Filtrete Gives Families Fresh Air + Water and Saves You Money!

You know, I'll be honest. When I was approached to do this review I saw the brand name, Filtrete, and thought "air filters". I had no idea that the name I know, trust, and use when we battle our allergies branched out and is now offering a line of water filtration products for better tasting water.

Our allergies are killer. In fact, my son has had his share of hospital visits for his severe allergies (with asthmatic tendencies). Living in Florida, our heating and air conditioning is run by a central air handling unit. We only use Filtrete air filters, mainly because we've tried using all the other brands, and when we use Filtrete filters, I notice a change in our symptoms.

By helping to clean the air you breathe and improve the air quality in your home, the Filtrete Elite Allergen Reduction Filter from 3M:

* Captures 94 percent of large airborne particles such as pollen, smoke, dust mite debris and pet dander from the air as it passes through the filter

* Captures up to 40 times more microscopic particles than ordinary fiberglass filters

* Helps maintain airflow in heating and cooling systems, which may help prevent stress on the system and reduce the amount of energy needed to warm your home this Fall and Winter

We've had the ability to try several different brands of water filters over the past two years. Many of them had expensive filters you need to refill often, one barely changed the taste of our water, and we resorted to buying a fridge with a filter in it that actually worked better (or just as well) as some of the bottled water we were drinking. Our biggest complaint from all of our filtration systems was that it took forever and a day to filter. What's the sense of filling a resivoir with a cup or two of water, coming back in a few minutes, and repeating unitl the bottom of the pitcher was "full", when you could just grab a bottle of water and go?? 

Yes, it's not eco-friendly, but bashfully, I admit, it's a lot easier. I've never found a good balance of good tasting water, is cost efficient, and is quick to filter. For on-the-go families looking to increase their water intake without the hassle of buying separate water bottles or bottled water, the Filtrete Water Station provides the convenience of bottled water without the cost or waste:

* Filters water directly from the tap into four reusable BPA-free water bottles in seconds and reduces sediment and chlorine taste and odor from tap water

* Bottles are dishwasher safe and feature a leak-proof cap, making them great for school lunches or soccer practice

* Provides the approximate recommended daily water intake – 64 ounces – and helps reduce up to 3,000 plastic water bottles worth of waste from landfills per year

I can honestly say that when we received our pitcher to review, that setting it up took a second. Once we turned the water on, (at about the same speed you would fill a cup of tap water), the water started filtering immediately. It is not like a "traditional" water pitcher because there is no resivoir to fill, the filter does the job it needs to quickly and easily so you can continue on with your life. The 12-cup water pitcher costs about $30 and the Filtrete fast fill refills only cost about $10 and are available online and at stores like Home Depot, Wal-mart, and Ace. 

To help busy families, Filtrete created Clear Advantages. You can register to receive seasonal e-newsletters featuring money-saving offers, air and water filter change reminders, better home living tips and more by visiting Filtrete.com.

You can also follow Filtrete Water Filtration Products on Twitter or like the brand on Facebook for healthier living tips.




“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Filtrete and received the water pitcher to facilitate my candid review.”

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ZeroWater Review and Giveaway!

We gave up on filtered water since moving to Florida. The tap water is so hard and tastes absolutely disgusting, none of the filtration systems on the market could cut it. Even my mother- (who used to be a die-hard Brita fan)- made the switch to bottled water after relocating, herself.

The average amount of water we drink is about a case to a case and a half per week, and Brian drinks about 2 gallons each week at work. In total, that's about 5 gallons a week in filtered water. One case (on sale) costs about $3.99, and two gallons of water for Brian is about $2. If you total one and a half cases + Bri's two gallons, it costs our family approximately $8 a week in water. $8 a week, times four weeks is about $32 for the MONTH.

Recently, our family was given the opportunity to review the new ZeroWater filtration system. You may have seen ZeroWater commercials on television, or even on the shelves of your local Target, Walmart, or on Target.com.

The initial cost of the Z-Pitcher is about $32, comparable to other systems on the market. The pitcher comes with a filter already, and on the box it says that the filter will last about 22.5 gallons. That is more water than if our family consumed one case and two gallons per week, and just a little less than if we drank a full case and a half. Month number one we broke even but got a sleek looking pitcher with spigot.

The replacement filters have been reviewed as "expensive" everywhere online. Two filters cost $30. Again, one $15 filter lasts about a month, so for month number two, my water bill was lowered by more than half. Same for month three. The extra money I saved months two and three, allowed for us to purchase the next set of filters. If you purchase the 2-pack of filters online, ZeroWater offers a $5 off discount as a part of their recycling program, which in turn, saves you more money, and you're doing a good thing for the environment.

How does it work??

Along with your Z-Pitcher, you'll find a TDS tester so you can test your tap water and bottled water to see how clean it really is.

I must say, I was truly impressed by the system itself. We tested our Aquafina water, and the bottles registered anywhere from 001-003 TDS (total dissolved solids). Aquafina makes their money by being one of the purest bottled waters sold on the market.

The directions said that it can often take two cycles to filter hard water to absolute zero, and I was worried after testing our water that it would take two cycles. Our tap water through the month has tested on different levels- some as high as 386 and sometimes as low as 273. I thought it was interesting how the levels fluctuated.

Needless to say, I set up our ZeroWater filtration system and let the tap water flow right into the reservoir and watched as it filtered all of the contaminants and dissolved solids into pure Zero Water. ZeroWater is the only filtered water that meets the FDA's definition for 'purified' bottled water.

There are only two 'cons' that I've found with this system, if you should even call it that.

In today's "on demand" society, it takes quite awhile for the water compartment to fill up. Other brands on the market do filter quicker, but do not filter all of the total dissolved solids. So what this really boils down to is whether or not you have the patience for this filter. How important is good, clean water for your and your family? For us, the wait was well worth it!

The other, is that although I love the way that the reservoir is designed to hold the TDS meter that's included in your purchase, I feel that it is "lost space" that could hold more water, or that takes away from the total amount of filtered water. I keep my TDS meter in the kitchen drawer with all of my other kitchen gadgets.**Edited to add: after posting this review, I was advised that the new design of ZeroWater pitchers have in fact removed the compartment that holds the TDS meter.**

Another reason for keeping it in the drawer as opposed to in the nifty compartmentalized area on the reservoir is that in the directions on the TDS it warns that over saturation or being exposed to excessive moisture could ruin the device or cause it to perform badly. Considering the fact that ZeroWater recommends you test your water and replace your filter once the water gets to 006, that little tool is rather important... in my opinion, too important to keep IN the pitcher itself.

The kids love the fact that to get water they only have to open the fridge and press the button on the spigot to release water. No more fighting about the bottle tops that are too tight or hard to take off, and no more balancing over weight, over-sized pitchers destined to spill.

Overall opinion:
Despite the upfront cost of the replacement filters, the ZeroWater filtration system actually ends up saving our family money in the long run. Saving money in today's economy is always a big plus. The product itself delivers on it's word, and follows through with great tasting water all month long. I would (and have) recommend this product to my friends and family members.

Want it?
You can buy ZeroWater online or head to your local Target, Walmart, Walgreens or Home Depot to check out the ZeroWater Z-Pitcher and 5 Gallon water cooler set-ups. So far, I've only seen the Z-pitcher and replacement filters in stock at my local Target.

This giveaway is open to residents of US & Canada and will end on November 18th, at 11:59pm EST. One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. Special thanks to our new friends at ZeroWater and JB Cumberland PR for allowing our family to try the ZeroWater Filtration System at no cost, and for sponsoring this giveaway. This review is soley my opinion and your personal experience may differ.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ZERO WATER WINNER:

Please read the WINNERS POST for more information on how to claim your prize.

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