Resurrecting an old PUR Hiker water filter

[oruacat2]

Hey gang - I recently found my first-ever water filter in a little-used storage closet and would like to use it again. I think I bought it in the mid-1990s, back when PUR made the "Hiker" and "Hiker Pro" series (no idea which this one is - what are the differences again?). Anyway, I pulled it out and it looks to be in good shape, still. Structurally it's fine, and there doesn't seem to be any mildew or anything. I filled up a big kitchen pot with hot water and a capful of bleach, then pumped the entire contents through the filter to flush-out any nasty bugs, and now the whole thing is disassembled and soaking in a similar water/bleach mixture. The first couple of pumps resulted in a nasty blackish-colored water, from the carbon element I'm guessing, but then it was fine - clear and clean-looking. IIRC, this filter element had only been used for one 4-day trip before the thing disappeared, and at least to the naked eye it still looks new.

Anyhow, I'm wondering what other advice you have about using this again? Any concerns or dangers I should worry about? I'd hate to buy a whole new filtration device, but if it comes down to it, I could buy a new filter if need be. Now that Katadyn manufactures these, would a new filter still fit properly?

Thanks in advance!
Kenny

[adamkrz]

I would buy a new element which is still the same as the Katadyn then silicone {food grade} the o rings, I still use my old PUR.

[Toolshed]

The element should be a long cylindrical paper element. Pur sold this line off to Katadyn after they had problems in the late 90's. I would run a few gallons through the filter and see what the water looks/smells like. I know with my old first need, you could run food color through to see if the filter element was still working, but this is a different kind of element. I used my Pur Scout for about 6 years before switching to an MSR around 1999, and never had a problem with it. Parts are now available under Katadyn... You might need to pickup replacement hoses at home depot, but give it a shot. This model has the filter that cannot be backwashed, but must be replaced. I also always put a coffee filter with a rubber band over the pre-filter "Acorn" on mine to increase filter life.

[CrumbSnatcher]

i have used my pur hiker since 1998, gone thru a few filters 2 or 3 when it was pur and a couple more since they sold out. same filter different owner/name.
i would clean up the housing and regrease the rings, but i'd throw out the old filter and just go buy a replacement :-)

[CrumbSnatcher]

alot of filtering over the years, i started off with a sweetwater and it was sweet til it clogged up(ceramic filter)ALWAYS SCRUBBING THAT TURD AND THE PUMP STYLE GOT OLD QUICK!
that was 1998, it was 99 when i bought the hikerpro. i love this filter! the msr mini-works ok,in my experience the field cleaning thing, thats cool i guess, but the filter pumped slow as crap, with the same pumping style as the sweetwater. i love msr products but not the filters :-) the plunger style pump like the katahdyn/pur is smoother and the hikerpro can produce(pump water)much quicker. it has been a few years and maybe the msr filter is better these days, but in 99,02,03 i filtered a butt load of water on the trail and in dry times i carried up to 5 qts.for me and my dog if needed, i could filter 5 qts. faster than others could/would filter 1-2 qts.

[CrumbSnatcher]

never had issues with the paper filter and no need to back flush ever. only problem i ever witnessed with the pur/katahdyn filter i came across two couples at different times/years but they couldn't get the filters to work and there was no pressure built up in the handle, i showed them to take the pump handle off, and prime it by dropping a tiny bit of water into the handle and then closing it up. the only maintainence is to check the o-ring and to lube it

[Toolshed]

never had issues with the paper filter and no need to back flush ever. only problem i ever witnessed with the pur/katahdyn filter i came across two couples at different times/years but they couldn't get the filters to work and there was no pressure built up in the handle, i showed them to take the pump handle off, and prime it by dropping a tiny bit of water into the handle and then closing it up. the only maintainence is to check the o-ring and to lube it
I had a reverse pressure issue happen to me when filtering with the Scout along the Black Forest Trail in 96 or 97. Turns out after much playing around with it, a couple of grains of sand got into the edge of the one way valve flap and didn't allow it to close/lock. After fixing it it worked great. I will agree - that thing could pump water like crazy. However after going to the MSR Miniworks which is much more difficult to pump, I always wondered if the Pur was was letting larger microns through than the MSR...

[CrumbSnatcher]

I had a reverse pressure issue happen to me when filtering with the Scout along the Black Forest Trail in 96 or 97. Turns out after much playing around with it, a couple of grains of sand got into the edge of the one way valve flap and didn't allow it to close/lock. After fixing it it worked great. I will agree - that thing could pump water like crazy. However after going to the MSR Miniworks which is much more difficult to pump, I always wondered if the Pur was was letting larger microns through than the MSR...i think the pur hiker pour size is is .002 and the sweetwater and mini-works were a .003 or do i have that backwards? the pour size on the pur was larger, meaning a faster flow.
many places along the trail i don't filter, but it is nice when the source is too hard to dip from or looks rough :-)