I’m kinda shocked you believe that zero water bullshit, I’m pretty sure it’s just detecting a certain chemical in the water, this test is completely invalid unless you get a 3rd party water tester
I always figured that was marketing junk. "Our filter scores great on this system we included with our product! Dont worry about other stuff" I'm pleasantly surprised that ZeroWater is actually good
we've been using zero water filter for 6 months or so. Its phenomenal. It does go through filters kinda fast, we probably filter a gallon and a half of water a day. We probably change the filters once a month. Still cant beat it for the price.
I have/used to use the Zero pitcher. It's great, but the filters go fast here where I live - we have pretty hard water - and they're not exactly cheap. It's very obvious when they are going bad, as they tend to get a really odd, fishy smell/taste.
yeah, but drinking water with zero minerals which is almost distilled water is maybe not a good idea in the long term, you definitely need to add some minerals after treatment
My best price on ZeroWater filters is when Bed, Bath, and Beyond has the 4-pack in store on sale for $40, then use their $20 off $80 coupon to get two packs for $60. Comes to $7.50 per filter before tax.
The thing about zero water is it reacts very differently to different kinds of tap water. It can last 3-4weels with some waters and less than a week with others
Great work as usual! ZeroWater's results are impressive considering the low cost. Don't be surprised if you see a black tinted SUV parked in front of your house after a few of the water filtration companies see this video. LOL
I would be worried about excessive demineralization of the water. It is actually dangerous to drink distilled water. EDIT: Thanks for the update from everyone. Maybe I'm not fully convinced, but maybe in the future I will believe, that it isn't dangerous at all.
@@rafakordaczek3275 a low significance of minerals are obtained from drinking water, if the owner of the zerowater is conscious of the lack of minerals it can be made up for with supplements or food selection
I actually bought the Zerowater based off amazon reviews and wanted to see how good it was and man am I happy that I got it over anything else after seeing how it compares from your tests. As always, exceptional testing and you are doing us a huge service with your content. On behalf of all your viewers, we thank you.
@@floflorian6085 that may be the case for some but that really depends on the location and how much water you're filtering. For me I've been filtering about 3-5L a day and using it for the past month and the TDS is still at 0. Mostly because the tap water I have seems to be very clean since it's measuring 110-130 TDS. Like with many things in life, your mileage may vary, hope this helps.
If the test is not taking out Fluoride, fluorosilicic oxide, then its really pointless. Fluoride is a neuro toxin known for decades, yet the US and 8 other countries add this toxin at the claim of gain for tooth enamel.
Water filter companies didn't even know they were at risk of being exposed by Project Farm. No manufacturer of any product is safe now. Awesome work man. Congrats on 2M subs. 🤘🏻
@@lockergr The American Sign Language gesture for "love you" or “I love you,” showing a hand with a raised index finger and pinky (little) finger and an extended thumb. 🤣
As an RVer I've been waiting for this test. I'm sure I'll have to wait for the Zerowater to be restocked at the store now... You may be saving people's health with this video - Thank You!
@@ProjectFarm is there any way you could run a part 2 later on with a different measurement tool to see if the results stay consistent? Amazing work overall!
Remember, 0 tds is not drinking water. There's a reason distilled water is labeled not drinking water. You need dissolved minerals or else your body just removes it as excess fluid. If you knew this already, sorry, lol.
That was one of the best test ideas. The way you went about testing them is something none of them would ever have allowed their company to perform publicly, except for Zero Water and Aqua True. Great job putting up relevant content.
@@heythaveI have a Brita pitcher. It took some getting use to the "taste" since I bought bottled water for years IMO the bottled water varied in taste! Since I live alone the pitcher works great for me (I buy the 3 package filters since it saves money over buying one).
This type of unbiased testing and information is, in my opinion, what the internet was made for. These videos are always excellent and informative. Coupled with listening to feedback from the community makes this channel a real gem. Thank you for your work Project Farm!
Well, I bet that by the end of the week ZeroWater is going to wondering why their sales are booming! Great job, I've always wondered which filter was the best at filtering.
It does a good job but the filters go bad after about 3-4 weeks of use and your water starts to smell like fish. Got tired of it and switch to a Berkey and it's a game changer.
I've been using ZeroWater for years. The water tastes great! And when Newark NJ had their water crisis four years ago, the company stepped up with free filters. Nice touch.
This is my field of expertise, so I might be able to clear things up a little. - TDS should not to be considered a measure to determine filter performance, unless the filter is designed only to do that specifically (as the RO or Zero filter). TDS only states how much ionic compounds are dissolved in water, some of which (e.g. Calcium and Magnesium) are actually desirable for taste. - Life straws (either UF membranes or ceramic NF elements) will not withhold dissolved solids, but will retain bacteria, something the other filters will be hopeless at. - The technology of the zero filter is called "mixed bed ion exchange", and a active carbon fleece in as retaining net and chlorine reduction. It will remove all dissolved solids, but has the downside of having a terrible capacity (lifetime is very short). - You can have very good heavy metal reduction and scale protection with cation ion exchange, but you will not reduce TDS. Water will taste slightly saltier. - You can have scale protection and good taste with a little more complex anion decarbonization resins (TDS will still remain the same). - Both a Zero filter and an RO should not be used for bacterial removal: use the life straw for that (or just boil it!). - Gravity fed filters are unfortunately generally a growing ground for bacteria. - Not all activated carbon is born equal; It generally has little influence on TDS, but is great at removing chlorine and complex organic or inorganic molecules. some are specifically cationic active and can remove heavy metals very well. Indeed to test filters properly you are going to need several thousand $ in equipment, the important thing is to select the correct filter for the correct application.
Thank you for the rundown on the filters for the layman. I did feel that the testing done here was too surface-level, and didn't get into what was actually happening. Unfortunately, some people are going to watch this and think the zero will filter out bacteria as well.
@@Banana_Cognac I agree. Unfortunately water treatment is a complex subject and just giving the basics would require a whole video series. To all people who ask me "which one is the best filter", I can only answer "the best filter.. for what?" as every application will have different requirements. The Zero filter would be the best for your steamer and iron (no residues), yet i would never brew my coffee with it as the taste will be blunt and flat. Similarly there is no reason to use a life straw when you have access to chlorinated municipal water, where a simple AC filter will significantly improve taste ad, if specifically designed for it, take out some heavy metals and chloramines as well.
This is the correct response. Last thing to note is 0 PPM water is not desirable for drinking water. 0 PPM is great for hydroponics but there is a reason there is distilled water and drinking water.
@@yoshyoka Unfortunately, activated carbon will not remove chloramine and most water supplies are using that now as it takes less to have the same effect and does not evaporate out of the water. Depending on the level of chlorine in the water, you can let the water sit for a few days and all the chlorine will evaporate out. Chloramine will stay in the water until directly filtered out or the water is distilled. The science says chloramine in low quality is fine but I know from experience (city water): 1. Kill fish and/or make them very sick. 2. Even using a reverse osmosis system (not designed to remove chloramine), have a huge effect on plant growth in hydroponics. Saw lost of baby plant and slow growth and since filtering out chloramine, I have never lost a plant and massive difference in plant growth and overall quality of the health of the plant (less dead or fading leaves). I only learned about chloramine after posting on reddit about what looked like nutrition deficiencies in my plants and I have a high system that controls the ppm and PH of my hydroponics water. Someone suggested chloramine poisoning as the issue and after getting a filter to remove chloramine, I can say they were 100% correct.
@@ExZero16 I think there is a bit of confusion here: what you write is correct for Monochloramine; however i was referring to trichloramines, which are responsible for the classic "pool smell" and taste. These can be removed with AC varieties activated at higher temperatures and which achieve higher iodine numbers.
I watched this video, then went and bought a ZeroWater off Amazon. It was amazing. After living in southern FL for the better part of a decade I'd given up on getting good tasting water out of the tap. This product is amazing. I really appreciate your scientific method and standardized testing plans. Thumbs up and you've got my subscription.
I camp in Florida a lot and another camper was complaining about the taste thinking the town filtered it :( I gave her an RV filter and she tasted the difference:) We have switched from the blue filter which has loose charcoal to an 02 Clear which has a solid block of charcoal, the downside of that is it drops your water pressure. Inside the drinking water then goes thru a Zero
@@raymondclark1785 The whole point of filtering is to get rid of the nasty stuff that are unhealthy... Drinking water that have no minerals in it is not as healthy as people here want to believe->we need that minerals to be healthy->that is why mineral water is often conected with health recovery centers->nice views+fresh air+mineral water=win. Ofc if the choice betwen water full of heavy metals and water that have nothing in it then the choice is easy.
@@Bialy_1 false. Minerals are taken from food. Minerals from water are damn near miniscule. Look at the amount of minerals in a liter of spring water and compare to the RDA of those minerals. Silly goose. One point someone might instead make is that water is Earth's natural solvent. So pure water may work as a solvent in the body. It can rid the body of inorganic crap chemicals like synthetic vitamins. You'll notice a flush probably of these nutrients. You just solve it by throwing in some pure Celtic sea salt or buy mineral drops. Make your own pure water and turn it in to mineral water. You buy from the market, you're most likely drinking fluoride too. Don't believe major companies.
@@raymondclark1785 Most people associate a sulfurous taste as bad in FL. I consider the "dirt" taste as less than palatable, but the ultimate quality of water in most of FL is quite good. It SHOULD have more mag/calcium (hardness) but it is usually not the case. If you were to buy European water from say France, the labels will tell you exactly what minerals are in it. And boy do they love minerals in water.
I have been watching other Videos testing water filtration and YOU Project Farm are so far ahead of all the others BY a COUNTRY MILE. You are doing great work and providing valuable information. Great Job.
@@ProjectFarm hey quick correction, that filter at 2:39 is not NSF certified. It's a word game they play, where they say it's certified "to the standards/specs of NSF". This means it's not NSF certified, and won't be listed on their website as such, but some random 3rd party company lol . They make extreme claims many times, compared to filters which are actually NSF certified that can't lie about their longevity and abilities. One more thing to note is the TDS for the Sawyer product isnt what it's designed for, you need a bright field biological microscope to test for that. There's someone who does microscope videos who actually tested a lifestraw, same tech as the Sawyer, worked amazing at removing microbial contamination!
One thing important to keep in mind, some of the brands are only designed to remove contaminates that make you sick. Sawyer for example is a backpacking filter designed to filter lakes, rivers, and stream viruses and protozoa. True water works great if you want essentially distilled water.
YES! I love these videos but I don't think this was as comprehensive as his batteries/pumps/etc. I think this was a well intended but really needed a proper lab with spectrum analysis and petri dishes to adequately judge.
My 40 cup zero water dispenser is awesome. I even water my plants with the water and they’ve never been healthier and NO residue in the pots. Of course we drink it and cook with it. Not sure why folks say the filters are expensive because I only have to change my filters every 3-4 months with heavy use. I test every week so I know it’s working. I appreciate you breaking down the science for us. Thank you 😊
My ZW filters lasts 28-35 days. Close 35-40 gallons approximately. I have also tried the 3rd party filters for ZW and they are ok but do not last as long. It comes down to the same average cost per day.
damn really? could you have gotten a defective filter? or just really bad water to begin with? i was planning on buying a zw filter after wathcing this and adding salts for electrolytes@@lz898
Zerowater did an amazing work, especially considering it's price. However, I read some reviews complain about the lifetime of the filter is very short, which make sense considering it removes all the solid in the water. Another amazing review!!
@@computerguy6264 ive used slower; in the grand scheme of things zerowater filters fairly quick. Berkey is a drop at a time. Zerowater filters at a speed where its a small stream of water
ZeroWater uses the same technology as the other filters like Brita etc. ... so it is impossible to get a zero on this way. Even industrial osmosis water contain a small amount of particles left in the "pure water". So the osmosis system in the test is by far the best system, not by the brand, by the used technology (but therefore it consumes a lot of electricity to do it).
@POPmMOPm it is physically and chemically impossible to get "zero" reading. Get some information about the filtration technology behind all the "cheap table top" fiters. If you want to change "belief" into "knowledge", send two probes of water (one from the tap and one from the tap filtered by your zero) to a laboratory. And things are allways debateable. You cant proove, that every probe was done by the same method. This all depends on the will to "belief".
@R0bsterb0Y We saw the other filters in comparison to the zero water and there is clearly a lot more going on in the zero water than a simple granulated carbon filter.
@@ahayesm your welcome. You are totally free to believe whatever you want. But if you are interested in science, there are several publications to this and similar topics.
I remember seeing TV ads about the Zero Water filter. I can’t believe that filter works better than the insanely expensive reverse osmosis filter. Thank you Project Farm for being the unbiased tester to find out if the claims hold up!
Wouldn't say better. If you check the water test strips you can see that they both removed everything harmful(like iron, or lead) from the water nearly perfectly. The more expensive one leaves some dissolved solids, which is not a problem for drinking water. You don't need it to be distilled water, many people drink mineral water with tons of dissolved solids. You just don't wannt harmful solids. TDS is not a measure of water quality. You don't need to drink 100% pure H20.
@@jort93z Sure if cost is no object you can get the Reverse osmosis unit. But for the price though, nothing beats Zero Water. I researched and bought one years ago. It's the real deal compared to a bunch of charcoal filters.
Been using zero water for years now, the cost of filters are high this wasn't totally covered but it does add up. I have about the same water as PF and I can totally vouch for the clean taste of the water it's really worth it for the zerowater I have one at home and on boat and in my RV!
Having grown up drinking well water, the water filtered by a Zero Water taste bland and lifeless. It actually makes me not want to drink water. Many of the dissolved solids in water are completely harmless and improve the flavor. Several are actually healthy for you.
Man I’m moving out on my own for the first time in my life and that comes with a lot of added stress. I drink a LOT of water so I knew I needed a convenient and good water filtration system. I can’t thank you enough for taking one of the added stresses away from me with this video. I would always watch your tools testing videos and knew the quality you put out. so you can understand my excitement when I saw this video pop up on my search. Keep up the awesome work!!
Could certainly include a microbial test condition! Survival filters, ie Sawyer and life straw are more designed for microbes than contaminates. I'm a microbiologist, if you want some ideas for tests feel free to let me know! Great vid as always!
I agree fully. here in Finland this kind of products are completelly useless because regular tapwater is way less than 100ppm, in Helsinki averaging 61ppm (3.4dH), but camping kits are nice to have. Except i have just taken water from a stream as is.
I'm a microbiologist too. Straws are scams. And as you know most microbes are ok or at least not harmful. Chlorine pills are the best option if you are concerned about bacteriological pathogens.
@@m4rvinmartian I wouldn't go as far as saying that the straw type filters are a scam, they often have a smaller pore size that the syringe filters used in the lab and are considerably better than chlorine tabs, and somewhat better that chlorine dioxide tabs, at removing cysts and flukes. How strictly you choose to treat your water really depends on the source, if there are farm animals around I wouldn't drink untreated water. You could say that most microbes are not a risk but it only takes a few pathogens to put you in a whole world of trouble.
@@mrtonyvillagomez Yes. In fact, your question is why we have so much COVID BS about masks "floating" around. I'm sorry, but you civilians did NOT PAY ATTENTION IN SCHOOL! THINGS HAVE RELATIVE SIZE BRO. Also, the 100% filters use resin catalysts, not filtration to achieve those numbers. So, yes, there will still be microbes.
Pro tip Zero Water filters are still better than most other filters even when they go bad. Also you can use the old filter to do a first run for water and put it through a fresh zero water filter and that will improve the lifespan of the new filter.
Basically, if you want pure distilled water - use ZeroWater; if you want just the nasty stuff gone but leave the mineral content - Aquafor; AquaTru is like ZeroWater for rich kids, and it also holds higher volumes if you need to have more purified water at the ready; everything else is either a compromise for the sake of portability (survival-style kits) or just not as good.
The Zero water IMHO could be deadly. Removing all TDS, which includes all the salts and minerals your body needs, causes osmosis in your cells, removing all electrolytes from your blood. Then your heart will go into fibrillation and you die.
Yesssss every time I need to make a decision, this guy already has a video out there to help me feel like I got a good deal! From weed eaters to water filters, my man!
Thanks for cutting the filters apart at the end. I was curious how the Zero Water was doing so well compared to the more expensive options. Once you cut it open it was clear- the Zero Water uses DI resins to filter the water. This will do a great job at removing just about any impurity from the water, but it will probably deplete itself pretty quickly. DI resins are also more expensive than carbon blocks (generally) so it would be interesting to see the gallons treated per $ spent on the filter. This would be a longer term project which probably wouldnt make for good TH-cam though...Entertaining video!
Zero water usually last 20 gallons for me then they start to taste real nasty and turn water more acidic. Zero has charts to determine how long they last with different water supplies. New filters reduce the ph by ~2 from my tap(from a high 7 to almost 5) ive seen replacements anywhere from $2-$8 depending where i bought them.
They recommend you replace the filter on the Zero Water units when the ppm exceeds 6. We get about 3 months of use per filter but only use it for making coffee (10 cups per day). So I would estimate about 45 gallons of treated water per filter for our use case (which is well water). The longevity of any filter is going to depend on the quality of the water from your tap. So how long they last will vary widely.
@@ProjectFarm Is it possible you add some DI resin to the home made filter and make an addendum to the video. I bet you will get some interesting results.
@@ProjectFarm Hey Project, love your videos. You must have ESP because you're always reviewing stuff that I am thinking of buying. HOWEVER, your ESP has missed one. Mosquitos! Please do a SERIES of mosquito videos, covering bug zappers, and mosquito repellents. Outside time is almost here. I'm thinking of getting a DynaTrap for mosquitos, and potentially a bug swatting "racket".
just as a heads up, you don't always want to be drinking 0ppm water, because it can end up leeching vital nutrients out of your body. it's the same reason it's not healthy to only drink distilled water.
The LifeStraw, Survivor and Sawyer really aren't intended to take dissolved solids out of water, and as you mention, dissolved solids are actually not generally harmful. They're backpacking/survival tools and are intended for taking out pathogens - bacteria and parasites. I don't know how you'd test for that, unless you have a source of water that contains giardia or something similar and can have a lab analyze the output.
I'm sure some simple smears on agar growth medium could be used for judging their performance with bacterial pathogens, but that would require a bit of a set up and study in aseptic procedure.
@@justinwbohner Nah you need to grow it. Water can have enough bacteria to make you sick without having enough in one drop to see on a slide. Plus many bacteria are quite small and hard to see with a basic microscope. Like 1000x smaller than the onion cell from science class. Best case they look like a tiny dot. Labs that test it, grow it in a petri dish then use special dyes and UV light that lights up the pathogen like a neon sign.
So glad you did a water purifier test. I would love to see an air purifier test soon. I'm especially curious about which ones are best at filtering allergens and mold spores! :)
This would be great. Last year I bought a few germ guardian units for the bedrooms, and the filters have been replaced after getting quite dirty, so they're doing something, but I'd love it for them to be run through PF's thorough testing.
Project Farm did a furnace filter test, I would watch that. If you have central heating or air, the filter you have on that thing is more important than your small air purifier.
It would be nice to have seen a breakdown of the cost per gallon of filtered water over the declared life of the filters. I believe the Berkey claims 3,000 gallons per each filter and ZeroWater claims 30 to 50 gallons per filter. There is a big cost difference there for price per gallon.
So you are saying zero water filters last 8 days. How much water are you filtering and where do you live. Is your water heavy in contaminates? Please fill in the blanks. For $28 I don't see how you can beat it?
I'm a water junkie. I can taste and smell things that others can't.😳 I started using the Zero Water pitcher almost 5 years ago. Whenever I'm working a disaster or a fire, I have my Zero Pitcher with me. Except for my morning coffee and my evening herbal tea, I drink nothing else but Zero Water & an occasional glass of wine. Except for aspirin, I no longer take over-the-counter or prescription medication for pain. I opted for the holistic approach. I'm 71 and pretty much pain free.🎉🎉🎉
It is very strange that a normal nonRO filter system (ZeroWater) could outperform an RO system (AquaTru) in terms of removing ions, so I did some research online. It seems that ZeroWater is built to remove ions from water using "Ion-exchange resin", which is dedicated for removing ions and usually used as a post processing step for RO system to further refine the purity. ZeroWater does not have RO filter and apply the ion-exchange resin directly. This indeed could result in better TDS values comparing with RO system without ion-exchange resin, however, doing so will drastically reduce the life-span of the filter as the resin is designed for water already has low ion level. Also, because ion-exchange resin does not filter water through physical pores in the filter like RO filter, it could not remove non-ion contaminations from water, such as microbe or organic (carbon-based) contaminants. This makes the "0 TDS" claim more like a marketing strategy as TDS only indicates a portion of possible contaminants in water ignoring many things that are also important like chlorine level, bacterial level, and even added sugar or alcohol in water. For zerowater, combination of different filter components like active carbon could remove many common contaminants and odors but I doubt whether it could achieve the same level of effectiveness over time comparing with an RO system. As its name indicate, while ion-exchange resin removes ions from water, it exchanges the stored H+ and OH- ions (components of water) in the resin with the to be removed ions (so H+ OH- being released to water, bad ions trapped on resin). The H+ OH- storage could be depleted fairly quickly if there are a lot of ions to be removed from water. In fact, on zerowater's website, it claims that each filter can only filter 15-25 gallons of 200-300 TDS water (the tap water used in this video). As comparison, RO systems use tiny pores (1000nm), and virus(>10nm), to allow only water and very low amount of ions to pass through. According to aquatru's website, their RO filter could last two years or 1200 gallons water, which is 30x longer than the zerowater's filter (40 gallons at best). If you are filtering water a lot and try to get as much contaminants removed as possible, I believe the RO system should be both more effectiveness and even cheaper considering the filter cost. If you really want to get the most purified water in home, probably an RO system with ion-exchange resin is the best option. Even distill water is not that pure considering some evaporative contaminants like chlorine are difficult to remove by the distillation process. For this video, I suggest a follow-up video on the measurement of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) for each water sample to get a better idea on the amount of organic contaminants in water.
Yeah and there's a HUGE difference between them when it comes to longevity. Zero filters essentially become useless after around 10 gallons whereas RO can easily filter 20x that.
Yeah all that was Greek to me also. I will say that i bought a zero water filter pitcher over 10 years ago and i am still using it. From the user perspective i think that thing is amazing.
I have installed a filter on the main pipe to my house.....with the toalett, bath and watering... it probobly filters several thousnads of gallon a month
I first watched this video a few months ago. I purchased a Zero system and am completely pleased with the results. I run about 1 and 1/2 gallon through my Zero per day, and after 3 months the water still tests at 0.00 ppm. My old system needed a filter change every few weeks.
We've been using Berkey for years; it's nice to see them put up head to head! Thanks for the information, and keep them coming! Your tests are great, and provide us with the knowledge to make better, more informed purchases!
@@matthewriggenbach8000 I work for a residential home water filtration company and our carbon coconut filters will filter around 3 million gallons before they need swapped. so id believe that this smaller filter could easily filter 100,000 gallons easily unless ur pissing into the damn thing.
I like this channel a lot, and most of the conclusions of this video still are likely to be useful, but I see important problems: - The Sawyer and Lifestraw are meant to filter bacteria, not minerals or other impurities. The type of filtration is completely different, and their inclusion in the comparison doesn't make sense. This is my main issue with the video. - The TDS measure doesn't seem too relevant to me either, as several filters use ion-exchange resins, so they will purify your water, without necessarily affecting the ionic strength (they substitute an 'undesirable' ion for a "desirable" or "neutral" one). (edited for clarity)
i was thinking the same, i used the sawer mini to filter dirty water from puddles duiring trekkings and it come out basically clean, it just filters all solid particles exception made for some viruses that are smaller than the pores, there is a version made to filter soluble things and even all viruses too.
Good point. For hiking/backpacking Lifestraw and Sawyer are fine; they'll filter out bacteria and even viruses, but not chemicals (you're not too likely to have toxic chemicals unless you're hiking near old mining activity). Carbon filters will clean up the chemicals, but not the bacteria. You need a combo filter if you expect both types of contamination. I also LOVE project farm, and this is the first time I've ever noticed a test that did not unequivocally prove his conclusion. I hope he catches it and re-edits this one, or at the very least mentions this.
Agreed. Daily user here. One of the best investments I've ever made. I upgraded to the carbon from the stock ceramic filters back in late 2018. This thing has and still saving me so much money, especially during the height of the pandemic when people were panic-buying bottled water.
Do you guys still love your filters after watching the video? I just ordered a Berkey and I am thinking I should return it as it doesn’t seem to perform as well comparte to a zero water system. I wonder what is what make you feel that Berkey is still the best choice ? I am asking as I am deciding whether to keep mine or. Not. Thanks
I'll agree that TDS is a small factor of water quality, but actual impurities are huge. The filters designed for raw water will save your life compared to filling a Brita pitcher from a river, which will allow pathogens pass and seriously make you sick. The filters you tested that had high TDS but designed for raw water would allow you to safely drink your agriculture well water without consequence, and I don't expect you could reasonably test pathogens without a lot of additional money and lab tests. Great video as always! I have a catalytic carbon water filter for our drinking, baby formula, and what not water. I chose a catalytic carbon filter as it removes the chloramine from our drinking water, and many other things like PFAS which is rising in a lot of communities tap water. It's connected to our sink with a little bypass valve, and it has been great!! The Home MAster Mini 1CCB is what we have, order it up and test it in the future!!
Well done on 2 million subs. Watched you from the beginning. The videos have got smoother over the years but your attention to detail and unbiased attitude has remained constant. You deserve the success because you have been impartial and never bought by any company although I imagine they try.
@@ProjectFarm Thank you for the beginning. Far too many channels in companies pockets. The biggest attribute to your channel is you just provide results without favour and show many times that quality of product does not always need to cost the most. This video for example has certainly shown that a less popular brand out performed a house hold name.......
@@ardscorner Your comment illustrates the risk in these videos - you don't understand the basic fundamentals of filtration, and so you're influenced by which product performs HIS tests the best. FUNDAMENTAL ERROR.
@@procatprocat9647 Interesting comment you make. Maybe I do or maybe I do not understand the basics of filteration......who knows. But his tests proved which was best under this scenario. These are the most basic of filters which a lot of people use and believe. PF puts products through tests to simulate use. The use of a water filter is to pass water through it to remove particulates and heavy metals. PF measured each using the same test equipment.....ergo results are comparable. The aim of the test was to demonstrate which provided the lowest reading.....which was achieved. So by deduction the lowest reading provided the highest filteration of the chosen media. All household water filters are designed to polish your water....to remove that thin film of scum you see on your tea. They are not designed to remove bacteria nor to make water safe to drink.....you need safe drinking water to start with. Yes they could make a staged filter to achieve this but the cost and risk is not worth it. So do I think PF was right in this video.....yes I do as the numbers speak for themselves
Thank you for making this video! I remember asking for this a long time ago and I'm blown away that you made it happen. Your viewers appreciate all the effort you put in to your videos. Your reviews are so helpful.
I was looking around for a water filter and was unsure of what to get. Having seen a multitude of other videos on your channel, I knew you were a reliable source of information. You've saved me a ton of time and money and for that I thank you. 😁
We live on a small island with no mains water supply, so every house has it's own well or spring. The place we're renting while renovating a 250 year old watermill has an unlined bore and the water quality can be very poor - we can only drink bottled water. Britta filters did nothing for us, removed a tiny bit of smell but thats it. That being said, TDS isnt a very good measure for testing in my opinion, since you need some dissolved minerals to survive - many filters will have media in them to add those essential elements back in, after the carbon and other filter media has stripped them out. Having 0TDS is not good for your health, if that is your only source of water. I really liked the test strips, and have ordered some to play with, it will be interesting to compare our unlined bore hole here with the fully lined modern bore hole over at the mill, while we're waiting for government testing of the water. Overall a great video, but I don't think the test methodology was as robust as your typical tests (which i'm fine with, you be an expert at everything!) I still learned some new stuff, and had fun watching!
I think the primary goal of the testing was to have clean, safe drinking water. It's a pretty straightforward task of adding back minerals to the water if you so desire.
water that hard would strongly recommend you install a whole house filtration system. i have extremely hard water installed an Aquasana Rhino 1,000,000 gallon whole house filtration and it immediately took hardness scale off the chart (above 15 on hardness scale) down to around 2-3. Water softener took care of the rest bringing it to 0. You would never want to use that hard water through faucets, appliances, or other items using water in the house. This will significantly improve water quality throughout the house. It's scary to see what crap the pre-filters pull out before even reaching the resin tank for further filtration. ALL people should be installing these types of systems even if they have slightly hard water.
I decided I’d try out the Zerowater after watching your video and I’m throughly satisfied with the product. Thank you very much for keeping your video strictly factual and less about your personal bias. Thank you, Sir!
In your experience how fast was the filter process. My household goes through about 15 gallons of bottled water a month and I would like to cut out waste from that. It's a lot of bottles.
@@dromen1 That's a lot of plastic waste. And most of it isn't recyclable I would wager. Most bottled water is just filtered tap water anyways, so getting a water filter will save you a pretty decent chunk of change for roughly the same product. Remember if you do buy to look at the cost of both the initial pitcher cost AND the filters. Because it's kinda like shaving razors. The handle (Or pitcher) are actively cheaper then the heads and filters. Also the lifespan of the filters is pretty important. The Zerowater says that you should replace them every twenty gallons, which isn't very much. But those filters cost about $33 for a two pack from their site. Roughly $16 for 20 gallons, or less than a dollar a gallon is much cheaper than most bottled water not bought in massive bulk.
I absolutely love that you also tested that in-line garden hose filter, I use that for my honey bee oasis :) Thank you for all of your well-planned and executed tests.
I love how you always do your best to educate yourself and do the testing that most of us can't do at home. This is why we love you helping us all learn together, and be entertaining as well
It would be very interesting to see how the name brand refrigerator cartridge filters compare to these stand-alone water filters. We have been using the "genuine" Samsung water filters in our Samsung refrigerator for about 4 years now. The Samsung filters seem to work well, and the water and ice taste great (unlike the straight tap water where we live). The Samsung filters are NSF 42, 53 & 401 rated, and last around 300 gallons or 6 months. The cost to replace the "genuine" Samsung filters is around $50. Maybe an idea for water filter comparison video part 2?
I ended up buying a zerowater because of this video a while back. I used to be just a Brita user before. I definitely liked the quality of the water with zerowater more. I ended up switching back to Brita due to costs. Zerowater filters lasted me about 2-3 weeks each before developing a sour taste, I soon realized that it was going to be a cost prohibitive filter system where I live so I ended switching back to Brita. Sure not nearly as good but does that job.
Unfortunately you bought wrong. Modern castle did a similar test but used actual Arizona town water to a laboratory. Water had lots of nasties including uranium. Zero did very average with chemical reduction which was one of the worst filters tested. Brita did much better
I could have written this comment word for word after my experience with ZeroWater last month. Appears to be a real issue in areas with very hard water, and it's unfortunate because Brita water doesn't taste great.
Don't know why I'm just now seeing this, but man am I glad that I did! You're doing excellent work here by saving consumers time and money while at the same time increasing their efficiency WHILE AT THE SAME TIME putting pressure on companies to hold their promises/claims. This channel needs more subs.
@@lofimusiq Easy to re-add minerals, desalinated minerals from salt lake is good, although the mag chloride can give you the hershey squirts if you use too much.
The ion exchange beads for the ZeroWater will get used up really fast when used this way, the beads change color when they are spent, a few more tests and it looks like you would need a new filter. Ion exchange is typically used after going through a reverse osmosis filter, which typically want a carbon filter before that, and probably a particle filter before the carbon filter, normal people can stop at the reverse osmosis stage, the ion exchange step is usually for lab grade water, NurdRage has a pretty good video on setting up a lab grade water supply, as well as a video on regenerating ion exchange beads.
@@bt5252 No. DI water is always better than DO, you use RO to extend the life of the DI resin as noted above. No commercial DI water system uses RO as the final step, it is always the first. Note that DI water is not really that great for people. It will be more corrosive than tap water, lots of lab equipment says explicitly don't use DI water. The water will come to equilibrium with the metals around it, so you will end up adding Al, Fe,Cr etc when cooking in metal. If you just use borosilicate glass you should be fine, but aside from fancy coffee makers, what cooking is done exclusively in glass?
@@ajaehall7695 when I had a saltwater fish tank, I’d use RO/DI water for the salt water mix. Despite the warnings, I sampled a bit of the pure water. It was like the water wasn’t there- absolutely zero flavor.
I like how this guy gets to the points. His presentation of what he did per steps of evaluation are also clear to understand. No fluff, no bs. THANK YOU.👍 Bu.mer I didn't see this before I bought the Purr. Not a total disappointment, considering the lousy quality of the water where I live. It isn't poison...yet. It is high in calcium, lime, and nitrates. I will get a Zerowater.
It would be really cool if you can figure out a way to evaluate how well these filters deal with biological impurities like bacteria, protozoa and cysts. Some of them appear to be designed specifically for that, rather than for mineral removal, so it might be unfair to evaluate them on just mineral removal.
True... for example, the sawyer filter is one i use for blackpacking and all i really care about is removing ghiardia and other biological contaminates and it does a great job at that.
About 20 years ago we got a water filter that hooked into the kitchen faucet. Filter stood upright with its own spout and hoses with valve attached to faucet end. It gave the most wonderful tasting and looking water I've ever seen. It took a couple hours initially to get the excess carbon/charcoal out. Ice cubes were crystal clear. Coffee was awesome!! We bought it at some store closeout and I've never seen another unit quite like it. We've had multiple brands of filters and designs but NONE has come close to that first one. If I ever find a duplicate I"m stocking up on those units.
The camping filters like lifestraw are pretty much exclusively particle filters that are just barely fine enough to remove bacteria, so I am surprised they removed dissolved solids from tap water at all.
Yeah mostly designed so that you just don't get cholera or typhus from the dirty, 3rd-world puddle with the corpse of something that used to be fluffy in it that you're about to drink from.
I have been using zero water for 2 years and will not go back thanks to your video I knew I did the best for me and my family! I am immune compromised and glad that I don’t worry about things that can make me sick
This is a great video at illustrating the differences in types of filters, however in terns of determining "the best water filter" it really depends on the goals you are trying to achieve. With that said if you are trying to take pond water or some sort of non-potable water source and make it safe to drink, there are only a few filters in your group that are actually designed to do that (hollow fiber membrane based filters), like the Sawyer, the lifestraw, or survivor filter pro, which will remove all biological contaminates such bacteria and protozoa (but not inclusive of most viruses) which are smaller than the smallest pore size of the filter, although this is not much of a concern in North America. So although you can safely drink scummy pond water and be perfectly safe doing so with the sawyer, it offers ZERO chemical filtration which does absolutely nothing to help with taste or smell. The Zero water filter on the other hand is an ion exchange filter which is designed as a chemical and particulate filter. In other words it uses ion exchange resin to pull dissolved solids out of the water, while also using charcoal to help polish ans improve taste and smell. The end result is that you get zero dissolved solids after filtering which is means it removes most chemicals like chlorine and fluoride and heavy metals and minerals from the water which is great if that's your goal. But can it make pond water safe to drink? Absolutely not, and it's not designed for that either and would be completely inappropriate for that use, just as a Sawyer would be completely inappropriate for use in polishing already potable water. The other filters like Brita and the like that use some form of charcoal filtration are designed merely to polish ans improve taste and smell of water, whilst perhaps removing a tiny amount of dissolved solids and minerals, but are certainly not designed for that. So getting back to the title of this video, "which is the best filter"? It really depends on what you're actually trying to remove from the water, and what you are trying to achieve, and thus would require the proper tool for the job. A killer "all-in-one" filter would combine elements of all these filters and would essentially look something like a Sawyer for initial filtration to take any water you find (like pond water) and make it potable and biologically safe to drink, then you may want to put it through some sort of a charcoal based filter to improve taste and smell, and finally you may want to polish it off by removing any remaining dissolved solids or chemicals from the water by putting it through ion exchange resin based filter like the zero water or alternatively a reverse osmosis system. At the end of all that what you should have is biologically safe water that is chemically pure water, and if you really wanted to you could even run it through a filter that is designed to add back in some dissolved salts and minerals to "improve taste" to something you may be more used to and familiar with. But at the end of the day you can see what we are talking about are vastly different tools that all deal with water in some way, but perform very different jobs. So essentially unless you compare like tools like a bunch of ion exchange filters to one another, or a bunch of hollow fiber membrane filters to one another, what you are really doing is comparing apples to oranges and selecting plums as the "best" tool of then all.
Thank you for the above information. "Best" is relative to intended application. Some excel in one aspect but fail in others and vice versa. I guess using a hammer as a screwdriver it can be done however the end results probably not going to be what you expected.
so what your saying is if you need to use pond water to drink first filter it with the Survivor filter into the zero filter so then you have 100% clean water.
wait what? so the zero water filter gets rid of ions, right? doesn't that make it to be distilled water? which is quite bad for human consumption. (great for cleaning tho)
Thank you! I came to this video to inform myself about water filters, and while seeing the results was interesting, your writeup taught me what I was really after :)
You are making a pretty big assumption. Particulate Filters prevent pathogens from getting into the water. The aqua straw is a basic filter that may be effective against some larger parasites.
I've been using a Berkey for drinking cooking and tooth brush water for a year and a half now and I feel fine :-) they claim that leaving in certain dissolved solids is actually beneficial because it's minerals the body needs they also stand by their red dye test but I hadn't performed it yet myself thank you for doing all this hard work for us this was kind of fun to watch
Most US municipal water treatment systems no longer use straight up chlorine, use a long lasting chloramine compound instead. Used to be able to leave water in an open pitcher allowing the chlorine to evaporate (in the sun worked faster), chloramine survives this. Cheaper as they use less chlorine in total, but more stays in the end.
Put your water in the fridge for 30mins, and it clears the chlorine smell out. Water board engineer told me that when he was checking our water, and I mentioned it smells chloriney.
We have used the Zero Water filtration system in our home for several years for ALL drinking and cooking. We get the filters at Bed, Bath and Beyond and after coupon discounts the filters run around $15 each and last about 3-4 weeks. Love em'.
This just sold me on the ZeroWater brand, been using Brita since it first came out, I also have a PUR. This I plan on making the move to the ZeroWater as soon as I can.
I use zero water filter and it works as advertised. I used the included TDS meyer and tested various bottled water most were around 20-30. Put bottled water in zero water filter and reduced to zero TDS.
with the ZeroWater brand you're filtrating out everything, if not too much, off the water. While it works well, it may not be a good idea to use in the long run. You're basically drinking distilled water.
Brita performed a lot better than I thought it would. Still switching to Zero, but yeah... I'll finish my current box of Brita filters first. Very nice. Thank you, Project Farm!
I looked into water filtration a long time ago, and settled on ZeroWater for pitchers and a CrystalQuest Reverse Osmosis for my main filter. Now I'm pretty much settled on distillation as the way to go. Thanks to Project Farm for another outstanding investigation. Water filtration tests I'd like to see are removing plastics, chemicals and microorganisms from water.
@@ProjectFarm I'm buying distilled water since last year may I ask how can I do it distilled distilled water at home what do you recommend? Appreciate your help 🙏😊
Why use distilled? I'm assuming we're talking drinking water, and distilled doesn't taste good. I dunno, maybe I'm spoiled living in a place that has good tap water, but I dont understand why you would want to use distilled water outside of chemistry.
It depends heavily on your area. My well water is only about 25ppm TDS and very low iron so the filters last ages. It's not uncommon to go over a year before it even hits 1ppm with no off taste. Chloramine is the biggest culprit for that flavor.
I'd like to see what's inside the AquaTru filter. This is the most comprehensive water filter comparison video. Really appreciate the amount of work, planning and resources dedicated to this.
This shows some pretty amazing performance on the part of the ZeroWater filter, but I feel like you should try to run some microbe-based tests as well. I think a few of these products are more about keeping you from getting giardia, and less about reducing the iron content.
This is prime selling point of Berkey, it treats "raw" water. I had one in college it made my contaminated well water safe to drink, cook and clean with.
The way he laughed about the zero water living up to his reputation that he was actually surprised one of these companies are actually doing what they actually say but watching his videos on actually buy one of his videos are very to the point like a point of interest
I trust him but as someone with some knowledge in this field it is very suspicious. The best possible filtration is reverse osmosis. 0water doing on par with just sponges and activated carbon is really odd. The water didn't look clean in some of the tests but the measurement were 0 particles? that's strange.
Yeah, it filtered out all of the water from the minerals, so it did indeed have zero water. Unfortunately since all the minerals are located in the filter, it's kind of hard to eat them 0/10 product. Edit* Typos
I've used a zero water filter for several years now. I love it and the TDS sensor is awesome. Just recently it became apparent to everyone in the house that the water tasted different and I used the zero water TDS to see we had a bunch of dissolved solids. It was a funny reminder that when the filter needs to be replaced from time to time and also showed us that we preferred the zero water taste, when it was reading zero.
@@ProjectFarm Is there a need to re-mineralize the ZeroWater or change its PH or is that a myth? Some Coffee subreddits claim it's too acidic and can damage metal parts in their coffee brewing process.
@@HerbertFilby It's absolutely not a myth; yes, zero minerals in water will be better for your machine (though there are diminishing returns), but your coffee (or even tea) will not extract as well. You want *some* minerals in there to help with ion exchange for the drink to extract properly. Hell, try making coffee with distilled water and see how the taste changes.
@@amunak_ I returned the ZeroWater lol I don't know what to believe, but at the very least it doesn't filter out bacteria so that was my breaking point.
In my experience Zero Water performs as advertised and the filters last a long time at my house. This is very dependent on your tap water though. My last place, i was replacing filters every several weeks. At my new place, the filters last months. While they do not filter to near zero PPM after that long, they still filter to 75-125 PPM which is fine. Also just wanted to say thanks for all your videos Project Farm. You are an amazing creator.
Tap water is already safe to drink, at least in a first world country, so any value is fine. If you have water where some pesticides or heavy metals are dissolved, 75-125ppm might not be fine anymore. TDS is not a measurement of how safe a water is to drink.
@@jort93z High TDS is an indication your Zero Water Filters are done though. I get about 3 months before they read 006 for replacement, which is just about when they taste funny if pushed further.
You should not use filters when they stop reading 000. The filters are bad then and you actually can get a sour taste from the filter. It lasts about a month for me.
The survival type filters are really more designed to make the water safe than good tasting and it shows. I'll keep drinking tap water just fine but that zero filter is a good value.
I think it also depends where you live. Muni water in the PNW was finished from the tap. In the Midwest it can be absolutely horrific with off tastes and pool chemical smell.
Here in PA (and I'm suspecting most if not all of the 50 states) municipalities are legally required to make their annual 3rd party contaminate tests available on request. That seems like a good free metric to help determine whether to bother with filters or not (assuming you're not on a well)
@@seanfager8063 There is another factor, though. The water that comes from the treatment plant may be ok, is it still ok by the time travels through the pipes to your house?
I can attest that the lifestraw kills all the garbage out of pond water. I drank out of the lower twin lake in Oregon after being severely dehydrated and didn’t get any sort of bugs. Would be cool if you could test the pathogen removal of all these brands. Also, zero needs to make one for camping
@@insolentish4529 have you ever drank pond water from a dirty pond? I have (not always intentional) and almost every time I got at least a soar throat.
@@insolentish4529 him drinking originally dirty water that would have normally made him sick, but didnt because of the filter he used is pretty self explanatory.
As a follow-up water filteration video, it would be interesting to see how well the filters remove coliform bacteria and fine particulate. It would bea more involved testing process and would challenge the claims of filtering out bacteria or particulate down to a certain micron range.
Indeed! For example, I was an avid outdoorsgirl for a long while, and I was interested to see how the Lifestraw and Sawyer performed on dissolved solids. They're rated fantastically for microbes, bacteria and some large viruses, but they aren't made for solids really. You'd get the same results from boiling, where everything will die but all inorganic things are actually concentrated. Fun experiments! Loving this channel. Best wishes Erik!
Excellent placement!! It is not enough to be colorless, odorless and tasteless. We need to ensure the removal of bacteria, fecal coliforms and fine particles.
@UC6fjGuS-TVDUT8u5FS9zwtw Personally, (this is just me and how I'd do it. We have a large pond on our property) I'd strain it first with your coffee filters and then boil it. If you have the funds and resources of ZeroWater already at hand, feel free to use it, but if it's a mountain stream it should be pretty free of solids to begin with (still desperately make sure you boil it). If I were genuinely concerned about run-off or metals or fertilizer etc., I'd distill it at least once. Twice will get rid of most of it. You don't have to have a horrifically complicated still system to just distill water, I've seen folk use a few bottles for small batches. And if you're really desperate and concerned about solids, you could just straight-up boil it and collect the vapor in a towel overhead, wring it into another container and then just bring it to the one-minute rolling boil. Should your municipal water go out, try to fill your bathtub (plug your overflow) with whatever pressure's left in your pipes, and do not flush your toilet (you can use the water in the reservoir). But if you've got access to a spring or mountain stream I'd just make sure to boil it if you're pretty sure there's little run-off from farms or such (and if you're in Appalachia make sure you know where the coal operations nearby are, those're really terribly good at f'n up the entire water table). I hope this helps! Be safe and well :)
This would be a great test. The life straw was designed as a survival filter not for the optimal soft water with enhanced flavor that you'd prefer at home. I'm curious if it's actually better at it's intended purpose than a standard/home water filter. Outside of having a bladder you can drink from on the go.
We've been using a Brita for years cause the water in my town basically sucks. Heavy chlorine smell constantly and complaints to the powers that run the water company fall on deaf ears. As soon as the last Brita filter we have is used up, we're going to the ZeroWater. Thanks.
I live in the mountains, above 3000'. I been buying water for decades because the local water company can't seem to get the water that clean. Decided to try filtered water. I bought the Zero Water a month ago and have been very happy and taste is fine for coffee. I may try Aquaphor because of the price.
The higher the chlorine content is the higher the biological load the ingressed water has. If you taste high chlorine at the tap, you started with very dirty water indeed.
@@charleshorseman55 The borough pulls the water out of the Delaware river. It's less than 100 yards from the river to the filtration plant. It's totally undrinkable. And not a G Damn thing is being done about it.
I’ve been using the ZeroWater for years. They won me over with the tester. Shows you how bad your water is and when you need to replace the filter. Best company out there. My ferrets love it too.
After watching this video when it initially came out, I bought 2 of the large zerowater jugs. I’m still using them today. Primarily their use is for my nespresso and kurieg. There has been substantially less build up in these machines in this time and I’ve been very impressed. Thank you for these videos.
Yep, just ordered a ZeroWater on Amazon after this one. Have to chunk the Brita in the trash. This is one of my favorite videos you have done. My suggested product testing: CPU Thermal Paste Potting Soil Portable Air Conditioners Laundry Detergents
Had a ZeroWater for 4 years but the larger version. It is amazing, 6 pack of filters run about $30 at Walmart and they last 8ish weeks for us. Our tap water isn't that bad, so yours might not last that long.
This is exactly why competition is good for the consumer. I've never heard of the Zerowater before and have always just used Brita, until I just watched this. Great video as always
We switched from brita to zero and could really taste the difference. Some people don't like the taste of water without minerals but we do. We've since gotten a reverse osmosis system for convenience.
Just built my house and have to have a well. It’s pretty hard water. I bought the Zerowater because of your video and it works perfectly. Our water has high salinity and slight sulfur and this filter got it all out
Thank you for showing actual results. Berkey fans might hate this, but most independent testing shows that berkey's do very little and after a month you might as well just drink right from a well. I'm content with my Zero Water, just wish they made a big canister like some of the berkey ones.
Here's the list of products reviewed. More details in the video description. Thank you!
ZeroWater: amzn.to/3yPXTmF
AquaTrue: amzn.to/3n0cDxf
Brita: amzn.to/3th7ulw
Lifestraw: amzn.to/3zNMB3F
Aquaphor: amzn.to/3jIG8Bt
PUR: amzn.to/2WPcEcg
Survivor Filter Pro: amzn.to/3jMtP7a
RV Filter: amzn.to/3h4jRMW
Berkey: amzn.to/2WPd6Hu
Sawyer: amzn.to/3BLlvL5
Frizzlife: amzn.to/3BLlxmb
Redo with the ProPur/PurOne
Thanks for the feedback.
I’m kinda shocked you believe that zero water bullshit, I’m pretty sure it’s just detecting a certain chemical in the water, this test is completely invalid unless you get a 3rd party water tester
Update with Waterdrop!
I like the balls on the company that included a TDS meter with their product. Now that's a power game I need to use.
Do you suffer from TDS?
I always figured that was marketing junk. "Our filter scores great on this system we included with our product! Dont worry about other stuff"
I'm pleasantly surprised that ZeroWater is actually good
@@TheThingNG me too!
we've been using zero water filter for 6 months or so. Its phenomenal. It does go through filters kinda fast, we probably filter a gallon and a half of water a day. We probably change the filters once a month. Still cant beat it for the price.
I have/used to use the Zero pitcher. It's great, but the filters go fast here where I live - we have pretty hard water - and they're not exactly cheap. It's very obvious when they are going bad, as they tend to get a really odd, fishy smell/taste.
Zero Water and AuquaTru stock just went up in my book that’s for sure. Another amazing video for sure.
Thanks!
yeah, but drinking water with zero minerals which is almost distilled water is maybe not a good idea in the long term, you definitely need to add some minerals after treatment
My best price on ZeroWater filters is when Bed, Bath, and Beyond has the 4-pack in store on sale for $40, then use their $20 off $80 coupon to get two packs for $60. Comes to $7.50 per filter before tax.
The thing about zero water is it reacts very differently to different kinds of tap water. It can last 3-4weels with some waters and less than a week with others
For sure.
Great work as usual! ZeroWater's results are impressive considering the low cost. Don't be surprised if you see a black tinted SUV parked in front of your house after a few of the water filtration companies see this video. LOL
I would be worried about excessive demineralization of the water. It is actually dangerous to drink distilled water.
EDIT: Thanks for the update from everyone. Maybe I'm not fully convinced, but maybe in the future I will believe, that it isn't dangerous at all.
Thank you very much! I'll be watching for the Black SUV, lol
@@rafakordaczek3275 Not true, you can get minerals from the food you eat.
@@rafakordaczek3275 a low significance of minerals are obtained from drinking water, if the owner of the zerowater is conscious of the lack of minerals it can be made up for with supplements or food selection
Next week. Which make of black suv is best? We’re going to test that!
I actually bought the Zerowater based off amazon reviews and wanted to see how good it was and man am I happy that I got it over anything else after seeing how it compares from your tests. As always, exceptional testing and you are doing us a huge service with your content. On behalf of all your viewers, we thank you.
Thanks so much!
I read in reviews that the filter doesn't last that much, a matter of weeks at most. Did you find the same issue ?
@@floflorian6085 that may be the case for some but that really depends on the location and how much water you're filtering. For me I've been filtering about 3-5L a day and using it for the past month and the TDS is still at 0. Mostly because the tap water I have seems to be very clean since it's measuring 110-130 TDS. Like with many things in life, your mileage may vary, hope this helps.
TDS number alone can't really show the water quality.
If the test is not taking out Fluoride, fluorosilicic oxide, then its really pointless. Fluoride is a neuro toxin known for decades, yet the US and 8 other countries add this toxin at the claim of gain for tooth enamel.
Water filter companies didn't even know they were at risk of being exposed by Project Farm. No manufacturer of any product is safe now. Awesome work man. Congrats on 2M subs. 🤘🏻
Thanks!
It's our duty to give him list of products...
Devil horns? Are you a luciferian or what here?
@@lockergr The American Sign Language gesture for "love you" or “I love you,” showing a hand with a raised index finger and pinky (little) finger and an extended thumb. 🤣
@@lockergr It's also the sign for 'Rock on'.
As an RVer I've been waiting for this test. I'm sure I'll have to wait for the Zerowater to be restocked at the store now... You may be saving people's health with this video - Thank You!
Actually this whole test depends upon the accuracy of that plastic meter. I would like to see them ranked with another tool.
You are welcome!
@@ProjectFarm is there any way you could run a part 2 later on with a different measurement tool to see if the results stay consistent? Amazing work overall!
Remember, 0 tds is not drinking water. There's a reason distilled water is labeled not drinking water. You need dissolved minerals or else your body just removes it as excess fluid. If you knew this already, sorry, lol.
Read the reviews of the zerowater. You may want to get a different one!
Congratulations on 2M ! Well deserved
Thanks!
@@ProjectFarm literally no one else goes as far as you do to test just the most menial thing. At least not posting publicly.
@@jjbassing9044 The best part is that 99% of these video are great references and will be relevant for decades
That was one of the best test ideas. The way you went about testing them is something none of them would ever have allowed their company to perform publicly, except for Zero Water and Aqua True. Great job putting up relevant content.
Thanks!
Beyond great job. I was thinking the other day if getting a Brita was worthwhile. This really helps when I do decide to get a filter.
@@heythaveI have a Brita pitcher. It took some getting use to the "taste" since I bought bottled water for years IMO the bottled water varied in taste! Since I live alone the pitcher works great for me (I buy the 3 package filters since it saves money over buying one).
@@judyakajude3370 Brita might be good for chlorine and things, but if your water is polluted, that doesn’t stand a chance.
This type of unbiased testing and information is, in my opinion, what the internet was made for. These videos are always excellent and informative. Coupled with listening to feedback from the community makes this channel a real gem.
Thank you for your work Project Farm!
Thanks very much!
You have a point, but what about cat pictures and arguing with strangers? :)
Porn, but this is good.
Well, I bet that by the end of the week ZeroWater is going to wondering why their sales are booming! Great job, I've always wondered which filter was the best at filtering.
Thanks!
@Lamborghini Car Wash That was ion exchange resin
@Audrey Wy ...... LOL ....yup.... I be shoppin now
It does a good job but the filters go bad after about 3-4 weeks of use and your water starts to smell like fish. Got tired of it and switch to a Berkey and it's a game changer.
@@CraneRyan88 they go bad in proportion to the amount of junk run through them.
Never a disappointment EVER. I freaken love this channel. Also...the videos are just getting better and better.
Perfectly executed
I appreciate that!
@@ProjectFarm We appreciate you!!
I've been using ZeroWater for years. The water tastes great! And when Newark NJ had their water crisis four years ago, the company stepped up with free filters. Nice touch.
Thanks for sharing.
how do you know its not filtering necessary minerals
@@stephanier5220 As long as the lead is out (that's a BIG problem in NJ) I could personally care less about any minerals.
I still remember Newark, because of traffic jam on airport runway 😁
@@stephanier5220 If you ate enough meat, you wouldn't need minerals arbitrarily added to your water supply.
This is my field of expertise, so I might be able to clear things up a little.
- TDS should not to be considered a measure to determine filter performance, unless the filter is designed only to do that specifically (as the RO or Zero filter). TDS only states how much ionic compounds are dissolved in water, some of which (e.g. Calcium and Magnesium) are actually desirable for taste.
- Life straws (either UF membranes or ceramic NF elements) will not withhold dissolved solids, but will retain bacteria, something the other filters will be hopeless at.
- The technology of the zero filter is called "mixed bed ion exchange", and a active carbon fleece in as retaining net and chlorine reduction. It will remove all dissolved solids, but has the downside of having a terrible capacity (lifetime is very short).
- You can have very good heavy metal reduction and scale protection with cation ion exchange, but you will not reduce TDS. Water will taste slightly saltier.
- You can have scale protection and good taste with a little more complex anion decarbonization resins (TDS will still remain the same).
- Both a Zero filter and an RO should not be used for bacterial removal: use the life straw for that (or just boil it!).
- Gravity fed filters are unfortunately generally a growing ground for bacteria.
- Not all activated carbon is born equal; It generally has little influence on TDS, but is great at removing chlorine and complex organic or inorganic molecules. some are specifically cationic active and can remove heavy metals very well.
Indeed to test filters properly you are going to need several thousand $ in equipment, the important thing is to select the correct filter for the correct application.
Thank you for the rundown on the filters for the layman. I did feel that the testing done here was too surface-level, and didn't get into what was actually happening. Unfortunately, some people are going to watch this and think the zero will filter out bacteria as well.
@@Banana_Cognac I agree. Unfortunately water treatment is a complex subject and just giving the basics would require a whole video series.
To all people who ask me "which one is the best filter", I can only answer "the best filter.. for what?" as every application will have different requirements. The Zero filter would be the best for your steamer and iron (no residues), yet i would never brew my coffee with it as the taste will be blunt and flat. Similarly there is no reason to use a life straw when you have access to chlorinated municipal water, where a simple AC filter will significantly improve taste ad, if specifically designed for it, take out some heavy metals and chloramines as well.
This is the correct response. Last thing to note is 0 PPM water is not desirable for drinking water. 0 PPM is great for hydroponics but there is a reason there is distilled water and drinking water.
@@yoshyoka Unfortunately, activated carbon will not remove chloramine and most water supplies are using that now as it takes less to have the same effect and does not evaporate out of the water. Depending on the level of chlorine in the water, you can let the water sit for a few days and all the chlorine will evaporate out. Chloramine will stay in the water until directly filtered out or the water is distilled.
The science says chloramine in low quality is fine but I know from experience (city water):
1. Kill fish and/or make them very sick.
2. Even using a reverse osmosis system (not designed to remove chloramine), have a huge effect on plant growth in hydroponics. Saw lost of baby plant and slow growth and since filtering out chloramine, I have never lost a plant and massive difference in plant growth and overall quality of the health of the plant (less dead or fading leaves).
I only learned about chloramine after posting on reddit about what looked like nutrition deficiencies in my plants and I have a high system that controls the ppm and PH of my hydroponics water. Someone suggested chloramine poisoning as the issue and after getting a filter to remove chloramine, I can say they were 100% correct.
@@ExZero16 I think there is a bit of confusion here: what you write is correct for Monochloramine; however i was referring to trichloramines, which are responsible for the classic "pool smell" and taste. These can be removed with AC varieties activated at higher temperatures and which achieve higher iodine numbers.
Been here since the beginning still can't believe how thorough you are with your videos. Keep up the amazing work my friend
Thanks so much and thanks for being a dedicated viewer!
I watched this video, then went and bought a ZeroWater off Amazon. It was amazing. After living in southern FL for the better part of a decade I'd given up on getting good tasting water out of the tap. This product is amazing. I really appreciate your scientific method and standardized testing plans. Thumbs up and you've got my subscription.
Fantastic! Thanks for watching and subscribing!
I camp in Florida a lot and another camper was complaining about the taste thinking the town filtered it :(
I gave her an RV filter and she tasted the difference:)
We have switched from the blue filter which has loose charcoal to an 02 Clear which has a solid block of charcoal, the downside of that is it drops your water pressure.
Inside the drinking water then goes thru a Zero
@@raymondclark1785 The whole point of filtering is to get rid of the nasty stuff that are unhealthy... Drinking water that have no minerals in it is not as healthy as people here want to believe->we need that minerals to be healthy->that is why mineral water is often conected with health recovery centers->nice views+fresh air+mineral water=win.
Ofc if the choice betwen water full of heavy metals and water that have nothing in it then the choice is easy.
@@Bialy_1 false.
Minerals are taken from food. Minerals from water are damn near miniscule. Look at the amount of minerals in a liter of spring water and compare to the RDA of those minerals. Silly goose.
One point someone might instead make is that water is Earth's natural solvent. So pure water may work as a solvent in the body. It can rid the body of inorganic crap chemicals like synthetic vitamins. You'll notice a flush probably of these nutrients.
You just solve it by throwing in some pure Celtic sea salt or buy mineral drops.
Make your own pure water and turn it in to mineral water. You buy from the market, you're most likely drinking fluoride too. Don't believe major companies.
@@raymondclark1785 Most people associate a sulfurous taste as bad in FL. I consider the "dirt" taste as less than palatable, but the ultimate quality of water in most of FL is quite good. It SHOULD have more mag/calcium (hardness) but it is usually not the case. If you were to buy European water from say France, the labels will tell you exactly what minerals are in it. And boy do they love minerals in water.
I have been watching other Videos testing water filtration and YOU Project Farm are so far ahead of all the others BY a COUNTRY MILE. You are doing great work and providing valuable information. Great Job.
Thanks!
@@ProjectFarm hey quick correction, that filter at 2:39 is not NSF certified. It's a word game they play, where they say it's certified "to the standards/specs of NSF". This means it's not NSF certified, and won't be listed on their website as such, but some random 3rd party company lol . They make extreme claims many times, compared to filters which are actually NSF certified that can't lie about their longevity and abilities. One more thing to note is the TDS for the Sawyer product isnt what it's designed for, you need a bright field biological microscope to test for that. There's someone who does microscope videos who actually tested a lifestraw, same tech as the Sawyer, worked amazing at removing microbial contamination!
One thing important to keep in mind, some of the brands are only designed to remove contaminates that make you sick. Sawyer for example is a backpacking filter designed to filter lakes, rivers, and stream viruses and protozoa. True water works great if you want essentially distilled water.
YES! I love these videos but I don't think this was as comprehensive as his batteries/pumps/etc. I think this was a well intended but really needed a proper lab with spectrum analysis and petri dishes to adequately judge.
@@JE47556 That's fair, for sure.
When Sawyer said they filter 100,000 gallons, I expected you to say “we’re going to test that!”
I was also excepting him to say that.
Lol
It's difficult and possibly wasteful to test that much water. That 100 000 gallons is probably based on already really clean water.
Same here! Speaking of filters, this seems to be how you filter out loyal subscribers LOL 😂
We're going to fill this swimming pool!
I remember when this was like a tool channel, i love how far these tests have come. Keep it up farmer
Thank you!
It's what plants crave
My 40 cup zero water dispenser is awesome. I even water my plants with the water and they’ve never been healthier and NO residue in the pots. Of course we drink it and cook with it. Not sure why folks say the filters are expensive because I only have to change my filters every 3-4 months with heavy use. I test every week so I know it’s working.
I appreciate you breaking down the science for us. Thank you 😊
Thanks and you are welcome!
My ZW filters lasts 28-35 days. Close 35-40 gallons approximately. I have also tried the 3rd party filters for ZW and they are ok but do not last as long. It comes down to the same average cost per day.
My zero-water filtered water tasted sour after using it for 12 days, and I didn't even use tap water but pre-filtered water from my fridge filter.
damn really? could you have gotten a defective filter? or just really bad water to begin with? i was planning on buying a zw filter after wathcing this and adding salts for electrolytes@@lz898
I use ZW for things like spray bottles, steam cleaners. Cheaper than buying distilled water.
Zerowater did an amazing work, especially considering it's price. However, I read some reviews complain about the lifetime of the filter is very short, which make sense considering it removes all the solid in the water. Another amazing review!!
Thanks so much!
It is also VERY slow.
@teflontelefon English a second language for you?
@@computerguy6264 I bet he's Hungarian
@@computerguy6264 ive used slower; in the grand scheme of things zerowater filters fairly quick. Berkey is a drop at a time. Zerowater filters at a speed where its a small stream of water
As someone who already owned a ZeroWater, I am very happy to see how well their claims hold up. A great video.
Great to hear!
ZeroWater uses the same technology as the other filters like Brita etc. ... so it is impossible to get a zero on this way. Even industrial osmosis water contain a small amount of particles left in the "pure water". So the osmosis system in the test is by far the best system, not by the brand, by the used technology (but therefore it consumes a lot of electricity to do it).
@POPmMOPm it is physically and chemically impossible to get "zero" reading. Get some information about the filtration technology behind all the "cheap table top" fiters. If you want to change "belief" into "knowledge", send two probes of water (one from the tap and one from the tap filtered by your zero) to a laboratory.
And things are allways debateable. You cant proove, that every probe was done by the same method. This all depends on the will to "belief".
@R0bsterb0Y We saw the other filters in comparison to the zero water and there is clearly a lot more going on in the zero water than a simple granulated carbon filter.
@@ahayesm your welcome. You are totally free to believe whatever you want. But if you are interested in science, there are several publications to this and similar topics.
I remember seeing TV ads about the Zero Water filter. I can’t believe that filter works better than the insanely expensive reverse osmosis filter. Thank you Project Farm for being the unbiased tester to find out if the claims hold up!
Wouldn't say better.
If you check the water test strips you can see that they both removed everything harmful(like iron, or lead) from the water nearly perfectly.
The more expensive one leaves some dissolved solids, which is not a problem for drinking water. You don't need it to be distilled water, many people drink mineral water with tons of dissolved solids.
You just don't wannt harmful solids.
TDS is not a measure of water quality. You don't need to drink 100% pure H20.
@@jort93z Sure if cost is no object you can get the Reverse osmosis unit. But for the price though, nothing beats Zero Water. I researched and bought one years ago. It's the real deal compared to a bunch of charcoal filters.
@@jort93z which filter company do you work for.... be honest.
Been using zero water for years now, the cost of filters are high this wasn't totally covered but it does add up.
I have about the same water as PF and I can totally vouch for the clean taste of the water it's really worth it for the zerowater I have one at home and on boat and in my RV!
Having grown up drinking well water, the water filtered by a Zero Water taste bland and lifeless. It actually makes me not want to drink water. Many of the dissolved solids in water are completely harmless and improve the flavor. Several are actually healthy for you.
Man I’m moving out on my own for the first time in my life and that comes with a lot of added stress. I drink a LOT of water so I knew I needed a convenient and good water filtration system. I can’t thank you enough for taking one of the added stresses away from me with this video. I would always watch your tools testing videos and knew the quality you put out. so you can understand my excitement when I saw this video pop up on my search. Keep up the awesome work!!
Could certainly include a microbial test condition! Survival filters, ie Sawyer and life straw are more designed for microbes than contaminates. I'm a microbiologist, if you want some ideas for tests feel free to let me know! Great vid as always!
I agree fully. here in Finland this kind of products are completelly useless because regular tapwater is way less than 100ppm, in Helsinki averaging 61ppm (3.4dH), but camping kits are nice to have. Except i have just taken water from a stream as is.
I'm a microbiologist too. Straws are scams. And as you know most microbes are ok or at least not harmful. Chlorine pills are the best option if you are concerned about bacteriological pathogens.
@@m4rvinmartian I wouldn't go as far as saying that the straw type filters are a scam, they often have a smaller pore size that the syringe filters used in the lab and are considerably better than chlorine tabs, and somewhat better that chlorine dioxide tabs, at removing cysts and flukes. How strictly you choose to treat your water really depends on the source, if there are farm animals around I wouldn't drink untreated water. You could say that most microbes are not a risk but it only takes a few pathogens to put you in a whole world of trouble.
Would microbes still be in the zero water or aquatru since it's close to 0 ppm?
@@mrtonyvillagomez Yes. In fact, your question is why we have so much COVID BS about masks "floating" around. I'm sorry, but you civilians did NOT PAY ATTENTION IN SCHOOL!
THINGS HAVE RELATIVE SIZE BRO.
Also, the 100% filters use resin catalysts, not filtration to achieve those numbers. So, yes, there will still be microbes.
Pro tip Zero Water filters are still better than most other filters even when they go bad. Also you can use the old filter to do a first run for water and put it through a fresh zero water filter and that will improve the lifespan of the new filter.
Thanks for the feedback.
Benn doing just that for years, really cuts the cost.
@@1fitster who’s Ben?
How long does zero water filter last
@@ProjectFarmdo you know anything about the Sentry system? Thanks!
Basically, if you want pure distilled water - use ZeroWater; if you want just the nasty stuff gone but leave the mineral content - Aquafor; AquaTru is like ZeroWater for rich kids, and it also holds higher volumes if you need to have more purified water at the ready; everything else is either a compromise for the sake of portability (survival-style kits) or just not as good.
What about clearly filtered?
The Zero water IMHO could be deadly. Removing all TDS, which includes all the salts and minerals your body needs, causes osmosis in your cells, removing all electrolytes from your blood. Then your heart will go into fibrillation and you die.
The problem with 'AquaTru' is that it needs an electrical connection which may not be available during times when filtering water is a requirement.
Im confuse which one do i buy
tds is just the stuff in the water. but you don't know what stuff is there. you should have sent the water into a lab
Yesssss every time I need to make a decision, this guy already has a video out there to help me feel like I got a good deal!
From weed eaters to water filters, my man!
Thanks!
Thanks for cutting the filters apart at the end. I was curious how the Zero Water was doing so well compared to the more expensive options. Once you cut it open it was clear- the Zero Water uses DI resins to filter the water. This will do a great job at removing just about any impurity from the water, but it will probably deplete itself pretty quickly. DI resins are also more expensive than carbon blocks (generally) so it would be interesting to see the gallons treated per $ spent on the filter. This would be a longer term project which probably wouldnt make for good TH-cam though...Entertaining video!
You are welcome!
Zero water usually last 20 gallons for me then they start to taste real nasty and turn water more acidic. Zero has charts to determine how long they last with different water supplies.
New filters reduce the ph by ~2 from my tap(from a high 7 to almost 5) ive seen replacements anywhere from $2-$8 depending where i bought them.
They recommend you replace the filter on the Zero Water units when the ppm exceeds 6. We get about 3 months of use per filter but only use it for making coffee (10 cups per day). So I would estimate about 45 gallons of treated water per filter for our use case (which is well water). The longevity of any filter is going to depend on the quality of the water from your tap. So how long they last will vary widely.
Our water at the tap is usually around 60-75 ppm. Our zero filter is lasting over six months with heavy usage(our tap water taste like bad chlorine).
@@ProjectFarm Is it possible you add some DI resin to the home made filter and make an addendum to the video. I bet you will get some interesting results.
No Company is safe anymore! ... LOL
lol. Thank you!
seriously!!!
Let the manhunt begin!
Looks like they're all just carbon filled cylinders
@@ProjectFarm Hey Project, love your videos. You must have ESP because you're always reviewing stuff that I am thinking of buying. HOWEVER, your ESP has missed one. Mosquitos! Please do a SERIES of mosquito videos, covering bug zappers, and mosquito repellents. Outside time is almost here. I'm thinking of getting a DynaTrap for mosquitos, and potentially a bug swatting "racket".
Best zero water commercial i ever seen..i m buying it, lol
people in the comments saying that filter lasts for a week, so not worth it i guess
Mine last between 1-2 months. It is only me using it though.
I make sure to buy the brand name filters after ordering some cheaper ones from Amazon which didn't last long.
@@vandalov777 No it lasts longer than a week, it lasts a couple months with my use.
just as a heads up, you don't always want to be drinking 0ppm water, because it can end up leeching vital nutrients out of your body. it's the same reason it's not healthy to only drink distilled water.
Free advertisement for ZeroWater. I was about to get a Britta at walmart, but I was looking at some videos and I am glad I saw this one. thank you!
You are welcome!
The LifeStraw, Survivor and Sawyer really aren't intended to take dissolved solids out of water, and as you mention, dissolved solids are actually not generally harmful. They're backpacking/survival tools and are intended for taking out pathogens - bacteria and parasites. I don't know how you'd test for that, unless you have a source of water that contains giardia or something similar and can have a lab analyze the output.
Thanks for the feedback.
I'm sure some simple smears on agar growth medium could be used for judging their performance with bacterial pathogens, but that would require a bit of a set up and study in aseptic procedure.
You'd use a microscope
@@justinwbohner Nah you need to grow it. Water can have enough bacteria to make you sick without having enough in one drop to see on a slide. Plus many bacteria are quite small and hard to see with a basic microscope. Like 1000x smaller than the onion cell from science class. Best case they look like a tiny dot. Labs that test it, grow it in a petri dish then use special dyes and UV light that lights up the pathogen like a neon sign.
@@justinwbohner That would be like finding a needle in a haystack, and good luck finding viruses.
So glad you did a water purifier test. I would love to see an air purifier test soon. I'm especially curious about which ones are best at filtering allergens and mold spores! :)
I would like to see that also. Have an old Electrolux eap150 att the moment.
And there's so many different types out there. And just as many claims about each.
This would be great. Last year I bought a few germ guardian units for the bedrooms, and the filters have been replaced after getting quite dirty, so they're doing something, but I'd love it for them to be run through PF's thorough testing.
Thanks! Thanks for the suggestion.
Project Farm did a furnace filter test, I would watch that. If you have central heating or air, the filter you have on that thing is more important than your small air purifier.
It would be nice to have seen a breakdown of the cost per gallon of filtered water over the declared life of the filters. I believe the Berkey claims 3,000 gallons per each filter and ZeroWater claims 30 to 50 gallons per filter. There is a big cost difference there for price per gallon.
Thank you for the feedback.
I used to buy ZeroWater ones but they only lasted for about 8 days before making the water taste bitter...
@@SargeOrona I know, don't last very long and found hot drinks don't taste as nice without a mineral background. Back to Brita
So you are saying zero water filters last 8 days. How much water are you filtering and where do you live. Is your water heavy in contaminates? Please fill in the blanks. For $28 I don't see how you can beat it?
@@thereissomecoolstuff I have a Zerowater filter and it lasts two weeks at best. They’re about $15 for a filter. I live in Santa Barbara
I'm a water junkie. I can taste and smell things that others can't.😳 I started using the Zero Water pitcher almost 5 years ago. Whenever I'm working a disaster or a fire, I have my Zero Pitcher with me. Except for my morning coffee and my evening herbal tea, I drink nothing else but Zero Water & an occasional glass of wine. Except for aspirin, I no longer take over-the-counter or prescription medication for pain. I opted for the holistic approach. I'm 71 and pretty much pain free.🎉🎉🎉
Thanks for sharing.
It is very strange that a normal nonRO filter system (ZeroWater) could outperform an RO system (AquaTru) in terms of removing ions, so I did some research online. It seems that ZeroWater is built to remove ions from water using "Ion-exchange resin", which is dedicated for removing ions and usually used as a post processing step for RO system to further refine the purity. ZeroWater does not have RO filter and apply the ion-exchange resin directly. This indeed could result in better TDS values comparing with RO system without ion-exchange resin, however, doing so will drastically reduce the life-span of the filter as the resin is designed for water already has low ion level. Also, because ion-exchange resin does not filter water through physical pores in the filter like RO filter, it could not remove non-ion contaminations from water, such as microbe or organic (carbon-based) contaminants. This makes the "0 TDS" claim more like a marketing strategy as TDS only indicates a portion of possible contaminants in water ignoring many things that are also important like chlorine level, bacterial level, and even added sugar or alcohol in water.
For zerowater, combination of different filter components like active carbon could remove many common contaminants and odors but I doubt whether it could achieve the same level of effectiveness over time comparing with an RO system. As its name indicate, while ion-exchange resin removes ions from water, it exchanges the stored H+ and OH- ions (components of water) in the resin with the to be removed ions (so H+ OH- being released to water, bad ions trapped on resin). The H+ OH- storage could be depleted fairly quickly if there are a lot of ions to be removed from water. In fact, on zerowater's website, it claims that each filter can only filter 15-25 gallons of 200-300 TDS water (the tap water used in this video). As comparison, RO systems use tiny pores (1000nm), and virus(>10nm), to allow only water and very low amount of ions to pass through. According to aquatru's website, their RO filter could last two years or 1200 gallons water, which is 30x longer than the zerowater's filter (40 gallons at best). If you are filtering water a lot and try to get as much contaminants removed as possible, I believe the RO system should be both more effectiveness and even cheaper considering the filter cost. If you really want to get the most purified water in home, probably an RO system with ion-exchange resin is the best option. Even distill water is not that pure considering some evaporative contaminants like chlorine are difficult to remove by the distillation process.
For this video, I suggest a follow-up video on the measurement of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) for each water sample to get a better idea on the amount of organic contaminants in water.
Yeah and there's a HUGE difference between them when it comes to longevity. Zero filters essentially become useless after around 10 gallons whereas RO can easily filter 20x that.
Very good detective work! Thanks , 👏🏼
All things considered, RO is the best imo
Yeah all that was Greek to me also. I will say that i bought a zero water filter pitcher over 10 years ago and i am still using it. From the user perspective i think that thing is amazing.
@@Noadvantage246 the RO filter in aquatru lasts about 1.5-2 years in my experience
"Filters up to 100,000 gallons" , I'm glad that wasn't followed by "we're going to test that"
One of my favorite TH-cam channels.
he could've easily tested it in a couple of months. Just connect it to watering pump and check the results every now and then
I wish he would have tested it.
@@simasimson5798 He would have to have some way to measure how much water was being filtered.
Hello peasants 😎
I have installed a filter on the main pipe to my house.....with the toalett, bath and watering... it probobly filters several thousnads of gallon a month
I've made quite a few decisions based on your tests, thanks for doing all the work!-Oh and I followed your link to Amazon and bought a Zero Water.
Thanks for sharing Thanks for supporting the channel! I really appreciate it!
I’d love to see air purifiers put to the test. Several smart ones like the Sensibo pure have high claims but I want to see them tested
I second this, wall mounted and floor models would be welcomed here
Thanks for the suggestion.
I have a large Sharp brand one and would love to see it tested!
@@ProjectFarm throw the Alen breathsmart 45-75i in the mix lol
@@ProjectFarm please do one for air purifiers. I have a cheaper one but would love to buy one that works well even if it costs a pretty penny
We as consumers appreciate your hard work and dedication. I sure hope your channel keeps growing. Thank you good sir.
Thanks so much!
@@ProjectFarm would love a video on testing fluoride reduction too bro
Never ceases to amaze me the knowledge this man has! And the ability to quantify the otherwise unquantifiable
I appreciate that!
I first watched this video a few months ago. I purchased a Zero system and am completely pleased with the results. I run about 1 and 1/2 gallon through my Zero per day, and after 3 months the water still tests at 0.00 ppm. My old system needed a filter change every few weeks.
We've been using Berkey for years; it's nice to see them put up head to head! Thanks for the information, and keep them coming! Your tests are great, and provide us with the knowledge to make better, more informed purchases!
Thanks, will do!
We have a 6 gallon Berkey and have had for years and I get ZERO kidney stones from it. THERE's your proof right there!
"Filters up to 100,000 gallons!"
*standing under water tower*
"We're gonna test that!"
The statement that it can filter 100,000 gallons is absolutely ridiculous. That's roughly 4x more water than someone drinks in their lifetime.
Lmao!
@@matthewriggenbach8000 I work for a residential home water filtration company and our carbon coconut filters will filter around 3 million gallons before they need swapped. so id believe that this smaller filter could easily filter 100,000 gallons easily unless ur pissing into the damn thing.
@@matthewriggenbach8000 But it's true for the Sawyer.
I would like to see a paint sprayer comparison, there are so many options for DIY paint sprayers. Excellent job, as always!
Grayco VSP is my favorite so far
Seconded!
Third!
YES! Excellent Idea!
We need this!
I like this channel a lot, and most of the conclusions of this video still are likely to be useful, but I see important problems:
- The Sawyer and Lifestraw are meant to filter bacteria, not minerals or other impurities. The type of filtration is completely different, and their inclusion in the comparison doesn't make sense. This is my main issue with the video.
- The TDS measure doesn't seem too relevant to me either, as several filters use ion-exchange resins, so they will purify your water, without necessarily affecting the ionic strength (they substitute an 'undesirable' ion for a "desirable" or "neutral" one).
(edited for clarity)
So true. I’ve used all of these and the survivor filter while trekking. Never got sick using any of them. That’s all the results I need.
i was thinking the same, i used the sawer mini to filter dirty water from puddles duiring trekkings and it come out basically clean, it just filters all solid particles exception made for some viruses that are smaller than the pores, there is a version made to filter soluble things and even all viruses too.
Good point. For hiking/backpacking Lifestraw and Sawyer are fine; they'll filter out bacteria and even viruses, but not chemicals (you're not too likely to have toxic chemicals unless you're hiking near old mining activity). Carbon filters will clean up the chemicals, but not the bacteria. You need a combo filter if you expect both types of contamination. I also LOVE project farm, and this is the first time I've ever noticed a test that did not unequivocally prove his conclusion. I hope he catches it and re-edits this one, or at the very least mentions this.
You should pour the 0 water into the other filters to see what the filter adds
That's an idea
LOL!
bump!
Great idea
filters bleed when they are too old
Berkey owner here (since 2015). THE best investment I’ve ever made. All my family members also own one and love them.
Agreed. Daily user here. One of the best investments I've ever made. I upgraded to the carbon from the stock ceramic filters back in late 2018. This thing has and still saving me so much money, especially during the height of the pandemic when people were panic-buying bottled water.
Do you guys still love your filters after watching the video? I just ordered a Berkey and I am thinking I should return it as it doesn’t seem to perform as well comparte to a zero water system. I wonder what is what make you feel that Berkey is still the best choice ? I am asking as I am deciding whether to keep mine or. Not. Thanks
Thank you for your amazing work!
You are welcome! Thanks for supporting the channel! I really appreciate it!
I'll agree that TDS is a small factor of water quality, but actual impurities are huge. The filters designed for raw water will save your life compared to filling a Brita pitcher from a river, which will allow pathogens pass and seriously make you sick. The filters you tested that had high TDS but designed for raw water would allow you to safely drink your agriculture well water without consequence, and I don't expect you could reasonably test pathogens without a lot of additional money and lab tests.
Great video as always!
I have a catalytic carbon water filter for our drinking, baby formula, and what not water. I chose a catalytic carbon filter as it removes the chloramine from our drinking water, and many other things like PFAS which is rising in a lot of communities tap water. It's connected to our sink with a little bypass valve, and it has been great!! The Home MAster Mini 1CCB is what we have, order it up and test it in the future!!
Well done on 2 million subs. Watched you from the beginning. The videos have got smoother over the years but your attention to detail and unbiased attitude has remained constant. You deserve the success because you have been impartial and never bought by any company although I imagine they try.
I appreciate that! Thanks for being here since the beginning!
@@ProjectFarm Thank you for the beginning. Far too many channels in companies pockets. The biggest attribute to your channel is you just provide results without favour and show many times that quality of product does not always need to cost the most. This video for example has certainly shown that a less popular brand out performed a house hold name.......
@@ardscorner Your comment illustrates the risk in these videos - you don't understand the basic fundamentals of filtration, and so you're influenced by which product performs HIS tests the best.
FUNDAMENTAL ERROR.
@@procatprocat9647 Interesting comment you make. Maybe I do or maybe I do not understand the basics of filteration......who knows. But his tests proved which was best under this scenario. These are the most basic of filters which a lot of people use and believe. PF puts products through tests to simulate use. The use of a water filter is to pass water through it to remove particulates and heavy metals. PF measured each using the same test equipment.....ergo results are comparable. The aim of the test was to demonstrate which provided the lowest reading.....which was achieved. So by deduction the lowest reading provided the highest filteration of the chosen media. All household water filters are designed to polish your water....to remove that thin film of scum you see on your tea. They are not designed to remove bacteria nor to make water safe to drink.....you need safe drinking water to start with. Yes they could make a staged filter to achieve this but the cost and risk is not worth it. So do I think PF was right in this video.....yes I do as the numbers speak for themselves
Thank you for making this video! I remember asking for this a long time ago and I'm blown away that you made it happen. Your viewers appreciate all the effort you put in to your videos. Your reviews are so helpful.
I was looking around for a water filter and was unsure of what to get. Having seen a multitude of other videos on your channel, I knew you were a reliable source of information. You've saved me a ton of time and money and for that I thank you. 😁
You are welcome!
We live on a small island with no mains water supply, so every house has it's own well or spring. The place we're renting while renovating a 250 year old watermill has an unlined bore and the water quality can be very poor - we can only drink bottled water. Britta filters did nothing for us, removed a tiny bit of smell but thats it. That being said, TDS isnt a very good measure for testing in my opinion, since you need some dissolved minerals to survive - many filters will have media in them to add those essential elements back in, after the carbon and other filter media has stripped them out. Having 0TDS is not good for your health, if that is your only source of water.
I really liked the test strips, and have ordered some to play with, it will be interesting to compare our unlined bore hole here with the fully lined modern bore hole over at the mill, while we're waiting for government testing of the water. Overall a great video, but I don't think the test methodology was as robust as your typical tests (which i'm fine with, you be an expert at everything!) I still learned some new stuff, and had fun watching!
Thanks for sharing.
I had to go peek! Fascinating, wonderful endeavor. All the best of luck with it and thank you for saving that beautiful, forgotten treasure!
I think the primary goal of the testing was to have clean, safe drinking water. It's a pretty straightforward task of adding back minerals to the water if you so desire.
water that hard would strongly recommend you install a whole house filtration system. i have extremely hard water installed an Aquasana Rhino 1,000,000 gallon whole house filtration and it immediately took hardness scale off the chart (above 15 on hardness scale) down to around 2-3. Water softener took care of the rest bringing it to 0. You would never want to use that hard water through faucets, appliances, or other items using water in the house. This will significantly improve water quality throughout the house. It's scary to see what crap the pre-filters pull out before even reaching the resin tank for further filtration. ALL people should be installing these types of systems even if they have slightly hard water.
You are correct that TDS is not a great indication of water quality. It is one of several criteria that is used for water quality.
I decided I’d try out the Zerowater after watching your video and I’m throughly satisfied with the product. Thank you very much for keeping your video strictly factual and less about your personal bias. Thank you, Sir!
You are welcome!
In your experience how fast was the filter process. My household goes through about 15 gallons of bottled water a month and I would like to cut out waste from that. It's a lot of bottles.
@@dromen1 That's a lot of plastic waste. And most of it isn't recyclable I would wager. Most bottled water is just filtered tap water anyways, so getting a water filter will save you a pretty decent chunk of change for roughly the same product. Remember if you do buy to look at the cost of both the initial pitcher cost AND the filters. Because it's kinda like shaving razors. The handle (Or pitcher) are actively cheaper then the heads and filters. Also the lifespan of the filters is pretty important. The Zerowater says that you should replace them every twenty gallons, which isn't very much. But those filters cost about $33 for a two pack from their site. Roughly $16 for 20 gallons, or less than a dollar a gallon is much cheaper than most bottled water not bought in massive bulk.
@@dromen1 buy a reverse osmosis plant. It costs around 500 to 600 dollars. Great investment in the long term
You don't have storebrand water?
I absolutely love that you also tested that in-line garden hose filter, I use that for my honey bee oasis :) Thank you for all of your well-planned and executed tests.
You are welcome! Thanks for the feedback.
will that work for a waterline th as t goes to the ice maker in the freezer?
How does one make a honey bee oasis?
Hey which is the best?
@@ProjectFarm Still want to see a comparison with clearly filtered and alexapure!
I love how you always do your best to educate yourself and do the testing that most of us can't do at home. This is why we love you helping us all learn together, and be entertaining as well
Thanks!
It would be very interesting to see how the name brand refrigerator cartridge filters compare to these stand-alone water filters. We have been using the "genuine" Samsung water filters in our Samsung refrigerator for about 4 years now. The Samsung filters seem to work well, and the water and ice taste great (unlike the straight tap water where we live). The Samsung filters are NSF 42, 53 & 401 rated, and last around 300 gallons or 6 months. The cost to replace the "genuine" Samsung filters is around $50. Maybe an idea for water filter comparison video part 2?
Thanks for the suggestion.
Same with our LG fridge, this would be an amazing test
They are trash
I'd like to see this also
Fridge filters are mostly to remove bad tastes.
I ended up buying a zerowater because of this video a while back. I used to be just a Brita user before.
I definitely liked the quality of the water with zerowater more. I ended up switching back to Brita due to costs.
Zerowater filters lasted me about 2-3 weeks each before developing a sour taste, I soon realized that it was going to be a cost prohibitive filter system where I live so I ended switching back to Brita. Sure not nearly as good but does that job.
Thanks for sharing.
Unfortunately you bought wrong. Modern castle did a similar test but used actual Arizona town water to a laboratory. Water had lots of nasties including uranium. Zero did very average with chemical reduction which was one of the worst filters tested. Brita did much better
I could have written this comment word for word after my experience with ZeroWater last month. Appears to be a real issue in areas with very hard water, and it's unfortunate because Brita water doesn't taste great.
Don't know why I'm just now seeing this, but man am I glad that I did! You're doing excellent work here by saving consumers time and money while at the same time increasing their efficiency WHILE AT THE SAME TIME putting pressure on companies to hold their promises/claims. This channel needs more subs.
Thanks!
The amount of value provided in the video was phenomenal, thank you.
Congrats on 2 million! Really, an amazing achievement. 🎉🎊
Got a zerowater last month, its honestly amazing how good the filtration is for its price. Im a big fan.
Thank you for the feedback!
It wins best filter. It also wins worst filter for filtering out all of our essential minerals our body needs.
I would love to know what the heck that medium is
@@lofimusiq Easy to re-add minerals, desalinated minerals from salt lake is good, although the mag chloride can give you the hershey squirts if you use too much.
@@lofimusiq Don't depend on water for minerals. Get it from your food, etc..
The ion exchange beads for the ZeroWater will get used up really fast when used this way, the beads change color when they are spent, a few more tests and it looks like you would need a new filter. Ion exchange is typically used after going through a reverse osmosis filter, which typically want a carbon filter before that, and probably a particle filter before the carbon filter, normal people can stop at the reverse osmosis stage, the ion exchange step is usually for lab grade water, NurdRage has a pretty good video on setting up a lab grade water supply, as well as a video on regenerating ion exchange beads.
So, sounds like someone might want to do a prefilter through one of the cheap, but decent ones for best results on a budget.
You want to deionize before RO. The fewer the minerals the more concentrated you can make the RO wastewater thereby increasing its efficiency.
Thanks for the feedback.
@@bt5252 No. DI water is always better than DO, you use RO to extend the life of the DI resin as noted above. No commercial DI water system uses RO as the final step, it is always the first.
Note that DI water is not really that great for people. It will be more corrosive than tap water, lots of lab equipment says explicitly don't use DI water. The water will come to equilibrium with the metals around it, so you will end up adding Al, Fe,Cr etc when cooking in metal. If you just use borosilicate glass you should be fine, but aside from fancy coffee makers, what cooking is done exclusively in glass?
@@ajaehall7695 when I had a saltwater fish tank, I’d use RO/DI water for the salt water mix. Despite the warnings, I sampled a bit of the pure water. It was like the water wasn’t there- absolutely zero flavor.
I like how this guy gets to the points. His presentation of what he did per steps of evaluation are also clear to understand. No fluff, no bs. THANK YOU.👍
Bu.mer I didn't see this before I bought the Purr. Not a total disappointment, considering the lousy quality of the water where I live. It isn't poison...yet. It is high in calcium, lime, and nitrates. I will get a Zerowater.
Thanks!
It would be really cool if you can figure out a way to evaluate how well these filters deal with biological impurities like bacteria, protozoa and cysts. Some of them appear to be designed specifically for that, rather than for mineral removal, so it might be unfair to evaluate them on just mineral removal.
True... for example, the sawyer filter is one i use for blackpacking and all i really care about is removing ghiardia and other biological contaminates and it does a great job at that.
Right, the sawyer is made for camping and hiking to remove the nasty's that will make you sick.
About 20 years ago we got a water filter that hooked into the kitchen faucet. Filter stood upright with its own spout and hoses with valve attached to faucet end. It gave the most wonderful tasting and looking water I've ever seen. It took a couple hours initially to get the excess carbon/charcoal out. Ice cubes were crystal clear. Coffee was awesome!!
We bought it at some store closeout and I've never seen another unit quite like it. We've had multiple brands of filters and designs but NONE has come close to that first one. If I ever find a duplicate I"m stocking up on those units.
What’s black packing? Sounds like something you could get in a LOT of trouble for, down the road…
Sounds like the carbon in activated charcoal filter elements.
I consistently love how insanely thorough you are on these tests. I can't think of another channel out there that does anything like this.
Thanks!
The camping filters like lifestraw are pretty much exclusively particle filters that are just barely fine enough to remove bacteria, so I am surprised they removed dissolved solids from tap water at all.
Yeah mostly designed so that you just don't get cholera or typhus from the dirty, 3rd-world puddle with the corpse of something that used to be fluffy in it that you're about to drink from.
I have been using zero water for 2 years and will not go back thanks to your video I knew I did the best for me and my family! I am immune compromised and glad that I don’t worry about things that can make me sick
Thanks for sharing!
Dude I love you for this kind of stuff, have watched you for the past 3 years and I am thankful to have you as a source for knowledge.
I appreciate that!
Another great informative show. RESPECT for the amount of work and time that you put in your shows
Thanks so much!
Not informative, inaccurate and misleading. The blind leading the blind.
@@flammybino8523 haters gonna hate
This is a great video at illustrating the differences in types of filters, however in terns of determining "the best water filter" it really depends on the goals you are trying to achieve.
With that said if you are trying to take pond water or some sort of non-potable water source and make it safe to drink, there are only a few filters in your group that are actually designed to do that (hollow fiber membrane based filters), like the Sawyer, the lifestraw, or survivor filter pro, which will remove all biological contaminates such bacteria and protozoa (but not inclusive of most viruses) which are smaller than the smallest pore size of the filter, although this is not much of a concern in North America. So although you can safely drink scummy pond water and be perfectly safe doing so with the sawyer, it offers ZERO chemical filtration which does absolutely nothing to help with taste or smell.
The Zero water filter on the other hand is an ion exchange filter which is designed as a chemical and particulate filter. In other words it uses ion exchange resin to pull dissolved solids out of the water, while also using charcoal to help polish ans improve taste and smell. The end result is that you get zero dissolved solids after filtering which is means it removes most chemicals like chlorine and fluoride and heavy metals and minerals from the water which is great if that's your goal. But can it make pond water safe to drink? Absolutely not, and it's not designed for that either and would be completely inappropriate for that use, just as a Sawyer would be completely inappropriate for use in polishing already potable water.
The other filters like Brita and the like that use some form of charcoal filtration are designed merely to polish ans improve taste and smell of water, whilst perhaps removing a tiny amount of dissolved solids and minerals, but are certainly not designed for that.
So getting back to the title of this video, "which is the best filter"? It really depends on what you're actually trying to remove from the water, and what you are trying to achieve, and thus would require the proper tool for the job. A killer "all-in-one" filter would combine elements of all these filters and would essentially look something like a Sawyer for initial filtration to take any water you find (like pond water) and make it potable and biologically safe to drink, then you may want to put it through some sort of a charcoal based filter to improve taste and smell, and finally you may want to polish it off by removing any remaining dissolved solids or chemicals from the water by putting it through ion exchange resin based filter like the zero water or alternatively a reverse osmosis system. At the end of all that what you should have is biologically safe water that is chemically pure water, and if you really wanted to you could even run it through a filter that is designed to add back in some dissolved salts and minerals to "improve taste" to something you may be more used to and familiar with.
But at the end of the day you can see what we are talking about are vastly different tools that all deal with water in some way, but perform very different jobs. So essentially unless you compare like tools like a bunch of ion exchange filters to one another, or a bunch of hollow fiber membrane filters to one another, what you are really doing is comparing apples to oranges and selecting plums as the "best" tool of then all.
Thank you for the above information. "Best" is relative to intended application. Some excel in one aspect but fail in others and vice versa. I guess using a hammer as a screwdriver it can be done however the end results probably not going to be what you expected.
so what your saying is if you need to use pond water to drink first filter it with the Survivor filter into the zero filter so then you have 100% clean water.
wait what? so the zero water filter gets rid of ions, right? doesn't that make it to be distilled water? which is quite bad for human consumption. (great for cleaning tho)
Thank you! I came to this video to inform myself about water filters, and while seeing the results was interesting, your writeup taught me what I was really after :)
You are making a pretty big assumption. Particulate Filters prevent pathogens from getting into the water. The aqua straw is a basic filter that may be effective against some larger parasites.
I've been using a Berkey for drinking cooking and tooth brush water for a year and a half now and I feel fine :-) they claim that leaving in certain dissolved solids is actually beneficial because it's minerals the body needs they also stand by their red dye test but I hadn't performed it yet myself thank you for doing all this hard work for us this was kind of fun to watch
You are welcome!
The zero water was really impressive! Would have been nice to include a test for chlorine.
Most US municipal water treatment systems no longer use straight up chlorine, use a long lasting chloramine compound instead. Used to be able to leave water in an open pitcher allowing the chlorine to evaporate (in the sun worked faster), chloramine survives this. Cheaper as they use less chlorine in total, but more stays in the end.
But 0ppm are unhealthy
@@jcwoods2311 smells the same, so to the end user is the same
Put your water in the fridge for 30mins, and it clears the chlorine smell out. Water board engineer told me that when he was checking our water, and I mentioned it smells chloriney.
Also I wonder how well they do at removing lead.
We have used the Zero Water filtration system in our home for several years for ALL drinking and cooking. We get the filters at Bed, Bath and Beyond and after coupon discounts the filters run around $15 each and last about 3-4 weeks. Love em'.
Thanks for sharing.
How much you paid in total for zero water system and how often you need to change them ? Appreciate it
@Michael Perrett do you have the fishy smell/taste? Do you keep refrigerated? Thanks.
Spending $45 every 3-4 weeks sounds pricy.
How do you know when to change the filter? I’m planning on buying zero water so I’m doing my research first.
This just sold me on the ZeroWater brand, been using Brita since it first came out, I also have a PUR. This I plan on making the move to the ZeroWater as soon as I can.
I use zero water filter and it works as advertised. I used the included TDS meyer and tested various bottled water most were around 20-30. Put bottled water in zero water filter and reduced to zero TDS.
@@bawbremy Thing is you may not want to use the best filter, because you don't want to filter EVERYTHING out of the water.
with the ZeroWater brand you're filtrating out everything, if not too much, off the water. While it works well, it may not be a good idea to use in the long run. You're basically drinking distilled water.
Brita performed a lot better than I thought it would. Still switching to Zero, but yeah... I'll finish my current box of Brita filters first. Very nice. Thank you, Project Farm!
Thanks and you are welcome!
Maybe add a longevity test and the degradation of effectiveness vs gallons filtered? would be interesting!
Thanks for the suggestion.
I looked into water filtration a long time ago, and settled on ZeroWater for pitchers and a CrystalQuest Reverse Osmosis for my main filter. Now I'm pretty much settled on distillation as the way to go. Thanks to Project Farm for another outstanding investigation. Water filtration tests I'd like to see are removing plastics, chemicals and microorganisms from water.
Thanks! Thanks for the feedback.
u can use a filter from a different brand on the zero pitcher?
@@pinkieponk Not that I am aware and I would bet not.
@@ProjectFarm
I'm buying distilled water since last year may I ask how can I do it distilled distilled water at home what do you recommend? Appreciate your help 🙏😊
Why use distilled? I'm assuming we're talking drinking water, and distilled doesn't taste good. I dunno, maybe I'm spoiled living in a place that has good tap water, but I dont understand why you would want to use distilled water outside of chemistry.
I love my zero water filter, but the filter are expensive, and produce an off flavor when the filter starts to be used up
Great feedback! Thank you
after 2 months I'm noticing the same, but the brita did it also.
It depends heavily on your area. My well water is only about 25ppm TDS and very low iron so the filters last ages. It's not uncommon to go over a year before it even hits 1ppm with no off taste.
Chloramine is the biggest culprit for that flavor.
There’s a 3 pack of zero filters available for $18.98 with subscribe and save (just cancel subscription after the order) as of 9/5/21.
It's possible your filters get saturated very fast.
I'd like to see what's inside the AquaTru filter. This is the most comprehensive water filter comparison video. Really appreciate the amount of work, planning and resources dedicated to this.
Thanks!
This shows some pretty amazing performance on the part of the ZeroWater filter, but I feel like you should try to run some microbe-based tests as well. I think a few of these products are more about keeping you from getting giardia, and less about reducing the iron content.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Please do this one! Outdoor enthusiasts do care more about harmful bacteria than iron content however I still really enjoyed your video. Thank you!!
@@HomeDepotJunkies agree
Agree! MSR, LifeStraw (stick) and Katadyn should probably also make an appearance here.
This is prime selling point of Berkey, it treats "raw" water. I had one in college it made my contaminated well water safe to drink, cook and clean with.
The way he laughed about the zero water living up to his reputation that he was actually surprised one of these companies are actually doing what they actually say but watching his videos on actually buy one of his videos are very to the point like a point of interest
I trust him but as someone with some knowledge in this field it is very suspicious. The best possible filtration is reverse osmosis. 0water doing on par with just sponges and activated carbon is really odd. The water didn't look clean in some of the tests but the measurement were 0 particles? that's strange.
Yeah, it filtered out all of the water from the minerals, so it did indeed have zero water. Unfortunately since all the minerals are located in the filter, it's kind of hard to eat them 0/10 product.
Edit* Typos
@@tjpprojects7192 just east the filter for desert...... problem solved
I've used a zero water filter for several years now. I love it and the TDS sensor is awesome. Just recently it became apparent to everyone in the house that the water tasted different and I used the zero water TDS to see we had a bunch of dissolved solids. It was a funny reminder that when the filter needs to be replaced from time to time and also showed us that we preferred the zero water taste, when it was reading zero.
Thanks for sharing.
@@ProjectFarm Is there a need to re-mineralize the ZeroWater or change its PH or is that a myth? Some Coffee subreddits claim it's too acidic and can damage metal parts in their coffee brewing process.
@@HerbertFilby myth. waters natural ph is around 7.5 not acidic. if anything a lack of minerals in water will be even easier on a machine
@@HerbertFilby It's absolutely not a myth; yes, zero minerals in water will be better for your machine (though there are diminishing returns), but your coffee (or even tea) will not extract as well. You want *some* minerals in there to help with ion exchange for the drink to extract properly. Hell, try making coffee with distilled water and see how the taste changes.
@@amunak_ I returned the ZeroWater lol I don't know what to believe, but at the very least it doesn't filter out bacteria so that was my breaking point.
PF you are the BEST Tester of products ..thank you for helping us make good decisions on products out there
In my experience Zero Water performs as advertised and the filters last a long time at my house. This is very dependent on your tap water though. My last place, i was replacing filters every several weeks. At my new place, the filters last months. While they do not filter to near zero PPM after that long, they still filter to 75-125 PPM which is fine.
Also just wanted to say thanks for all your videos Project Farm. You are an amazing creator.
Tap water is already safe to drink, at least in a first world country, so any value is fine.
If you have water where some pesticides or heavy metals are dissolved, 75-125ppm might not be fine anymore.
TDS is not a measurement of how safe a water is to drink.
@@jort93z High TDS is an indication your Zero Water Filters are done though. I get about 3 months before they read 006 for replacement, which is just about when they taste funny if pushed further.
You should not use filters when they stop reading 000. The filters are bad then and you actually can get a sour taste from the filter. It lasts about a month for me.
The survival type filters are really more designed to make the water safe than good tasting and it shows.
I'll keep drinking tap water just fine but that zero filter is a good value.
I think it also depends where you live. Muni water in the PNW was finished from the tap. In the Midwest it can be absolutely horrific with off tastes and pool chemical smell.
Here in PA (and I'm suspecting most if not all of the 50 states) municipalities are legally required to make their annual 3rd party contaminate tests available on request. That seems like a good free metric to help determine whether to bother with filters or not (assuming you're not on a well)
Thanks for the feedback.
@@seanfager8063 There is another factor, though. The water that comes from the treatment plant may be ok, is it still ok by the time travels through the pipes to your house?
I can attest that the lifestraw kills all the garbage out of pond water. I drank out of the lower twin lake in Oregon after being severely dehydrated and didn’t get any sort of bugs. Would be cool if you could test the pathogen removal of all these brands. Also, zero needs to make one for camping
Like motor oil
You not getting any bugs doesn't prove anything. I have a rock for sale that keeps flying tigers away.
@@insolentish4529 have you ever drank pond water from a dirty pond? I have (not always intentional) and almost every time I got at least a soar throat.
@@insolentish4529 him drinking originally dirty water that would have normally made him sick, but didnt because of the filter he used is pretty self explanatory.
@@Constipatedoverlord no, it isn't. It don't have any scientific measures, it's called anecdotal evidence.
You are a life saver for conducting this test for everyone that wants to avoid poisoning their bodies. Hats off to you good sir.
Thanks!
I remember requesting this video months ago and you actually made it! Thank you so much!
Sorry it's taken me so long to get to this one. Thank you!
💧
As a follow-up water filteration video, it would be interesting to see how well the filters remove coliform bacteria and fine particulate.
It would bea more involved testing process and would challenge the claims of filtering out bacteria or particulate down to a certain micron range.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Indeed! For example, I was an avid outdoorsgirl for a long while, and I was interested to see how the Lifestraw and Sawyer performed on dissolved solids. They're rated fantastically for microbes, bacteria and some large viruses, but they aren't made for solids really. You'd get the same results from boiling, where everything will die but all inorganic things are actually concentrated. Fun experiments! Loving this channel. Best wishes Erik!
Excellent placement!! It is not enough to be colorless, odorless and tasteless. We need to ensure the removal of bacteria, fecal coliforms and fine particles.
@UC6fjGuS-TVDUT8u5FS9zwtw Personally, (this is just me and how I'd do it. We have a large pond on our property) I'd strain it first with your coffee filters and then boil it. If you have the funds and resources of ZeroWater already at hand, feel free to use it, but if it's a mountain stream it should be pretty free of solids to begin with (still desperately make sure you boil it).
If I were genuinely concerned about run-off or metals or fertilizer etc., I'd distill it at least once. Twice will get rid of most of it. You don't have to have a horrifically complicated still system to just distill water, I've seen folk use a few bottles for small batches. And if you're really desperate and concerned about solids, you could just straight-up boil it and collect the vapor in a towel overhead, wring it into another container and then just bring it to the one-minute rolling boil.
Should your municipal water go out, try to fill your bathtub (plug your overflow) with whatever pressure's left in your pipes, and do not flush your toilet (you can use the water in the reservoir). But if you've got access to a spring or mountain stream I'd just make sure to boil it if you're pretty sure there's little run-off from farms or such (and if you're in Appalachia make sure you know where the coal operations nearby are, those're really terribly good at f'n up the entire water table).
I hope this helps! Be safe and well :)
This would be a great test. The life straw was designed as a survival filter not for the optimal soft water with enhanced flavor that you'd prefer at home. I'm curious if it's actually better at it's intended purpose than a standard/home water filter. Outside of having a bladder you can drink from on the go.
We've been using a Brita for years cause the water in my town basically sucks. Heavy chlorine smell constantly and complaints to the powers that run the water company fall on deaf ears. As soon as the last Brita filter we have is used up, we're going to the ZeroWater. Thanks.
Thanks for the feedback.
I would do some research first, taking too much from the water in not necessarily good and will certainly reduce the life of the filter
I live in the mountains, above 3000'. I been buying water for decades because the local water company can't seem to get the water that clean. Decided to try filtered water. I bought the Zero Water a month ago and have been very happy and taste is fine for coffee. I may try Aquaphor because of the price.
The higher the chlorine content is the higher the biological load the ingressed water has. If you taste high chlorine at the tap, you started with very dirty water indeed.
@@charleshorseman55 The borough pulls the water out of the Delaware river. It's less than 100 yards from the river to the filtration plant. It's totally undrinkable. And not a G Damn thing is being done about it.
I’ve been using the ZeroWater for years. They won me over with the tester. Shows you how bad your water is and when you need to replace the filter. Best company out there. My ferrets love it too.
After watching this video when it initially came out, I bought 2 of the large zerowater jugs. I’m still using them today. Primarily their use is for my nespresso and kurieg. There has been substantially less build up in these machines in this time and I’ve been very impressed.
Thank you for these videos.
did the flavor change for you on the coffee with the zerowater?
@@JohnDoe-vj9wn no negative changes. Probably positive but I don’t pay attention to my coffee to a large degree.
Yep, just ordered a ZeroWater on Amazon after this one. Have to chunk the Brita in the trash. This is one of my favorite videos you have done. My suggested product testing:
CPU Thermal Paste
Potting Soil
Portable Air Conditioners
Laundry Detergents
Great ideas
Portable air conditioners is perfect
Yup. Zero water is coming home soon.
Thermal paste is settled, though. No need to tread that ground.
Had a ZeroWater for 4 years but the larger version. It is amazing, 6 pack of filters run about $30 at Walmart and they last 8ish weeks for us. Our tap water isn't that bad, so yours might not last that long.
This is exactly why competition is good for the consumer. I've never heard of the Zerowater before and have always just used Brita, until I just watched this. Great video as always
We switched from brita to zero and could really taste the difference. Some people don't like the taste of water without minerals but we do. We've since gotten a reverse osmosis system for convenience.
Just built my house and have to have a well. It’s pretty hard water. I bought the Zerowater because of your video and it works perfectly. Our water has high salinity and slight sulfur and this filter got it all out
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for showing actual results. Berkey fans might hate this, but most independent testing shows that berkey's do very little and after a month you might as well just drink right from a well. I'm content with my Zero Water, just wish they made a big canister like some of the berkey ones.
Thanks for the feedback.
Berkey Filters also filter pathogens which the zero water will not do. 0 TDS means it's just as good as distilled water which i don't really believe.
@@JediOfTheRepublic
I agree. PPM means nothing if you are drinking Pathogenic Bacteria and Arsenic.
You are supposed the clean the filters.
They now sell a canister. It's about 70.00 last time I checked Amazon. ;-)