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  1. #1
    Registered User
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    Default Do water filters "expire"?

    The last time I was able to hike was in Fall 2019. At that time I put a brand new filter inside my Katadyn Hiker Pro. Unfortunately, weather knocked me out after less than a week. The filter has just been sitting in my basement all the time in between.

    Should I replace the internal filter with a new one? Do they "go bad" over time?

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  3. #3
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    Excellent, thanks!

  4. #4
    Registered User gravityman's Avatar
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    Default

    Terrible article. No, water filters don't have an expire date, they do have a 'usage limit' in liters, after which there is a likelihood they no longer are working to their original design. Depends on filter type, largely they get clogged, and you won't get the flow out you need.

  5. #5
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    Default

    Not sure how the newer versions work, but the older ones also had an issue when they sat unused for long times, in that some moisture would stay inside and could (theoretically) allow stuff to grow in there.

    In fact, at least one type we had recommended keeping the cartridges in the freezer between uses to avoid the issue (the cold didn't bother that type).

  6. #6
    GSMNP 900 Miler
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    Default

    The "freezer" filter BillyGr is referring to was the original SweetWater filter. Loved mine until I started having problems when MSR took the company over, and finally switched to the much lighter Sawyer.

    But the problems I've had with a Sawyer filter are...
    1. Worry that it has frozen
    While I'm not a winter hiker, there are times I go hiking in GSMNP where the altitude can make it easy to experience overnight temperatures below freezing.
    But if any of the water in a Sawyer, or any of the many filters that use hollow fibers to filter, is allowed to freeze, the filter is rendered useless because you will create a hole in the filter large enough for "bad" stuff to get thru.
    Worst yet, you won't know you "broke" because there is no way to field test the filter for damage to make sure it's still filtering all the stuff it's supposed to.
    2. Water inside the filter drying up during storage leaving behind mineral deposits clogging the filter.
    Because of mineral deposits, I now try to back flush my filter with distilled water when I get home, but during a long trip, you can get cumulated mineral deposits on the filter (that happened to me in the arid conditions of the JMT).

    But Sawyer filters are so cheap that I simply get around both problems by simply buying a new one each hiking season.

  7. #7

    Default

    But the problems I've had with a Sawyer filter are...
    1. Worry that it has frozen

    The Barefoot Sisters took turns sleeping with their filter to keep it from freezing. They named it “Don Juan”.

  8. #8

    Default

    Deleted duplicate post.
    Last edited by gpburdelljr; 08-31-2021 at 11:19.

  9. #9
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu View Post
    2. Water inside the filter drying up during storage leaving behind mineral deposits clogging the filter.
    Because of mineral deposits, I now try to back flush my filter with distilled water when I get home, but during a long trip, you can get cumulated mineral deposits on the filter (that happened to me in the arid conditions of the JMT).
    Me too, but before the distilled water rinse, I do a soak in Vinegar and a dilute bleach rinse.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyGr View Post
    Not sure how the newer versions work, but the older ones also had an issue when they sat unused for long times, in that some moisture would stay inside and could (theoretically) allow stuff to grow in there.

    In fact, at least one type we had recommended keeping the cartridges in the freezer between uses to avoid the issue (the cold didn't bother that type).

    The instructions that came with my PUR (now Katadyn) Hiker had me flush the filter before storage with a bleach solution (1-2T bleach in a quart of water IIRC), pump out all liquid, then disassemble the unit and allow it to air dry before re-assembly for storage. When it was time to use it again, you just pump a half quart through it to flush the unit and it was good to go.

    I always did this procedure and never had a problem with internal growth.

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