PUR Explorer Water Filter/Purifier

[Drizzt]

What has happened with PUR and the Explorer?

I did a lot of research and it came down to the MSR Waterworks or the PUR
Explorer.
I got the Explorer, and now it has disappeared off the market.
PUR does not answer e-mails (no company does).

Well, I guess it is back to boiling and iodine!!!

--

Mark K. Thompson
http://home.earthlink.net/~caltrop77588/index.html

[CLK]

Why buy a water purifier when you can make one?
Carl

Remove the trash before replying....

[Dave]

Why buy food when you can hunt it down and kill it?

Dave

CLK <dus...@trash.lasal.net> wrote in message
news:3b1b5ff5...@news.gj.net...

[SPeacock]

PUR is having some retrofit problems with the virus killing potential of
their filters. Until everything passes you may not find a lot of them on the
shelves. The filters still get the big critters (bacteria, etc) it is just a
problem with the virus. In the US (actually most of No Amer) there is
little chance of dying from a waterborne virus. But the if the company wants
to be competitive with the other's claims, they gotta get the little buggers
too. I understand it has been tested, but now awaiting a blessing from the
THEM that does that kind of thing.

[Shawn Graham]

Actually there are not many purifiers/Filters on the market that do anything
other than the Big Critters (bacteria)

MSR Waterworks
Katadyn
Sweetwater
PUR

Are all filters and most of their models will remove all the major Bacteria.
In order to Purify and remove viruses you have to have the virus in contact
with Chlorine or Iodine for at least 20 minutes, or you could boil. No
purifier has the water in contact with the Iodine for that amount of time.

But from what I've heard you are correct in that Most of North America need
only worry about Bacteria. But if you are going to some swampy area and
want to purify I would suggest first treating the water with Iodine or
Chlorine

I believe Chlorine does not leave the taste that Iodine does and is better
for you in the long run? I've heard of this product called Pristine?
Something like that, I can't remember exactly but it is basically a Chlorine
type treatment that you leave in contact with the water for at least 20
minutes, maybe even 30 minutes.

Rgds
SPeacock <xpea...@pacbell.net> wrote in message
news:3B1BA2D4...@pacbell.net...

[Phil Reither]

> I got the Explorer, and now it has disappeared off the market.
> PUR does not answer e-mails (no company does).

> Mark K. Thompson

Hey Mark,

This mail has nothing to do with any water filter.

All I wanted to say, is that a lot of companies write back. I got responses
from almost every ("hiking") company I wrote. The list would include
companies like "Mountain Hardware, MSR, Vaude (Markill)...".

phil the sycohiker

[Woody Schlom]

"Drizzt" <caltro...@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:vBES6.256$fI.2...@newsread1.prod.itd.earthlink.net...

> What has happened with PUR and the Explorer?

Unless they removed the write-up and link, PUR does semi-explain the problem
on their website. Basically it boils down to this:

1) The original Explorer came with an optional screw-on charcoal filter that
removed the residual iodine from the filtered water.

2) The filter did NOT work as advertised. The iodinated resin filter did
NOT kill viruses on contact. Iodine needs time to kill viruses. The exact
amount of time depends on the temperature of the water AND the concentration
of the iodine. Generally it takes about 20-30 minutes for the iodine to do
it's thing. But because the Explorer's charcoal filter element removed the
iodine almost immediately, viruses were not killed.

3) PUR (and SweetWater) were forced to take their purifiers off the market
until they met EPA tests (I think it's EPA -- even though FDA makes more
sense).

4) PUR sent out e-mail messages to registered owners of their purifiers (I
got one), and also posted an article on their website on how to make your
PUR purifier effectively kill viruses. Basically you remove the charcoal
filter element and let the filtered and iodinated water sit for at least
20-30 minutes. Then you can pass this filtered water through the charcoal
element to remove the iodine.

This works, but sort of negates the expense and weight of the purifier.

5) I like the Explorer filter because it's so easy to clean and filters a
LOT of water quickly. But I'm VERY angry at PUR for lying to me about it's
effectiveness. I'm particularly angry because I e-mailed them before I
bought mine asking for a scientific explanation for how and why it could
work. I didn't understand how it could kill viruses on contact. They gave
me on a bunch of BS about the super high concentration of iodine on the
resin, and not trusting my own good common sense -- I bought it. Shame on
me.

Oh well. Live and learn. But it sure is easy to clean and pumps like
crazy.