NanoCeram Filters

[Jay]

Does anyone have experience with NanoCeram filters? I'm trying to find a filter to replace the Watts WP2-BVC we've been using for a couple of years because it’s been discontinued. We're hoping to find a whole house filter (big blue type) that will work with bacteria and virus. The sellers and inventor of NanoCeram filters claim they will do the job. Is this a hoax? I’ve written to the NSF and they have not certified these filters.



Our system is purely rainwater collected from a concrete roof, pre-filtered into two 20,000 gallon underground concrete cisterns. The system is pressurized with a pump and pressure tank and there’s a whole house 20” big blue with a Pentek DGD-5005-20 Sediment 50/5 micro filter. The Watts WP2-BVC is under the kitchen sink and its faucet is where we get potable water. I was hoping we could add another big blue after the present one and use a NanoCeram filter for a whole house system with potable water.

We're in the Caribbean and this is the only water available. I'm not aware of any place to have the water tested, so I'm assuming bacteria and virus may be present.

Thanks for the help.

[Andy CWS]

Why not use and RO?

[Jay]

Electricity is $0.26/kwh and RO wastes a lot of water. Rainwater is precious here. A filter would be much better, especially if it can do the whole house...

Thx, Jay

[Andy CWS]

Not following you there, I'm afraid. Are talking about whole house ROs or ones for drinking water? Those for drinking water use no electricity.

How do mean that ROs "waste" water? Is the cistern a community or private/shared system?

[Jay]

I would really like to know if anyone has experience with or opinions on NanoCeram filters, especially as applied to whole house filters.

We'd like to move from a drinking water system to a whole house system. RO might be a bit expensive and I'm not convinced that a UV system wouln't still be needed before the RO for bacteria and virus protection, as some RO makers state. If this filter works as claimed it would be ideal for our situation.

Thanks,

Jay

[pawaterguy]

NSF certification to do what it says and flow rates. those 2 things will tell you all you need to know.

[Andy CWS]

I think what he is looking for is an NSF P-231 certified micro-biological barrier. GE HomeSpring was a wholehouse unit.

http://www.homespring.com/

http://www.filtersfast.com/Doulton-W9381000-Rio-2000-Filter.asp

An ozone generator placed in the cistern would be an option as well.

[pawaterguy]

I've seen another company (new here from Europe) that does a unit similar that is an all in one whole house filter...but I wonder how the upkeep cost on it fares. It seems to me that if there is a membrane with a drain line then the life of said membrane is going to be very low and cost of ownership will be high in the longrun. Do you know any details about this, Andy? I'm not sure I quite understand the membrane they use yet as I've never seen one up close and personal. I know most RO's will remove 99.9999% of bacteria and such but can't claim 100%...how does that one do it?

[Andy CWS]

I am not following your last question. How does what do what?

Tubular membranes work differently than wound TFC membranes. And even then there are two approaches to tubular membranes; some work outside-in and others work inside-out. Are you saying that 99.9999% is inadequate?

[Jay]

I would look into the GE HomeSpring system but it's not available in my area. The Doulton Rio 2000 doesn't claim to remove virus as it only has a 0.9 micron rating.

I'm still hoping someone knows more about the NanoCeram filters.

[pawaterguy]

That's exactly what I'm saying. If an RO was reliable for removing bacteria 100% then there would be no reason to install a UV light before it. If you want to know for sure that you are 100% safe then a membrane doesn't seem to be the answer though there is a good chance you'll never get sick or anything. It's a peace of mind thing as well as a "protect the family" thing. I'm new to that whole "tubular membrane" thing as well. It's not something I have experience with. Google, here I come.

[pawaterguy]

And, after googling I ask this...where does the retentate water end up? I may be mixing things up here...but the unit my competitor sells seems to use this type of membrane and claims there is no waste water...so what happens to the water that doesn't make it through the membrane? I'm learning as I go here...bare with me.

[Jay]

Here's a demonstration of why membrane's aren't very efficient. It's also a starting point if you don't know about NanoCeram filters. I'd like to hear from someone who knows about these. Do they really work as advertised? Why aren't they certified by the NSF?

[Andy CWS]

I am not getting the impression that you are sincere in looking for information on these filters as much as soliciting them with spam links.

There are essentially two reasons why products do not show an NSF ratings. Either they didn't offer them to be tested or they failed the test protocols.

Andy Christensen

[Andy CWS]

And, after googling I ask this...where does the retentate water end up? I may be mixing things up here...but the unit my competitor sells seems to use this type of membrane and claims there is no waste water...so what happens to the water that doesn't make it through the membrane? I'm learning as I go here...bare with me.

HomeSpring units do have a backwashing stage. The membrane has such a large surface area that water can flow through with some degree of pressure and volume. Think of thousands of spaghetti-like membranes processing water.

Don't confuse a micro-biological barrier (prevents) with a sanitation/disinfection process (destroys/inactivates). Membrane pore sizes are so much smaller than any micro-organism. Membranes are not normally regarded as MBB because eventual failure can occur over time through degradation and there is no alarm system or indicator that organisms have passed through the membrane. There are other factors involved but water testing is the only real assurance that treatment is successful or not.