Installation
Regardless of the style purifier purchased there will be five components in the box. You will have either a Royal Doulton Super Sterasyl filter or an SCP Flouride Plus filter and four separate ceramic pieces: a base, a water container including a stainless steel tap, a filter container and a lid. Carefully unpack these items from the box and assemble them as per diagram below. The diagram below is a line drawing of our LARGE purifier, our ULTRA SLIM is a different shape, straight up and down, but it assembled exactly the same way.
1) Place the base on the counter and then put the water container on top (when you start with the base, the widest opening sits on the counter top, the narrower opening and the opening that has ceramic pulled toward the middle forming a doughnut shape is the side that the water container actually sits on).
2) Remove the filter from the box and unscrew the wing nut removing the washer as well, unless already loose in the box.
3) Insert the thread of the filter through the hole in the filter container, place washer over thread and tighten firmly with wing nut, the thread is inserted toward counter top, if two washers are supplied put one inside the infit and the other one underneath the infit.
4) Carefully place filter container into the top opening of the water container.
5) Fill with Water to the top of the filter container and place lid in the unglazed galley at the top of the filter container.
All done!
Just wait for the water to drip down into the water container and enjoy drinking water the way nature intended (sometimes it is advisable to place a brand new filter upside down in a glass of water to soak for a few hours, before installation, to increase the rate of flow).
How Does the Filter Work?
Water is placed in the top container, shaped like an inverted bell, which houses the ceramic filter which has a nozzle protruding through a small hole into the main body of the purifier (please refer to the illustration).
Once the water passes through the filter it accumulates in the water container where it can be accessed by pressing down on the tap. Water is filtered naturally in three ways:
1) The outer micro-porous ceramic wall screens the water down to as small as 0.5 micron to remove up to 99.99% of bacteria and suspended solids. The tiny pores of the ceramic make it extremely efficient at removing particulate mater and fine sediment. the ceramic is also a highly effective barrier to bacterial pathogens and water-bourne cyst including e-coli, cryptosporidium, gardia and salmonella.
2) The water passes through the inner core of activated charcoal which removes chlorine, flouride, ammonia and bad tastes and odours. Activated carbon works by attracting and holding certain chemicals as water passes through it. It is a highly porous material with an extremely high surface area for contaminant adsorption. (Adsorption is the phenomenon whereby molecules adhere to a surface with which they come in contact with).
3) The ceramic wall of this filter has been impregnated with silver ions to prevent the growth of bacteria in the filter itself and also in the stored water. The silver acts as a natural biocide inhibiting microbacterial growth meaning that there is no need to sterilise the filter even when they are used over an extended period of time.
This design prevents any overflow problems common with two part systems. Each purifier is hand made on the potter's wheel and individually decorated in a variety of colours, many of which are uniquely Australian.
The purifier is fired to stoneware temperature of 1305 centigrade making it the perfect non-toxic material to filter and store drinking water. Firing at this high temperature unsures your water purifier is waterproof and extremely resilient to cracking, crazing and chipping.
Unlike terracotta and earthenware systems, our stoneware system will not grow mould, become stained, deteriorate with age or leave a clay taste in your water. The inside of the purifier is glazed allowing ease of cleaning.
No fumes are given off as with plastics or metals allowing safer long storage. The insulating properties of stoneware will help keep your water naturally cool for drinking and ice may be added to the container for chilled water. There is no electricity or plumbing and the purifier is small enough that it can moved easily from room to room.
The pH of the water is increased slightly and this is the result of calcium content in the media of the cartridge. In case of the SCP Flouride Plus and the Doulton, no earthy taste is given off with the increase of the pH. The flouride Plus can increase the pH by 1 to 2 full points essentially providing a similar benefit as some alkalizing machines on the market without the added cost.
Care Instructions
All water purifier filters must be cleaned regularly and replaced periodically.
Replacement timing will depend on the quality of the local water conditions and frequency of use.
Under average conditions and if cleaned regularly, your filter should provide filtration for up to 12 months or 2000 litres. After this stage, the activated carbon is becoming saturated.
To clean your filters, first remove it from the container by undoing the wing nut from underneath.
Be careful to grip the filter by the plastic base as it is fragile especially when wet.
Scrape the surface with the back of a knife, green scouring pad or soft brush, under the running water until the white ceramic material is visible again. This removes contamination and clogging and should be performed every three to four weeks or when the water flow seems reduced.
Do not use soap or detergents. Cleaning of your water filter may be required more often if your source is a tank,dam spring or bore.
Every six months we recommend that you completely disassemble your system and wash and dry all parts before re-assembling.
Troubleshooting
THE FILTER IS NOT WORKING OR HAS SLOWED DOWN:
1) Your filter needs to be cleaned. See Care Instructions. Water should pass through the ceramic filter at a rate approximately one litre per hour on town water (tank, dam and spring may be slower depending on the amount of suspended solids).
2) If your gravity filter is 12 months old or has filtered 2000 litres of water, you will need to replaced it with a new filter. We recommend you replace the filter with a Royal Doulton Super Sterasyl or a SCP Flouride Plus, both of which are made in England and imported by Southern Cross Pottery. Other Australian, Chinese and Brazilian gravity filters will fit but are of lesser quality.
3) Your filter has an air lock. You will need to remove your filter and soak it with the filter nozzle pointing up for a few hours or even overnight in a bucket of water, the ceramic catridge should be submerged but the plastic thread should not be in the water. Alternatively with the filter installed in the container and about half filled with water, hold the container above your head and suck on the filter nozzle from the bottom of the container (spit the water out as it might contain activated carbon and colloidal silver which may taste unpleasant).
THE SYSTEM IS LEAKING WATER:
1) Your tap needs to be tightened. If the water is seeping from the rubber seal where the tap fitted to the main body of the purifier the you need to empty the purifier and holding the nut on the inslde tighten the tap by at least one full turn or more clockwise.
2) Your tap is defective. Please contact My Water Filter at 1800 769 300 or via email at customerservice@mywaterfilter.com.au and we will organise a replacement.
SMALL SPECKS OF CARBON IN THE WATER:
1) Small specks of activated carbon (charcoal powder) may appear in your water in the initial days of operation. This material is harmless and will disappear with use. Some manufacturers suggest you discard the first few litres of water.
METALLIC TASTE:
1) The metallic taste is only a result of the initial degasification process the media inside the ceramic goes through whilst being flushed, this taste will dissipate in a few days.