My "filtered" water isn't any cleaner?

[RandyL]

I just got back to Los Angeles and am setting up to get growing again. Buying all new stuff. Instead of lugging in 5 gallon jugs of water all the time, I got a Hydrologic Small Boy filter, and the KDF85 activated carbon filter upgrade.

I also got the red Hanna checker one PH meter and a blue Hanna Primo PPM meter.

I calibrated the PPM meter with the supplied 1382 ppm fluid, and then checked it with another bottle of 1382 ppm fluid.

Then I got a clean bowl and tried measuring some tap water out of the faucet. I got 275 ppm from it.

Then I went and ran some water through the Small Boy filter and measured it, and it came out to 260 ppm.

What the hell? Isn't this water supposed to be clean?

When I got the Small Boy, I left the white sediment filter side alone and replaced the supplied carbon filter with the KDF 85 unit.

Either some water is leaking around the filter, or it needs to be run in for a while (it has about 6 gallons through it so far), or it just plain don't work for shit!

What is it?

 

[Kusharella]

This happened with my new Berkey water filter unit. That white powder ? Took me about 8-10 gallons before it flushed through clean.

 

[RandyL]

I pulled the carbon filter back out and made sure it was seated right, and put it all back together. Upon starting the water flow, I got a few seconds worth of black carbon coming out the water line, then I ran 20 gallons through it and tested it again.

275 ppm! WTF!!! Same reading as water coming out the faucet!

Either the meter is fucked up, or the filter is fucked up. But something here is fucked up.

 

[RandyL]

I found the Hydrologic manual online, it says this filter will clean certain things out of the water, like chlorine and chloramines, but it won't lower the ppm much, I'd need a Reverse Osmosis filter for that. Damn.

I think there's a RO upgrade kit for this filter, I'll have to try and find one.