While most families use Brita jugs to filter drinking water, only a few members in a particular household understand how the entire filtration system works. Unknown to them, Brita filter jugs and dispensers have different parts, all working together to provide purified drinking water.
One of those parts is the filter indicator. Surprisingly, most people know what it does, alerting us when we need to change the filter. Yet, only a few understand how it actually works. So how does Brita filter indicator work?
So how does Brita filter indicator work?
When I bought my first Brita Jug, I must admit I didn’t quite understand how the indicator functioned. I dismantled the jug and got even more confused. Absolutely no wire or any cabling was linking the indicator to the filter or any part of the jug.
But after doing some research and making one-two-three calls, it all made sense! Here is what I found out. Read along.
First of all, you need to understand that there are different Brita jugs with different indicators. However, the theory behind their functionality is not any different. We have mechanical indicators and battery-powered electric indicators, usually at the top of the jug.
So here is what happens. Customarily, when you replace the filter, you are told to reset the indicator. Why? For it to start counting again. This means that the indicator is time programmed to tell precisely when to change the filter cartridge.
Remember, there are different types of Brita filter jugs, so the indicator is not the same for all of them. Here are examples;
Different Types of Brita Filter Jugs
1. The Style Jug
Style jugs feature a smart light, usually on the lid of the style jug giving traffic like green, yellow, and red signals. Green means that the filter is in good condition and functioning as it should.
Yellow is a warning to tell you that you need to get ready to change your filter. Red means that your filter is doomed, and you need to change it as soon as possible.
Check out this style jug.
2. Standard Memo Display Brita jugs
The timer indicator on these jugs is quite different. The display shows bars of about four in total, each representing, let’s say, seven days. After the elapse of seven days, one bar drops and continues until all the display is blank.
After about a month, you need to replace the filter and reset the indicator. Press the start button on the lid, and the display will start counting again.
Check out this Brita water filter standard pitcher
3. Flow Cask
Just like the standard memo display Brita jugs, the flow cask also features a bar timer on the lid. It requires you to change the filter cartridge after about every four weeks.
Restart the timer indicator by pressing the start button for a few seconds every time you change the filter cartridge.
Check out this Brita flow cask water dispenser:
Read more on; Portable water filter for camping
How to Use Brita Filter Indicator
So you have purchased a Brita filter jug; you know the components but somehow find it mind-boggling to understand how the indicator works. As you will get to realize, using the indicator is not complicated.
With modern technology in place, some Brita filters are automatic and will tell you when you need to change the filter cartridge.
For one, the indicator does not monitor the filter’s functionality to determine if it is doomed. Instead, it takes note of the time from the first day when you installed the filter until the filter’s estimated lifetime elapses.
When that time comes, you will have to replace the filter cartridge and reset the indicator to start counting afresh. Resetting the indicator varies from one type of Brita or dispenser to another. For instance, when resetting the Style jug, you need to press the reset button for about 15 seconds till it turns green.
Resetting the flow cask and standard Brita filters is quite different. For starters, there is a start button on the indicator display.
To reset the Brita jug filters, press the start button for a few seconds till the four bars come up on display.
A blinking dot on the bottom right corner of the indicator shows that the system is ready for use. Replace the old filter cartridges with these new standard Brita filter cartridges.
How does Brita Filter Indicator Work: FAQs
How do you read a Brita filter indicator?
For Brita filters with smart indicators such as the style jug, the LED button displays three colors to indicate the current filter situation.
The green light shows that the filter is functioning properly, the yellow light shows that time has gone by, and you will soon need to replace the filter cartridge.
On the other hand, the red light shows that the cartridge is no longer useful and you need to replace it with a new one as soon as possible.
Under sink water filter for well water
Some have different types of indicators. Instead of LED lights, they use bars such that after a week of filtration, one bar drops and another after a week until the last bar drops. Then you will need to replace the filter and reset the indicator.
Can Brita filters make you sick?
Never have I ever heard a properly working Brita filter to have made anyone sick. However, it is quite possible to get sick from using a worn-out Brita and unhygienic filter.
Why? The main purpose of the filter is to get rid of contaminants in the water. Therefore, drinking from a bad filter means contaminants such as bacteria get to the filter.
I should also add that poor hygiene and failure to change your water filter regularly makes it a good habitat for pathogenic microorganisms.
Do Brita filters actually do anything?
Some people may argue that since tap water never makes them sick, using Brita filters is unnecessary.
Little do they know that tap water contains heavy metals such as lead which are poisonous? Brita filters eliminate contaminants from the water, giving you clean, purified water.
Everybody deserves good drinking water free of contaminants such as heavy metals and chemicals. Using Brita filters is one way to go about this.
However, you should know how the different parts function. One of the most important parts is the indicator, which tells you when you need to change the filter cartridge.
Most people are troubled with this question, how does a Brita filter indicator work? As you might have realized, the science behind its functionality is not complex at all.
All it does is indicate how long the filter has been in use and alert you when it can no longer perform as required.
