Filter Cartridge Choices

The interchangeable Filter Cartridges listed below give you the freedom to choose the level of water quality you desire. These cartridges are chosen for use in your portable or under-sink Water King cartridge filter system.

All the filter cartridges are 'interchangeable' in both portable and under-sink filter models, so you can change your system to another cartridge type whenever you want. You are not 'locked in' to buying the same type of filter forever, when your needs or concerns may change.

Protect your family's health by investing in a superior Water Purifier which removes all chemicals.

FILTER CARTIDGES - CHEMICAL REMOVAL

Go to Online Shopping to see details of extensive range of filter cartridges, membranes etc.

These are standard size cartridges - 245-255 ml/10 inch; the world-wide standard.

CARBON OR SILVER-CARBON (granular or block)	CARBON cartridge holds approx. 350 grams. Lasts up to 5000 litres. Carbon block is also available, including one which has a certified 0.5 micron rating. Activated charcoal which attracts organic substances to its large surface area. A process called adsorption (not the same as absorption). Often made of pine or coconut shell. All types of Filters on the market usually incorporate Carbon as part of its process. Activated charcoal impregnated with silver, which can kill bacteria on contact. See note below regarding silver*.
CERAMIC PRE-FILTER & CERAMIC/CARBON	Has an outside chalky 'shell' that needs to be periodically scrubbed (the dirt barrier). This is done when it blocks up (or routinely, prior to it blocking). This sediment/bacteria pre-filter is not for any chemical removal. It can last up to 2-3 years. The Heavy Duty UltraCarb Ceramic/carbon cartridge is the same, except it has a Carbon core to remove organic chemicals. Also impregnated with silver, which can kill bacteria. UltraCarb can last up to 12 months, before carbon is exhausted. These are certified and tested to remove 99.9% of many common bacteria.
KDF	KDF cartridge includes Carbon. Lasts up to 30.000 litres. Antibacterial. A patented substance that removes organic substances, as well as heavy metals eg the aluminium added to most town water supplies. A long-life filter media, which is antibacterial (does not encourage bacteria to grow within the cartridge.) It also kills some types of bacteria, fungus, mould. A process called redox reaction. KDF is a very long life media, so it's actually the cheapest one to run. Carbon is included within the cartridge. This media is also used in Shower Filters.
DEIONISER (or Ion-exchange)	DEIONISER cartridge includes Carbon as well. Lasts up to 1200 litres. Must be a mix of both cation and anion resin to attract both negatively charged and positively charged substances, thus removing inorganic chemicals and heavy metals. This filter media removes TDS. (Some brands of carbon cartridge include cation OR anion resin in them, as in some 'jug filters' which can remove SOME extra substances on top of the carbon's work ie some (not all) heavy metals. This alone will still not remove a lot of chemicals (including fluoride) ie the remaining TDS level will be significant. Deioniser cartridge includes Carbon to remove organic chemicals as well. It is the best filter media for the purest water (apart from Reverse Osmosis Systems and Distillers). The filter media uses a process called ion-exchange. Used widely in industry where very pure water is required. Note: A 2-stage Deioniser gives a purer result than a multiple stage carbon, KDF or ceramic system.

Deioniser Removes TDS

As this filter media really does remove all types of substances, then, unlike carbon or KDF cartridges, it's 'life' can vary, depending on how much 'work' it has to do. The higher your water's TDS level, the quicker is will exhaust. Carbon and other Filters will last much the same time, regardless of what's in your water because they do not remove Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Those filters still leave the dissolved substances in your water, but do remove chlorine and other organic causes of taste and odour. Generally, after a Carbon or KDF Filter, the TDS level will still be the same as the tap-water. Deioniser (ion-exchange) is the only filter media which removes fluoride.

Deioniser Water Purifier (or Ion-exchange) - Further Information

Free Tests to Help You Calculate the Life of your Deioniser Cartridge
To work out how long a Deioniser cartridge will last on your water supply, you need to know the TDS level. The 'worse' your water is the shorter will be the life of your Deioniser filter. A free service is offered by Crystalline, to advise you on this (before or after you may buy a unit). Just post a very small sample of your water to us, and we will let you know what the free TDS test indicates. Then the expected number of litres that the Deioniser cartridge will last can be known.

We know that it will last about 850 litres in most Melbourne suburbs, and about 250-300 litres in most Sydney suburbs. (If you have some filtered water or spring-water, any water, you can include a sample too, if you're curious to see how pure, or free of substances, it really is.)

Make sure the sample container is really clean, with no material in the lid, eg. a vitamin or pill jar, a well-taped camera film container (packed with tissue or cardboard packaging). No need to phone - just put a note with your phone number and email/address. This free service is available for the life of your Deioniser filter (any filter).

FILTER CARTRIDGES - SEDIMENT/BACTERIA REMOVAL

Normally, a sediment pre-filter is chosen to be included in portable 2-stage systems (followed by chemical removal), which is for dirt/rust removal. It is one micron. These low cost sediment filters are rated as standard 'nominal' performance, which means that it can remove particles as small as one micron in size, but not guaranteed that it will remove 100% of these particles. 'Absolute' certified one micron or 0.5 micron filters are also available.

One micron and 0.5 micron cartridges are capable of removing Giardia, Cryptosporidium and E-coli bacteria (because they are bigger than one micron in size).

Also available: 0.5 micron, 5 micron, 10 micron, 20 micron (all nominal)

Filter Micron Ratings vs Removal of Chemicals

The micron rating of a filter has nothing to do with it's ability to remove chemicals and TDS from water. Micron size refers to the fineness of the 'dirt strainer' or sediment pre-filter.

A hair is about 40 microns thick. So 1 micron is very small particle, but it still refers to removing this dirt and suspended matter, down to that size. Although so very tiny, bacteria are still what you'd call 'suspended matter'. No filter media removes bacteria. They are removed* only by 'straining' them (as with the immensely fine reverse osmosis systems), or by killing them (as with a distillers boiling process), or less reliably, by contact with silver.

A certified one-micron, or even a .5 micron filter cartridge, therefore does not remove chemicals, dissolved substances, or TDS. (Nothing finer than 0.5 micron is available, except perhaps for chemistry labs etc).

A low micron filter, as part of a Purifier system, is certainly useful. So much dirt is bigger than one micron, and a one micron filter will get amazingly dirty.

Chemical removal is achieved by the type of filter media used in the filter cartridge f (or by reverse osmosis and distillers).

Not All Filter Media Remove the Same Substances

Which substances are removed depends on which filter media being used in a system. Carbon filters will remove organic substances eg. chlorine. KDF filters will remove organics and heavy metals, whilst Deioniser/Carbon cartridge adsorbs organics, metals, and in-organics. (eg. fluoride).

The Best Filter Cartridge Solution

A 2-stage Purifier using a certified one or .5 micron pre-filter, followed by Deioniser/Carbon filter cartridge, is your best choice (for most municipal water supplies), after Distillation or Reverse Osmosis.

If your water has too much TDS, ie the Deioniser would be very costly to run despite its good work, then next best choice is KDF for the most chemical removal. Bore water is way too high for Deioniser, and Sth Aust and WA town water has very high TDS (approx 600-800 mg/litre). So Deioniser is not recommended in these situations (although an ion-exchange cartridge containing just CATION resin alone, will remove/reduce hardness from bore water etc, while lasting a reasonable time). To remove TDS, and achieve much purer water, these cases would have to choose Reverse Osmosis or Distiller to be effective as well as affordable to run.

Click here for 'more info' eg, how many 'stages' do I need? Etc.

*Note: Only Deioniser, Reverse Osmosis and Distillation remove TDS (including fluoride). No matter what brand.