@@susanlunsford953 yes, still liking this unit after nearly 2 years. I filter 3 or 4 full carafes each day on average. And I've been leaving the carafe off the unit until it's empty this entire time. So far so good.
@@alexfoxx3376 thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it. I was one of the first people to actually buy this unit with my own money so my experience is genuine
It’s totally fine to fill the freshwater carafe any time as long as you’re emptying and refilling the tap water tank when it tells you to, that’s how it’s designed to be used.
Yes. My concern would be a situation like this: full tap water tank in back, carafe half empty. Place the carafe back on the unit and then it fills up with clean water. Then the tap water tank in back is now partially made up of waste water. But it's not empty enough to remove, dump, and refill. So then it sits in there, waiting for you to use more of the water in the carafe. My preference would be to only cycle through full tap water tanks, and then dump and refill as soon as possible after it's done
@@frontier_etc that situation is totally normal and OK, it’s designed to be used that way and is of no detriment to do that in any way. You’re supposed to basically forget about the tap water tank until it indicates to be emptied and refilled, and use as little or as much water in the carafe as you want any time.
I don't think it would deteriorate the filters faster, but I would just rather not have the tap water tank be marinating in partial or mostly concentrated waste water
I am looking at this filter over the classic. I am not sure if your first TDS test of the tap water is 100% accurate since some backflow from the RO filter would have already entered the tap water tank when you tested. Thanks for sharing, really trying to decide between this one and the classic, your video helped out a lot.
@@JohnnyTran. well presumably, the filtration process would make the water as purified as possible before storing in the glass carafe. (Removing whatever chemicals the pipes and plastic and anything else that's leeched into the water)
do you find that that's the normal pump sound for you? this is the only video I've seen that I can actually hear the unit and was surprised how loud it is
@@zaileron yes it's the normal sound of the pump, it's been the same for 2 years now. It's actually a very high pressure pump in order to get the water through all the filtration membranes
It's my understanding that these filters aren't supposed to be used for hard water over 10 gpg. 414 ppm is equivalent to around 25gpg. Have you run into issues needing to descale the unit?
@@jonthompson1068 I wasn't aware of that water hardness guideline, but I've used this unit for close to 2 years now and haven't run into any significant problems with scale as far as I'm aware. However, I did do a preventive descaling with Aquatru's kit because I was starting to see buildup on some of the exterior areas that are visible. Check out this video I did: ua-cam.com/video/8B9qfwpE-GE/v-deo.html
Yes, since new, it makes a humming sound together with the vibration sound. The pump is quite noisy but about the same as other countertop RO systems I've used.
Hi, I've still been happy with this purifier after more than 1.5 years with it. I've already gone through a few filters changes and it's still working well. The carafe and the machine work with magnets, so theoretically you can use another carafe with it, but you'd need to place a magnet in the correct spot. The machine also relies on a built-in float in the carafe to know when to stop. The best option would be to buy a second carafe if you'd like to use more than one at a time.
@@NellyMn-93 I do not use the mineral post filter, I don't think it's worth the extra money or necessary as long as you eat what you need to during the day. Very happy with this device and haven't had any issues after almost 2 years now
I went between this one and clearly filtered but decided on CF bc it doesn’t require electricity. What is your opinion of this? Would you travel with these carafes?
I think Clearly Filtered just seems like a Brita competitor, which is fine if you're looking for that kind of filtration. I'd say do a water test, similar to what I did with the TDS meter. And make a decision based on that. For my needs, reverse osmosis is basically the best option.
@@frontier_etc thanks for your reply, one more question, if l decide to buy this Aquatrue carafe in the future will it be too bulk to travel with and do you think it’s better left for home use?
@@OnOurWayAllens I personally use citric acid powder like this: amzn.to/3WAAhBY. AquaTru also sells a descaling powder made for this device on their website. And you can also use any coffee machine descaler.
Isn't 33 ppm TDS still too high, though, especially not knowing what those TDS's are? Where I live, our tap starts out at about 30-35 ppm before it is purified with a distiller.
I get what you mean, but this is the usual output of RO purification around where I am. I know that NYC tap water comes out around 30 TDS, which is awesome, but I no longer live there.
@@CocosTube do you have the mineral boost filter in the unit? Either way, you should empty out the tap water tank every time you're done with a cycle. Also, if you just got the device, make sure to run the filter with 2 full cycles and discard the water each time to get the initial filters prepped. Also, what was your TDS showing from the tap?
Just recieved this carafe. Thanks for your review, so you when the pitcher isn't being filled you just leave it off the carafe? Do you leave the pitcher off at night with the unit on? Trying to figure out how to manage this, thanks!
Good question. After it completes a filtration cycle, I remove the carafe and empty/refill the tap water tank in back. I then leave the carafe off until it's empty and time for another full cycle. The machine is always plugged in, even overnight. Haven't had any issues in the 5 months or so that I've had this. I figure that I'd rather leave the tap water tank filled with tap water most of the time instead of partially filled with concentrated waste water, in order to prevent mineral build up.
@AquaTruWater 1 year ago Yes. For the best functioning of the unit, we recommend always keeping the unit plugged in and switched on. When there is no water to filter, the unit stays in a standby mode, which uses very little electricity, so there is no need to manually turn it off. This will also allow the filter-change alerts to keep track of the time, since the last filter change, more accurately. If there is any water in the tap water tank waiting to be filtered, AquaTru will always begin filtering the tap water whenever the freshwater tank is not full. For example, when you dispense water and there is more room in the freshwater tank for more water.
I didn't. I realized that there is just enough room under my cabinets to get the water tank in without the need for the sliding tray. You'd need to see if you have enough space with your setup.
Why don’t you just buy a second cafe. That way you can take the carafe off and put it in the fridge when it’s totally full and put the empty one on there and you don’t have to worry about it running partial cycles.
Thank you for this great review. I was about to go with the larger unit but thankfully found this one and needed an unbiased review. Also, just so you know you were pronouncing carafe wrong.
I also looked at the Bluevua but I decided on this because it's been a trusted brand for years now with their other purifier. I've now been using this for close to 3 months now and I'm very happy with it.
There are 3 different filters, each with a different life cycle, between 6 months and 2 years. I've made a few update videos of my thoughts over the past year, check them out
@@kim.in.nature. there's a 'Change Filter' light on the top of the unit. It keeps track of how many cycles it has run and also time to let you know when it's time to replace filters. Check out some of my other videos on filter replacements, like this: ua-cam.com/video/5Q4fVqMccAQ/v-deo.html
I just bought the carafe and was going to leave water tank empty and unplugged when not using but Aquatru told me to keep it filled and keep unit plugged in. So I’m wondering do you still keep the glass carafe off the unit till your ready to purify a new batch? Any new tips?
@@kydea1970 yes that's exactly what I do. After a full cycle completes, I take off the glass carafe and also empty and refill the tap water tank. I do not place the glass carafe back on the unit until it's empty. After 1.5 years, all is working as it should
@@frontier_etc thanks for responding and for your excellent review. I thought by unplugging the unit and keeping the water tank empty till ready to use would be fine but Aquatru told me by unplugging it, it doesn't keep track of the filters correctly, I think. My tap water is so hard I thought by leaving the tank filled wouldn't that also cause minerals to accumulate by sitting in the tank till its used? My tap water tds reads about 696 ppm. Also how often have you had to descale?
@@kydea1970 check out my more recent video on descaling the unit. You should do it when it's needed, maybe once a year or so. You'll notice a drop in performance if you have significant scale build up. And if your water is that hard, I'm thinking that you might be better off leaving the tap water tank also empty in between filter cycles, as long as you clean it well in between uses and dry it well
@@frontier_etc So I left the water tank full with fresh water and let it top off the carafe when I was using it but decided to check tds and it was way over 1000 ppm. So then I emptied and dried the water tank, but even with the carafe off, the light remains on showing empty and refill so I just unplugged the unit even though Aquatru advises against it. :( But I didn't like having over 1000 ppm of tap combined with waste water just sitting in there. Also my purified water only drops to about 45-48 ppm but maybe that's the best I'm going to get with my hard water.
@@kydea1970 if the only reason to have the unit always plugged in is for tracking uses and when to change filters, then you're okay unplugging and just going with time based changes, like every 6/12 months. 1000ppm is very hard water, I thought my tap water was bad at around 500ppm. And getting it down to 40 or 50 is fine, in my opinion. In fact, that's probably the better way to track when to change filters, is when the TDS of filtered water starts creeping up
I would NOT top off the carafe when it is almost full. This will cause that concentrated crap to get even higher in the tap water tank which could damage the unit and potentially cause your filters to need to be replaced sooner. Easy solution if you want to put the carafe back on is unplug the unit until ready to do a full batch of water. Since your water is so hard you may want to look at a Zero water pitcher which will remove all solids and then put that into the AquaTru. They say to replace the Zero filters at TDS 6 but since I run that water through the RO I am not that concerned. Better than my 400 TDS tap crap in FL.
31 TDS is pretty good...but I've been buying RO purified water at the grocery store in gallon jugs that reads 7. They gotta be filtering the hell out of that.
Yes, I also don't think it helps that I'm starting with 400+ TDS water. I haven't tried it, but I think if I ran another cycle with the purified water, I could get it down to single digits
My tapwater is 300 TDS too, when it's "good." I think I have rusty pipes in my apartment. I'd be interested to know if running a second cycle got that result, it's still easier than driving to the store to buy gallon jugs. @@frontier_etc
@@DaleBall2 is it brand new? You're supposed to run a few cycles and discard the water when new, or after changing any of the filters, to flush them out. Also, if you have the Mineral Boost post filter, that will increase the TDS
@@GeXExtremist I don't add salt after, but you can if you want. And yes, reverse osmosis is one of the most effective purifying methods for water. It will remove micro plastics, fluoride, lead, etc. and the carafe is glass, so the clean water is stored in glass, not plastic.
The automatic operation of this model is keeping me from purchasing it. I'd much rather have a button to push when I want it to start the filtration process. Having to unplug it between uses is a option but I think they need an on/off switch. Another flaw seems to be the filter change indicator. It really gives you no warning for replacement other than the light comes on when it needs changing. How about green, yellow, red indicator so you can order a replacement when it's yellow. I really want to like this unit but those two issues keep me from buying it.
Those are some good points and are concerns that I also had. From what I can tell, there are magnets or some sensors that let the machine know the carafe is in the unit and whether it's full of water. If the sensor fails, it could be a major issue. Only time will tell and I'll be sure to share an update if that happens.
Do you leave the water tank empty and the carafe out of the machine until you need to run another batch? I have the Bluevua Lite and like it but I want another one for my office. My only concern with the Bluevua is a new company and can only purchase off of amazon. Other than that it's great. After almost a year of use would you buy it again? @@frontier_etc
finally a great unbiased review of a product
Thank you for the kind words!
Very informational and practical review thank you!
@@zacharyatoui4704 thank you!
Damn a good review that don’t sound like a ad
Thank you. I actually bought this myself unlike the other videos on UA-cam of people who got it for free in exchange for a review.
@@frontier_etc Are you still liking the carafe? What did you decide about leaving the carafe off the unit until you drink it all
@@susanlunsford953 yes, still liking this unit after nearly 2 years. I filter 3 or 4 full carafes each day on average. And I've been leaving the carafe off the unit until it's empty this entire time. So far so good.
Excellent video! Lots of important info. Thank you!
@@alexfoxx3376 thanks for the kind words. I appreciate it. I was one of the first people to actually buy this unit with my own money so my experience is genuine
It’s totally fine to fill the freshwater carafe any time as long as you’re emptying and refilling the tap water tank when it tells you to, that’s how it’s designed to be used.
Yes. My concern would be a situation like this: full tap water tank in back, carafe half empty. Place the carafe back on the unit and then it fills up with clean water. Then the tap water tank in back is now partially made up of waste water. But it's not empty enough to remove, dump, and refill. So then it sits in there, waiting for you to use more of the water in the carafe. My preference would be to only cycle through full tap water tanks, and then dump and refill as soon as possible after it's done
@@frontier_etc that situation is totally normal and OK, it’s designed to be used that way and is of no detriment to do that in any way. You’re supposed to basically forget about the tap water tank until it indicates to be emptied and refilled, and use as little or as much water in the carafe as you want any time.
@@phototristan But won't that use up the life of the filters faster?
@@mammoth123. Not at all, so long as you empty the waste water first.
I don't think it would deteriorate the filters faster, but I would just rather not have the tap water tank be marinating in partial or mostly concentrated waste water
great review thanks!
Thank you! Let me know if you have any questions
Thanks for sharing I was curious abiut this device.
Let me know if you have any questions.
I am looking at this filter over the classic. I am not sure if your first TDS test of the tap water is 100% accurate since some backflow from the RO filter would have already entered the tap water tank when you tested. Thanks for sharing, really trying to decide between this one and the classic, your video helped out a lot.
The classic has a plastic drinking water tank vs a glass carafe here. That made all the difference for me
what difference does that make if the original tank is plastic tho? @@frontier_etc
@@JohnnyTran. well presumably, the filtration process would make the water as purified as possible before storing in the glass carafe. (Removing whatever chemicals the pipes and plastic and anything else that's leeched into the water)
hmm that is a good idea thank you for the review, I may purchase this as a gift@@frontier_etc
I saw another comment you said you saw two o there brands withe glass carafe, do you recall what they were?@@frontier_etc
do you find that that's the normal pump sound for you? this is the only video I've seen that I can actually hear the unit and was surprised how loud it is
@@zaileron yes it's the normal sound of the pump, it's been the same for 2 years now. It's actually a very high pressure pump in order to get the water through all the filtration membranes
It's my understanding that these filters aren't supposed to be used for hard water over 10 gpg. 414 ppm is equivalent to around 25gpg. Have you run into issues needing to descale the unit?
@@jonthompson1068 I wasn't aware of that water hardness guideline, but I've used this unit for close to 2 years now and haven't run into any significant problems with scale as far as I'm aware. However, I did do a preventive descaling with Aquatru's kit because I was starting to see buildup on some of the exterior areas that are visible. Check out this video I did: ua-cam.com/video/8B9qfwpE-GE/v-deo.html
Does it make a humming sound when it filters for you?
Yes, since new, it makes a humming sound together with the vibration sound. The pump is quite noisy but about the same as other countertop RO systems I've used.
Thanks for making this. Have you still been happy with this model? Any issues? Can it fill another glass or carafe or only the one it came with?
Hi, I've still been happy with this purifier after more than 1.5 years with it. I've already gone through a few filters changes and it's still working well. The carafe and the machine work with magnets, so theoretically you can use another carafe with it, but you'd need to place a magnet in the correct spot. The machine also relies on a built-in float in the carafe to know when to stop. The best option would be to buy a second carafe if you'd like to use more than one at a time.
Dump the contents into a different jar in your fridge. Easy.
@@blipblopride9024 exactly, I have a few extra generic glass carafes to store extra water
You can buy a second
Carafe from them. When I bought mine it was $29
Hi
are you using the alkaline filter? im not sure if I need to get that one to remineralize water.
are you still happy with it?
thank you
@@NellyMn-93 I do not use the mineral post filter, I don't think it's worth the extra money or necessary as long as you eat what you need to during the day. Very happy with this device and haven't had any issues after almost 2 years now
I went between this one and clearly filtered but decided on CF bc it doesn’t require electricity. What is your opinion of this? Would you travel with these carafes?
I think Clearly Filtered just seems like a Brita competitor, which is fine if you're looking for that kind of filtration. I'd say do a water test, similar to what I did with the TDS meter. And make a decision based on that. For my needs, reverse osmosis is basically the best option.
@@frontier_etc thanks for your reply, one more question, if l decide to buy this Aquatrue carafe in the future will it be too bulk to travel with and do you think it’s better left for home use?
@@Emlane09 definitely too bulky for travel.
How do you descale this unit?
@@OnOurWayAllens I personally use citric acid powder like this: amzn.to/3WAAhBY. AquaTru also sells a descaling powder made for this device on their website. And you can also use any coffee machine descaler.
Isn't 33 ppm TDS still too high, though, especially not knowing what those TDS's are? Where I live, our tap starts out at about 30-35 ppm before it is purified with a distiller.
I get what you mean, but this is the usual output of RO purification around where I am. I know that NYC tap water comes out around 30 TDS, which is awesome, but I no longer live there.
We’re filtering our and it says 57
@@CocosTube after filtering, your water TDS shows 57?
@@frontier_etc yes do I need to empty the unfiltered water fully?
Shows 57 to 77ppm
@@CocosTube do you have the mineral boost filter in the unit? Either way, you should empty out the tap water tank every time you're done with a cycle. Also, if you just got the device, make sure to run the filter with 2 full cycles and discard the water each time to get the initial filters prepped. Also, what was your TDS showing from the tap?
How does AquaTru compare to Sans?
@@cathy349 I haven't used the Sans, but it looks similar to this with some additional features like the hot water. It looks okay to me
Just recieved this carafe. Thanks for your review, so you when the pitcher isn't being filled you just leave it off the carafe? Do you leave the pitcher off at night with the unit on? Trying to figure out how to manage this, thanks!
Good question. After it completes a filtration cycle, I remove the carafe and empty/refill the tap water tank in back. I then leave the carafe off until it's empty and time for another full cycle. The machine is always plugged in, even overnight. Haven't had any issues in the 5 months or so that I've had this. I figure that I'd rather leave the tap water tank filled with tap water most of the time instead of partially filled with concentrated waste water, in order to prevent mineral build up.
@@frontier_etc I purchased an extra pitcher, so I guess I'll stick both of those in the fridge at night. Thank you very much!
@AquaTruWater
1 year ago
Yes. For the best functioning of the unit, we recommend always keeping the unit plugged in and switched on. When there is no water to filter, the unit stays in a standby mode, which uses very little electricity, so there is no need to manually turn it off. This will also allow the filter-change alerts to keep track of the time, since the last filter change, more accurately.
If there is any water in the tap water tank waiting to be filtered, AquaTru will always begin filtering the tap water whenever the freshwater tank is not full. For example, when you dispense water and there is more room in the freshwater tank for more water.
Did you end up getting the sliding tray attachment? Trying to figure out if this is something I need or not?
I didn't. I realized that there is just enough room under my cabinets to get the water tank in without the need for the sliding tray. You'd need to see if you have enough space with your setup.
Why don’t you just buy a second cafe. That way you can take the carafe off and put it in the fridge when it’s totally full and put the empty one on there and you don’t have to worry about it running partial cycles.
Thank you for this great review. I was about to go with the larger unit but thankfully found this one and needed an unbiased review. Also, just so you know you were pronouncing carafe wrong.
Thanks for the kind words. And I think I've heard other folks pronounce carafe this way, but I'll look it up and find out how it should be pronounced
are you supposed to run it a few times before use
Yes, you should let it run a few times and discard the water before you start using this for drinking water.
Hey! Are you still using this item and how is the performance on it working for you now a days? I’m debating between this one and the Bluevua
I also looked at the Bluevua but I decided on this because it's been a trusted brand for years now with their other purifier. I've now been using this for close to 3 months now and I'm very happy with it.
Thank you for your reply! Do you happen to know the ratio of the filter but water versus the water that needs to be thrown out?
@@azprinting9135 only about 25% of the water is waste water with this filter. It's very efficient.
Since this review is now a year old. How long did you find the filters lasted before you had to change them?
There are 3 different filters, each with a different life cycle, between 6 months and 2 years. I've made a few update videos of my thoughts over the past year, check them out
@@frontier_etc How does this unit let you know when to replace a filter and which one? TYIA
@@kim.in.nature. there's a 'Change Filter' light on the top of the unit. It keeps track of how many cycles it has run and also time to let you know when it's time to replace filters. Check out some of my other videos on filter replacements, like this: ua-cam.com/video/5Q4fVqMccAQ/v-deo.html
I just bought the carafe and was going to leave water tank empty and unplugged when not using but Aquatru told me to keep it filled and keep unit plugged in. So I’m wondering do you still keep the glass carafe off the unit till your ready to purify a new batch? Any new tips?
@@kydea1970 yes that's exactly what I do. After a full cycle completes, I take off the glass carafe and also empty and refill the tap water tank. I do not place the glass carafe back on the unit until it's empty. After 1.5 years, all is working as it should
@@frontier_etc thanks for responding and for your excellent review. I thought by unplugging the unit and keeping the water tank empty till ready to use would be fine but Aquatru told me by unplugging it, it doesn't keep track of the filters correctly, I think. My tap water is so hard I thought by leaving the tank filled wouldn't that also cause minerals to accumulate by sitting in the tank till its used? My tap water tds reads about 696 ppm. Also how often have you had to descale?
@@kydea1970 check out my more recent video on descaling the unit. You should do it when it's needed, maybe once a year or so. You'll notice a drop in performance if you have significant scale build up. And if your water is that hard, I'm thinking that you might be better off leaving the tap water tank also empty in between filter cycles, as long as you clean it well in between uses and dry it well
@@frontier_etc So I left the water tank full with fresh water and let it top off the carafe when I was using it but decided to check tds and it was way over 1000 ppm. So then I emptied and dried the water tank, but even with the carafe off, the light remains on showing empty and refill so I just unplugged the unit even though Aquatru advises against it. :( But I didn't like having over 1000 ppm of tap combined with waste water just sitting in there. Also my purified water only drops to about 45-48 ppm but maybe that's the best I'm going to get with my hard water.
@@kydea1970 if the only reason to have the unit always plugged in is for tracking uses and when to change filters, then you're okay unplugging and just going with time based changes, like every 6/12 months. 1000ppm is very hard water, I thought my tap water was bad at around 500ppm. And getting it down to 40 or 50 is fine, in my opinion. In fact, that's probably the better way to track when to change filters, is when the TDS of filtered water starts creeping up
I would NOT top off the carafe when it is almost full. This will cause that concentrated crap to get even higher in the tap water tank which could damage the unit and potentially cause your filters to need to be replaced sooner. Easy solution if you want to put the carafe back on is unplug the unit until ready to do a full batch of water. Since your water is so hard you may want to look at a Zero water pitcher which will remove all solids and then put that into the AquaTru. They say to replace the Zero filters at TDS 6 but since I run that water through the RO I am not that concerned. Better than my 400 TDS tap crap in FL.
Yeah agreed. I've been leaving the carafe off the unit until it's empty
31 TDS is pretty good...but I've been buying RO purified water at the grocery store in gallon jugs that reads 7. They gotta be filtering the hell out of that.
Yes, I also don't think it helps that I'm starting with 400+ TDS water. I haven't tried it, but I think if I ran another cycle with the purified water, I could get it down to single digits
My tapwater is 300 TDS too, when it's "good." I think I have rusty pipes in my apartment. I'd be interested to know if running a second cycle got that result, it's still easier than driving to the store to buy gallon jugs. @@frontier_etc
are these available yet?
Yes, you can purchase this directly on their website right now. Not available anywhere else yet.
Just saw that these are now available on Amazon: amzn.to/3E6h4OC
My aquatru carafe unit produces a result of 70~80 TDS. My tap water is roughly 300~400 TDS, any reason why you think this may be happening?
@@DaleBall2 is it brand new? You're supposed to run a few cycles and discard the water when new, or after changing any of the filters, to flush them out. Also, if you have the Mineral Boost post filter, that will increase the TDS
Where do you live roughly?
Northern New Jersey
good vid, do you need to add salt to the filtered water after? Also does this get rid of microplastics fluoride etc
@@GeXExtremist I don't add salt after, but you can if you want. And yes, reverse osmosis is one of the most effective purifying methods for water. It will remove micro plastics, fluoride, lead, etc. and the carafe is glass, so the clean water is stored in glass, not plastic.
The first time, the water filtered through very slowly. Did anyone else experience this?
Yes I believe that should be normal, as the filters get filled up and primed for the first time
The automatic operation of this model is keeping me from purchasing it. I'd much rather have a button to push when I want it to start the filtration process. Having to unplug it between uses is a option but I think they need an on/off switch. Another flaw seems to be the filter change indicator. It really gives you no warning for replacement other than the light comes on when it needs changing. How about green, yellow, red indicator so you can order a replacement when it's yellow. I really want to like this unit but those two issues keep me from buying it.
Those are some good points and are concerns that I also had. From what I can tell, there are magnets or some sensors that let the machine know the carafe is in the unit and whether it's full of water. If the sensor fails, it could be a major issue. Only time will tell and I'll be sure to share an update if that happens.
Do you leave the water tank empty and the carafe out of the machine until you need to run another batch? I have the Bluevua Lite and like it but I want another one for my office. My only concern with the Bluevua is a new company and can only purchase off of amazon. Other than that it's great. After almost a year of use would you buy it again? @@frontier_etc