Got smelly chlorine water? How about that yucky chlorine taste? The Brita UltraMax water dispenser and the Brita Longlast filter eliminates them.
Did you know copper water pipes can cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, colic, and liver cirrhosis? [1]
Brita UltraMax Water 18 Cup Dispenser with 1 Filter, BPA Free, Gray, Extra Large. Get Clean Water- Click Here
Brita Longlast Water Filter for Pitcher and Dispensers. Get New Filters – Click Here Now
Also, rusty galvanized water pipes can release toxic lead, and cadmium. [2] They can cause liver and kidney damage among many other illnesses. Fortunately, the Brita UltraMax water dispenser and the Brita Longlast filter or Brita Standard Filter will protect you.
Will The Brita Ultramax Filtration Water Dispenser & Brita Longlast Filter Remove Microplastics?
Yes, but not all. Thte Brita Longlast filter is effective down to 0.0005 mm (0.5 microns). Whereas microplastics are 5mm (5,000 microns) and smaller. So, any microplastics smaller than 0.0005 mm (0.5 microns) will get through.
Will The Brita Ultramax Fit In My Refrigerator?
Height: 10.47 in.
Width: 5.67 in.
Length: 14.37 in.
Weight: 3 pounds
Note: The spigot handle works forwards and backwards. So, don’t let your refrigerator door push on the spigot handle.
Can I Overfill The Dispenser?
Some customers do that by keeping the reservoir full. The water is supposed to be touching the filter to keep it wet, according to customer service.
However, when the water rises above the bottom of the reservoir, that could push the filter out of place, according to customer service. Apparently the only time this actually happens is if you did not press the filter in to make it seal properly.
Is Purifying The Same As Filtering?
The Brita literature mentions that the Brita Ultramax and Longlast filter do not purify. That means that it doesn’t remove any unhealthy bacteria or cysts, etc.
In other words, the water you are filtering through the Brita Ultramax and Longlast filter has already been purified of micro-organisms such as bacteria and cysts.
That would be any water that is supplied to you from the city, county, state.
If you have your own water well, you will have to (purify) remove cysts and bacteria before it is filtered thru the Brita dispenser.
Not Designed To Remove Hard Water Minerals
First, The filter will remove some hard water minerals, but it isn’t a water softener. So, some customers say that it does a great job of cleaning up their water, which tells me that their water has a low level of hardness.
Some customers complained that the Brita filters did not reduce the PPM (parts per million) when checked with a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter. TDS is caused, in part by toxic chemicals, and in part, by dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium.
TDS Meter Digital Water Tester. Check It Out – Click Here
It’s the calcium and magnesium minerals that make water “hard”.
So, since the filter doesn’t soften “hard” water, mostly the toxic chemical TDS has been removed – not the mineral TDS. Thus, their complaint was unjustified.
How To Clean Brita Ultramax Dispenser
Officially, you are to wash it once per week with mild soap, rinse out the soap, and dry with a cloth. I suspect that a lot of people wait too long and may have mineral scale build up, mold, or even algae growing in it.
Algae growth is more likely when the Brita dispenser is placed in direct sunlight.
All three problems can be cleaned the same way. First, wash with dish soap and rinse. Second, pour some vinegar in and let it soak away the minerals. Rinse again and wipe all surfaces with vinegar to disinfect, and rinse again.
If you don’t want to use white vinegar, you can use 3% hydrogen peroxide to disinfect and kill the green algae. However, it won’t do anything to remove mineral deposits.
When To Change The Brita Filter?
For the Brita Standard filter, it’s every two months or 40 gallons of water. However, the Brita Longlast filter will last for six months or 120 gallons of filtered water.
One family of six changes the standard filter every 25 days. Other customers change it every three months.
Do I need The Electronic Filter Change indicator Or The Paper Sticker Type Indicator?
Note: Not all Brita Ultramax dispensers have the electronic filter change reminder, in which case they have a paper sticker.
Honestly, neither one of them have much value.
The paper sticker will fall off sooner or later and the battery for the electronic one is not replaceable. So, when it fails, you’ll need an alternative method anyway. Also, the electric one is just a timer. It doesn’t measure performance or anything.
Some people put a note on their calendar. Others use a post-it note with a date.
Brita Filter Indicator Not Working?
Chances are pretty good that the battery died. The battery isn’t replaceable. So, put a note on your calendar.
Brita Filter Not Letting Water Through?
Some years ago this was a problem with water that was highly aerated. However, Brita says this problem has been solved with the New Brita Longlast filter.
If the filter is brand new, soak it in water for 15 minutes and then rinse it for 15 seconds.
Has it has been used for awhile, but nowhere near the useful life of the filter? Then that is an indication that your water has more “stuff” in it than the filter was designed for.
Replace the filter. If that fixes the problem, then you know that your water quality is poor, or that you forgot to change the filter on time.
Finally, you may have a fake filter. Scroll down for more about this.
Brita Ultramax Leaks From The Spout/Spigot.
There have been a lot of complaints about this, and I think it is a combination of problems.
There may have been a manufacturing problem. Maybe someone at the factory forgot to put in a gasket, didn’t use a sealant, or didn’t tighten the nut enough.
At least some of the problem is that the refrigerator door is pushing on the spigot lever when the door is closed.
Most likely, you have calcium and magnesium mineral (white scale) deposits built up on it. Use white vinegar and a small brush to remove the mineral build up.
However, chances are pretty good that you will have to soak it in the vinegar for 30 minutes to 24 hours.
The spigot is not normally removable, because you may have a leak when you replace it. However, it can be removed and replaced if needed.
There is a plastic nut that holds the spigot on. Remove the nut and the spigot slides right out.
When replacing the spigot use some food grade silicone gasket/O-Ring lubricant sealer on the gaskets to prevent leaking.
Not using such a sealant/lubricant is another possible manufacturing problem.
One customer used this spigot to replace a broken one. Get A New Spigot- Click Here
Gasket and O-Ring Silicone Lubricant/sealant. Stop Leaks – Click Here
How Fast Does It Filter 18 Cups Of Water?
That depends on the quality of your water and how old the filter is.
When the filter is new it can take from 5 to 10 minutes for one reservoir fill, but you need to fill the reservoir twice to fill the tank.
Does The Brita Standard and Brita Longlast Filters Remove Lead From Water?
The Brita standard filter (the white one) doesn’t remove any lead. However, the Brita Longlast filter (the blue one) does remove 99.5% of the lead from city water.
Brita Longlast Filter Replacement For Brita Ultramax Dispensers and Brita Pitchers
I have alread talked a bunch about the Brita filters in general, but now I will specifically speak about the Brita Longlast filter. I have read all of the customer questions any many of the thousands of customer reviews.
The Brita Longlast filter does not fit in the Brita Infinity or the Brita Stream products. However, it does work in all the other Brita products.
What Does The Brita Longlast Filter Remove?
In addition to the impurities removed by the Brita Standard filter, the Longlast filter will remove lead, asbestos, and benzene.
You can assume that it removes other unmentioned contaminants, because carbon filters are good at that. Take a look at the chart below.
Brita Longlast Replacement Filters. Get Extra Filters now – Click Here
How To Replace A Filter Into The Brita Ultramax Dispenser
The new Brita Longlast filter does not have to be rinsed with water for 15 seconds like the Brita Standard filter does.
So, line up the groove in filter with the ridge in the reservoir, and slide it in. Then gently push down on the top of the filter to make the filter seat properly.
Got A Fake Brita Filter?
According to one customer, the filter was not removing chlorine. He said Brita told him that authentic Brita filters are stamped on the bottom with a date and time of manufacture. Along with a batch and lot number. The customer said that the filter he got did not have any such information.
Conclusions On The Brita Ultramax and Longlast Filter
Like any product manufacturer, Brita has had some problems. However, Brita customer service has gone to great lenghts to make customers happy. They even replaced some fake filters with real ones.
There were problems with water leaks and Brita always offered to fix the problem.
These problems appear to have been solved with this newest gray Ultramax shown on the right. I think you’ll like it a lot.
The black Ultramax models are the older versions that had most of the problems and I don’t recommend them.
If you need the better filtration provided by the Brita Longlast filter Click Here
References
2. The Flint Water Crisis: A Coordinated Public Health Emergency Response and Recovery Initiative
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