What exactly do filters remove?

[DerbyshireNick]

I have been tempted to install something like the below in the house (for general use)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Water-Filter-Sy ... ter+filter

I was wondering if anyone knew exactly what these strip out of the water. while it claims to remove chlorine etc do they remove any of the minerals or affect the alkalinity?

I am researching like mad but getting very mixed messages. This seems to take a carbon based filter which from my understanding is the type that is most suited for brewing. I used to use one at my old house but, the water was devoid of anything full stop there and my concern is, if I filtered, would the water move away from the values I get from the water report. Alkalinity I am happy with as I can test that on the fly and adjust for it obviously.

Cheers for any info, its appreciated.

[killer]

That's a Carbon filter. It should remove chlorine, Volatile organic compounds (small carbon based molecules) and any solids in the water.
It won't change the mineral composition (or the alkalinity) so it won't remove scale from kettles or elements for example.
For me it is certainly preferable to an ion exchange type filter which exchanges Calcium and Magnesium for Sodium.

But out of interest - why do you want it or think you need it ?

[DerbyshireNick]

For general use to provide better drinking water. Using it for brewing was a secondary thought, I certainly wouldn't fit one for brewing alone.

I just this second found this thread http://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=283706 where the man himself says that it is only chlorine etc that is removed.

That was all I wanted, if its there I may as well brew with it, but... I wanted to know that it wasn't going to mess with what I want to keep in the water.

[killer]

You did say for general use in the first post - not sure how I missed that My folks fitted something similar in their house - their water stank of chlorine. It certainly helped all right.

[DerbyshireNick]

No worries, its easy to skim and miss bits.

Yeah the water in this new house isnt the worst I have known but... It is a little swimming pooly.

I was of the thinking that for the price and ease of fitting it was a bit of a no brainer for better drinking water. Then it crossed my mind that if its only removing bad for brewing things and leaving the things we can understand such as alkalinity and minerals its a no brainer to brew with too.

[Aleman]

Carbon filters are great. They also remove herbicides and pesticides if they are present . . . They shouldn't be but if the water is run off from farmland it does happen.

My fitted GP filter uses a combined carbon and metalex resin which also eliminates heavy metal contamination as well. Which is required when water is drawn from the lake district with its old lead zinc and copper mines.

[Eric]

Carbon filters are great. They also remove herbicides and pesticides if they are present . . . They shouldn't be but if the water is run off from farmland it does happen.

My fitted GP filter uses a combined carbon and metalex resin which also eliminates heavy metal contamination as well. Which is required when water is drawn from the lake district with its old lead zinc and copper mines.

I've found there are bigger items to keep out these days. Mrs Eric frogmarched me around the headwaters of Haweswater last week.



As you see there was still some snow to melt.



After visiting to top of High Street we went down to examine the water.



All we could find was some of those things seen over my left shoulder's shadow



and looking closer to see activity.




All 82 billion litres of water were at the ready, but on a serious note, it's quite amazing how heavy a carbon filter becomes after a while filtering what you think is clean water, although I can still smell chlorine while it never taints my beer.

[DerbyshireNick]

Sold

[jimpy0]

for larger filtering quantities have a look at fish water filters anything below RO - completely strips water so it just kind wet stuff, micron filters for particles, GAC granular activated charcoal for clorines, metals and pesticides -http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTQ5MFgxNTk5/$(KGrHqVHJBsF!jySZ!BQBQgCHdYpnw~~60_35.JPG?set_id=880000500F and it takes http://www.kilmuxkoi.co.uk/images/categories/C754.jpg which are repalacable - i use for all brewing water as i also keep fish.