How To Know If Brita Filter Is Bad (6 Clues)

How to know if brita filter is bad?

Brita filters are an incredibly popular household commodity.

After all, clean, pure water is essential to ensuring a healthy lifestyle, and Brita filters offer a relatively cheap way of cleaning your tap water.

However, despite their efficacy and usefulness, Brita filters are often taken for granted.

While they are relatively affordable due to their range of products that cater to different price brackets, constantly replacing your filter can quickly eat away at the funds in your bank account.

Similarly, using your old Brita filter for too long can harm your health.

Fortunately, there are a handful of clear signs that your filter needs replacing.

Below, we are going to take a look at some of the best ways to know if your Brita filter is bad, when you should replace it, and how you can make your filter last longer.

So let’s get right to it!

How To Know If Brita Filter Is Bad?

Like all disposable products, Brita filters aren’t made to last forever. They require regular replacement every couple of months or so.

If left in use for too long, they can pose a serious health risk, potentially even more dangerous than normal, unfiltered tap water.

Still, replacing your filter before its time can seem like a waste. While two months is the average life span of Brita filters, there are other ways to determine when they need to be replaced.

For example, taking note of the water quality can help you maximize the use of your Brita filter.

Several signs indicate a Brita filter needs to be replaced. As soon as you notice any of these, replace your filter immediately.

Foul-Tasting Water

Though Brita filters sometimes can’t match up to the efficacy of other water filters, they are highly effective in making your tap water taste better – at least for a while.

Brita filters don’t remove water contaminants – they simply displace them. After a while, however, the filter starts to degrade in quality, and the chemicals that should have been displaced start seeping through.

Therefore, if your water tastes a lot like normal tap water – or worse – it’s a good sign that your Brita filter needs replacing and fast. Look out for a metallic, chemical, or musty taste.

Foul-Smelling Water

Brita filters also effectively remove the odour that normally comes with a contaminated water supply.

Again, the chemicals and contaminants that contribute to this foul smell aren’t destroyed; they are displaced.

After a while, as your Brita filter’s effectiveness decays, the stench of unfiltered water may return.

Additionally, the smell could be further exacerbated by a crack in the filter, which will allow foul-smelling chemicals and substances to contaminate your water.

Mould Or Algae

Every Brita filter product comes with a small but important set of instructions.

These instructions detail – among other things – how to replace your filter and also how often they need to be switched out. Unfortunately, plenty of people ignore these warnings.

If you regularly replace your Brita filter, you should be able to avoid any health risks. If not, you may notice black specks or sludge in your water.

This indicates the presence of mold or algae, both of which are extremely dangerous to consume. If you see any signs of them, replace your filter immediately.

Slow Flow Rate

The flow rate of your water filter may not seem important at first, but you’ll take notice once it slows down.

A slow flow rate is another sign that your old Brita filter needs replacing. Generally speaking, a slow flow rate usually means that the filter is clogged.

This is especially true for Brita pitchers who use gravity filtration.

Rather than being powered by water pressure, they instead allow gravity to do the work, but a clogged filter will greatly inhibit this process.

Dried Up Brita Filter

Brita filters become drier and drier the longer you go without using them. This usually happens if you are frequently away from home for long periods.

Unlike some other warning signs that indicate your filter needs a replacement, a dried-up filter doesn’t mean it’s completely lost its efficacy.

Depending on how long the current filter has been in place, you may be able to continue using it by soaking the filter in cold water for around 15 minutes.

Generally speaking, however, if your filter has already been in use for long enough, it may be easier to replace it.

Again, regularly replacing your filter is a good habit to get into.

Enough Time Has Passed

Speaking of replacing your filter, it goes without saying that every Brita filter you buy (even the much revered Brita Elite) has a lifespan, and once that threshold has been reached, it’s time to replace the filter with a new one.

Normal Brita filters last around two months, while the aforementioned Brita Elite can easily make it to six months before needing a replacement.

If you’re struggling to remember when your Brita filters need a replacement, mark the date on your calendar app. Otherwise, good old-fashioned post-it notes can help keep you on track.

How Long Do Brita Filters Last?

Generally speaking, standard Brita filters should only work for around two months.

However, anyone who’s used one knows that they can sometimes last longer – or shorter – than advertised.

Several factors influence a Brita filter’s lifespan, including the quality of your water, how much you use the filter, and the materials used in the construction of the filter.

Water Quality

If your water contains low levels of chlorine and other contaminants, the chemical build-up will be greatly reduced, thus preventing your filter from clogging for much longer.

Conversely, if the amount of chlorine and contaminants is above-average, it’s likely that the filter won’t last as long as it should.

Water Usage

The less you use your Brita filter, the fewer contaminants will need to be filtered and the longer it will last.

If you are often away from home or have a small family, this will likely be the case for you and your Brita filter.

In contrast, using the filter more frequently will cause it to clog much quicker, thus requiring a replacement sooner than expected.

Filter Materials

Different Brita filters are made from different materials.

The standard Brita filter uses cheaper, less-advanced materials than the Brita Elite, which uses proprietary active filtering agents and patented pleated filter media.

The specifics of these materials aren’t very clear; however, what is certain is that they increase the filter’s overall lifespan from two months to six.

What Happens If You Don’t Replace Your Brita Filter?

Failing to replace your filter in time will not only decrease its efficacy even more but will also pose a serious risk to your health.

After a while, all the contaminants that your Brita filter displaced will start to seep through the filter and enter your water.

While mold and algae are generally easy to identify, other contaminants can easily slip by unnoticed.

If your Brita filter is long past its expiration date, the water it “filters” can be even more unhealthy than normal tap water.

How To Replace Old Brita Filter

Regularly replacing your Brita filters is one of the easiest ways to guarantee that you always have clear, pure-tasting water.

The process is a simple one though it still leaves room for error. Following this short step-by-step guide will ensure that the process is completed properly.

• Step 1: Remove the old filter.
• Step 2: Flush the replacement filter with water for around 15 seconds.
• Step 3: Locate the filter groove and line it up with the new filter.
• Step 4: Insert the new filter.
• Step 5: Fill the pitcher with water two or three times, discarding it each time. This will ensure that the pitcher is clean before you use it again.
• Step 6: Keep cleaning the pitcher with water if you notice any carbon particles.
• Step 7: Finally, replace the pitcher and enjoy your newly-filtered water.

And that’s it – it couldn’t be easier to change your Brita filter to ensure you have the best quality of water possible.

Conclusion

Brita filters will likely be around for a long time, so everyone must know when and how to replace them.

Replacing your filter today versus replacing it tomorrow could mean the difference between getting sick and staying healthy.

Now that you know how to tell if your Brita filter is bad, there is no excuse to suffer bad water again.