DIY Home Water Filter (5 stage no RO) 

I started with a standard RO then overtime customized to 9 stage. My setup goes like this: sediment filters( 20 micron > 5 micron > 1 micron) > Carbon(GAC > 5 micron Carbon block > 5 micron Carbon block)> Permeate Pump > RO membrane > Coconut Shell Carbon > UV sterilizer with automatic on/off flow sensor. TDS reading is 1-2. Probably 90% of sediment is trapped in 20 micron. After 6 months of use with 3 people in the house the 5 micron sediment filter is partially brown and not totally saturated like it becomes without 20 micron sediment filter, could go for another 6 months without change, and 1 micron sediment filter I haven't changed in over 2 years, it's still clean just discolored. I'm filtering NYC tap water.

Great video! So thankful for people that take the time to put these sorts of videos together for others to use instead of having to "re-create the wheel!" Nice job and THANK YOU!

I have listened to many videos. not only have you thought me about water filters systems. your presentation is perfect in ever way. very clear, good voice , good lighting, to the point. fyi I am a general contractor with 60 years experience in all trades. and teacher in 40 disciplines. very nice productions. I am impressed

I am just making my own system. I am using 5 Pentek 10" slim housings. My house has crazy high water pressure (95 psi), and I really need to slow it down. I will have two sediment filters for slowing it down. My second filter will be a .01 micron filter from a Waterdrop as I really want to drop my pressure. I do not know the filter model, but it is for TST-UF system. I also had remove the top gasket for that filter to fit my system, but it fits. I am using bone char filters, and a carbon block with KDF at the end. Ya, my filters will be more expensive, but it should work. My Pentek canisters were about $25 a piece. I did have a hard time finding the right fittings, but I did. My housings are bolted together. Thanks for the video.

Very nice and easy to follow. If you don't want the weight of those three canisters hanging on the wall of the cabinet just put a loose piece of wood underneath them to take the weight.

Appreciate the video! It's all relatively simple, but as I'm deciding what to do for my setup, it's always nice to just see someone else going through the steps, and making sure I have all the components and don't make an obvious mistake assembling it all. I'm always in apartments and the state requires dishwasher air-gaps, so I bought a dual air-gap to swap out and I'm going to frankenstein a really mini faucet on top of the cover, using the second inlet to run the water line and seal it. With all the commercial, ready-made (and massively overpriced) under-sink filter systems, I assumed some company would have already thought of an air-gap/faucet combo for this situation...silly me! Given the quality of my local water, I'll probably stick to three....maayyyybe four stages, but it will beat the absolute hell out of the stupid water pitchers I've used in the past, both in filtration and frustration! I'm hoping to get all filters either washable or have some sort of contaminant growth prevention in them, so I don't have to switch them out before their actual filtration capacity is reached. With just being drinking water, and only for myself, it would feel stupid to waste them because of time in use vs. how much they've actually filtered. Annnnyway, thanks again!

Very very good my friend, you not only giving help and knowledge to other people but you are saving water big time. Thank you 😊 🙏

You are the best. I am doing a whole house system using these same filters. Just ordered all the filters. You made that very easy with your parts list. Right now my water has a slight smell and is staining my toilet and bathroom sink. I can not wait to install this. Culligan wanted $7000.00 to solve my water problem.

Hey man I have told 2 friends to follow your video when they mentioned they wanted to do a filter system over the past 2 years. FYI - I put a 2x4 under the canisters to sit on the cabinet floor to support the weight. Then just slide the 2x4 out and then you can unscrew the canisters downward to change the filters. It even leaves room under it to put a towel down. I have one of those silicone rubber under sink mats that has a lip all the way around just encase I spill when changing filters - any water would just sit in the pan. The 2x4 sits on top of the rubber I did a 6 filter system (two 3 packs) and have lived off it for 2 plus years only changing the first 2 sediment filters every 6 months and the 3rd and 1st charcoal once a year. Works perfect and I feel sorry for people wasting money on system kits. I don't have chlorine or I would change the charcoals more often

Your video has been a blessing to my family and many more because I cook with clean water now to feed the homeless daily soup n beans ThAnk you I'm only using 2 canister and then put in doulton ceramic candle water filter bucket system But I have 3 more canister filter system in order to complete my own 5 stage faucet set up

Thank you... Really thorough explanation of how to set up and install these filter canisters. I've installed many RO systems in offices for drinking water like yours at a sink. Enjoyed watching the long video because your presentation was that good. Thanks again! PS. I'd never thought about setting up a "mobil system" - Great idea!!

I used one of these when i went to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota on an Archaeological dig. You would imagine the water to be pretty clean, but there are beavers up there, and to prevent ourselves from getting Beaver fever while working we used this filter. It sure beats boiling water because it's pump-and-play so to speak, you can pump a little or a lot and drink right away. This is a nifty little contraption, and i recommend it to those looking for filtration devices. Expect about 5-15 minutes of pumping per liter (depending on your pumping speed).

Wow... Awesome video. Thanks for taking the time to make this video and share your knowledge. You have inspired me to build my own customised system... Plus I am now pushed to learn what all the types of filters are (poly, pleated, carbon, ceramic, and even RO), so I'm grateful that your video has started me on that road. I would love to know whether your water filter system has evolved beyond this over the 6 years since you made the video, and what else can you share about your experience with the custom system that a complete novice might find useful. Again, thank you so much for the effort you put into making this video. I wish people (especially kids) could understand that guys like you are the real superheros of this world.

Thank you for the video lol. Anyway, without RO I think you guys should try 6 canister and add one more carbon block for safety after watch this video. My home set up without using RO the order are 1) 1-Micron Sediment 2) 1 Micron Absolute Poly-Pleat Filter 3)1-Micron Carbon Block Filter 4) 1-Micron Carbon Block Filter 5) 1-Micron Carbon Block Filter and 6) Imperial Sterasyl OBE Ceramic Filter. The reason I use 3 carbon block filter is because those filter don't reduce chlorine very well with two beside KDF and those carbon block is cheap anyway.

Very nicely done. I'm a DIY type guy but am new to the filtration systems. Your info was just what I needed! Thanks!

Thanks for being so thorough. I learned a great deal about how to create a system. Amazing that you can use the ceramic, and forget about the membrane!

i wanted to let you know i followed the instructions, ordered everything from amazon or other outlets you suggested, and everything worked perfectly except for the lasco faucet. i ended up pitching it in the trash and ordering one from home depot. first, the lasco faucet is not a 1/4 shank, which is not a problem if you use the compression fitting supplied. however, i had trouble with the compression fitting staying secure, and after the third attempt i gave up, and i bought a slip fit component with a 1/4" fitting but...the faucet is not a 1/4". so i set about trying to find a conversion fitting to screw onto the shank at one end and have a 1/4" female on the other end but i couldn't find it. i did have a plumbing supply business say they could machine one for me. but they also discovered that a tiny plastic nylon o ring inside the faucet was broken and would have leaked anyway. so i just ordered a Kingston faucet from Home depot.

One of the most helpful videos on RU-vid. Thank you for making such a detailed video on water filters. I'm planning of making one for home use, and it's very helpful...

Awesome set up. I’ll make one for camping so we don’t need to carry water when we boondock

Hi thanks for the video!! I used it as the basis for my 6 stage water filter system. I set mine up to work for the whole sink because I don't understand why you would't want to eat and drink off of clean dishes? I also set it up on a mini water heater so I could heat the filtered water for the sink. My next stage is to set up my refrigerator's ice maker to a copper ran line from the John Guest valve. The water pressure is low from the tap so I'm looking for suggestion on increasing it. My filters are 1) GE Z Plex 1 micron Sediment Filter, 2) Harmsco Flow-Max 1 Micron Absolute Pleated Filter, 3) Aries AF-10-3690 Fluoride Removal Water Filter Cartridge, 4-5) Pentek ChlorPlus 10 Carbon Block Filter Cartridge, and 6)Doulton Imperial Sterasyl OBE Ceramic Filter. Another issue that i'm having is that I've noticed after filling a glass from the tap a film appears over the water. Any ideas as to what that is?

Thanks for the detailed video. I've ordered a 3 stage system to feed into my fridge which is what we use for drinking, coffee, and cooking. Looking forward to tasting the results.

i am in the middle of a kitchen remodel and was going to get a retail filter system but this is superb. being in toledo (you may remember the national news in august 2014 when our water supply from lake erie was so contaminated with microcystin from an algae bloom the city told us not to drink it) we have a terrible level of chlorine and your suggestion to use KDF55 is perfect for what i need. i have gone to your website and will buy all the supplies you link to and put this together. thank you many times over!

Thanks for taking the time and effort to make this video. Why do other RO systems waste so much water when yours wastes nothing

I watched this twice as it was very helpful. I am working on setting up something like this. I didn't like that my RO watested so much water. Thank you.

Quick and easy accumulator is simply one of the empty filter canisters without a filter in it turned upside down. It will maintain an air column to help reduce the pulsations from the pump and keep the pressure fairly steady.

would be interesting if you sent a samlpe of your filtered (and unfiltered) water to a lab to see exactly what it filters out.

Really like the refillable charcoal filter. Much cheaper to refill. I've never seen those in the big box home centers.

If you add a spin down filter at the beginning it can extend the life of the system. It catches stuff before it hits your filter it's clear stainless mesh you can flush with a bucket under it

Detailed information thank you. Consider two points 1. First Need vs MSR filters 2. possibly skipping the expensive larger hole siev of your 2nd stage . I have used the MSR that you demo for camping/emergency since about 1990. I like that filter for several of the reasons you also choose to use it. The only thing I would add to this topic [filled with details] is that this MSR is 'field serviceable' and that is the reason to have one. No batteries, no additional chemistry, most virus size particle bond to other 'particles' which can be filtered by this style of backpacking filter. You did suggest this filter for a backup water supply...I would like to offer that for two benefits 1. 'certified removal of virus' [also called purification 'i believe'] 2. the added benefit of simple [ to the point of being 'sailor proof'] a First Need portable filter is a best choice for this style/size of equipment to produce safe water. I like the MSR and you will too if you are willing to take responsibility for cleaning the ceramic and measuring its remaining service life. If you might not be your 'best self' in an emergency or if you are leaving gear for 'anyone' to use ...a First Need filter offers a high if not higher level of guaranteed clean water, [with chemical free virus removal] for about 10$ price difference of this MSR. New pump about 10$ higher as well as filter cartridge replacements about 10$ higher...Maybe well worth it for the 'typical' user who may not have a Microbiology background. I like you multi stage filter for you kitchen. I am curious. The 1u Absolute filter you show for around 20$...Why use it instead of multiple stages of the carbon filter for 13$ per cartridge replacement? I think I heard you share that they are rated at .6u filtering. I could see running a pair of this cheaper and finer filter cartridge in parallel. I could also 'imagine' that a 'storage' tank like one in an RO filter system could increase contact time in the carbon media [possibly a plus] as well as slowing down the actively filtering water and possibly getting longer service life from some of the stages or a higher level of removal. Thanks for the video. Oh yeah... Im a Navy Veteran hence my use of 'Sailor Proof' :)

I had the opposite experience with Reverse Osmosis. For my family it REVOLUTIONIZED drinking water. Now we are finally well hydrated because it tastes amazing. We used the ispring 5 stage. After seeing this video though I do wish my canisters were transparent like yours.

i have to say this is probably the most well produced video ive seen on youtube, you were clear and informative and i actually learned something. you didn't just explain the filters you also went in depth into installation and application. the only question i have is although you have 45 psi how is the flow rate? 1/4 in tube is awful small for even a bathroom sink.

did this pretty much, followed your guide..... city water(winnipeg, manitoba, canada)..... result is pretty good, I wasn't expecting to notice that big a difference but definitely noticed less chlorine...... had been given 2 black housings from a reverse osmosis system(used 2 ?filters? and UV) and held off for a long time but finally ordered 3 clear housings(same as in the video)..... 1 micron pleated seem to be sold on amazon now.... still need to buy(country and price diff:P) a refillable filter but may just go for 2 non refillable carbon filters for now

Love how you pay attention to every detail,awesome video thank you for sharing

Do you have an updated video or parts list? 1 of the linked products is no longer available.

Concise, precise & simply excellent… Thanks for your very well done video !

Thank you for the video! It's very detailed! Can you do a video of doing a DIY shower filter using a drinking water filter for flouride, chlorine and chloramine removal

With this type of water filter you need 1 micron, however with RO system you only need 5 micron since the membrane filters the water down to 0.005% this mean 5 out of a thousand. I wonder that he never measured the TDS.

Great build - whether solar or grid powered, its full of excellent ideas!

Thanks for the video and info, set this up under our kitchen sink with a hot water dispenser, also adding automatic shutoff valve.

Yeah, TDS would be cool to see, also maybe bacteria and chlorine levels, as some folks claim these breed issues without chlorine, would be cool to see flow with larger connections, and setup with a storage tank, so that some might be able to DIY a RO or non RO system with this, hopefully enough to run their whole house on the cheap

Any reason why anyone couldn't use manganese dioxide media like filox in that refillable cartridge?

i have had this system for 3 years and it is flawless. i recently changed out the granular charcoal and the KDF55 and had to take a knife to dislodge the granules. it was like they were glued together with gunk. if you follow the instructions and get the filters he suggests you will have very clean water. and if you recall back in 2014 the city of toledo actually told us not to drink the water they were processing out of lake erie. since then every summer when the algae bloom occurs, our water smells and tastes like pool water with so much chlorine and bleach. a friend changed the water in her aquarium last month (august) and all the fish died!! that is how toxic our treated water is here in toledo. with this system the water is perfect. i don't know any testimonial i can give that says more than that. the only change i made is the faucet. they are about $30 and i bought one for $55 at home depot called a Kingston Brass and it has been flawless for 3 years now.

Very helpful, thank you for making this. I will be collecting rain water for home use so Im doing lots or research.

I have just replaced my 3 filters and RO membrane in "water tower" after 10! years (be less lazy kids) and the last carbon filter was totally white and clean while all the 3 compartments had some yellow easy to wash residue. So I think whatever you do after RO membrane, doesn't have much impact. Water was still great but I have had a low water flow.

Really great video. That refillable cartridge is great, I'm going to get one and put in some softening resins for the washing machine.

Great job on your video, It made me think about doing a system for myself rather than buying one pre assembled from the big box stores that look Mickey Mouse, if you know what I mean. I looked at a gravity fed system but after reading one of the comments on the block carbon filters and how this one person had got a bacterial infection from it I canceled my order on the system and so happen I can across your video and learned a lot about a canister type system. Thanks again for You Tube University, I learned something new. I got all the links and information, thanks again for sharing and showing an awesome example of DYI.

What, I respect about your take on this is that you don.t care what others say or do and you know what works for you. I just learned something during this CHINA FLU thing. Be ready and be able to create my OWN clean water supply because people bought water like it was crack. Thank you sir. Your helpful.

It is 7/28/2020 just found your video. In 1985 I purchased reversed sysomos from culligan. I do not remember how much I paid , I do remember it was an investment. I visit Culligan main Office in Houston Texas and they told me that my unit is out of date. A new system would cost about 1,300.00 installed. Not sure of the cost of the replacement filters. With this said I am looking in building my own system. Thanks to your video's. Thanks for your Time and effort!

You should put all the mechanical filtering on the water supply BEFORE it enters the house water pipes. USE the 'polishing steps at the point of drinking water only.(incld. ice machine etc.) ( and only RO or salt softening can reduce the hardness to soft.) (ion can but absurdly expensive with small flow and not logical)

I hear if you want to use muriatic acid to remove rust from the the filters it’s a good way to go to reduce waste and reuse your filters.

So its been years now since you uploaded this video. I am curious if you are still using this system and how it has worked out?

my old house water R/O system had a 0.2 micro filter. old system but it seem that its filter better. it has a water reservoir tank that hold the water. it takes a while for it to filter water to the tank but i think its a lot better. i tested with TDS and had constant zero TDS reading even after recommend filter change.

have you ever tested your tds levels? im just curious as to what it would be.

ty for that great tutorial, used it for our household as well and finally i dare to drink my tap water since it does taste great now :)

I’m having a broken water filter and I have been looking for the best one to replace on healthykitchen101, but to be honest your video made me rethink. It’s not easy to build one but anyways, thank you so much!

Thank you, for your helpful advice . Making informed choices in this confusing over marketed world is much easier thanks to your excellent thoughtful testing. GBY...

I was told Carbon block is nowhere near as effective as Granulated carbon (GAC) cartridges.

Upgrade uv light for water filters

At: 11:00 you are presenting a back-wash configuration.

If you go backwards thru the triple one you will loose filtering surface area because it will go into the middle of the filter first.

Thank you for sharing this important information listening from Brownwood Texas

Nice workbench organization!

You should do a filtration for the whole house with a Big blue filter and then filtration for the kitchen

nice clean set up, well-organized space for other things. awesome.

very comprehensive well explained and practically demonstrated enjoyed viewing and a great filtration set up thanks for sharing your knowledge . Excellent vid.

Hope it all works out. I have found the carbon filters dramatically reduce flow rate. I was using it in my whole house filter on a 3/4 inch line and it made the showers pitiful.

Excellent video, highly informative! Quick question - You briefly mentioned connecting the cold water inline --to the-- water filter -- directly to the kitchen sink faucet. Could you please explain how one would go about setting this up? Trying to avoid drilling a hole in the counter-top. Thank you!

Great video!! Thanks so much for the time you put into this - the detail was great and the follow up parts list was icing on the cake!!

Excellent Design and setup and detailed explanation given sir.

My city tap water measure at 140 ppm. After setting up this water system configuration, it went up to 155 ppm. Both MatriXKx Carbon filters were flushed for over 20 minutes per label instructions. Doulton ceramic filter was flushed over 10 minutes plus 1 day soaking then another 10 minutes flushed. Did everything but ppm is still around 160 ppm. Anyone else having same issues?

I don' know if it's true but, I read that ceramic filters do not filter out viruses and not to trust them when using surface water. Can someone verify that

KDF-55 uses Zinc & Copper then we throw it out and makes it in the streams and ponds.

Any updates since this vid? We are thinking about doing this very soon and live in a VERY hard water area.

I got 6 of those for the whole house but 20" x 4.5" housing, 2 of 5 micron sediment filters then a 1 micron filter, then a cto carbon block, then an activated alumina filter, then another cto carbon block filter

Please tell me the equipment names.. I am trying to create but without knowing the names I can not create one

You have provided a great service and I commend your work. Good - clean water is vital to life. You are not promoting your brand and you operate from a background of knowledge. Thank you. If you offer away to donate please give me the link.

FYI, you can't just reverse the flow. The dirt will be on the inside of the filter and you will have a clog that you can't find. In this case, remove the bracket and flip the filter gang over and reattach the bracket.

Your video was exactly what I needed to see. Thank you and Happy New Year!

I’m about to install a Pelican system that filters, sanitizes via UV, and softens without removing minerals. Hopefully it’ll work well.

Im going to have to repeat this video so i can get it right. Wish you were my friend so i can pay you to do it for me lol. This is a great and helpful video. I live in nyc, i will be sending this video to my friends.

A comment and a question: You may want to look into the chromium-6 concentration in your area, and then add an RO section if it's in the water, with something like a BWT Bestmax cartridge to add back Mg ions. And, I'm wondering if you've had any issue with algae growth with the clear filter housings? Thanks

Watched this video years ago and build my own system as per your video Works great Have you made any updates to it? Still using it? Thanks

Do you have any suggestions for a 3 stage unit for full time RVing? I’m looking at building one out.

Good video and watched it all BUT what was the result. How clean was the water ? Did it really work to produce drinkable water?

Is it possible to add a water tank to store some water because of the slow flow, ( like RO without the RO) and how to connect to this system?

Thank you for a clear and informative video. Do you have information about removing fluoride for the city water?

Can I hook this up to the whole house without losing any pressure

So what's your TDS reading on this setup?

Would you recommend this EXACT set up for use on WELL water? (a bit of iron like most wells.) Plan to use for the fridge and sink.

Thanks for sharing and Hong Kongers need this now!

Pardon me for this question: Why not let pass through : the rust iron particles and calcium particles : iron Fe being good for blood and Ca good for bones; of course without other bad heavy metals. ?

Question, I am looking to do whole home 3 stage filters, i already bought three large big blue units 20" x 4.5" as I dont want to have to change filters that often, i cant figure out what media to put into the three stages 1st, 2nd, last. Looking at your video, was thinking 1. sediment 2. carbon cto 3. ceramic however I am also concerned about fluoride and lead so was also thinking about bone char or arsenic filter (would be great if I could get in bulk then buy refillable s as suggested!)

Great video! I really liked the "Off the grid" idea you provided. Subscribed!

Have you checked it with a TDS meter and compare to tap water?

can i use 8/9 stages?for more purity

I have had a water filter for years but it doesn't do anything compared to RO let's be honest here. It can lower a few tds but not much and the water has some fishy taste once the filter becomes dirty in just 3-4 months. And the cleaning is so painful. So I'm planning to go to RO and all i need to do is to buy a membrane and some fittings and I'm good to go 😊

Did you do any water testing before installing all this, or are you just winging it? First thing anyone should do before filtering is test your water and figure out what you actually need to filter out. Different filters for different applications.

Hi sir. I have a doulton ceramic candle filter. In my cuttent setup, sediment>pre carbon>post carbon>akaline>seramic. Now am bit doubt. Some opinion said the ceramic should go 1st. While some said ceramic should go 1st. This is for my drinking water. For tap water also use 2 stage. Sediment>ceramic. I have tried both setup. Homestly setup with ceramic in last stage, my water more cleared and taste more mineral.

thank you for the video! this was the best explanation, thank you. the link for the parts list does not work can you please help

does it remove tds....is there any non Rev OS that can remove tds