It wasn't all that long ago that the only way you could effectively remove fluoride from your drinking water was with expensive reverse osmosis systems. When the Waters Co Ace Mineral Pot came on to the market, all that changed. The original was a little cumbersome and the physical jug had a couple of design flaws that needed some improvement. Last week saw the launch of the new 2.0 version of the jug, and in the spirit of being the store that offers the most thorough information, we whipped one straight out of the box, set it up and took photos for you. In this post, we'll show you exactly how the jug works and also offer some alternatives for those who want great filtration but want to leave the fluoride in.

The mechanics of the filtration system

These remain unchanged from version 1.0 to version 2.0, so you're still getting the same quality filtration. Using a 10 stage filtration system with a pre-filter, activated carbon filters, ion exchange resin, bio organic alkaline minerals, organic germanium, far infrared and magnets, the following is removed from your drinking water:-

  • up to 99.99% of fluoride
  • up to 99.99% of chlorine
  • up to 99.99% of bacteria
  • up to 99.99% of lead
  • up to 99.99% of copper
  • up to 99.99% of aluminium
  • up to 99.99% of mercury
  • up to 99.99% of cadmium

The filter also adds around 60 bio organic trace minerals back in to your water and the magnets restructure the water molecules to increase cellular hydration. This jug produces some of the cleanest and purest tasting water you'll ever taste. The addition of the minerals to the water does make the pH level of this water more alkaline than tap water. Research shows that this has no effect on the pH level of your body, however, these added trace minerals are beneficial to your overall health.

What size is the jug?

The new slimline design means this jug can go in your fridge door if you want to keep your water chilled. It's 27cm high, 25.5cm long (from handle to spout) and just 11.5cm wide. The bottom part of the jug holds one litre of filtered water and the white funnel holds another 900ml. The total volume of the jug is 1.9 litres.

How long does the filter kit last?

It is rated for up to 2 years or 4,800 litres of water. You get all this with your initial jug purchase, which is enough to last you for 2 years or 4,800 litres (depending on the quality of the original water). Despite the up front investment, over 2 years, this is actually cheaper to run than any budget jug you'll pick up from the supermarket, and even our in-house fluoride free jug option.

Please note, the top filter is also called the upper filter in the manual. They are the same thing.

 

Quick filter flushing guide

Regardless of the brand, when you purchase a new water filter, the cartridges need to be flushed to remove anything loose that comes out of the cartridge.

  • Wet the Main Filter and the Top Filter that you're going to be using under cold running water and soak for 10 to 15 minutes
  • Temporarily install the Top Filter only in the jug and run 10 to 20 litres of warm water through it until any odour has gone
  • Assemble the remainder of the filter as per the instructions below
  • Run 5 litres of cold water through the jug fully assembled before you start drinking

*all this water can be saved and used to water your garden or lawn

How do I put my jug together? (the long version)

This new version is a little simpler, but still requires a few steps, so we'll go through them with photos. Remove the lid. To do this, gently lift up the end that's in the left of the photo (where the flap is to pour the water from) and once it is lifted a little, gently pull to the left. The very end of the lid gently clicks in to the top of the handle (marked with a *) so it doesn't fall off.

Wet and soak your main filter and one of the top filters for 10 to 15 minutes.

Put your top filter inside the funnel and run 10 to 20 litres of warm water through it. Do not have the main filter attached at this stage. The top filter requires more flushing than the main filter. This step should be taken every time you replace the top filter (which is 6 months). Keep flushing until there is no longer any odour present in the water.

Remove the white insert from the jug.

After pre-soaking the main filter as per the instructions, screw the main filter on to the bottom of the funnel.

(1) The pre-filter housing goes on top of the TOP FILTER (above), then you place the white filter on top of the housing (2) and then you use the white round piece (3) to hold the pre-filter in place (4). You get three of these in the kit.

Before putting the lid back in place, use the dial underneath the lid to set the date for your next filter change. It's up to you whether you want to set it for every 2 weeks for the pre-filter or just for every 6 months for the top filter. I recommend just the 6 months for the top filter.

The pre-filter sits on top of the top filter and we have shown you how to put each of the three pieces together in this step by step image below.

Put the lid on and flip up the middle flap and your jug is now ready to fill.

 

I have the old style jug and I need new filters. What do I do?

The filter kit for the new version of this jug doesn't fit the old version. Don't worry though, you are covered by our upgrade guarantee. Simply contact us when you are ready for a new filter set and you will be provided with a discount code to purchase the jug at the same price as a replacement filter kit. It doesn't matter whether you bought the filter from us or from someone else, the guarantee still applies. As long as your jug is a minimum of 12 months old, you quality. Contact us today for the upgrade.

I want a jug that doesn't remove fluoride from my drinking water

Not everyone wants to remove fluoride from their drinking water and it is a personal choice. We offer another solution, a water filter jug that removes everything listed above except the fluoride and still puts minerals back in to your water. From the same company that brought us our popular 2 litre water bottle, visit the Enviro Products category for more details.

I want a benchtop system

Waters Co also have a benchtop filter system in a 5 litre version and also a 10 litre version, starting from $599. You can view the full Waters Co range HERE >. The Waters Co benchtop systems have a glass reservoir with bpa free plastic housing around the filter components.

I want a plastic free benchtop system

While the Waters Co Benchtop system has a glass reservoir, it still has a plastic filter housing and plastic base and lid. For a 'virtually' plastic free filter, we have the stoneware filters from Southern Cross Pottery. They are available in 10 litre or 12 litre size in a variety of painted finishes. Each one is painted and fired to order and take approx. 3-4 weeks for delivery.

The actual filter is ceramic as well, but is screwed in to place with a very small piece of plastic. There is no 100% plastic free option in this space, but this is very close. You can choose from two different filter cartridges, the Royal Doulton Filter (leaves fluoride in your water) and the SCP Fluoride Plus filter cartridge (removes 97% of fluoride).

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