Multiple Water Filter.

The secondary filter is not
connected yet

Why do I require multiple water filters?

This is due to the very poor quality water being supplied to our home by the water Authority.  Until a filter is installed, the contaminated  water is normally not visible to our naked eyes.  I always use two filters. One sediment filter is installed at the main inlet pipe from the water Authority and a secondary ceramic filter at the kitchen tap. This works very well for many years. But recently, the quality of the  water  has deteriorated. The main sediment filter is unable to clean the water efficiently. This resulted in the secondary ceramic filter in the kitchen being clogged quickly with low pressure and lightly stained water.

This is only two-week usage.
See the amount of contaminants.

In spite of the regular back flush washing of the primary sediment filter,  stained water still flows into the kitchen tap and water tank.

To overcome this problem, a second sediment filter was installed to re-filter the water.

See how dirty is the ceramic filter candle.
Compare this with the clean filter candle above.

To fix up  a water filter using UPVC pipe and joints is a fairly easy job, Unfortunately, my primary filter is connected to the water main and kitchen using copper pipe.  Therefore, I have to connect the second sediment water filter with the same type of pipe. Copper pipe and copper fittings,  now cost ten times the price of similar hardware made of UPVC. The advantage is no odor contamination in the water using copper pipe.

15mm and 20mm Copper pipe

If cost is an issue, one can still use a combination of UPVC and copper pipe but this will involve additional couplings and adaptors, due to thread difference.

The couplings, elbows and t-joints required
for the connection.

These are the tools required.

Use copper tube cutter to cut the pipe
to the required lenght

Looks complicated but offer various options.
By just switching the ball valves, the filters
can change from serial to parallel
or stand alone operation.

The piping work looks complicated. This is not a simple two-serial filter connection.  This connection provides many options. These two sediment filters can operate as a stand alone filter, serial filter or parallel filter, by just turning the ball valves. The stand alone filter operation is very useful when one filter is undergoing back flush washing. During  back flush washing of the filter, the water supply is temporary halted.  But the other filter operates normally and hence. there is no disruption of water supply to the kitchen or the water tank.

This whole job cost RM320.00 (USD100.00) and took nine man-hours to complete. The 20mm copper pipe is selling at RM8.00(USD2.50) per foot run. Each copper coupling/elbow cost RM7.50(USD2.35).