Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Chemistry => Topic started by: @carverstu on 20/11/2011 18:30:03

Title: Should the first rinsings from a water filter be discarded?
Post by: @carverstu on 20/11/2011 18:30:03

@carverstu asked the Naked Scientists:
   
Why do you have to discard the first 2 run throughs of a water filter? Will the first few kill you?!!

What do you think?

Title: Should the first rinsings from a water filter be discarded?
Post by: CZARCAR on 09/12/2011 18:10:10

carbon?

Title: Should the first rinsings from a water filter be discarded?
Post by: CliffordK on 09/12/2011 20:44:01

I presume there could be microbes or something that have colonized the outside of your filter, many of which would be washed away with using the filter.  If they are aerobic microbes, they could die once the filter is filled with water.

Also dust?

However, it would depend on your water filter.
My whole house filter has about 200 feet of water pipe to go through before it gets to my faucets.  Discarding a few quarts of water would be pretty senseless.  I suppose I could build in a diversion, but I don't think there would be much benefit of that.

Anyway, personally I wouldn't be overly concerned about rinsing the filter.