Chris Coffee Water Filtration - Page 2

Water analysis, treatment, and mineral recipes for optimum taste and equipment health.
User avatar
Randy G.
Posts: 5340
Joined: 17 years ago

#11: Post by Randy G. »

I have two articles on my website which document plumbing a machine in with JG parts and the CC softener system:
Plumbing in an Espresso Machine - Part 1
Plumbing in an Espresso Machine - Part 2
EspressoMyEspresso.com - 2000-2023 - a good run, its time is done

User avatar
Peppersass
Posts: 3690
Joined: 15 years ago

#12: Post by Peppersass »

I use one of the commercial softeners sold by Chris coffee. It recharges with salt pellets. You can get get a bag of salt pellets at Home Depot for about $5. My water is about 150 ppm and I recharge the softener once a year or less. I think the bag of salt pellets I bought will last for decades.

The Hach 5B kit is excellent, but the resolution is 1 grain or 17 ppm. They make another kit that will measure down to 1 ppm, but my recollection is that it costs about $50. The reason I bought the higher resolution kit was to be able to see when the softener output starts to rise above 0 ppm, indicating a recharge will soon be necessary. I like to be ahead of the curve.

Advertisement
Thermosiphon
Posts: 85
Joined: 7 years ago

#13: Post by Thermosiphon »

I use the water filtration system in your original link. As long as you only need to remove hardness and a carbon filter, it's great. For more fastidious sytems (e.g. La Marzocco) you might want to go commercial, but for the vast majority of water supplies that won't be necessary.

For me, I found it extremely easy to install and hook up -- even with no prior plumbing experience, and even doing so in an apartment where I could not make any big structural changes to the kitchen counters.
Cheers,
Bill

Charlene
Posts: 494
Joined: 7 years ago

#14: Post by Charlene »

miguels wrote:Hello,

I'm tying to find a good water filtration system for my Linea Mini that isn't too expensive (I.e. Optipure RO). Does anyone use this one from Chris' Coffee, or have alternate recommendations?

https://www.chriscoffee.com/Water_Softe ... ftsysg.htm

Thanks!
I would suggest that the cost of replacement filters, and how often they have to be replaced given your local water situation, is as big or bigger consideration when evaluating the cost of a filtration system.

We have a General Electric home reverse osmosis RO water filtration system plus a water softener (our water is hard as a rock) and are considering replacing the GE RO filtration system due to the over the top prices charged for filter replacements. Dang!

We spend about $125 two times a year for replacement filters for the filtration system. That does not include the cost of salt replacements for the water softener.

User avatar
JohnB.
Supporter ♡
Posts: 6579
Joined: 16 years ago

#15: Post by JohnB. »

You can buy the softener cartridges for the CCS system for $10 to $15 each if you shop around. The carbon filters run about $8 each. I get around 8-9 months between filter changes with my 120 ppm hardness well water.
LMWDP 267

Charlene
Posts: 494
Joined: 7 years ago

#16: Post by Charlene replying to JohnB. »

That is good news, John.

If the CCS unit was the only filtration system we used locally, the water here would kill the filters in short order.

Your hardness: 120 ppm / 17.1 = 7 grains, if my math is right.

We have about 25 grains locally.

Our hardness: 17.1 * 25 = 427.5 ppm

Charlene
Posts: 494
Joined: 7 years ago

#17: Post by Charlene »

When the time comes, we will have a line tapped off the RO filter system and run over to the espresso machine as its water supply.

Post Reply