Drip Quips Blog
Pure vs Nano: Who will win? 0
Which Water Pitcher should you be taking home?
This is the question we get asked the most: "What's the difference between the Pure pitcher and the Nano pitcher?" While both are equally epic, they were designed with different uses in mind, so it's a very valid question. Let's outline some of the differences between the two, and hopefully, that will make your choice that much clearer.
The Pure pitcher was our original pitcher, intended for municipal water. It was designed to crush fluoride and heavy metals often found in tap water. The more we researched, the more we found in our water that we had trouble properly pronouncing, so we figured we should add a few more items to our list. So we did some more testing and now this pitcher removes over 200 contaminants.
If you're really serious about fluoride removal, or have municipal water that's already been treated, then we recommend this pitcher. It's our go to choice, and makes for some seriously epic drinking at home.
If that sounds great to you, but you still need a little something more or don't have treated water, then the Nano could be your new water filtration buddy.
We quickly found that the Pure pitcher didn't meet all of our customers' needs, and left out those with well water, hard water, or those just wanting a filter strong enough to take camping or abroad. Thus the Nano pitcher was born.
In addition to contaminants found in treated water, the Nano also removes bacteria, viruses, and cysts, so it's safe to use with untreated water and the Nano fiber wrap around the filter also helps to catch sediment so the filter itself doesn't get clogged as quickly as it would without it.
We've noticed that our customers in New York state and the surrounding areas, in particular, have much better luck with our Nano filter as opposed to our Pure which wasn't designed for that volume of sediment.
While the contaminant removal percentage is mostly the same between the two filters, the Pure removes more fluoride, chloramine, chromium, and zinc. And the Nano removes more sulfate, aluminum, and copper.
Both filters are interchangeable so if your needs change, or if for some other reason you decide on a different filter, you don't have to buy a whole new pitcher. You can just get the filter you want, unscrew the old one, and put the new one in. Each filter is good for about 150 gallons. The LED timer on top of the pitcher indicates the days passing since starting it in a 90 day cycle. For some individuals and families, your filter will last longer than 90 days, so the best way to tell if you need a new filter is based on the taste of the water and the flow rate of it filtering. If you like to do calculations, the bottom reservoir (which holds the filtered water), holds a little more than half a gallon. So if you fill up two times a day, then your filter will last around 150 days.
If you're still not sure which one is the right one for you, send us an email and we will get back to you shortly with a response!
Forrest G
Crazy about clean water, rocks (climbing them), and gardening
Check out Pitchers here
- Forrest Gallagher
TDS Meters and Reading Them 0
What can TDS meters tell you about your water quality?
We get a lot of questions about TDS meters and more specifically, we are often met with confused customers who find their TDS meter's ppm (parts per million) reading is far from what they expected. If you've had this experience too, you're not alone. Perhaps we can help clarify what's going on.
Our filters utilize a patented ionic-adsorption micro-filtration process that features a 2.0-micron pore size. This allows us to have the highest contaminant reduction in the industry! However, many customers (perhaps you) are curious as to why our filters don’t reduce the Total Dissolved Solids, or “TDS” found in tap water.
Here’s why:
The TDS is not an accurate indication of water quality.
Total Dissolved Solids aren’t linked with adverse health effects. In fact, the main component of TDS is minerals (such as calcium, potassium, iron etc.). Higher TDS readings often indicate higher levels of the trace minerals in the water which is actually desirable.
The best part about our product is that it is able to filter out the chemicals, disinfectants and heavy metals in ONE STEP but is also able to leave the healthy mineral content of the water in tact. Our filters are not designed to remove minerals such as other Reverse Osmosis or Distillation processes do.
The recent popularity of inexpensive and portable TDS meters has now made testing one’s tap water fairly common practice. However, these devices really don’t tell the whole story, and most people are led to believe that high levels of TDS are bad when in fact, bottled mineral water will have readings in excess of 250ppm! So if you are testing your water with a TDS meter, know that your readings will vary, and that a TDS reading higher than the tap water is NOT an indication of a faulty filter.
How can this be you might ask? As a by-product of our patented ionic-adsorption filtration process, the charge of water passing through the filter changes slightly. This can result in TDS readings HIGHER than the tap water itself. The TDS meters are sensitive to changes in positive (+) or negative (-) charges and a higher reading DOES NOT reflect a poor water quality. It actually indicates that the filter is working and doing it’s job to remove contaminants!
A TDS meter measures the conductivity (positive or negative charge) of the water. As previously mentioned, our filters use an ionic adsorption process which leaves the water with a slightly positive charge. This will cause the meters to show a higher TDS reading when in reality nothing has been added to the water. In essence, it just proves that the filter is working so yay!
If the filters haven’t been properly flushed before testing it, there can be some residual carbon from the filter that falls off. Our filters are made of activated coconut carbon and during shipping some of the carbon shakes off naturally and this could also result in a higher TDS reading. But the carbon we use is EPA approved and has no adverse health effects whatsoever.So it may seem tempting to rely on your new trusty little buddy, the TDS meter, but in our experience, we have found its results to be widely confusing and mis-informative. To truly get an accurate portrayal of what's in your water and what a filter removes, it is important to get it properly tested, which can be expensive. So we've done the testing for you, so you can save the money and time and know you're getting quality filtered water!
Forrest G
Crazy about clean water, rocks (climbing them), and gardening
- Forrest Gallagher
National Women's Health Week 2020 0
It's National Women's Health Week!
Appropriately following Mother's Day is National Women's Health Week! So from today (it actually started May 10th on Mother's Day!) until May 16th, let's celebrate the women we know and love, including ourselves and take some healthy steps this week together!
This week marks the celebration of women and a time dedicated to focusing on being healthy, staying healthy, and getting healthy! Whether you are a woman yourself or have special women in your life, this is a great opportunity to refocus and feel supported in doing so, while women all over the country take a moment (or two) for themselves.
Being a woman has many facets and comes in many shapes and colors. While we each experience being a woman in our own way, we all share certain experiences and can feel the thread of underlying connectivity we all share. Life is better when we have supportive women around us, when we as women, feel like we have the tools we need to accomplish what we set our hearts on, and when we are given the space to change and move throughout it.
If you feel like you could use some more time to refocus on what you want or need, now is a great time to take for yourself. This will look different for each woman depending on what other responsibilities you may have, but know that you are not alone in doing this, and even something small can go a long way.
Since you already have enough on your plate, we've put together a list of things you can try out or do this week to reprioritize your health. And who knows, maybe one of these will stick!
Women's Health Week Tips & Tricks
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Drink some extra water
Hydration is so important for our health. So have an extra glass of water each day this week, and feel free to spice it up by adding something extra like a slice of a lemon or a lime, some cut up cucumber, or a few leaves of mint. It's such a small thing you can do, but your body will be grateful nonetheless!
Take a bath or some time for yourself
I like to light candles, put on a face mask, and listen to some calming music when I take a bath. It's such a nice way to relax, feel pampered, and take a moment for yourself to reflect. If that's not an option for you, take a moment to journal or to read, and allow yourself some uninterrupted you time.
Stretch & move that body
Take some time in the morning to stretch or do so before bed. I sometimes like to start my day by doing a few jumping jacks to let my body know it's time to be awake! Movement is so crucial for health, and even fifteen minutes of movement is better than none! (Chasing kids around included & dance parties are always encouraged)
Make one food tweak a day
Choose a meal each day that you can make with health in mind. It could be simple like just adding some greens on the side, or you can opt for a meal full of vegetables and nutrients of your choice. Maybe swap out your normal dessert for fruit, or dark chocolate, (we won't count that out.) Or choose to put something aside for one meal that you can probably live without (maybe just don't want to.)
Notice how you feel when you make a small decision each day to feel good and care for yourself. When I'm having trouble motivating myself to make a healthy choice, I remind myself how it feels after I do it, and use that feeling as motivation. And remember, it's the little things that count, and you don't have to make drastic changes overnight, just commit to working toward them.
And for all the men out there, think of the women in your life you love, and even just by making healthy choices yourself, you can encourage those around you to do the same!
H A P P Y W O M E N ' S H E A L T H W E E K!
Forrest G
Crazy about clean water, rocks (climbing them), and gardening
- Forrest Gallagher
Which Filter Is the Right Filter for You? 0
Not sure which filter to choose? This may help.
We have a few different filter options, and sometimes, it can be difficult to know which filter will work best for your needs. There are a few things to consider when choosing which filter to purchase, so hopefully, this will help outline the main differences between each of our filters and highlight the right one for you.
Our most on-the-go friendly filters are our bottle filters, which includes the Urban and the Outdoor filters.
We have a few different bottle options, but all of our bottles fit both the Urban and Outdoor filters, and they can always be swapped out. So say you really like having cold water and want to purchase the Vostok, but you tend toward the outdoors, so you want it with the Outdoor filter. Just make a note at purchase or send us an email and we can make sure your bottle comes with the filter you want.
If you're not sure whether you want the Urban filter or the Outdoor one, here are a few things to consider ~
We recommend the Urban filter for every day use. It removes over 200+ contaminants, and to see a full list of what it removes just click here. While it doesn't remove as much fluoride as some of our customers would like (it removes about 30%), fluoride removal is really dependent on contact time with a filter, so since the water in your bottle hopefully won't be staying there for long ;), it doesn't interact with the filter as long as it would with, say, our pitcher filters. If you're really concerned about fluoride, then you could consider our Outdoor filter. Which brings us to .. the Outdoor filter!
We recommend the Outdoor filter for those who are serious about fluoride removal and/or for use in areas with questionable water. Our Outdoor filter removes 68% fluoride along with many other contaminants. To see that full list, click here. It is important to note that this filter is a bit harder to pull water through. That's because it's filtering out particulate at a sub micron level (!) which allows it to filter out potentially harmful things like bacteria, viruses, and cysts. It does get easier to sip through with use, but we generally reserve that filter for the days we want to get out and wild.
If you want something a little more stationary than our bottle filters, then our pitcher filters are the filters for you. Our Pure filter removes 97.88% of fluoride and crushes so many other contaminants too! Our pitchers are great for clean water at home, and they are small enough to take along with you camping.
A lot of our customers ask us about the difference between the Pure and the Nano and which one they should purchase. While both pack in a big punch, they are designed for slightly different needs. Though, as is true with our bottle filters, they can always be interchanged, so if your needs change or you decide you'd like to try the other one, you can use both filters in your pitcher, regardless of which one you have.
We recommend our Pure filter for those with municipal water and for those who are serious about their fluoride removal. The Pure filter is designed for water sources that have already been treated. So this filter focuses on removing the rest of things in water that we are now finding out, aren't that great for us either.
If you have well water, live somewhere where bacteria in your water is a concern, or have hard water, then we recommend the Nano filter. The Nano filter does remove less fluoride, at 68%, but it removes bacteria, viruses, and cysts in addition to other contaminants. We've also noticed that our customers with hard water have much better luck with our Nano filter than with our Pure. It's also a great camping companion because you can fill up from a nearby lake or stream and ensure you're not drinking anything potentially harmful like bacteria, viruses, or cysts.
And finally, our home filtration. Our Smart Shield is a great system for homeowners and renters alike as it is designed to be easily removed without causing any damage under your sink. If you like to have clean water for cooking, for washing your veggies, or just like having filtered water from your tap, then this is a great option for you. The filters last much longer as well, so you only have to replace your filter once a year instead of every three months. So if you like not having to think about it, then this system could bring you more ease. This system is designed only for the cold water line, and you can always purchase our Dedicated Faucet Kit alongside it if you'd like to have one faucet specifically dedicated to filtered water. It will slightly reduce the flow rate of your water, by about 20%, but most of our customers don't notice a significant change in this.
For anyone with hard water, we also highly recommend getting our Sediment filter, which filters the water and catches sediment before passing through the Smart Shield filter. This ensures your Smart Shield filter will last longer, and will help keep the flow rate faster.
And last but not least is our newest edition to the lineup, our Fridge Filter. This is a great option for those who like to drink from their fridge's dispenser and have the ability to pull out their fridge and get to the water supply line behind it. Plus this means super filtered ice cubes, so you can feel better knowing your chilled drinks and smoothies don't have anything funky in them.
I recently added this to my home filtration setup, and it took about ten minutes to install! Since the Epic filter is filtering the water before it reaches that fridge filter which sits inside your fridge, I opted to keep mine in and I haven't replaced it in a while. You can definitely choose to frequently replace that filter if you'd like, but your water will still be purified either way.
And our fridge filter only needs to be changed out every 2 YEARS! So it's not something you have to worry about often.
And of course, you can always get a few of our products to fit your various needs, and if you have any more questions before making a purchase, we are always here to answer them! Just email support@epicwaterfilters.com, and we are usually able to get back to you within 24 hours.
If you want to see more of our test results and certifications, you can find those here. Happy sipping!
Forrest G
Crazy about clean water, rocks (climbing them), and gardening
- Forrest Gallagher