Green Product Review: The PUR Vertical Faucet Filter with Three-Stage Filtration
The claim was that it cost them more to recycle plastic and glass than it did to dispose of it in a landfill. Sadly, the study targeted the monetary cost, not the environmental cost. New York City eventually re-instated the recycling of glass and plastic, though under new management that has the program operating more efficiently. The impact of the study, however, has shaken the confidence in the importance of recycling. Efforts to restore that confidence in, and to stress the importance of, recycling have been made. Some of those efforts consist simply of repeating the mantra ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.’ As this article intends to take a look at the benefits of using the PUR Water Filtration System, let’s take a closer look at the mantra from that point of view:
Reduce – First and foremost, we are being encouraged to reduce – reduce the materials that we use so as to reduce the waste generated. This is the best advice, hence it is mentioned first. If we can refrain from using excessive amounts of plastic generated from bottled water, we can reduce the resulting waste. Avoiding the ‘Recycle v. Landfill’ debate by not generating the waste in the first place is a huge step towards ‘being green.’
Reuse – when we must use plastics, we are encouraged to REuse them. This could mean washing out and refilling bottles with other drinks or cleaning solutions, using the materials in craft projects, or other uses. One thing that we have done with plastic bottles is to create mini seed-starter greenhouses (read the article regarding this project by clicking here). Again, reusing something prior to disposal makes sense, but only delays the inevitable.
Recycle – this is the third option because it is not the best option of the three. Recycling uses resources. Transportation costs alone have gone way up due to rising gas prices, though transportation cost must also be factored into the cost of disposal.
No matter what side of the recycling debate you are on, there can be no argument that reduction of waste is by far the best option.
Bottled Water v. Filtered Water
My personal debate over bottled water v. filtered water began many years ago. The taste of tap water in my area is just not palatable. In a pinch, it is better than nothing, but drinking adequate liquid is not easy to do when it tastes terrible. We tried one of those pitchers that has a filter installed made by Brita. While this option held a certain appeal, it turned out to be a little too unmanageable for my taste (no pun intended). One problem was that it took too long to fill the pitcher – there was a small reservoir that held the water until it could make its way through the filter. Generally, it took filling the reservoir four or five times before the pitcher was full. As well, the pitcher always seemed to need filling! It just didn’t have a large enough capacity. More importantly, the poor taste of the water was not reduced by any sufficient degree. While I am sure that improvements have been made, I was not in any hurry to try this route again.
As a result of the filter experience, we opted to go the bottled water route. We had considered renting or buying a stand-alone water cooler. This option did not have a lot of appeal. We did not really enjoy the prospect of taking up any extra floor space or using the extra electricity required to operate the cooler. Nor did we want to set up any sort of delivery plan for five gallon bottles of water. While there are other options, none of them looked particularly appealing. After much trial and error, what we ended up doing was purchasing cases of single-serving bottles. This was the most convenient and cost-effective option. We were able to purchase cases of 24 – 16.9 ounce bottles for about $6.50 each. We tend to consume an average of 4 cases per month for a yearly cost of over $300.00 ($6.50 x 4 = $26.00 per month x 12 = $312.00) just for drinking water.
Not to be one to give up on what should be a good idea, I began to explore the filtered water option again.
My PUR Water Filtration System Experience
We decided to head out to our local department stores – we have a Wal-Mart and a K-Mart equidistant from our home – and do some price comparisons. We were looking for a filter that would attach to our kitchen faucet. This would provide versatility and convenience without the drawbacks of a free-standing water cooler. We envisioned being able to fill a glass, teapot, saucepan, ice cube tray, or reusable bottle. In addition to drinking water, we would have filtered water for cooking and drinking water for our pets.
After doing some shopping, we settled on the PUR Vertical Faucet Filter with 3 Stage Filtration. There were three options for faucet filters from PUR to choose from, plus a couple from Brita. Given our experience with the water pitcher that was made by Brita, we didn’t even consider their models. PUR actually offers a fourth faucet filter, but we had no interest in adding flavors to the water. For a complete comparison of PUR Water Filtration System products, take a look at the PUR website.
PUR’s suggested retail price for the PUR Vertical Faucet Filter with 3 Stage Filtration is $29.99. Because of a sale, I was able to obtain this product for about $23.00. The package includes the filter housing unit that attaches to your faucet, one filter cartridge, a set of adapters in case your faucet is not a standard size, the owner’s manual (installation instructions), and a list of the impurities that are filtered out.
After purchasing the filter, I took it home and set to the installation. It only took about five minutes to completely install the unit onto my faucet – no tools required. Once it was installed, I filled a glass with water and performed the taste test. Gone was the metallic taste! The filter worked wonderfully. My faith in water filters has been restored.
The unit has a by-pass feature so that I can draw unfiltered water from the faucet. This is useful for cleaning and hand-washing without unduly taxing the life of the filter. It has a sleek design, so it does not detract from our kitchen’s decor. I am somewhat reminded of the Cylons from the original Battlestar Galactica television series, however. Especially when the red replacement indicator starts to appear.
It is only fair to mention that the filter unit does occupy more space than the faucet alone. Due to this fact, it does take a little getting used to. Loading dishes into the sink takes a little more care so as not to hit them on the filter unit. Over time, it becomes second nature to avoid the apparatus, though.
One other thing that deserves mention – after turning off the water supply, the filter will still have some water remaining in it. This residual water will take a few moments to drain out of the filter. Either you can opt to hold your container under the filter for a moment after the water is shut off, or you can just let the sink catch the water. This is not a significant quantity of water, and after a few seconds, the dribbling will stop. I do not see this as a fault, simply a logical effect of the design.
Doing The Math
Filters are not free, so I needed to determine if it was going to cost more or less than the bottled water option. The documentation says that each filter cartridge will filter 100 gallons of water before it needs to be replaced. It further states that this will take 2-3 months. Based on our consumption of bottled water, we drank on average of 12.675 gallons of water per month (16.9 oz. x 24 = 405.6 oz./ 128 oz.(1 gallon) = 3.16875 gallons x 4 cases = 12.675 gallons). Adding some extra for the purposes of cooking, it is fair to say that 100 gallons over three months is accurate. Using a worst-case scenario, I figured on replacing the filter cartridge every two months. As the initial purchase includes one filter cartridge, this would mean that I would need to buy five more filters in the course of a year. Wal-Mart sells two-packs of the filters for $26.64 and three-packs for for $39.97. For a grand total of around $90.00 including the purchase of the unit itself, I can replace my family’s $300.00 bottled water habit for one year. That is a savings of over $200.00. Even if I have to replace the cartridges monthly, I will still realize a savings of almost $100.00. The hard fact is that even if I didn’t realize any savings, I would still be pleased with the results.
Recommendation
I highly recommend the PUR Vertical Faucet Filter with 3 Stage Filtration to anyone that is unhappy with the quality of the tap water in their home. Whether you are simply dissatisfied with the taste or are concerned with impurities, it is my experience that this filter will help you. It is an affordable option that does the job. If a faucet-mounted filter does not appeal to you, I recommend that you peruse the other PUR Water Filtration System products to find one that is right for you.
Do You Want To Feel Even Better About Your Purchase?
MaxMalls.com is a web-portal to a plethora of online stores including Walmart.com. By accessing the store of your choice through MaxMalls.com, MaxMalls.com will donate a portion of your purchase to Save the Children. Simply head over to MaxMalls.com and click on the store that you would like to shop online with. After selecting the store, you will be brought directly to that store’s online shop, the same one that you would access had you gone there directly.
