I have used the Ceradyn Water Filter in Ghana, West Africa for the past seven years. It has performed very well, filtering up to 3 gallons a day. I clean it periodically with a moderately abrasive pad. Green algae grows on the filter after the top-fill container drains into the lower one. It cleans up well and I have added a little chlorine at times to cut down the problem.
People who are considering such long time use of a water filter should not purchase the Gravidyn Water Filter because the effective life span of the central charcoal core is only six months. When I call Katadyn about its effectiveness past six months, they warned me that the charcoal core could develop mold after that time and is impossible to clean effectively. So I am purchasing a new Ceradyn filter for our up-coming work in Liberia.
I live in South West Florida. District Water Management officials insist on allowing less-than-healthy water to be provided since we are in a drought. It is un-nerving to have to look at one''s water every day and wonder what''s in it.
Since I have had this Katadyn Drip water filter in my home, I have had complete confidence in what I am drinking and what I am making my pets drink.
I bought this filter system after doing tons of research. It is the only one where you are not enslaved to some company in having to buy their expensive new filters every 6 months. I detest companies that enslave their buyers with the need to purchase expensive items in order to use the initial purchase (for instance Epson computer printers, as well as most other water filter companies).
I also learned that this filter is used around the world and sits on the kitchen counters of homes all around the world because it works. It is passive and reliable. The filters it comes with are good for so many gallons that it is amazing and gives one a good sense of having a very good water filter. In this day and age of poor Water Management and the prospect of intense storms and hurricanes that might effect water supply, this filter is perfect.
I called the manufacturer and they advised cleaning the three filters when you first get it to wipe off any dust. Then just set it up, very simple and a child could do it. At first the drip was so slow I thought I''d be waiting a life-time for a cup of water. But it speeds up overtime and it is easy to keep a good supply of clean water at all times. You get used to seeing the big friendly white elephant on the counter-top. Especially because you know it is full of healthy, drinkable and reliable water. After the first day or so the water filtered more quickly, having worked its way through the new filters.
By the way, I do not work for this company. I do believe in praising companies that provide a good product and do not enslave their customers by creating the need for expensive purchases every 6 months.
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I was looking for an means to ensure I could have a sustained source of potable water. I have a portable Katadyn for times I''d have to relocate to a temporary shelter. But, for home, which is where I tend to stay, if at all possible, I wanted a long term solution to this goal. I thought of a water bladder but anything over 200 gallons gets rather big. A filter seemed to be the best solution. I may still need a means of storage, but even that can become contaminated with bacteria and possible other nasties.
There are TWO models of this filtering system, and it is CRITICAL to understand the differences, because they are identical containers from the outside: Its the ceramic filters that are different between the Ceradyn and the Gravidyn.
The The Ceradyn can filter up to 39,000 gallons. The Gravidyn filters must be replaced when they are 6 months old. Both of these filters can produce up to 15 gallons / day with clear water. (The more solids in the water, the slower it filters the water.) So.. at BEST the Gravidyn will filter 2,790 gallons before the filters have to be replaced. This is because they have a core that is made of activated charcoal and can start to grow bacteria. Since the charcoal is past the ceramic filter section, the bacteria can re-contaminate the filtered water.
That is a big difference: 39,000 (Ceradyn) vs 2,790 Gravidyn) gallons. In fact, at 15gal/day, the Ceradyn will last a little over 7 years (filtering clear, low particulate water.) The point is, one is a long term survival tool (Ceradyn) and the other is a short term survival tool (Gravidyn).
The Gravidyn has an important ability the Ceradyn does not have. The Activate Charcoal absorbs odor, bad taste, and some chemicals. So you can take the brown sludge, filter it and it will taste like good ole water. The Ceradyn,(from reports I''ve read) will leave odors, taste, and chemicals "in the mix" though reduced.
This is why I bought Katadyn''s stand-alone charcoal filter. It is a simple plastic unit, designed for a tube in, tube out system. What is nice about it is that it can be opened and the charcoal replaced. I''ve found a place on the internet that sells 1 gallon container of the right sized / type carbon for about $35. That will probably last the life of the ceramic filters and thus give you the benefit of both designs.
What I plan to do is see if I can install this under the ceramic filters in the filtered water side of the unit. The outlets to the filters (three of them) have male tubing attach points already there, so it will be a matter of figuring out how to take three tubes and run them into one, and through the charcoal filter. The down side to this is it will take up space in the filtered water section and limit the amount that can be stored. If this does not work, I''m sure there will be a way to use it with a separate container.
The construction of the container is simple but strong. the walls of the plastic are about the thickness of a 5 gal plastic bucket. The plastic has NO odor so it should not leach any plastic taste into the water like some plastic water containers do. There is no way these parts would break under normal circumstances. Maybe even under unusual ones. It might deform a little if crushed, but not crack and break unless it was a tremendous impact or if the plastic was sub zero cold. The weakest part exposed would be the spigot.
Now, internally, the ceramic filters are VERY brittle.. If the unit was dropped and the filters hit each other, I think you''d have a fairly good chance of cracking or breaking one or more filters. They have about a 3 inch separation inside the top section so, it would have to be a heck of a fall to get them to collide.. But if your life is dependent on them, it is a caution to remember. It does come with a red rubber stopper that can be put in one of the filter holes if one would break. But of course that decreases your life and output by a third.
You can replace the filters, but it costs about the same for a complete unit as it does for three filters... so if you are getting back up filters, you may as well get a complete unit.
I have not tasted water through this unit, but a friend who used the Katadyn hand pump filter, in a foreign country''s pond said it still tasted like the pond smelled.. I think they bought water instead, after that.. I will be getting the charcoal filter tomorrow or the next day and will see if there is a way to adapt it to these filter units.. If it works, it will be the best of both worlds...
For what I wanted, this unit meets my needs 100%... Amazon had one of the best prices. In later research I found some the same price at other places, but few had free shipping too.
Be prepared for the unexpected people! We are in unusual times.
2/8/2012 Additional comments
The stand alone Charcoal Filter that Katadyn sells can not be rigged up to work inside the unit, but I think it can be attached on the spigot itself with tubing. I know this is a crazy way to do it, but it is the only way I have figured out to pass water through the carbon filter too. I have not physically done this but with the right tubing sizes 1) one that fits around the spigot and 2) a tubing size converter, 3) a tubing that fits on the carbon filter), it should work ok... Crude but ok... I''ll take crude w/ good tasting water over astheticlly appealing with bad tasting water any day.
There was a comment posted about viruses in the water that the Katadyn does not remove.. true the katadyn does not remove all viruses. So you should boil or chemically treat, the water too to be safe... I''d elect to boil if this was an option..
This is from the Katadyn website..
Viruses (~0,02 0,2 Mikron*)
e.g. Hepatitis A, Norwalk virus, Polio virus. Viruses can only propagate
in living cells since they do not possess their own metabolism. Their
minimum size makes it difficult to filter them from water mechanically,
and so filters with a pore size of < 0.02 microns are needed. However,
viruses are sensitive to heat and chemical disinfectants. Usually bound
to particles in cloudy water, they can also be removed to a large extent
with filter pores up to 0.2 microns.
Read Best Reviews of Katadyn TRK Drip Ceradyn Water Filter Here
My wife and I took our Katadyn TRK Drip Ceradyn Water Filter to Uganda a year ago and have been 100% happy. Sure, it is not pretty, but the water is great! Before getting it we would have stomach problems from the local water, but no more. Nor are we dependent on local bottled water, which is not all that reliable (is it anywhere?). We went with the Ceradyn filter, although it does not improve the taste all that much, because we knew the water would be pure and drinkable. After running it through the Katadyn we put it through a Brita filter to improve taste. Having said that, the Katadyn taste is actually quite good. I will buy another in a heartbeat when this one is done!!!! And if we ever move back to the US I''ll get one to ensure the water is healthy. Highly recommended.
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I can highly rate this Katadyn Filter, I purchased one in May, 1989 from a Camping Store in Zuerich Switzerland and I have been using it ever since in New York City.New York City water has sometimes rust from old pipes and therefor the filters are an excellent tool to have, sometimes I just wipe the rust of the filters with a paper towel or use the special tool to scrap it off. Had to change the watertaps 3 times so far, as they start to leak after excessive use.
Having this filter saves you from carring waterbottles from the market plus it helps the environment by not pulluting with plastic or glass bottles.
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