " )

[bartender100]

We've got an under sink one. As soon as the flow rate drops or it tastes funny, I'll change the filters. Been about a year since we've had it. I'm still alive. Spare filter that came with it is still in the cupboard.

iof its proper reverse osmosis it has little to do with filters at least 30 years ago when i sold first ones in UK

I think a lot of folks do not realize the difference & think all machines are plain micro filtered water

But as you say Reverse Osmosis is a different technology & not filtering in the classic sense

The machine I use is a RO type..Just took this pic today while refilling.

1.jpg

Only picture I have managed to find of the inside, is this big container cleaned regularly?

Most folks knowingly or not get their water from a container. Most homes or Condos cannot get water straight from a supply

as supply would never keep up with demand.

So Condos have a storage tank on roof they pump water to & it is then for use by rooms.

Homes have a storage tank usually out back or even buried they draw from which is also filled initially by well or city water etc.

then drawn from

So the same scenario exists of a container between supply & use.

Thats exactly why most don't drink water from the tap in their home or condo, and for me the vending macines also

[mania]

Thats exactly why most don't drink water from the tap in their home or condo, and for me the vending macines also

True but also why I had to laugh when I went to the home/business that delivers those bottle to homes in my in-laws village;)

I think if most did they may think differently....As it was not anywhere near what one would consider

a clean/sterile environment

[smokie36]

Filtered water from the tap ain't killed me yet.

[balo]

Water is cheap in Thailand , I buy my bottles at BIG C. I know I lose a few baht every week doing that but at least the water is safe.

I used the machines before , until one day it tasted really bad.

[ravip]

Filter or no filter - How many died drinking that water?

You meNiton, Western, coca cola etc.?

Are they better and healthier than this water?

[ravip]

Buy a good water filter and install it at home. Simple. Mine cost 28,000 Baht, but it tastes great.

No. I want the best water at 28th a ton.

If not, it is a scam.

[bartender100]

Lot of people in the world would be glad of our running tap water, it would taste like wine to them

[fey]

i thought these were public utility owned, as the one i use is in front of a house but looks like a community machine. if they are private it adds a worry factor.

have been guzzling this water for the past two years assuming it was clean and regulated, but thanks for the info.

[canarysun]

The machines are private and you can normally buy them for about 20,000 baht but most don't change the filters ( some never! ) and many that have been tested by people have been exactly the same as " Tap Water " ( " lovely " )

[fey]

The machines are private and you can normally buy them for about 20,000 baht but most don't change the filters ( some never! ) and many that have been tested by people have been exactly the same as " Tap Water " ( " lovely " )

but myself and others have seen people working the machines or collecting money from them??

in my case they had uniforms and i assumed they were from the municipal water authority, but i dont remember details. they were not from the thai house where the machine is located.

this would suggest it could be a lease arrangement where a property owner allows the machine on their land in exchange for payment??? while the machines are maintained by someone else that knows what they are doing.

[canarysun]

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The machines are private and you can normally buy them for about 20,000 baht but most don't change the filters ( some never! ) and many that have been tested by people have been exactly the same as " Tap Water " ( " lovely " )

but myself and others have seen people working the machines or collecting money from them??

in my case they had uniforms and i assumed they were from the municipal water authority, but i dont remember details. they were not from the thai house where the machine is located.

this would suggest it could be a lease arrangement where a property owner allows the machine on their land in exchange for payment??? while the machines are maintained by someone else that knows what they are doing.

Hello!

Well maybe some machines are leased then ( i don't know everything as i am " not google " ...) but as far as i understand the filters in most machines don't seemed to be checked very often ( in most cases if you buy a machine then its the owners job to maintain and change the filters in the machines!

But when you can have 18 L water containers delivered to your home in most areas of Thailand and cheaper than the water machine then why use a water machine and risk your health?

I drink at least 3 L of water a day ( which is not enough may i add...) My Doctor (when i lived in the Canary Islands) told me that you should be drinking at least 5 L of water a day!

Farang Jaidee x