Homebrew Filters

Choose and Maintain a Treatment System

Settle which treatment system fits the problem and how to keep it working.

19 articles.

  1. Reverse Osmosis vs Water Softener: What They Treat Use both when you have two separate water problems: whole-house hardness and a point-of-use drinking-water concern.
  2. Water Filter vs Water Softener: Problems Each Treats A kitchen RO unit does not control scale in a water heater, shower, dishwasher, laundry connection, or any other fixture it does not serve.
  3. Replacement Filters Must Match Your RO System Use the full model and existing part numbers to confirm fit. A "five-stage replacement set" may describe the system it serves, not the package contents.
  4. How Do You Change Reverse Osmosis Filters the Safe Way? Identify the system, isolate and depressurize it. Service one stage at a time, follow the manufacturer's flushing instructions and recheck at full pressure.
  5. Reverse Osmosis: How It Works and When It’s Worth It Its value depends on your water problem, the exact system’s verified performance, and whether you accept its water use, installation and upkeep.
  6. Commercial UV Water Treatment Systems: Sizing Base selection on peak flow, minimum UVT and exact-model validation, with checks for pretreatment, controls, maintenance and lifecycle cost.
  7. Screen Filtration: Selection, Sizing and Maintenance Match aperture to particles and downstream tolerance, then verify effective area, pressure-loss curves, solids load and cleaning requirements.
  8. Deionized Water for an Ultrasonic Cleaner: Uses & Risks Best as a specified concentrate diluent or clean final rinse; use it alone only when the soil, workpiece, tank and cleaner instructions permit.
  9. Do Water Filters Really Remove Microplastics? Some filters reduce tested microplastics, but federal tap-water data are missing. Compare filter claims with measured kitchen plastic exposures first.
  10. Should You Filter Water During Lead Pipe Replacement? A city lead-pipe program does not set your home's date. Learn when to keep filtering, verify NSF/ANSI 53, and decide when precautions can end.
  11. Carbon Filter for Well Water: Testing, Types, Sizing & Limits By Erik Sandoval, water-treatment technician · Updated August 31, 2026
  12. How Long Do Berkey Filters Last? Capacity & Replacement Guide Commercial Berkey retailers commonly report a theoretical capacity of up to 3,000 gallons—approximately 11,350 liters—per Black Berkey element. On that basis,…
  13. Does Brita Remove Nitrates? What Works Instead Standard Brita pitchers lack a nitrate-reduction claim. Learn how to verify RO, anion exchange, or distillation against your water test.
  14. Ninja HydraSense vs Brita Hub: Cost and Certifications Compare certified contaminant claims, 12-month filter costs, controls, and counter fit to choose between Ninja HydraSense and Brita Hub for your tap water.
  15. Water Filter for GenX and PFHxS: Claims That Work Compare PFAS filter claims for GenX and PFHxS, decode NSF/ANSI 53 and 58 listings, and verify the exact model as federal rules change.
  16. Tannin Water Filter: How to Test, Compare and Size a System Tea-colored well water may indicate tannins, but color alone cannot tell you which treatment system to buy. Iron, manganese, sediment, and combinations of…
  17. Does New York Have Hard Water? The Source Decides NYC is generally soft to moderately hard. The classification can change with the use and blending of Catskill/Delaware and Croton water.
  18. 5-Micron Water Filters: Nominal vs. Absolute Two cartridges labeled 5 micron can still capture different amounts of sediment, making the label alone an unreliable way to compare products.
  19. DI Resin: How It Works but What It Misses Resin life is not a fixed number of gallons or months. Replace or service it when confirmed output exceeds your application's limit.