Inexpensive portable water filter???

**Adam91LX** · 02-20-2009, 10:24 PM

I am in a rental house and we have well water with a high sulfer content. I am wondering if someone makes a in-line filter that I could attach to the hose out-let out side that will clean up the water a good bit. If I leave even a few water drops or streaks I get this whitish haze. Thanks for any in-put.

Adam

**GLuXuRy** · 02-20-2009, 10:57 PM

Clear Inline Hose Filter Canister and Accessories

**Adam91LX** · 02-21-2009, 07:42 AM

Thank you... looks to be exactly what I want.

**GLuXuRy** · 02-21-2009, 09:23 AM

np .. search autogeek for other water filters .. if you are willing to spend that extra dollar .. a lot of the guys on here use the CR spotless system

**blk45** · 02-21-2009, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by Adam91LX

Thank you... looks to be exactly what I want.

While the AG filters will help, they will not give you a spotless rinse. Far from it. As mentioned, for a truly spotless rinse, you have to purchase a CR Spotless or something similar. Years ago, I tried the AG filters because I didn`t want to spend the money for the CR. After a waste of my time and money, I bought the CR and haven`t regretted it one bit. My only regret was that I didn`t buy it first. They are a little pricey, but when you break it down to a per wash scenario, they are reasonably priced. If you have really bad water, you may want to get one of those housings (can be found at a lot of places for cheap) and run a sediment filter in it as a pre-filter for a CR to help lengthen the life of the resin in the CR.

Costco has the best deal around: Costco - CR SPOTLESS De-ionized Water Filtration System

The thing to remember is that the unit will provide 400 gallons of water if your water hardness in your area is the average of 200ppm. This unit comes with a free resin refill ($90 value) that will provide another 400 gallons. So you are actually getting 800 gallons of "spotless" water with the initial system. After that, it`s $90 for refills (cheaper if you buy bulk) and that will equate to 22.5 cents per gallon.

Here is some great info from their site. CRSpotless.com - Wash, Rinse, and Walk Away

SB has a great thread around here about cheaper alternatives to the CR that is full of great info.

Here you go: http://www.autopia.org/forum/car-det...rspotless.html

**imported_DetailDan** · 02-21-2009, 12:46 PM

I agree with blk45, that filter from AG is a complete waste of money.

**Adam91LX** · 02-21-2009, 01:11 PM

Looks like it will have to wait a while then. LOL Don`t have that type of money right now.

**imported_AZ Ferrari Man** · 02-21-2009, 02:07 PM

For those who use the CR, do you guys really just wash and rinse? no towel drying needed? It would see that even in its greatness, that some mineral residue would show up around the cracks of the car...Any input would be great.

**imported_DetailDan** · 02-21-2009, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by AZ Ferrari Man

For those who use the CR, do you guys really just wash and rinse? no towel drying needed? It would see that even in its greatness, that some mineral residue would show up around the cracks of the car...Any input would be great.

I go over the car with a leaf blower and thats it. Between the CR, flooding method, leaf blower, and properly wax/ sealed paint, I dont get any spots. I also dont need to use a microfiber towel at all.

**Bobarell** · 03-03-2009, 04:36 PM

I was wondering how many washes you actually get to a batch of the resin?? I am doing ONR right now but I want to save drying time and minimalize my contact with the paint. Also, the water in my area is pretty crappy. I really have no idea how much water I use doing a regular wash but I know it is atleast 5 gallons for the 2 bucket method alone.

I am just wondering if it would be cost effective. Initial investment + resin refills. My wife would kill me if I paid $400 for something that doesn`t actually help me make money.

**blk45** · 03-04-2009, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by Bobarell

I was wondering how many washes you actually get to a batch of the resin?? I am doing ONR right now but I want to save drying time and minimalize my contact with the paint. Also, the water in my area is pretty crappy. I really have no idea how much water I use doing a regular wash but I know it is atleast 5 gallons for the 2 bucket method alone.

I am just wondering if it would be cost effective. Initial investment + resin refills. My wife would kill me if I paid $400 for something that doesn`t actually help me make money.

There are a lot of variables that come into play. You need to find out how hard the water is in your area. TDS meters can be purchased for about $15. Once you know the hardness of your water, then you can go here CRSpotless.com - Wash, Rinse, and Walk Away and use their chart to figure out how many gallons of pure water you will get with each batch of resin. The average water hardness in the States is around 200. At that level, the DIC20 provides 388 gallons of pure water. Refills cost $90 for a single, but are a little cheaper if you buy them in bulk. At the average, the water will cost you about 23 cents per gallon. You just have to figure out how much water you will use per and figure out if it makes financial sense.

SuperBee`s thread about a cheap alternative has lots of great info in it. You should check it out.

Hope this helps.

**loudog2** · 03-04-2009, 03:32 PM

Go to lowes or homedepot and make your own. You can get a whirlpool and etc water filter(whole house or under sink) for under $40. I think it comes with attachment s for a hose. Build a stand, and there you go. It may look cheap, but if money is an issue, it works. I know someone who did that. hey! As long as it works.

**Street5927** · 03-04-2009, 03:52 PM

This seems like a good product for a mobile detailer/washer, but it doesn`t seem as though it would be able to keep up with the demand of a pressure washer....am I understanding this correctly?

**blk45** · 03-04-2009, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by loudog2

Go to lowes or homedepot and make your own. You can get a whirlpool and etc water filter(whole house or under sink) for under $40. I think it comes with attachment s for a hose. Build a stand, and there you go. It may look cheap, but if money is an issue, it works. I know someone who did that. hey! As long as it works.

Not even close to being spotless. Lots of members (myself included) have tried the cheaper alternatives, and they do not work. You need a water de-ionizer to truly have spotless water.

Originally Posted by Street5927

This seems like a good product for a mobile detailer/washer, but it doesn`t seem as though it would be able to keep up with the demand of a pressure washer....am I understanding this correctly?

It works just fine. I think the flow rate has to be limited to 4gpm on the big units. That is more than the majority of PWs can flow. This info is in the link that I posted to CR Spotless` site.

**mikered30** · 03-04-2009, 09:16 PM

I know this does not answer your question, but I wash my car with well water and I have a water softener. I wash my car like normal, but when done, I immediately rinse the car with distilled water, usually about 1 gallon in a garden sprayer. I then dry with a dedicated leaf blower.