Why Is My Brita Filter So Slow? (Can I Speed It Up?)

There are many homes in which drinking water straight from the tap can be quite hazardous to one’s health. This is where having a good water filter comes into play. 

One of the best companies in the world to invest in regarding these types of filters is Brita, but sometimes you may find that those Brita water filtration systems may not be as fast as you’d like them to be.

This is not necessarily the fault of the filter. There may exist issues that lead to it not performing properly.

In this article, we’re going to look at what might cause a Brita water filter to go slowly and if there’s a way to fix it so that you can ensure your water is clean and flowing freely.

Types Of Brita Filters

Before we dive into what may be causing your Brita filter to run slow, you have to understand the types of filters you can utilize. Here is a list of standard Brita water filters:

• The standard removes copper, cadmium, sink, mercury, and chlorine.
• Next is the long last. This filter removes benzene, chlorine, asbestos, cadmium, lead, and mercury.
• Another option is the stream filter which removes particulates, trichlorobenzene, and chlorine.
• If you’re looking for something smaller, there is a bottle filter that removes only chlorine in particulates.
• For the entire house, you can attach a filter to the kitchen faucet and this filter will remove mercury, benzene, chlorine, particulates, asbestos, lead, and TTHMs.

Why Is My Brita Filter Slow? 

Now that you have an idea of the types of filters available, all of them may suffer from filtering things a little too slowly. Here are the main reasons why your grid or water filter may be so slow.

Blockages

Sometimes air gets trapped in the filtration system. This can lead to a reduced filtration rate, so if this happens, you should check to see if air bubbles are trapped inside.

You can do this by checking the system and running water through it. 

It depends on which filtration system you’re utilizing, but to get rid of the air block, you’re going to want to either play with the faucet itself or, if you’re dealing with the pitcher filtration, soak it for a little bit and then rinse the filter very well.

Replacement

Filters, like anything else, have a life cycle. If you have put off replacing it and find that your system is running slow, it could very well be that you passed the time limit of optimal performance.

In this case, the answer is simple: you would just replace the filter.

Sediments

There are a lot of places in the world where the water is very rich in sediments. This could include things like sand or minerals or even pollutants. Filtration systems are built to pull those out. 

Still, if the water it’s filtering is high in pollutants, the life cycle of that filter will be shorter.

This means that it may be acting sluggish because there have just been too many sediments removed from the water.

Aeration

Due to the water’s increased agitation, aeration could cause the filter to slow down. This is especially true when it’s working on filling a reservoir for your filter.

If this is the issue, you might want to turn the faucet down lower than a full stream, to allow for a more gentle flow. This should reduce the aeration and help the filter run faster.

Particles

Sometimes particulates are large, and this can clog the filter.

If this is the case, all you really have to do is take the filter out and give it a thorough cleaning, which should help eliminate the sediments and particles stuck in there.

However, if this is done too often, you may have to replace that filter.

Bad Installation

Sometimes the reason a filter isn’t working is due to faulty installation. If the device isn’t put in correctly, it can cause numerous issues.

In this case, the best thing to do is to ensure you read the owner’s manual very carefully so that you understand how to install it.

If this is beyond your comfort level, get someone to install it for you so that you can ensure it is done properly.

Usage

Sometimes the filter has simply been overused. The more water you use, the quicker the filter life cycle gets used up.

Water Pressure

There are times when it’s not the filter’s fault that it’s running slowly. It could be the pressure that is coming from your faucet.

If it is too slow, the system will not be able to push it through the filter, so the filter will run slowly.

Filter Flushing

The last reason the filter could run slowly is that it’s not flushing properly, but the process of flushing is quite simple. For a faucet, you’re going to want to turn the faucet on for 5 minutes after you install your filter.

Don’t drink the water that runs out. Instead, use it for plants or something else. Once this is done, the filter has been flushed.

For other types of filters, you’re going to want to pre-soak the filter for about 15 minutes and then wash it under water from the faucet for 20 seconds.

Then you’re going to take the reservoir, fill it, and let the water completely out of it. After this, your filter should be flushed properly.

How To Fix A Slow Brita Filter?

We have explored the reasons that the filter might be running slow, and we covered some of the ways you could fix this slow filter.

But now, we’re going to take a step-by-step process so that you can understand how to fix that slow filter.

First, you will want to check and make sure the filter needs to be changed by looking at the indicator. If the indicators suggest it needs to, then you’re going to want to replace the filter.

Next, you’re going to gently flush the filter to get rid of any trapped air bubbles and run it under a cold water spray to get rid of the debris in sediments.

You will now want to increase the water pressure to get the water through the filter. Lastly, you’re going to want to check your water quality.

You want to make sure that the water that comes through is clean. If it isn’t, then it may not be the filter itself but another part of the filtration system.

Final Thoughts

Having a slow Brita water filter can be quite annoying. But there are several ways to fix the slow-moving system to ensure you get clean and good-tasting water.