06
Nov
Aquasana 3-stage Under Counter
Aquasana 3-stage Water Filter
Design - 88%
Features - 89%
Performance - 83%
Capacity - 92%
Ease of Use - 89%
88%
VERY GOOD
This Aquasana drinking water filter has great large capacity, an easy to replace three-stage filter, three sleek designer faucets, and an audible indicator to alert you when it's time to replace the filters.
There are certain products we purchase over time that are only truly useful if they are of the best quality; let’s face it, we’re all looking for a bargain, but sometimes you really have to go for quality even if it means paying way more money. A water filtering system falls into that category; if you decide you need a water purifier, then you need to make sure you buy the right one, and that it eliminates impurities from the water as advertised, without depleting it of natural and important minerals. An investment in your health and well-being is never too costly; but how can you find the right filtering system? There are many ways, and one of them is reading the water filter system reviews on our website; they only present some of the best products on the market and detail the pros and cons that define them, thus allowing readers and prospective buyers to find a product that matches their needs.
The filter we will review today is the Aquasana 3-stage Under Counter Drinking Water Filter; Aquasana is a renowned filter manufacturer, and they produce a wide range of filtering systems to cater to a variety of needs. Today’s product is a drinking water filter, so it will only provide water fit for drinking and cooking, but it doesn’t have the capacity or technology to purify water for bathing purposes as well; those are whole house systems, and if that’s what you’re interested in, check out our other reviews.
Design
Because it is an under the counter system, the Aquasana 3-stage Under Counter Drinking Water Filter must have a rather appealing design; the three-step filter container is made from white plastic casing and is mounted under the counter or the sink; the three filters are twist-offs, so you can easily replace them when the time comes. The overall system also comes with fitting brackets, screws and fittings, and a slim faucet that will protrude from the sink’s surface; this delicate but efficient faucet is tall and bent, allowing you to fill any kinds of containers, from a simple glass to a wide and deep pot. You can choose from three color and metal types of faucets to match the rest of your sink or fixtures: Brushed Nickel, Chrome, and Oil Rubbed Bronze. Thus, you can even match the Aquasana to a design-conscious kitchen without worrying it might ruin the overall decorum.
Features
Getting on to more practical aspects, this Aquasana drinking filter has a flow rate of 0.5 GPM (gallons per minute) – this is slightly less than other products in its category, but it’s still efficient and fast enough for its purposes. The spout height of the faucet reaches 7 inches and features one handle. There seems to be no information about the temperatures it can stand, but it is more likely intended for use of cool water. The filters have the capacity of purifying about 600 gallons of water; this is approximately the equivalent of 6-months’ validity, depending on how you use it. The water filter also utilizes one Lithium Metal battery that serves the performance indicator located under the counter; the performance indicator shows you when it’s time to replace the filters, so you won’t have to worry too much about forgetting this part.
As for what the three-stage filter is composed of, it features a 20-micron pre-filter that eliminates sediment, rust and silt, thus prolonging the filter’s capacity and preventing it from clogging. The other filter media are represented by an Activated Carbon filter that reduces organic chemicals, a Catalytic Carbon filter that eliminates chlorine and chloramines, an Ion-Exchange filter that traps heavy metals, and the Absolute Sub-Micron Mechanical Filtration that we mentioned earlier. The lifetime indicator is both visible and audible, so you are alerted when it’s time to replace filters, something that is done in a a few easy steps – you unscrew the filter container, remove the old filter, put the new one in, and screw back in; you do this three times, and the filter is back at full capacity.
Performance
The Aquasana 3-stage Under Counter Drinking Water Filter is one of the most efficient water filtering systems on the market; it removes and reduces over 60 types of contaminants from the water, including herbicides, pesticides, VOCs, MTBE, chlorine and chloramine, lead, mercury and other metals, asbestos, giardia, cryptosporidicum, and others. All the healthy minerals like Calcium, Potassium and Magnesium are kept, leaving you with clear, great-tasting water that will even improve the taste of your coffee or tea, and even the foods you’re cooking. The average life of the Lithium battery lasts about 1590 hours, and that’s what you have to worry about remembering to replace from time to time, otherwise you won’t know when the filters are expired.
More importantly, this Aquasana product is also NSF/ANSI certified, receiving approvals for Standard 42 which ensures removal of aesthetic and non-health threatening contaminants like chlorine and chloramine, and Standard 53, which ensures the elimination of health-threatening contaminants, such as the ones presented above. Furthermore, this product is eco-friendly as well, because its smart design reduces the quantity of plastic used and other disposable parts.
Ease of Use
The installation of the Aquasana 3-stage Under Counter Drinking Water Filter can be done by any homeowner by following the instructions in the manual; it should be easy to do so with regular tools, but the more difficult part has to be drilling a hole through the sink to install the faucet; some sinks feature a dish detergent dispenser, so if you’re not using it, you can just remove it and install the faucet in place. Otherwise, the system of replacing the actual filters is very, very easy and only takes a few minutes. The battery lasts long enough, but it too is easy to replace – both replacement filters and battery can be bought from your retailer, or ordered directly from the manufacturer.
Other Considerations
This product reduces chlorine from your water in 97%, so it is very efficient against this common contaminant. The manufacturer offers a 90-day guarantee, after which you can get your money back or a replacement filter if you are not satisfied with the product. The whole filtering system costs about $175, which is quite cheap for its category; however, it only receives a 1-year limited warranty for parts and labor, so it’s all in the balance there. Although it has a lower flow rate than other brand products, this Aquasana filter has a larger capacity than those same products, offering 600 gallons of pure water with every set of filters.
