View Full Version : Sawyer Squeeze longevity?
Paddlefoot
09-21-2013, 11:06
Hello Fellow Squeezers,
Might as well add another thread about this filter.
How do you tell when the filter has reached the end of its life? I realize the literature says you can do a bazillion gallons with it, but I haven't been logging each liter in my journal.
Anybody else have trouble with the bags delaminating?
I'm finding a platypus bag to be much more durable.
And does everybody carry the syringe for backwashing? I forgot mine at home and ending up just blowing water through the filter with my mouth (I'm the only one who uses it!). It seems to work. Of course, I do have huge cheeks and a big mouth!
MuddyWaters
09-21-2013, 12:53
Mine reached the end of its life after about a pint.
Seriously.
Tried it out on chlorinated city tapwater. Worked great.
Shook water out, allowed to dry, put away
1.5 yrs later, barely a trickle of water will go thru it with high pressure.
Tried soaking it in water, then with a little vinegar in the water, etc.
No change.
It dont work anymore.
jimmyjam
09-21-2013, 16:35
Mine has made it thru about 300 trail miles so far. No problems at all. I glued two bottle caps together back to back with the center cut out so i can backwash with a smart water bottle.
Hello Fellow Squeezers,
Might as well add another thread about this filter.
How do you tell when the filter has reached the end of its life? I realize the literature says you can do a bazillion gallons with it, but I haven't been logging each liter in my journal.
Anybody else have trouble with the bags delaminating?
I'm finding a platypus bag to be much more durable.
And does everybody carry the syringe for backwashing? I forgot mine at home and ending up just blowing water through the filter with my mouth (I'm the only one who uses it!). It seems to work. Of course, I do have huge cheeks and a big mouth!
The filter has reached the end of its life when water no longer goes through it. It really is just that simple.
i don't carry the syringe but I'm not a thru hiker either.
hikerboy57
09-21-2013, 19:58
i dont carry the syringe,just blow back through it after i use it get all the water out. mine so far has held up for about 700 miles, but only use it for my drinking water, and many times dont treat at all, so im not sure how many uses ive actually got out of it so far.. the original bags are all gone, but i find the replacement bags have been working just fine, for some reason have been more durable. i do think that i stressed the original bags a bit a few times when i started squeezing before i opened the valve.duh.
I've put 300+ gallons thru. Definitely slowing down even with backflushes. Seemed to get slower when I squeezed instead of gravity filling my Platy for a group on my last trip. I believe I must have forced dirt into spaces that can't be flushed. Will try the vinegar, in the event there are mineral deposits, works for my coffee pot.
atmilkman
10-08-2013, 10:14
I glued two bottle caps together back to back with the center cut out so i can backwash with a smart water bottle. Killer idea jimmyjam. You just saved me some weight and space.
HooKooDooKu
10-08-2013, 10:27
From what I understand, the filter does not have any kind of indicator that it has become damaged due to impact or freezing.
So after a reasonable amount of time (depending upon how frequently you travel and how hard you are on your gear), I would be replacing the Sawyer just to make sure it is still doing its job correctly.
colorado_rob
10-08-2013, 10:36
Mine reached the end of its life after about a pint.
Seriously.
Tried it out on chlorinated city tapwater. Worked great.
Shook water out, allowed to dry, put away
1.5 yrs later, barely a trickle of water will go thru it with high pressure.
Tried soaking it in water, then with a little vinegar in the water, etc.
No change.
It dont work anymore. This kinda happened to mine, except I got a full season out of it, (probably 30 days for two of us, call it 200 liters), backflushed it at the end of the season with tap water, put it away, got it out first of this year and it didn't work at all no matter what I did. I chalked it up to the flushing with tap water, which is vry hard in my area. don't do this. Use either "natural" clean water (like filtered from a clear stream) or bottled distilled water to flush it. I just bought a new one this year, worked great for a dozen nights, the good news is that the new bags appear to be more durable. Cheap enough, we'll see how this one does long term NOT using tap water to backflush.
colorado_rob
10-08-2013, 10:36
Woops, bad math, more like 400 liters...
MDSection12
10-08-2013, 22:28
This kinda happened to mine, except I got a full season out of it, (probably 30 days for two of us, call it 200 liters), backflushed it at the end of the season with tap water, put it away, got it out first of this year and it didn't work at all no matter what I did. I chalked it up to the flushing with tap water, which is vry hard in my area. don't do this. Use either "natural" clean water (like filtered from a clear stream) or bottled distilled water to flush it. I just bought a new one this year, worked great for a dozen nights, the good news is that the new bags appear to be more durable. Cheap enough, we'll see how this one does long term NOT using tap water to backflush.
My understanding is that Sawyer will replace it for free... Hence 'million gallon guarantee.' Send them an email and post your results for us!
colorado_rob
10-09-2013, 08:33
My understanding is that Sawyer will replace it for free... Hence 'million gallon guarantee.' Send them an email and post your results for us! Could have and could have, but I wanted the new more durable squeeze sacks anyway, so I didn't bother and just bought a new one. Still can, would be nice to have a 2nd functioning filter. In any case, I really like this filter, despite my ruining of the first one.
MDSection12
10-09-2013, 12:02
Could have and could have, but I wanted the new more durable squeeze sacks anyway, so I didn't bother and just bought a new one. Still can, would be nice to have a 2nd functioning filter. In any case, I really like this filter, despite my ruining of the first one.
Do it for us! I want confirmation that they stand behind their word... And it couldn't hurt to have a backup. I'm sure they'd be happy to make up for your sub-standard experience. :D
Odd Man Out
10-09-2013, 13:11
Do it for us! I want confirmation that they stand behind their word... And it couldn't hurt to have a backup. I'm sure they'd be happy to make up for your sub-standard experience. :D
+1 I too would like to find out if they are standing behind their guarantee.
colorado_rob
10-09-2013, 13:37
OK, Y-knot. I need to make a PO trip anyway on another piece of gear ( a new-style Black diamond ascender AKA "Jumar" that doesn't grip a rope properly). I'll letcha all know. It will be awhile, heading out of town for 6 days this evening.
MDSection12
10-09-2013, 17:43
OK, Y-knot. I need to make a PO trip anyway on another piece of gear ( a new-style Black diamond ascender AKA "Jumar" that doesn't grip a rope properly). I'll letcha all know. It will be awhile, heading out of town for 6 days this evening.
Awesome! No worries on time, I'll subscribe to this thread so just bump here when you get a result. My guess is you'll have a shiny new one (with the newer bags, I'd bet) in no time, but I'd like to see that confirmed. :)
HeartFire
10-10-2013, 08:23
I've been following some of the sawyer squeeze threads with interest. I had bought an MSR Hyperflow filter a couple of years ago, I think these are working on the same type of system. I found the MSR Hyperflow impossible to back flush - I did manage it once at home, but in the field it just never worked. I took it to the outfitter, they couldn't figure out how to get it to back flush either. I finally tossed it out - just not worth the hassle, and it did slow down quickly, even after the one time I was able to back flush it.
So this stuff here doesn't surprise me too much.
MDSection12
10-10-2013, 11:09
I've been following some of the sawyer squeeze threads with interest. I had bought an MSR Hyperflow filter a couple of years ago, I think these are working on the same type of system. I found the MSR Hyperflow impossible to back flush - I did manage it once at home, but in the field it just never worked. I took it to the outfitter, they couldn't figure out how to get it to back flush either. I finally tossed it out - just not worth the hassle, and it did slow down quickly, even after the one time I was able to back flush it.
So this stuff here doesn't surprise me too much.
Sawyer uses patented technology that seems unique to them. I've been using my Squeeze pretty extensively and have had no issues. These instances are the exception, not the rule, from what I've read... Not to mention that your Hyperflow didn't come with a million gallon guarantee.
I wouldn't be so quick to assume the Sawyer is inferior, just because your MSR was.
I really don't wanna start a new thread since a sawyer thread is right here on general gear talk.
I just got my sawyer and want to ask. What do you all use as a dirty water/collection device since the squeeze bag it comes with isn't durable? Ideally lightweight. We have 2L & 3L platypus' w/ mouth pieces to filter it into (is this ideal?)
Thank you, white blaze.
Altarboy
10-13-2013, 15:21
I've had good service from the bags. As a previous poster said, they must have improved the quality of them. You can buy a box of three bags for around ten bucks at Academy Sports. I have used mine for one week on the AT plus two trips to Virgin Falls. I hope it never fails me in the woods.
Maui Rhino
10-13-2013, 17:35
I really don't wanna start a new thread since a sawyer thread is right here on general gear talk.
I just got my sawyer and want to ask. What do you all use as a dirty water/collection device since the squeeze bag it comes with isn't durable? Ideally lightweight. We have 2L & 3L platypus' w/ mouth pieces to filter it into (is this ideal?)
Thank you, white blaze.
I use a couple of 1 liter soda bottles. One has the top cut off to form a big cup for scooping dirty water, and the other has the bottom cut off to form a funnel. I glued two red coke bottle caps (red for dirty water) together with a hole drilled in the middle so I can use the funnel either to fill the bag or connect it directly to the filter. A second set of green caps (green for clean water) allow me to hook a bottle up to the bottom of the filter for filling a clean bottle or for backflushing. The bottles nest together and hold all my filter stuff also. I saw it first here (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?73749-Got-the-Sawyer-2L-squeeze-comments-set-up-a-light-system&highlight=sawyer+squeeze), and did something similar. On a side note, the original thread had said the coke bottle caps do not fit. However, last year Coke changed their caps, and now they do.