# Water Filter(s) question



## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

What water filter is best for DIY gravity feed systems..

anybody tried Zen Water Systems CR-F Micro-Ceramic Filter

I am looking at making my own gravity feed system... I am thinking two stage... 
1st will be to remove dirt and other large solids.. I will get a filter form lowes for this
2nd will be a ceramic .1 (?) micron filter

what size is needed for getting rid of the smaller bacteria


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

get some Berkley replacement filters and a bucket.
I use to use the katydin base camp gravity filter but switched to the 
life straw family 1.0 cause it also removes viruses.
http://www.amazon.com/LifeStraw-Family-1-0-Water-Purifier/dp/B00FM9OBQS?tag=duckduckgo-d-20


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

or as a cheap secondary you could just go with a couple RV candle type filters at wlly world


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I want to make sure it is getting the maximum amount of stuff out of the water..

(My initial plan was to just get water from the lake and boil it...the lake is not that far.... however after a few folks on here made it clear they will murder and steal to survive... I am going to have a alternative and get water from the run off from wetlands that runs by my house)


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## just mike (Jun 25, 2014)

I have a Big Berkey for final filter but it's easy enough to make one out of 2 five gallon buckets and the Berkey replacement filters.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

A living sand filter is a real good long term filter but I will maintain a good working reflux still.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

boy this is going to sound silly-but here it goes.
lister bag the real deal GI lister bag treat the water and in about 30 minutes you got 20-30 gallons of fresh chemicalized clean drinking water just like they used to do in the army back in the day.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Lister bag uses bleach in a larger container so you won't run out too easily. Used one or something similar in Boy Scouts for lake water.

edit: http://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/lister%20bag
View attachment 11531


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Medic33 said:


> boy this is going to sound silly-but here it goes.
> lister bag the real deal GI lister bag treat the water and in about 30 minutes you got 20-30 gallons of fresh chemicalized clean drinking water just like they used to do in the army back in the day.


?????


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

se para quacks post it is self explanatory


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

I'm set with Berkey and multiple filters as well as the extra 5 gallon buckets to prefilter if needed. Look around for some of Hunting Hawks posts. He had a real good one for making a home-made series of filters. I think Arklatex made some based on Hunting Hawk's directions. 

Check out a rainwater catchment system off of your gutters and downspouts. Beats walking to the lake and carrying water which we all know, weighs 8lbs a gallon!


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Sawyer offers a bucket kit to use one of their filters in a gravity system.
You can use either the .1 micron filter, or the .02 micron version(higher filtering, slower speed).
Both have a 1 million gallon guarantee.
Seriously, I'm not sure how any other filters are even still on the market.
Can any commercial water filter beat .02 microns and filter 1 million gallons with nothing more than a backwash now and then?


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## evadaniels (Mar 13, 2021)

When should you change your black carbon water filters? Can you reuse them or not? I just changed mine out after three years. I have well water and lots of sediment build-up on them. I swapped them with new ones and tried to scrub the old ones. Should I toss the old ones or can they be reused? Thanks.


Best water softener cleaners


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Black Berkey carbon filters? I've only ever replaced mine. As far as I know, they're not reusable. Hubs sticks a date on the outside of the canister so we remember to replace them in a timely fashion. I say they last longer than the company claims but for now we're only filtering tap water, not something where its a question of real safety concerns.


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