ZENWATER 6-Gallon Countertop Gravity Water Filter System - Portable Alkaline Filtration System - Enjoy Clean and Mineral-Rich Hydration At Home, Office, or Travel

I will start by stating that I am not an employee of Zen, nor do I have any affiliation with them and am not receiving any form of payment or renumeration from them. I have well water which contains iron particles and sulphur (rotten egg) smell at times. The water is pre-filtered, as it comes into the house, using a 5 micron sediment filter, then through a water softener. The water at the tap still contains small particles of iron (which does not get trapped by the 5 micron sediment filter) and occasional sulphur smell. The PH of the water at the tap is acid, in the neighborhood of 2 to 3 on the acid PH scale. The reason for purchasing the Zen water condititioning/filtering unit was because of the obvious iron residue after pre-filtering and softening and the metallic taste in the tap water, which affected coffee and tea making and made the tap water unpleasant to drink. The unpleasant metallic taste in our tap water affected the boiling food items such as pasta and potatoes, which absorb a lot of water. Because of this, we began using bottled water for cooking, coffee and tea making and drinking. This was getting quite expensive as well as the monumental hassle of carrying several gallons of water from the store to home each week. This is what prompted us to investigate water filtration systems. After thorough evaluation of many different systems, we decide that the Zen or Berkey would suit our needs. We opted for the Zen because the only difference seemed to be the fact that the Berkey would filter viruses (and the obvious cost difference). Since we don't live off-grid, nor drink from streams, lakes or ponds, we decided that we did not need the level of filtration from the Berkey. Our water is potable, except for the above stated reasons. After our Zen filter arrived, we thoroughly read through the instructions. The set up took about 30 minutes or so. We flushed through two full cycles of filtered water as instructed then tasted the water. There was no iron taste, nor was there any sulphur smell. The water was very good. The Zen filtering system worked exactly as advertised. In days subsequent, we used only the filtered water for drinking, coffee and tea. Also, we used only the filtered water for cooking. The taste of all items was definitely improved and no longer had that unpleasant metallic flavor. Even the our cake, bread and pizza dough (a major ingredient is water) was greatly improved to the point where we could taste the difference in the finished product. There are some reviews which complain about leaking spigots and 5 stage filter. In the case of the spigot, I'm sure it's possible to receive a faulty product, but I have found that dealing with Zen directly, they have a great customer service department. I was careful to assemble the spigot using properly the gaskets supplied. I have no issue with a leaky spigot. It does not leak. In the case of the 5 stage filter leaking, Initially, I had some difficulty in screwing the filter on to the filter ring so that it would not leak. I used some plumber's teflon tape. While it made screwing the filter onto the filter ring much easier, it did not totally prevent leaking. I thought that some type of washer or gasket between the filter and ring would work, however, since I was not able to find a pre-made washer or gasket of sufficient size at my local hardware store, I purchased a small sheet of gasket material. Using the filter as a template, made a gasket to fit the filter. Now it seals perfectly. The only other way the filter can leak is the following: The water in the top tank must be filtered through a .2 to .5 micron ceramic filter, which drips the water into a recess in the top of the 5 stage filter. As long as the water flows through the 5 stage filter at the proper rate (more quickly than the ceramic filter) the recess in the top of the 5 stage won't over flow and cause a leak around the filter ring. The flow rate through the 5 stage filter can be slowed by the small particles inside the filter settling, thereby causing the water dripping through, to become restricted. When this happens, I simply remove the 5 stage filter from the tank and rap it against my hand several times to shift the granules. When I do this, I notice an immediate increase in the flow of water through the 5 stage filter. Other than that, I have had no negative issues with the Zen filtering system. It works exactly as advertised. After using it for a few weeks, I am very happy with it. My water no longer has a metallic taste and the PH has increased to between 7 and 8 using standard water testing reagent.

One of the main reasons I bought this filter was because of its ability to purify and hold gallons of water. I drink A LOT of water and my previous filters were seemingly never able to filter fast enough. This filter does not filter quickly, however, that is not as important, because the bottom tank holds so much water. I just keep filling it as I use it, so I never seem to run out. It works great for me that way. It does come with a lengthy set up process, and it is not one of those products you just drop in a filter and start using it. I read all the comments before buying it and I followed one in particular not to rush the set up process, but to follow each direction exactly. That was really helpful advice! It comes with a booklet and on the back it says "troubleshooting", which was helpful for me because apparently I didn't scrub the top ceramic dome well enough, which caused it to be blocked and not to filter (note-you'll need to scrub that thing aggressively for it to work properly). The first batch wasn't that great (as it says will happen), so I dumped it and started over. The flavor progressively improved after the first few batches. I am not that fond of the mineral flavor that is added by the mineral stones, so I just took those out and I don't use them. The flavor is perfect now and I love that it can handle my water drinking habits without any issues. Just one more thing to think about - one great thing I learned about this after set up was that it requires little maintenance and doesn't cost much to replace the filters and etc. The soonest you would need to replace anything (if you are a massive drinker) would be every 6 months to a year! I used to replace those filters in my Brita every month, because I drank so much water! Not to mention, the overall maintenance costs are equivalent or cheaper than others. Overall, VERY worthwhile purchase!

I love it - the water tastes great! There's such mixed reviews on this, I almost didn't buy it. But, I'm glad I did. A few things you should know when you buy this - first is that it comes in pieces and requires some assembly. No tools or anything, but I was surprised when it arrived in a nice small compact box. It took about 5 minutes, it's easy, but just so you know you'll have to put it together. Next, we have super hard water - and to Zen's credit, it completely filters out all the rust in our water - which is amazing. However, there are some things to know if you have really hard well water (like we do!). First, is to prime the filter and the dome in filtered water. I didn't do this at first, but when I need to replace I will. Purchase some filter water and let it prime for 30 minutes in clean water. Second, if you have super hard water, it's a slow process. You are not going to have clean drinking water in 10 minutes. And the harder your water, the longer you'll wait. It is a slow filtration process, you have to be willing to wait for quality results (I mean, come on, it's going through EIGHT filters!!!!). It starts out slow (I think priming the filter and dome by letting them sit in water would speed this us though) and it does gradually get faster. I timed it by marking with a dry erase marker, but the 5th fill, we were seeing noticeably faster filtration. Keep in mind, it's osmosis that works with gravity, it's not a speed drip or forced drip, it's going to take some time, but it's so worth it! Likewise, the spout doesn't use force to push out the water, so it's slower to fill a cup or pitcher. And the lower the water in the tank, the lower the pressure is to come out the spout. (Again, it's gravity and pressure - it's not rocket science!) All in all, if you're patient enough to get it going and really want to have water that's healthy and doesn't take funny - this is a great product! The filter water is incredibly refreshing and I don't have to go to the store and fill up jugs anymore!

So, I bought this unit last year and started using it in June of 2016. I live in a place (desert southwest) where the water quality can be "iffy," and so, previous to purchasing this, was buying water out of the vending machines they have all over town (note: in some parts of the United States, they don't have them, but here in the desert southwest, they're everywhere. Typically, it's 25 cents a gallon, or, in some cases, you can fill a 5 gallon bottle for $1.00. I only mention this because I've been to other parts of the U.S. where they don't have these machines. They give good quality water.... reverse osmosis, carbon filter, and UV purified; so when talking about the water quality this unit gives, that's what I'll be comparing to). So, my thinking was this: if the Zen unit gives you a water quality pretty much just as good as the vending machines for less than 25 cents a gallon, it would be worth it. I did some quick math before ordering, and decided it would be. Plus.... there's another factor to consider. Taking your empty water jugs and DRIVING to the water dispensing machine to fill them up. That's a cost factor I also considered. Not to mention the time to do so.... coming and going in traffic, etc. Even though I am only one person, I opted for the 6 gallon dispenser. I think it was actually a few bucks cheaper than the 4 gallon model at the time, so that's what I did. When I was driving to and from the water dispensing machines, I was using the purified water I purchased ONLY to drink. With the dispenser, I use it for more things..... the pets, making tea and coffee, etc. (note to people making Kombucha tea.... you don't want to use water with chlorine in it!). So, those are some other factors to consider too. When I got the Zen unit, I decided that whenever I would fill up dispenser, I would use a gallon jug, and then keep a running tally on a sheet of paper. That way, at the end of the year, I would know how many gallons I used. Between June 1st, 2016 and September 8th, 2017, I used 452 gallons of water. My cost of the unit PLUS one replacement filter (the ceramic filter lasts a year... the "5 stage filter" only lasts 6 months, so I had to buy one of those in February) was a total of $99.29. That makes the cost -- for the first "year" of ownership (you'll note that I stretched the filter life out a little longer than the recommended year) comes to an average of 22 cents a gallon. So, when you consider the time in the car, hauling BIG water jugs (mine were 3 and 5 gallon bottles.... and they weigh a LOT when full!), and constantly making sure you have quarters on hand.... The "first year of ownership" having water from the Zen unit was cheaper. Just today, I thoroughly cleaned the unit and replaced both filters (altogether -- maybe about 45 minutes tops). Now that the unit has paid for itself, I am projecting an average cost for the 2nd year of ownership to be about 11 cents a gallon (that's basically just the cost of the replacement filters needed for one year -- one ceramic filter and two "5 stage" filters). Yes, you DO have to take it apart and clean it every now and then. That is a MINOR hassle (funny how getting in the car to go get water when you need it is a "different" kind of hassle..... right? LOL). But.... truth be told, I kind of got lazy the last few months and just kept filling it up and letting it do it's thing.... and didn't clean it for a couple months.... and the water STILL tasted good! Truth be told, I think it's a great product..... and I think it DOES give great quality water. I've done a lot of research on water filtration and water quality, and R.O. will probably always be my favorite method..... but..... for those who do NOT want to install an R.O. unit (in order to make clean water, they also waste water in the process... that's another factor to consider)...... I think you'd really be hard pressed to do any better than this unit. I read a LOT of reviews before I purchased this. I DO NOT KNOW if the "knock off" 5 stage filters work well or not (people say the threads don't always match up right). BUT..... they can be had for cheaper than the replacement filters that are made by the Zen folks. As they say, YMMV ("your mileage may vary"). Also, people complained it was slow to drip through. Yes, I understand that. With this unit, you need to "plan ahead" a little. I usually top off the upper tank before retiring at night, and that way, there's always water to make coffee with in the morning. I don't have an axes to grind here.... I didn't get a free product. I don't work for a water filter company. But I think this is a great product, it's environmentally friendly (when you consider other options.... driving to a water machine, or using an R.O. filter that wastes water as part of its filtration process), and I think it gives really good quality water. Having said that, I do add a little lemon juice and trace minerals to my drinking water. I am a firm believer in trace minerals. Plus, they do add a nice little "taste" as well. If you live in a part of the country where you have truly EXCELLENT quality water (i.e., from snow melt or other pristine sources), you may not need a unit like this. But I do, and I'm glad I made the purchase. I hope this info helps you make your decision.

Ok, so I have had this product for about 2 weeks now. I use it to make my coffee, drink, and cook with. The water is great tasting, after drinking this water for two weeks, both my wife and I noticed that the TAP water smells like a ton of chlorine. It's like drinking this water has woke my senses up. We have a 2 stage filter in our fridge which does a descent job but does not compare to this filter, and for the price!! you can't go wrong. Water is smooth and tasteless. The filters have long life as well and it also comes with a 15% off your first order which we ordered two extra water filters. To clarify the filter life (which you could find on their site had you taken the time to read, directed toward a two star review!) *The five stage filter is good for 6 months or 500 Gal (whichever comes first) the top Dome ceramic filter is good for 1,000 Gal. or every year and the stones need to replaced every 3 years or so. The system does not remove fluoride because it is a completely dissolved mineral/chemical but does remove 99% of everything else. Any who, the quality of the water you are getting from a 69$ system is going to be way better than any Britta or Pur system; also the filters are way cheaper. Paid less than 15$ a piece (with discount) and I have filters for the next year in a half. Now about being cheap...I don't see anything that would make this any way cheap. I think the construction is fine for the use of the product (I am not camping with it or anything). Those who had cracked pieces where maybe due to shipping, that is from a third party shipper; and for anyone who has leaks..Well they provide silicon washers which are great because they don't crack or corrode over time. If you have leaks in any of the spout of dome filter area check to make sure you did not over tighten, also wet the washers a bit before applying. In the begging I had a tiny drip from the dome filter to the five stage filter. I had over tightened the wing nut. The problem was fixed after taking them off, wetting the washer and re- applying the nut at a "snug" fitting and half turn tighten till the leak was gone! product I also use this for my Salt water reef tank. Now for anyone looking to do this or has been searching around for a cheap solution to wasteful RO units or just want to save some money you may want to look into this unit. I do still use PRIME water conditioner and let water sit for 48 hours prior to use..and oh yeah I also have Phosguard in a netted bag that soaks in the water for 24 hours (to remove any phosphates that may be in the water). It does work great; I have no hair Algae growth or any brown or purple algae at all! and I feed 3 times daily. Now just a reminder, do not use the mineral stone that comes with the filter system, I just use it when we want drinking water and some times I do with out it all together. Long story short, if the water quality allows my sps, zoas, and mushroom corals to thrive then the water quality must be better than tap water.

I had to order the upper tank for my zen water system from 2013.. the upper tank has gotten a leak in it so I ordered directly from Zen Water Systems the upper tank for a 6 gallon system.. they sent me the upper tank for a 4 gallon system. I have called customer service at Zen Water Systems multiple times. It has been 5 weeks. Last week I contacted PayPal and I was notified yesterday I have been reimbursed for my purchase buy PayPal. Zen Water Systems will not back up products they sell beware and think hard before you buy this system. I am amazed at the difference in the water I now drink. It is hard to believe it came from the nasty city water. So far none of the people I tested on could tell the difference between Zen and spring water in a bottle. I think Zen water tastes better than the bottled water! May 15, 13 Seller does not stand on its own product's worthiness. I just heard back from the seller. I purchased this item on may 2 and got it during week of may 8th. 2 months later the handle to the spigot has broken. The pin that holds it snapped. So you can't get any water out of it. The seller says buy a new spigot. I get less than 9,000 a year. If I had know that the seller's true intent is to nickel and dime you to death with parts replacement purchases I would not have bought this item. I am on a very small budget and I have to be very selective of what I get from amazon. This is the first time I have dealt with a seller on amazon that wasn't willing to do the right thing. The seller doesn't back up their own product. I assume because they know they use very cheap and easily to break parts on purpose. It appears their intent is to get you to buy parts every few months. Amazon should not support their scheme. Shame on you, Amazon.

Obviously a bit more up-front cost than a Brita water filter, I think you'll find that it's well worth it in the end. With the filters lasting a year or more if will maintained, it's well worth the cost. Additionally, the multi-stage filter with the mineral additive rocks makes WAY more of a difference than I would've expected. The water just tastes... "crisp". Like it is out of a mountain spring. This is VERY different than what I've had from years of using a Brita, so I've purchased enough spares to last me 8 years. That's how much I like this thing. There's a couple very small "gotchas" though. The first is that if you buy the 6 gallon version, it does NOT hold 6 gallons. It's more like 3.5 gallons in the bottom, and 2.5 gallons in the top. And there's no mechanism to keep it from overflowing if you put more water in the top than the bottom has space for. You'll end up wanting to use a sharpie to put some marks on the top and bottom portions so you'll know when the ideal time to top it off is. Secondly, it's SLOW. VERY slow. This is to be expected with the ceramic filters, so I wasn't shocked, but if you're not familiar with them, you might be. It can filter about 2 to 3 gallons per 24 hours. So keep that in mind when buying it. If you have a large family that goes through a lot of filtered water, you're either going to need multiples, or have to look at something with lesser quality filtering, but more throughput (like a Brita). All in all, very highly recommended.

I bought this unit a couple of months ago, and I can't say enough good things about it. The setup was pretty straightforward. My only problem was not getting the spigot tight enough at first. I set it up overnight and woke up to a counter full of water. Once that was corrected, however, it has been smooth sailing since then. There is a very noticeable difference in the taste of our water. I wouldn't have called it "bad" to start, but it is definitely softer and smoother. The six gallon size is more than enough for the two people in our house. We fill several water bottles and keep them in the refrigerator so we always have cold, clean water ready to go. The filter works very slowly, literally dropping one or two drips at a time, but it's amazing how quickly those drips add up. I make sure to check the levels of the upper tank every morning and evening, just to make sure the filter runs continually throughout the day, unless, of course, the bottom tank is already full. I noticed the top dome shaped filter getting dirty after about a month, and thought I needed to replace it. After looking on the Zen website, it turns out a little scrubbing under cold running water solves the issue and you are good to go again. If you notice your water filter is not working as quickly, this is probably the issue as well. You should clean it at least once a month, maybe more depending on your water. I feel like this filter is worth every penny. Not only do we have great tasting water, I love that we are no longer filling our recycling bin with water bottles. This is a great investment for your health, and for the environment.

Easy assembly, I watched a YouTube video and affordable, the only criticism I can say is that the rocks are not too many but it's okay for the price of $140+. No product damages but be careful when washing the tanks because it scratches.

My daughter and I love how much better our water taste with this system. Totally in love with this product. Just wish it didn't get damaged from purolator as the shipping box looked like it was kicked around

A lil bigger then expected but worth it

Very good product!! Bought 2 of them. As well @Zen Water Systems, where can one buy the top tank portion as this one is kinda leaky. Thanks -Joseph

it works as promised. This product delivers.