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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 180 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
160 of 162 found the following review helpful:
 Finally, a SERIOUS water filter! Oct 16, 2005
By Esther Schindler
My husband is allergic to chlorine, so a shower filter is an absolute necessity. We've probably tried every filter that the home supply stores carry -- and this one makes all of those look like toy equipment.
It's not that the filters you get at Home Depot don't work. They do; they're certainly an improvement over the hard water we have, not to mention clearing out the chlorine. The thing is, they don't last long. The filters don't last three months, and we've never had the gizmo itself survive for more than a year. Usually, they broke in a dramatic manner, spraying the entire bathroom as they cracked with a loud bang. Depending on the design, they were also awkward to install, especially if you have a non-mundane shower head.
We've had the Aquasana for six months, and I've just bought the first replacement filter for it. This is definitely a significant improvement over those "basic" filters, and it's worth the extra money. The filtering is MUCH better -- I can tell the difference in that "I just feel cleaner" way -- and the filter lasts twice as long. It wasn't a bad installation, either. If you go to the company's Web site, you can also sign up for the filters to be auto-shipped to you, which is a distinct time savings.
Yes, this one costs a little more than the "basic" units you'll find at Lowe's or Home Depot. And it's definitely worth the expense.
121 of 124 found the following review helpful:
Bulky, Pricey...But Works As Advertised Dec 10, 2006
By Paul Stuart
""...also I'll brush my teeth and remember to turn off the stars at night and put the hyena out." ERN"
Akin to most Amazon products with multiple reviews, there's something to be gleaned both from the positive AND negative feedback. This is certainly one of thosse products.
First things first: the Aquasana Shower Filter does what it promises. Expect noticeably cleaner and fresher water immediately after installation. I've used this in two different states over a 1.5 year-period. In both instances, the natural odor of the local tap water disappeared completely from my shower after installing this filter, likewise the water gunk ring that used to form after a week or two without it.
Related, this is one wonderful showerhead. I'm amazed with all of the filtration going on (alluded to below), such powerful pressure is produced. The multiple setting showerhead is likewise quite user-friendly, rarely -- once every 8-10 months -- requiring a moderate pore cleaning.
The Aquasana Shower Filter, however, is not perfect. This is one expensive solution to shower filtration. Ditto on filters which cost upwards of $35 (minus shipping), only available online (in most instances). It also weighs a ton + is enormous; if you have old or fragile plumbing, this is NOT the filter for you. Related, shower plumbing with minimal distance between the wall and the location of the shower head (<8 inches) might encounter problems with spacing.
Installation is likewise frustrating, requiring trial and error beyond description (for a moderate DIY'er). Getting the filter on without leaking plus the shower head firmly secure to the plumbing requires sufficient patience. Based on feedback from several reviewers, special caution should also be taken not to overtighten the filters to the shower head (to avoid housing unit cracking).
It also takes a hefty number of water gallons to clean the filter's carbon residue upon initial installation. I often thought I could fill the Erie Canal in the amount of water required to completely flush one Aquasana filter.
In sum: the Aquasana filter might be expensive, an installation bugger, and both large and bulky. It does, however, work quite well. My wife and I easily notice the quality loss (in water hardness, softness, odor, ph, chemicals, etc.) every time we shower elsewhere.
63 of 67 found the following review helpful:
 mixed emotions - cracks consistently Feb 06, 2008
By K. kornegay
i have mixed emotions about this product. the filter itself is great -- as soon as i stopped using it, i noticed a very definite difference in my skin and hair -- i miss the filter and long to have another one. HOWEVER, three in a row have cracked on me. the first one i let it slide because they ship every six months on auto-ship and i was due a new one in the next week. The second one cracked within a month of replacement, i called the company and explained the problem. They were happy to send a replacement but i had to pay the shipping (!?!). That frustrated me, but since i hadn't reported the first one, i paid the shipping and they sent me a new one. The third and last one cracked within a couple of months and i just gave up. i'm tired of paying for a faulty product and the company doesn't seem to care whether it's faulty or not. I also had the under the sink kitchen filter, which i also loved, but was very upset to come home one day and find the cabinet under the sink flooded. It was a gasket, which the company replace for free and i didn't have to pay the shipping (light weight items), but i still had to deal with the flood under the sink. The filter itself works great, but the housing is shoddy and not worth the trouble to keep using this product. i'm now using a PUR undersink filter (which also works and tastes great - definitely better built) and am looking for a new shower filter. Sigh....
60 of 65 found the following review helpful:
singin' in the shower Feb 24, 2005
By B. K. Stucky
"bearded one"
After much research on the Internet, I came to the conclusion that this unit from Zoe Industries is the best bang for the buck. Having used a cheaper unit from one of the big name hardware stores and finding it totally inadequate, we purchased this unit through Amazon.com. It came with a new adjustable showerhead that puts out a wonderful spray pattern. The unit was easy to install and we no longer detect any smell of chlorine in the water. The replacable cartridge is an easy twist task without tools. I'm confident it will last as long as any unit in or even above it's price range. NO MORE DRY ITCHY SKIN!!! Get one and you'll be singing too.
27 of 28 found the following review helpful:
Using Aquasana shower filter for the first time. Mar 13, 2008
By Simon Shin
I just received my filter today [with the optional extension piece since the combined price took an additional 10 dollars off the hose extension].
My review is on the installation and reaction with a first shower [I just stepped out of the shower and wanted to share my thoughts].
1) The initial unpackaging, installation, and prep work was as not difficult as I imaged it would be: unscrew your old shower piece with a nice size wrench [I used one that allows you to change sizes of clamp - like a monkey wrench], you then *carefully* hold your new filter up and screw it in, then look for a nice medium size bucket to catch the water in when you first turn on the water...this part is the part every seems to leave out. You need to be very careful with the pressure of water when you first turn on the shower. I put the water on at near full speed and the water splattered all over the dry bucket and realizing that when you first run water through the unit, there is a bunch of black water (this is the carbon filter that even fish filters use). I ended up with black water splattered all over the sides of the shower walls in places I could not reach. I was standing on the shower/bath rim trying to reach these black water spots and realized how dangerous this was. Becareful of the speed of water when you first run the unit!
2) There was a leak. Not a profuse leak at first, but a moderate speed of water dripping from the space where the shower piece and the water pipe (from the wall) meet. I had my wrench handy to find the "sweet spot" to tighten or loosen the unit to stop the leak. Going in either direction cause the drop to accelerate and even eventually turn to a small leaking flow of water! I figure rather than over wearing the shower unit's metal contact piece and the pieces inside (i.e. washer and plastic parts), I need to visit LOWES or Home Depot to purchase some of that white vinyl tape wrap that you put over screw pieces to stop leaks. Don't over exert yourself on stopping the leak by repeatedly loosening/tightening the piece, it does not work.
3) If you buy the separate hose attachment, the filter and hose take up a lot of space and you end of angling the clamp that holds the "wand" piece nearly horizontally. The water will shoot out the other end of the shower and hit the wall...splashing water all outside the shower as well. The way around this was rotating the filter at a slight angle, so its not hanging completely down vertically. This leaves room for the clamp to angle lower so your wand will shoot right where you are standing.
4) The water quality is noticeably different. I checked my local water district's water quality table online [just Googled my city + "water"] and it turns out Chlorine was one of the words listed on that table. I have noticed that whenever I took showers the water would leave my skin extremely dry to the point where it felt sticky and tact. After stepping out of the shower just now, it feels less so. I imagine it will be even better later on as I continue to use the shower filter.
*Update: April 8, 2008*
Its been almost a month since my review of first use. After one weeks use of the shower, a fine size crack appeared on the hose attachment. I e-mailed the main company site and they sent my a new hose free of charge [without having to send in the defective one]. I still have a leak, but the leak is only a slow steady drip, and I hardly notice it. Since my first shower, I noticed that the quality of the water purity has been less clean/fresh than when I first used the unit. Though there is a difference than when I showered without the filter [especially the grainy/sandy/dry feeling on my skin], this feeling on my skin has come back to a noticeable degree even with the filter on! For the price, trouble of replacing the hose unit, the problems when installing the unit, and the noticeable decline in water quality in only less than a month [please note, I have checked my local water district to make sure the added chemicals were ones that Aquasana stated it could filter], I would take back the 4 star review and give it a 3 or even a 2 and 1/2 stars.
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