Frequently Asked Questions
Q. "Someone told me I should lube a replacement o-ring; is this true and why?"
A. O-rings, if not correctly lubed, can expand, and sometimes stick, to a filter housing, which can make it difficult (sometimes nearly impossible) to open the housing. To prevent this, simply prepare the replacement o-ring by applying enough silicone lubricant to give it a nice gloss all over before installing. Petroleum lubricants or faucet grease are not recommended as they typically cause o-rings to swell or dry out.
Q. "Do I need to replace my o-ring when I change cartridges?"
A. O-rings will normally last a long time and do not need to be changed every time you replace your filter cartridges. However, you should examine the housing o-ring to make sure it has not become damaged. Check for nicks or compressed areas. They can be damaged by accident if they are not placed correctly on the housing (or head on some filters) during installation. They can also dry out if the proper lubrication was not used. If the o-ring is no longer flexible then it needs to be replaced. If you tighten your housing and notice a leak between the housing and the head, you may need to replace the o-ring. We suggest you lubricate o-rings with silicone lubricant.
Q. "What is a micron rating?"
A. The average size of the openings between pieces of the filter media are represented in microns. For example, a 40-micron filter has larger openings than a 5-micron filter. Consequently, the 40-micron filter element will let larger particles pass through the filter than the 5-micron element.
As a general rule, the smaller micron rating for a filter is better, but as with most everything, there is a trade-off. Flow capability usually drops off as the micron rating gets smaller. To overcome this, low micron-rating filters must have larger elements to keep from sacrificing precious flow.
You may want to consider sediment filtration such as the Lakos sediment filtration system to remove larger particles, then possibly install a whole house water filter to take out smaller particles.
Q. "What is the best type of filter to remove chlorine from my water?"
A. Carbon filters are the most commonly used filter to remove chlorine from the water. The carbon media reduces the chlorine to chloride. Carbon filters are not reusable. Once they have reached their capacity to obsorb chlorine and are no longer performing then they need to be discarded, and replaced with a new carbon filter.
Q. "How can I remove Giardia from my drinking water?"
A. Giardia (cryptosporidium, etc.) usually can be filtered out with a 1-micron or smaller filter.
