"Are these countertop water filters easy to install?"
Yes, very easy. Please do note that these water filters will fit most (as in about 95% of the time, but not 100%) U.S. made kitchen faucet spouts (such as Delta, Moen, Valley) but not all aerators, as some faucet manufacturers still haven't changed to the universal aerator size. If you have a foreign kitchen faucet there is a good chance that the aerator that you have is not a universal size. The spout adapter that comes with our countertop filter is female aerator threads. Look at the spout of the faucet that you are planning to install the countertop adapter on. Unscrew the aerator and see what your spout needs. If you have a female threaded aerator the chances are 90% that our adapter will work. If you have male threads on your aerator (meaning your spout has female threads) then you'll need to order the male-to-male adapter (part number #COUNTMALE = $1.99 ) and it screws onto our female spout adapter converting it to male. Then the chances are 90% that it will fit. If you prefer, we can figure out what you need and we can provide a spout adapter. Simply mail us your aerator and we'll let you know what you need within 2 days of us receiving it.

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"What are the specifications on your 'best' filter cartridge?"
The W-40 (WLC-R) cartridge contains carbon briquette, This cartridge contains lead-reduction media and reduces Giardia and Cryptosporidium Cysts greater than 99.5% as well as sediment down to .5 micron (1/2 micron nominal filtration!). The cartridge is engineered to allow the water to enter through the entire bed of media before exiting through the top, ensuring maximum performance. Due to filtering such small particles expect a slow rate of water going through this filter. With a slow filtration rate you will get better water contact with this cartridge. Note that this filter is directional and so must be installed correctly. Not a big deal but we are mentioning because sometimes our customers complain that they are not getting ANY water after installing this wonderful filter. That simply means that they installed the W-40 (WLC-R) backwards and it simply needs to be reversed in the housing. Be sure to install the gasket end towards the threaded side of your countertop filter housing.

"I just installed my new countertop filter system, but I'm not getting any water out of the spigot. When I pull the knob on the aerator, it merely shuts off the water flowing out of my kitchen faucet. Why am I not getting any water out of the spigot?"
Check to make certain that the filter has been installed the right way. The "top" of the filter cartridge should be facing the "bottom" of the countertop housing; if the filter cartridge is installed upside-down, the water will not filter or flow correctly.

" Is the flow heavily reduced on the W-40 (WLC-R) filter compared to the WCC filter? "
The WCC will allow a faster rate of water flow. That also means less carbon contact, which means less filtration. With either one the rate of flow is a lot less than your standard rate waterspout and washing dishes with the filtered water is not really an option, nor the desired intent of a countertop filter.

"Who is the manufacturer of the filter replacement cartridges?"
The very well known and reputable American Plumber, a division of Pentair. We think the replacement filter cartridges are top quality.

"I love my new countertop housing and #W-40 (WLC-R) cartridge and can tell a taste difference. I'm not crazy about the slow flow. It takes about 10 seconds to fill a glass of water. Is there anything I can do to increase the flow rate?"
No, the WLC-R is intended to be a low flow filter. The water must to travel through the long bed of carbon and slowly, so the carbon can do its job, also the filtration is down to a 1/2 micron level. That is VERY small and won't even allow Giardia cysts through. You can change the filter cartridge to the WCC filter which has nearly twice the flow rate of the WLC-R. There is a trade off and that is the quality of filtration. If you are only filtering for chlorine taste, this filter may suit your needs.

"Any installation tips for this countertop water filter?"
After you have hooked up the aerator and installed the cartridge, the filter needs to be filled with water first. Turn on the water, pull the switch so that the water goes into the filter body. Wait about a minute or so and then turn the filter body upside down to release any trapped air. At first it will sputter a little (that's just air and water mixed) and then it will flow smoothly. Turn the filter housing back to it's regular normal position and let the water just run for as much as five minutes. Now you have great tasting water and you shouldn't have to do anything each time except turn on the water. Please only use cold water. Because of air borne bacteria we think it is best to turn on the filter for a few seconds before taking the filtered water. This is something that few ever talk about but we think any filtered water that "sits" in an unsealed container for any length of time will get air borne bacteria to enter that water. Even spouts have those bacteria in and on them and so we are letting you know, with ANY brand of water filter, we think it is best to think in terms of potential air borne particles (bacteria). Many plumbing codes do not allow drinking fountains in bathrooms and the reason is because of those bacteria. Think airborne bacteria and you'll recognize that this countertop water filter is sealed away from air except for the spout so let the water run for a few seconds to flush any possible bacteria off of the spout.

"I just installed a new filter cartridge and my water is cloudy/white?"
After you install a new filter (this is the case with any/all brands of filter cartridges) you should run it for a few minutes. Generally cloudy or white water indicates air in the line and this is natural and normal with a replacement of a cartridge. Air will enter in the housing, lines and cartridge. Just run the water for a few minutes and the cloudy conditions will go away (unless you have VERY cold water in which case it is the oxygen in the water that could be making the water look cloudy). It is always a good idea to run the water free flowing for a few minutes after installing any brand or type of new filter cartridge.

"Are the chrome models made out of metal?"
They are made out of plastic with a chrome finish. The upper housing is chrome with a black round top (as shown on our white picture) and with a black bodied base. The spouts are chrome as shown with the white bodied model. The hose is white and the aerator (to attach to your kitchen faucet) is chrome for all three models. Because the finish are plastic, they can scratch fairly easily, and are not recommended for areas where they can be abused.

"Do you sell the type of filters that hang on, or fit inside kitchen faucet spouts?"
No, sorry. We just don't think they can contain enough carbon to do a lot of filtration, or to give value for our customers

"I've seen drip styles of carbon filters, do you sell these?"
Sorry again. We don't wish to sell carbon filtration systems that are exposed to air. We have seen mold and bacteria growing on and inside some and we prefer to sell sealed (from air) filtration systems. We believe that, in the long run, our customers are much happier with carbon filtration systems that last longer and don't allow water to be exposed to air.

"Is there a pass-through mode for high flow non-filtered water?"
Yes. You can just use your kitchen spout in your standard, non-filtered mode for washing hands or rinsing dishes.

"My white hose is old. Do you offer a new hose?"
You can order a new white replacement hose from us. Simply order part number #COUNTWHITEHOSE = $2.20 .

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"What type of warranty does the diverter valve have?"
We are specifically mentioning the diverter valve because it is about the only part that sometimes wears out or has a "problem" in less than 2-5 years. Generally the valve holds up very well but if it gets bumped hard (it's at the tip of faucet spouts and so it is in a potentially easily to get damaged location) it can give you problems. Normal wear and tear and damage is not covered by any warranty but if your diverter valve leaks within 3 months we will send you another. If you use your valve daily we estimate that it will "normally" wear out in about 5 years. These diverter valves are not that expensive to replace and normally do last at least 5 years with "normal" pressures and wear and tear.

"I've installed my new countertop filter system, but the water coming out of my kitchen faucet doesn't taste any different."
The countertop filter system has its own gooseneck spout. When the knob on the aerator is pulled out, the water is diverter through the white tubing and through the filter system, and then filtered water will pour out of the gooseneck spout. That's the water that is filtered, not the water coming out of the kitchen spout.

"I just received the counter top filter with the W-40 (WLC-R) cartridge, please advise if the end marked "this end next to vessel threads "goes into base of the unit?"
Yes. That end goes on the bottom, nearest the threads of the body of the countertop filter.

"How often should I replace my carbon filters?"
This is a very common (and difficult to answer) question. It depends a lot on your water conditions, water quality and volume (usage). We believe that in no case (no matter what brand that you have) should you keep a cartridge longer than a year (due to bacteria growth potential).

"How tall is the body of this countertop filter?"
The unit is about 11 1/2" tall.