Frequently Asked Questions

Questions

Ready-Read™ technology provides peace of mind that you always get the purest tasting water. The new integrated meter allows for an instant TDS read out of water as it passes through the device’s body. Consumers can still remove the meter and test their water in a separate glass as well.

Simply place the TDS meter into the dock above your spigot. Turn on, and it will instantly read the TDS level within your device. Once you have read it, hit the on/off button again to turn it off. If you want to test your tap water, or a competitors filtered water, just remove the TDS meter, and place in the cup of water. Once completed place it back on to the dock near your spigot.

Remove all packaging from the 22 cup device. Thoroughly clean your device with mild soap and water. Then simply push the spigot into the front of your 22 cup device and push until you feel it lock into place.

ZeroWater® is a 5-stage filter that uses Ion Exchange Technology to remove virtually all (99.6%) detectable dissolved solids. And the filter is IAPMO certified to reduce PFOA/PFOS, lead, chromium and mercury. 

View the chart here.

No, the meter measures Total Dissolved Solids and is not intended to measure lead or PFOA/PFOS levels.

 

The EPA has established a maximum threshold of 15 ppb for lead content in tap water. ZeroWater® 5-stage filtration is certified to meet these requirements.

The TDS meter included provides a reading of total dissolved solids in Parts Per Million, ppm.

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are organic and non-organic sediments found in water, which contribute to a difference in the taste and appearance of water. Dissolved solids enter our water supply through old piping, run-off from road salts, pesticides, fertilizers and more.

No, ZeroWater® 5-stage filtration does not change the pH levels of the water. Continued use of the filter, after it expires, will only deteriorate the ion beads and a reduction in pH may occur. The reduction in pH is not dangerous but there is a chance under extreme filter exhaustion that the pH levels may be reduced low enough to where you will experience a taste difference in the water, occurring at a meter reading below 1 or 2. We highly recommend replacing your filter upon exhaustion and not attempting to overuse your filter. 

A filter may develop an air bubble or air pocket. Carefully lift the reservoir, grip the body of the filter at its mid-section and give the filter 4-5 squeezes while there is water filtering through. This will return the flow back to its normal state.

Yes, our 5-stage filter does contain activated carbon derived from coconut shell. This environmentally friendly material serves as an effective and non-leaching agent in our filtration process, ensuring superior water filtration results compared to other alternatives.

How Does It Work?

The ZeroWater® Ion Exchange Filter consist of 5 stages that combine multiple technologies to remove organic and inorganic contaminants in the water.

Our ion exchange technology is comprised of a mixed bed (cation & anion resins) of small sized polymeric beads. Ion exchange is a reversible chemical reaction where dissolved ions are removed from solution and replaced with other ions of the same or similar electrical charge. The cation beads contains hydrogen ions (positive charge). The anion beads contain hydroxide ions (negative charge). The resin works by exchanging contaminant ions in the water with the hydrogen and hydroxide ions.The contaminants attach to the beads while the hydrogen and hydroxide are released into the water. These two ions combine together to produce H2O.

The filtration will be slower than conventional 2-stage filters because its 5-stage filtration works much harder to remove more contaminants. Our flow rate is 6.5 oz per minute.  

Once the well has been approved for drinking, ZeroWater® 5-stage water filters work with well water the same way they do with any other tap water.

Distilled water involves the process of boiling the water, transferring the steam to another container where the vapors are condensed and everything that doesn't evaporate will remain in the first container. While the 5-stage filtration system by ZeroWater® uses the process of deionization which involves filtering the water. The ion exchange beads in the filter take the ions or minerals out of the water. People usually say that distilled water can taste flat whereas the 5-stage filtered water by ZeroWater is described as crisp and refreshing. Distillation also requires electricity and takes hours to treat water.

5-stage filters produce water that is a similar purity level to that produced from an RO system. Additionally, our systems don't waste any water and operate
based on gravity. In addition, they do not need to be installed into your plumbing.

The ZeroWater® 5-stage filter gives you the same quality as distilled, without the electricity or hassle of transporting the water home from the store. Distilled still has TDS.

What Does ZeroWater® Remove?

ZeroWater®'s 5-stage filtration technology removes 99.6% of TDS and does not discriminate between bad chemicals and good minerals that could be present in the water; the filter removes all of these. Many nutritionists recommend that you receive essential vitamins and minerals from a well-balanced diet, and not necessarily from water alone. Additionally “The consumption of low TDS water, naturally occurring or received from a treatment process, does not result in harmful effects to the human body.” We encourage users to read the following article which articulates this question in further detail. Read article here.

ZeroWater®'s 5-stage filtration system is IAPMO certified to reduce lead below the standards as set by the FDA (5 ppb).

ZeroWater®'s 5-stage filters have not been independently tested to reduce pharmaceuticals from your tap water.

Our 5-stage filters have been independently tested by an EPA certified lab for the reduction of fluoride with an overall reduction percentage of 99%.

Yes, ZeroWater® 5-stage filters are IAPMO certified to reduce Chromium 6 by 99.7%. 

Our 5-stage filters have been independently tested by an EPA certified lab for the reduction of arsenic with an overall reduction percentage of 99%.

The current system is meant to be used with municipally treated, potable water as the current filter will not remove microbiological contaminants.

ZeroWater® 5-stage filters have materials commonly used in the industry to treat uranium. ZeroWater® filters have not been tested due to the high levels of uranium required for testing.

At this point ZeroWater® 5-stage filters have not been tested for the removal of cryptosporidium(microbiological cysts).

ZeroWater®'s 5-stage filters have been independently tested in a 3rd party lab and proven very effective in reducing chloramines. However, if you have chloramines in your water, it may reduce the expected life of the filter, necessitating more frequent filter changes. Please note that our 5-stage filters have not been officially certified to NSF/ANSI standards for Chloramine reduction.

At this point ZeroWater®'s 5-stage filters have not been tested for the removal of phenol.

The filters do not remove dissolved oxygen from water.

Troubleshooting Filter

There are a few ways which this can be resolved.

1.    Make sure there is a complete seal when the filter is threaded. Ensure the filter is threaded correctly (watch for cross-threading) and that the blue filter gasket is fully seated against the water reservoir.

2.    The most accurate way to get reading is to test the water directly inside the pitcher. You can do this by removing the reservoir from the pitcher and sticking the meter in the filtered water sitting in the pitcher.

When the filtered water tastes acidic or fishy the filter has reached the point of exhaustion and must be replaced. Filter life depends on your household water consumption and the amount of TDS (total dissolved solids) in your tap water (water chemistry varies by source and how it’s treated locally by your town or municipality). Please refer to the tds chart to determine how many gallons you will get per filter. It is important that you periodically test your filtered water with your water quality meter and when the meter reads 006 or higher the filter should be replaced.

The contents inside the filter are rinsed with purified water before they are packed. Sometimes, this can cause condensation inside the bag/lid, which is harmless. Unlike other popular filters, our filters do not need to be soaked, flushed, or otherwise prepped prior to using.

No need to presoak our filter, we have already done it for you with purified water. This can cause condensation inside the bag/lid, which is harmless.

There is only one type of filter which fits into the 5-stage filter pitcher line by Zerowater. However, the filters for the ExtremeLife faucet mount and the EcoFilter both fit into different filtration devices that are not intended to filter 99.6% dissolved solids.

Troubleshooting Meter

The TDS meter supplied is intended to detect and measure TDS (total dissolved solids) in PPM. Test your water regularly.

To use the TDS meter, remove cap, turn the meter on so that 000 is displayed, and submerge the tip of the meter into the water. We recommend that you change filter when the meter reads 006 on filtered water.

The meter includes (2) LR44 alkaline batteries. To change the batteries, slide off the battery compartment section. Align positive ends of the new replacement batteries pointed to the left. Do not mix old and new batteries. Do not mix alkaline, standard or rechargeable batteries.

View instructions sheet

The meter should have a 000 reading in your filtered ZeroWater® but will most certainly read something greater than 000 in unfiltered water.    

If your meter is reading 000 in your unfiltered water:

1. Turn the meter on

2. Remove the battery compartment (opposite the side with the blue cap & 2 metal probes) by pulling and sliding it out of the meter.

3. This acts as a battery restart.

4. Reinsert the battery compartment back into the meter and turn it on.

5.Remove the blue cap to expose the 2 metal probes and retest your unfiltered water.

The TDS water quality meter that comes with your system is provided so that you can measure your TDS on an ongoing basis -perhaps every other day. This is especially important if you have high TDS water (over 300), as your filter will need to be changed more often. By using the TDS meter to frequently measure your filtered water, you will know it is time for a filter change before it has gone too far past 006.

As with any electronic device, sometimes you may encounter issues with the TDS meter.

Try the following troubleshooting tips for resolution, if these do not work please contact our customer service team at 800-503-2939

·       Remove the cap from the meter and turn the meter on so that 000 appears in the display window.

·       If the meter was stored with the pitcher in the refrigerator, it may need to come up to room temperature in order to function properly.

·       You may need replacement batteries. The meter takes 2 LR44 button cell batteries, available at most locations that sell watch and hearing aid batteries. To replace batteries remove the battery cap, located at the end of the meter, opposite of the end used to test the water. The battery cap should pull straight out. The flat side of both batteries should face left. Once the batteries have been replaced, slide the cap back into the meter.

The meter takes 2 LR44 button cell batteries which can be found anywhere you would buy a watch battery.

The meter cannot detect uncharged particles such as organic contaminants. It cannot detect undissolved particles such as bacteria.

TDS levels change in hot or cold water from the same tap because containments dissolve easily in warmer water which leads to a higher reading. The TDS meter corrects for temperature, but if the water is too hot it will give artificially high values. In general, the most accurate reading will be at or near room temperature.

The hold button can be used to hold the TDS reading on the meter when the meter is removed from the water. After placing the meter in the water and getting a reading, press the hold button and remove the meter from the water.

Care/Maintenance

Clean your device in warm water using mild soap then rinse and dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Additionally, rinse the exterior of your filter with warm water for 30 seconds, and dry thoroughly with a paper towel.  We have found that drying with a cloth towel can leave soap residue, making obtaining a 000 reading difficult.

We do not suggest putting your device into the dishwasher, but hand washing instead.

Filter life depends on your household water consumption and the amount of TDS (total dissolved solids) in your tap water (water chemistry varies by source and how it’s treated locally by your town or municipality). Please refer to the tds chart to determine how many gallons you will get per filter. It is important that you periodically test your filtered water with your water quality meter and when the meter reads 006 or higher the filter should be replaced. It is strongly recommended that the reading not go past that point. Unlike conventional filters, you many notice a difference in taste or smell when the ZeroWater® filter has reached end of life. We highly recommend you change your filter at this point.

The filters do not have a shelf life as long as they remain sealed in their plastic bag and are stored in a cool dry place.

Yes, we have a recycling program. Follow the directions in this form, we are working on making this process easier for our customers.

Click here for our Recycling Form

Filters should be stored in a cool place out of direct sunlight.

Sorry to hear of the issue with your pitcher/dispenser. Please contact our Customer Service team at 800-503-2939, option 2, so we can work with you to resolve this issue.

The ZeroWater® system contains specific materials which inhibit the growth of bacteria within the cartridge or inside the filter cartridge.

ZeroWater® filters are made of BPA Free Polypropylene. ZeroWater® devices are made of BPA Free Polypropylene and ABS.

Our standard pitcher filters use coal-based activated carbon mixed with KDF and a mixed bed of ion exchange resin in a BPA-free housing.

Certification

The ZeroWater® 5-stage filter and compatible pitchers are system certified by IAPMO R&T against NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for reduction of chlorine taste and odor and against NSF/ANSI Standard 53 for reduction of lead, chromium (Hexavalent), PFOA, PFOS and mercury for 15-gallon capacity.   

Yes! You can find it here!

Warranty

Limited Warranty for ZeroWater® Dispenser,Pitcher, Bottle Filtration System, and TDS Meter.  

Zero Technologies, LLC warrants the ZeroWater® Dispenser, Pitcher, Bottle FiltrationSystem, Travel Bottle and TDS Meter to be free from manufacturing defects for 90 days from the date of purchase, when used in compliance with the Owner's Manual. During this 90-day period, if you discover a manufacturing defect in your ZeroWater® Dispenser, Pitcher, Bottle Filtration System, Travel Bottle or TDS Meter (excluding the filter), we will replace the parts free of charge. To file a warranty claim, call 1-800-503-2939 or Contact Us. Dated proof of purchase required.

Filter Cartridge Limited Warranty

Zero Technologies, LLC warrants its filters to be free from manufacturing defects for 30 days from the date of purchase, when used in compliance with the Owner's Manual. During this 30-day period, if you discover a manufacturing defect in your filter, we will replace free of charge (minus shipping costs). Dated proof of purchase required. To place a claim for a defective filter, you must first call 1-800- 503-2939 and speak to customer service to trouble shoot the problem. If a potential manufacturing defect is identified, we will provide instructions on how to return the filter for laboratory testing. If the lab determines that the filter is defective we will replace it free of charge. If no defect is found, your filter will be returned to you. NOTE: This warranty does not guarantee the life of the filter for any specific period or volume of use. For more information about expected filter life, see the tds chart.