whole house UV water filter system

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YJ

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#190755 11-Jan-2016 13:48

I just moved to the property with rain water supply, can anyone recommend the whole house (3 stage or 4 stage system ) UV water filtering system, or is it necessary? is it safe to buy on trademe for the model as below, http://www.trademe.co.nz/link.aspx?i=42664&id=1012814213&cc=602&pid=408501830&hbc=&member_hash=&ct=title-link&r=a

if you are using the rain water, what's your solution for safe drinking?

You comment and recommendation are highly appreciated, thanks again.

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#1467577 11-Jan-2016 13:48

Hmmmm. Here we go.

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trig42

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#1467598 11-Jan-2016 14:00

We are on rain water.
No filters. Never have had one going on 40 years now.

I know people that do, but where I live (Waiheke) it would be a minority. Some people with bore water use particulate filters (charcoal based I think).

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1467605 11-Jan-2016 14:04

Just filter your drinking water IMO with a carbon filter and maybe UV if you are paranoid. Provided you keep the gutters / roof reasonably clean you shouldn't have any problem.

trig42

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#1467610 11-Jan-2016 14:12

Do you have concrete or Poly tanks? Concrete is much better IMO as it keeps the water cooler. This may prevent bugs growing in the standing water. I've always had concrete tanks.

Jaxson

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#1467611 11-Jan-2016 14:13

Rain water shouldn't smell, which is what charcoal is aiming to remove.
If you have a dead rat in your tank, you want to know about it, not remove the smell and keep drinking it.

You've got two issues here, one is bacteria and one is cysts such as giardia.
Bacteria will die under UV light exposure, and cysts will be 'inactivated', so it's a nice way to kill things and leave no taste or chemicals.

However, UV has it's downsides:
1) the water needs to be clean, otherwise the contaminants can pass through in the shadow of debris, and won't be dealt with.
2) the lamps usually last 1 year only. They'll still be making some light, but less of the wavelengths that matter.
3) the quartz tube will need to be cleaned periodically also, once again to ensure the light can pass into the water sufficiently
4) it leaves no residual like chlorine does, so if you get an infection down stream in your water supply system, then 'bugs' can happily grow there unaffected.

If you don't go UV, then you should at least ensure you filter down to 1 micron, as this will trap cysts and prevent them reaching your house water supply.

You are right to consider whole house treatment, as you likely brush your teeth and shower away from the one filtered outlet in the kitchen...

The big question is how much is this worth to you?
Giardia is likely to arrive via bird and animal deposits on your roof. You can test a tank and find it clear, but then have the tank infected 2 days later.
Most people on a tank supply get used to the bacteria in the tank/water supply, unless something big happens and a bird dies in your gutter/tank etc.
No one gets used to giardia cysts, but they aren't as common.
If you have kids I personally feel that some level of disinfection/protection is justified.

If you walked across a road without checking each day, do you feel any more comfortable saying I've done it for 40 years and never had a problem?

camo786

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#1467615 11-Jan-2016 14:16

We use a UV filter system from Waterguard, local company in West Auckland, very helpful, I have been there personally to get replacement seals and filters

They have improved their design and fittings they use since I got mine, so pricing has increase I think I paid $1100

Web site here

http://waterguard.co.nz/?gclid=Cj0KEQiAn8i0BRDur-HV1PCTy4UBEiQAPuFr9FFCrdVACXArU8dzGtg1AGZJfP2p7RuTuot6nZpbbX0aAomY8P8HAQ

One of the best things I did was getting raincatcher to stop 90% of the crap getting into the Water Tank

Check it out here

http://www.raincatcher.co.nz/

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fishandchips

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#1467618 11-Jan-2016 14:19

We filter the house down to 1 micron then carbon the drinking water. Change the filters when flow is reduced, roughly every 3 months. Keep your spouting clear and you can bleach your tank/s if you want to as well.

YJ

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#1467630 11-Jan-2016 14:34

Thanks guys, l am so thrilled and get your comments.

Any comments on the particular trademe list ($810) versus the water guard one ($1430 or $ 1880?)

Jaxson

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#1467634 11-Jan-2016 14:40

fishandchips: We filter the house down to 1 micron then carbon the drinking water. Change the filters when flow is reduced, roughly every 3 months. Keep your spouting clear and you can bleach your tank/s if you want to as well.

What do you expect the carbon filter to do?

Ideally you want at least a two stage filter setup so that you can protect the 1 micron filter for longer.
Normally you'd aim for a 20 micron pre filter, maybe even a wash down one ahead of this, so that you get that to take the brunt of the collection, and make life easier for your 1 micron filter.

Only mention the above as they're not cheap :)

blackjack17

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#1467666 11-Jan-2016 15:07

My parents have been on tank for 20 years in Auckland (rural) and they have never had a filter, they rarely clean the gutters or tank. We never got sick from the water (once there was even a dead possum in the tank for a while don't want to think about that).

One thing I do notice when I go visit is how good the water from the tank tastes compared with town supply, although it gets a slight smoky flavour in winter from the fireplace which my dad runs nearly 24hours a day.

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ubergeeknz

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Vocus

#1467681 11-Jan-2016 15:19

I should mention, if the water smells bad as it has a couple of times this summer I add some bleach. But I believe this was in fact due the garage gutters (which I hadn't realised were hooked up) being absolutely full of crud (we recently acquired the property) combined with heat and infrequent rain.

We also GAC (granular activated carbon, 1 micron) and UV treat our drinking water at the tap.

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Geektastic

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#1468025 11-Jan-2016 22:14

We have rainwater tanks filled from the house roof.

Just after we moved in we had two cartridge type particulate filters and a UV system installed. We are surrounded by vineyards and all sorts of stuff ends up on our roof from aerial spraying, wind drift, general dust, dead birds etc etc and all our water washes off the roof.

Filtering tastes better, the water looks less brown and it's safer. Why wouldn't you do it? It's hardly expensive.

Mark

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#1468042 11-Jan-2016 22:21

Thanks for reminding me .. need a new house filter, one in there is probably green and evolving by now ;-)

Jaxson

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#1468043 11-Jan-2016 22:21

Geektastic: We are surrounded by vineyards and all sorts of stuff ends up on our roof from aerial spraying, wind drift, general dust, dead birds etc etc and all our water washes off the roof.

Carbon is good for this and the likes of pesticides etc.
In town it's excellent for removing chlorine taste/smells.

fishandchips

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#1468415 12-Jan-2016 13:24

Jaxson:
fishandchips: We filter the house down to 1 micron then carbon the drinking water. Change the filters when flow is reduced, roughly every 3 months. Keep your spouting clear and you can bleach your tank/s if you want to as well.

What do you expect the carbon filter to do?

Ideally you want at least a two stage filter setup so that you can protect the 1 micron filter for longer.
Normally you'd aim for a 20 micron pre filter, maybe even a wash down one ahead of this, so that you get that to take the brunt of the collection, and make life easier for your 1 micron filter.

Only mention the above as they're not cheap :)

We pre-filter to 20 then down to 1 and have the carbon to take a slight taste out of the water. Really should clean the tanks out but have not found the time yet. I thought about getting a 70 micron washable screen filter as well, as if we get to much rain at one time it stirs the tank up.

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