TGFOP Tea Reviews (c) Silverneedles est.2005

Always wanted to get a water filter, but last i remembered the caraffe option was a pain and had to replace filters often. And under the sink/whole house not an option.

By chance went to the bookstore and seen the Consumer Reports (2007) part of which rated water filters. Supposedly it rated the countertop Kenmore 34551 as best product at 91% so i got one from Sears.
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$50 comes with filter (due for replacement at 3000gal or 6 months or when taste is spoiled).
The replacement filter is 10$ for the 3000gal chlorine taste one, and 17$ for the 4500gal (= get the cheaper one, don’t know what math they use = for 9000 gallons you get 3×10$=30$ and 2×17$=34$ of the 4500…!?)
There are other kinds of filters, more expensive as well, for lead, for finer filtration, giardia, and other kinds of animals.

The “base unit” sits on the countertop and the ~3ft tube goes to your faucet, where it screws instead of the filter (thats usually installed). Included is an adapter thing for different size screw. The switch is a plastic knob thing that is pushed from one side and so sends sink water to the filter.

I colored my switch with a marker - GREEN means YES use the sink. When pushed it pops out on the other side, and that side is colored RED meaning STOP because you dont want to turn on water with a high pressure or have hot water running thru the filter. (This all because in the mornings, a cloudy head leads to pushing knobs and switches and turning on hot water thru the filter )

When i took this apart after 6 months the water inside had some sort of orange-brown flakes, cleaned that up and removed old filter.

closer look at the orange flakes left from 6months usage. Bottom LEFT you see the dispensing “head” the bottom part of it fits into the little hole at the edge of the left side-you have to put it in all the way otherwise it leaks.
Then you see the new replacement filter 3000gal one. And putting back the unit.

I’ve been using this everyday, about 3liters(0.6gal) everyday or more, in about 255days(8.5months) = 765L(202 gallons). Not even close to the rating of 3000 gal. but maybe its got some chemicals that remove the chlorine which expire, or its just plain ol’ activated charcoal that sucks up anything… dont know. all i know is the water started tasting chlorinated again, so when im writing this its been since may2007 so thats 8 months and whatever days.

Water flows pretty fast out the filtered end. But i use little 0.5L plastic bottles to store 1-2days.

(following is a copy of water taste test post)

Taste test:

#1. Kenmore water filter: almost no taste, somewhat ’soft’ ..sweet? taste. just feels like a liquid.

#2. Trader Joes: more mineraly - so its got more of a *bing* compared to the Kenmore. not sure difference in tea.

#3. local tap water (LongIsland, NY): chlorine (maybe its summer chlorination time).
#3. local tap water (Pasadena,CA): even more mineraly, minor chlorine taste.

Taste test:

#1. Kenmore water filter 34551: almost no taste, somewhat ’soft’ …sweet? taste. just feels like a liquid.

#2. Trader Joes: more mineraly - so its got more of a *bing* compared to the Kenmore. not sure difference in tea.

#3. local tap water (LongIsland, NY): chlorine (maybe its summer chlorination time).
#3. local tap water (Pasadena,CA): even more mineraly, minor chlorine taste.

#4. water served at the Biltmore Hotel (i guess part of the “enhanced drinks” they bragged about)(Downtown LA, CA): disgustingly chlorinated.