We recently installed a new water purifier into our home. It is a simple apparatus that mounts under your sink and utilizes cartridges to help give you clean drinking water. Here are ten tips to help anyone do this project easily and quickly.
You will need to have wrenches, tubing cutter, drill with bits, and a screw driver.
1) When shopping for a water purifier you will be faced with a wide assortment of brands, however, there are two basic types. There are water purifiers that utilize twin cartridges and then there are water filters that clean the water through reverse-osmosis and the water sits in a tank under your sink before you utilize it. This type is also attached to your sinks trap because it helps dispose of the waste water.
My husband and I chose to go with the cartridge water purifier. If you decide to go with a cartridge purifier remember that the cartridges need to be changed a minimum of twice a year. Normally flow, taste, color, or smell of the water will be effected if you do not regularly change your filter.
2) The first step is to decide where you will place the water purifier. Most sinks have a hole for a sink sprayer and then an extra hole that is often plugged. This is how our sink was. We simply popped out the extra plug. However, older sinks might not have a plug so you may be faced with making a hole in your sink or removing the sink sprayer.
3) Follow the manufactures directions exactly for the size of hole that you will need.
4) You can drill through stainless-steel or porcelain cast-iron sinks with ease but if you have an all-porcelain sink then you will need to drill through the counter top to install the water purifier.
5) Make sure you have enough room under your sink. Most new homes have plenty of room but if you live in an older home you might be faced with a lack of space.
6) You will need to turn off the water supply. Make sure you have towels and bucket handy. Open the faucet to drain.
7) You will need to install a saddle valve in order to tap into the cold water supply line. To do this simple task follow the manufactures directions.
8) You will need to mount the filtration system between the cold water line and the dispenser. Always leave the specified clearance that the manufacturer advices. Also make sure that this is mounted where you can easily reach it to change the cartridges.
9) Now attach your plastic tubing between the saddle valve and the system. Once you have pressed the tubing into the saddle valve and the compression fitting then simply tighten with a wrench.
10) Now simply take a piece of tubing to run from the outlet port of the system to the water dispenser. Use compression fittings on both ends. Thread the nuts on the dispenser and the system. Now you are done.
Turn the water on and let it run. Watch for any leaks.
When we installed our water purification system it took less then twenty minutes and was one of the fastest home improvement projects we ever did.
Sources:
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?pn=Installing_a_Water_Purifier&langId;=-1&storeId;=10051&catalogId;=1
http://www.allwaterpurification.com/home-water-filter.html
http://www.hometips.com/diy-how-to/water-filter-installation.html
