Tuesday, August 14, 2012

WATER FILTER INFO

Ceramic Water Filter – General Information

Performance Features:

Easy, fool-proof installation; no tools required

Easy to store with nesting buckets and parts

Good flow rate / Up to 1 gallon of clean water per hour (gravity flow; you don't have to be pouring water while you wait)

Up to 300 gallons per hour (pressure flow)

Filter will accept water from floods, lake, rain, well, tap, river or stream, including large particles in water

Semi/Annual filter replacement

Tested and approved by John Hopkins University

Designed to improve taste and odor of filtered water

Filters common water pathogens like E. Coli, Giardia, Pesticides, Cryptosporidium, Salmonella, and many more (see below)

Very low pricing when compared with commercially produced filters

Cleansable with clean damp cloth


When a disaster strikes

When there is a disaster, the devastated areas always need clean water right away. Over and over, you see a certain number of people are killed or injured by the disaster, but many more times that die from unclean water. This portable water filtration system is a simple and effective way to bring that safe water to you and your family.

How do I know it really works?

These filters were created to fill the need for clean water throughout Third World Countries where serious outbreaks of numerous epidemics occur, including Cholera, Giardia, E. Coli, and many more. The filter will accept water from floods, lake, rain, well, tap, river or stream. John Hopkin’s University tested these, and made an impressive report on their findings, as well as a number of other prestigious scientific research groups. All gave a thumbs up rating. (all below).

When I talked to a man ‘in the field’ that actually places them, and sees firsthand how they work, he said, “The filters stop an epidemic RIGHT NOW, PERIOD! Always works, the sickness goes away, every time.” He’s seen them work in India, Africa, Afghanistan, and a number of other places around the world.

What you get:

There are (2) 4 gallon square buckets that come in the kit. The holes are already drilled for you. The only thing you need to do is wash the buckets before storing. (To keep the cost down, we have used food grade buckets). And the buckets ‘nest’ inside each other. You can store your water equipment, and any other equipment that will fit, into the nested buckets.

Easy to Put Together:

When ready to use,

(1) Install the spigot into the bottom bucket (3/4” hole, about ½” from the bottom). A plastic gasket goes on inside between bolt and bucket, and the larger gasket goes on outside between spigot and bucket.

(2) Put ceramic dome filter into bottom of top bucket. To do this, hold securely onto the black plastic base of the filter, taking care not to put unnecessary pressure on the ceramic portion. Instead of shoving the plastic tube through the bottom of the top bucket, and through the lid, hold firmly to black plastic base, and turn counter clockwise to slowly move tube into position, and apply steady downward pressure all the while.

(3) Put felt water sock onto the ceramic dome and put a rubber band around the bottom of the ceramic dome to keep more dirt out, and thus prolonging the life of the filter. It can be removed for cleaning.

Note: Be careful not to apply pressure or ‘torque’ on the water tube. To do so can cause the ceramic dome to crack around the base.

This may seem like a lot of cautions, but people around the world have been successfully using these for a number of years.

Easy to Use:

Just pour the dirty water in the top bucket, and get it out of the bottom bucket. It has a spigot for easy dispensing. It has a good flow rate of up to one gallon of clean water per hour. Because it is ‘gravity flow’ there is no pumping. Simply pour it in, and get it out from the spigot.

When I talked to the president of the company, he said that it was demonstrated to him by a man who put some mud puddle water in the top bucket, then added some dog manure. He then drank what came out of the bottom bucket. He said that this is how it is for third world countries around the world. They have pond water, water from floods, lake, rain, wells, tap river or stream. This filter is rated to handle all of these.

John Hopkins rates it as a level #4 for dealing with viruses, and takes care of 100% of the bacterias, and viruses 100%, most of the time. Bacteria in the water is what is so prevalent, and viruses rarely can exist in the water. If you suspect a water source has been infected with a virus, then you can treat it first with a water disinfectant, like chlorine, or iodine.

How long will it last? How can I extend the life of my filter?

The shelf life is indefinite. Once it gets wet, the charcoal inside the ceramic shell will last 6 months. This is what makes the water taste so good. So you could put in some more activated charcoal from the pet store in the bottom of the upper bucket. But you wouldn’t have to; the water just wouldn’t taste as good. The ceramic portion will continue to work and block the bacteria and viruses.

The ceramic portion is impregnated with silver, and lasts until it is worn away from scrubbing/cleaning it (100 plus times). The need for washing the ceramic filter goes down when you pre-filter first. That is why we recommend the large water sock. It will last indefinitely with proper washing and drying, and extend the life of your filter considerably. The ceramic portion of the filter is 3/8th’s of an inch thick, and generally lasts a small family about one year.

Tell me about this water sock…

It acts as a pre-filter, and a back-up to the ceramic filter in the event the ceramic filter wears out or breaks. It is made out of polyester, is several feet long, the shape of a wind sock, and filters water up to .05 microns. Rinse well and air dry, but do not leave out in the sun. UV Rays can break the sock fabric down. Keeps indefinitely if you take care of it like this. Would help the ceramic water filter stay cleaner longer. And ‘cleaner longer’ translates into not needing to scrub the ceramic filter as often, and so your ceramic filter would last even longer. We feel it is well worth the several extra dollars to have it.

Do I need to have a water disinfectant with my ceramic water filter?

Even though the people in the third world countries do not use any disinfectant, in an extremely deadly virus, this would be a good choice as an added safety measure.

Other Special Care for the ceramic filter:

Cold weather; will freeze and crack. Must keep air tight with moisture packets to keep moisture vapors from entering ceramic portion. Will freeze and crack. One solution is to always store it indoors. Another option is to ‘can it’ in a #10 can with some oxygen absorbers. Or in a mylar bag with some oxygen absorbers.

As with all ceramic filters, once you begin using them, and it is in freezing temperatures, you will need to keep them warm enough to keep from freezing or they will crack. The way to do this is to give it to your husband to sleep with. Keep it close enough to have body heat keep it warm.

But how much does it cost?

This is the best part. Ceramic filters of this nature and quality run $250-$330 for a gravity fed system. This one runs $45, and $60 for the whole kit with the advanced water sock. It is sold by a non-profit organization to help the people in the third world countries. So we get quality, without the big price.

If you would like to have a “Clean Water” class for your neighborhood or family group, or your ward, just let me know, and I will come and show you more about the filters, assembling them, extending their life, proper storing of both the filter and water in general, and in cleaning and gathering safe water.

Joan Elder

435-757-6854


Ceramic Water Filtration Specifications

Product is manufactured to meet:

National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 42

National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) Standard 53

ISO 9002 Quality Standard

USA AEL Laboratories

USA Analytical Food Laboratories

USA Johns Hopkins University

British 5750 Quality Standard

England’s Water Research council (WRc) Performance Standards

The filtration efficiency is 0.5 micron

Removal capabilities as follows:

99% Arsenic 5 and 99% Arsenic 3 (special order)

99% Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)

95% Chlorine and Chloramines

99% Taste

99% Odor

98% Aluminum

96% Iron

98% Lead

90% Pesticides

85% Herbicides

85% Insecticides

90% Rodenticides

85% Phenols

85% MTBE

85% Perchlorate

80% Trihalomethanes

95% Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons

99.999% of particles larger than 0.5 micron (Staffordshire University Labs) (includes Anthrax)

99.7% of particles larger than 0.3 micron (Staffordshire University Labs)

98% of particles larger than 0.2 micron (Staffordshire University Labs)

100% Giardia Lamblia

100% Cyclospora

100% removal of live Cryptosporidium (WRc Standard)

100% removal of Cryptosporidium (NSF Standard 53 – A.C. fine dust – 4 log challenge)

100% removal of E. Coli, Vibrio Cholerae (Johns Hopkins University)

99.999% removal of Salmonella Typhil, Shigella Dysenteria, Kiebsiella Terrigena (Hyder Labs)


Product is silver impregnated

and will not permit bacteria growth-through (mitosis)

provides a hostile environment for all microbiological organisms and will not support their growth

Ceramic elements may be cleaned 100 or more times with a soft brush or damp cloth.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

JUNE PREP CHALLENGE

Here we are, back into sweet summertime!  When the warm weather comes around, I sometimes get a little lazy with my preparedness efforts.  This year I figure I will take advantage of the many outdoor/camping type items that will beef up my storage as well as provide many hours of outdoor fun!

This month I am concentrating on:
Paperware: I try to bulk up on paper plates, cups, napkins, bowls and utensils so that I will have plenty for picnics, camping, and of course, if there is no access to water, they would be invaluable!  I keep them in a plastic tote to keep them together and dry, which makes it so quick and easy to find exactly what I need without taking up valuable kitchen/pantry space!

Extra camping fuel: I need to stock up on coleman fuel for my lanterns, propane for the grill, an extra tank for the blowtorch (which is amazing as a fire-starter...no muss, no fuss), charcoal briquettes, and firewood.  Also need to grab an extra propane tank this year.  The grill would most definitely be my go-to back up source for cooking in an emergency. 

Hope you will keep watching the sales and add a little to your storage this month, even if it's just a couple extra bottles of ketchup!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

The Great Utah Shake-Out!~

Did you participate in the Great Shake Out this morning? It was a state-wide earthquake drill that more than 900,000 people participated in. If you missed it, no worries! You can find stories on it here on the KSL website, and find all the info you need to prepare for "The Big One" here, including what to do during an earthquake, what supplies to have on hand, how to communicate with loved ones afterward, and tons more.

This is a very likely natural disaster for our area so do your research and start preparing...just a little at a time!

Friday, April 6, 2012

Deadline for 5 gallon bucket group order

For those who are ordering the 5 gallon buckets through DFW storage, the group order deadline is April 20. Sorry I forgot to mention in the email!~

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Strictly Storage: Happy, Hearty Morning Muffins

These muffins are so great; they are extremely filling and perfect for on-the-go or for lunchboxes!

Happy, Hearty Morning Muffins
2 eggs (or use powd. eggs with water)
3/4 c. veg oil
1/4 c. milk (or use equiv. powd milk)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour (any combination of white or wheat is great...and I usually throw in a handful of oats too!)
1 c. packed br. sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. shredded carrots (I used reconstituted dry carrots...and they were awesome!)
1 c. shredded apple (same as above)
1/2 c. coconut
1/2 c. raisins, craisins, or cranberries
3/4 c. sliced almonds or chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350. Prepare muffin pans. Beat eggs, oil, milk and vanilla with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Stir in carrots, apple, coconut, craisins, and nuts.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. Sprinkle remaining nuts on top of batter, with a little white sugar, if desired.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, cool 5 minutes.

These are very forgiving; you can add so many varieties of fruits and nuts to them and they are delicious. Makes 2 dozen.

Adapted from General Mills.

April Prep Challenge

Happy Spring! Seems like this is the time of year that I become more motivated to start chipping away at my food storage in particular, and emergency preparedness in general. So I was excited to hear about a new long-term storage resource that offers pre-packaged, family style, varied meals sealed in 5 gallon buckets, WITH a 25-year shelf life! The prices start from .24 per serving. So this month's challenge is...

Visit this website to calculate how much you would want to purchase for my family. All the information is found on that post, just click on the order form and product list links.

This is a great resource for those who are limited on space (just pile up a couple buckets, or roll them under a bed!) or 72- hour kits.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

MARCH PREP CHALLENGE

After a LONG absence, I'm back in the saddle and ready to bring a new preparedness challenge to you this month.

As my family grows and EATS (imagine that!), I am finding my 3 month supply (the foods we eat regularly) dwindling faster than ever. So, lucky for me, Case Lot Sales started this month and it's a perfect time for me to stock up again. Prices are as low as they are going to get (although I am the first to admit; they are not as low as they used to be), and if you can spare a couple hundred bucks from your tax return it goes a long way.

Ridleys is having their case lot sale now, but if you go HERE you will find dates and locations for Case Lot sales all over Utah (look around, there's tons of great prep information on that site!)

Some of my "must haves" from Case Lot: chili (yes, I love homemade, but this is a great high-fiber/protein meal in a pinch and I like to stock my 72 hr kit with chili for that reason), canned and frozen vegetables, frozen juice, butter, canned beans (again, I can use from my long term supply, but I love the convenience of these), canned tomatoes, bottled water, tuna, canned fruit, pasta, brown rice, various canned soups, white flour, toilet paper and paper towels.

Notice, this list does not contain my long term items that I also use on a regular basis; it is recommended to have a years' supply of these so I usually order them in bulk from the LDS Church Storehouse. These items include wheat, rice, white flour in #10 cans, raw beans (legumes), powdered milk. I also purchase powdered eggs, olive oil, and freeze-dried fruits and vegetables from case-lot sales for my long-term supply.

So, there's the rundown on stocking up your 3-month supply. Just do what you can, even a case or two is a start!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

JANUARY PREP CHALLENGE


Here we are at a fresh start with a new year, and hopefully you have some goals that include your preparedness! I like to take it in small steps, work on one or two things per month. I also like to tackle those things that I feel inspired to do, based on their importance for my life. So these are my goals and you are welcome to join me.

For January, I plan to invest in a fire extinguisher for each floor of my home. Can you imagine how frustrating it would be if you could easily prevent some major damage/injury in your home if you just had one available? I like the idea of this found at Home Depot (or many places online), an easy to manage spray can as an alternative to the typical fire extinguisher, which may be a little more difficult to manage in a crisis. You can find small extinguishers for around $15-$20 each.