We calculate the frequency of replacement of the water filter for “Barrier”, “Aquaphor” and “Geyser”

Clean water for drinking is an integral part of a healthy and comfortable lifestyle. To ensure this, it is important to know how often you need to change your water filter. It is not so easy to understand the variety of modern filter models. Let's consider the recommendations of the most popular manufacturers (for example, the companies "Barrier", "Aquaphor", "Geyser"), as well as expert advice, and give the most complete answer to this question.

Why do they change the cartridge?

The purpose of the filter is to purify the water entering the house from mechanical impurities (sand, clay, rust) and chemical contaminants (Ca, Fe ions, heavy metals). Some filters also provide biological treatment, killing pathogens.

For rough cleaning, a cascade of meshes or perforated partitions are usually installed in the filter design, which do not allow large particles to pass further.
Small particles are adsorbed using fillers with a porous structure (activated carbon, fibrous polymer sorbents).
Ion exchange resins are used to remove harmful impurities.
The bactericidal effect is provided by the addition of silver ions.

All the described materials (and many others), when used in cascade, provide a high degree of water purification from foreign impurities and contaminants. But all the removed substances settle inside the cartridge, clogging the pores of the filter and preventing cleaning.When there is a large accumulation, they end up in the water, making the filter not a protector against pollution, but a source of it. Therefore, manufacturers indicate a safe operation period for filter elements.

Most filter manufacturers recommend using only self-produced replacement units in their systems. This is due to both advertising and technological considerations. When using foreign cartridges, high-quality water purification is not guaranteed.

What do the manufacturers recommend?

Today there are several popular types of household water filters. They are produced by various companies, each of which uses a “proprietary” set of technologies. In addition, each region has its own specific water supply. Water consumption per day and the number of consumers also make significant adjustments to the operating life.

Here are some reference values, grouped by filter type:

Cartridges for installation in a jug (Barrier, Aquaphor, etc.) last from 14 days to 1.5 months.
Replacement components for backbone systems are designed for 2–4 months of service.
The service life of the faucet attachment is from 3 weeks to 2 months, depending on water consumption.

Maintenance of reverse osmosis systems installed under the sink is more difficult, since such a filter is a whole cascade of replaceable units with different service life. For example, let's look at the maintenance of the Morion DWM-101S system from the Aquaphor company.

The system consists of four blocks:

two blocks are responsible for preliminary cleaning;
the third carries out reverse osmosis;
the latter enriches the water with ions beneficial to the body.

The manufacturer recommends replacing mechanical and sorption filtration cartridges every six months (with high consumption, the period is reduced to 4 months).

The membrane unit must be replaced every 1.5 years.

Here are some examples of other filters:

Complex "Aquaphor Crystal N" involves changing cartridges once a year. The KN block undergoes 4–5 regeneration cycles per year.
"Aquaphor Trio" involves changing cartridges once a year.
Geyser Nanotek system also has a block design and consists of 5 stages. In this case, the first stage requires replacement every 4–5 months, the next two last for six months, and cartridges No. 4 and No. 5 are changed every year.
In the Geyser Prestige-M filter 6 blocks with a service life from 0.5 to 2 years.
Cartridges for the Geyser Bio system change every 1–1.5 years.

A good option when installing complex reverse osmosis systems is to conclude a periodic maintenance agreement. At a low cost, you get the opportunity to transfer all the worries about maintaining the cleaning installation to the shoulders of specialists.

Expert advice

Indirect signs help to judge the expiration of the cartridge life of flow filters:

Change in the taste of water. Immediately after changing the filter, it is easy to notice that the taste of filtered water and that which runs in the tap is significantly different. If this difference disappears, it is time to change the filter.
The appearance of scale after using filtered water in a kettle.
Pressure drop.

Jugs are characterized by the same features, except for the last one. In them, on the contrary, the pressure often increases after the resource is exhausted, as the filter material cakes.

Indirect signs usually appear late, when the cassette clearly no longer performs its functions.Water quality tests can help identify the problem earlier. But it’s better to avoid problems by changing water filter cartridges in a timely manner. Only this guarantees the safety of water for health.

How to change the filter yourself?

Most filters these days are built to be as easy to maintain as possible. You can replace the cartridge without using tools. To do this, you need to turn off the water, unscrew the failed block along the thread (or unfasten the latch) and put a new one in its place. After installation, the system must be flushed with the amount of water specified in the instructions.

To better understand the process of replacing a cartridge, read the instructions. The manufacturer includes it with each cassette. If you still have questions, training videos will help. With their help, you can see all the stages of replacement clearly. Well, you can entrust the maintenance of complex multi-component systems to specialists or figure it out yourself.