How to Make Your Own Water Filter

Are you satisfied with the purity of your drinking water? When you see the residue your evaporated drinking water leaves in a pan, it might make you wonder what all you're drinking. Of course, you can gain peace of mind by having a sample tested at a laboratory. But you may want to filter it anyway.

If you have decided you ought to filter your water but are unsure if it will make any difference, why not make your own trial carbon water filter? It isn't difficult or expensive, and it will give you the option of seeing what carbon can do to improve your water quality.

Step one is to acquire the needed supplies. You will need a piece of vinyl hose and a drill and bit the size of the outside hose diameter. You will also need a length of 2 1/2 inch PVC pipe, a cap and a can of sealant. Finally, you will need a paper coffee filter.

Drill a hole in the center of the PVC cap. Insert the vinyl hose into the hole, making sure it fits tightly. If it leaks, silicone sealant should be used. Push the cap onto the PVC pipe and, if needed, seal it with PVC sealer. Next, fold the piece of filter paper and push it into the PVC pipe so that it covers the hole in the cap.

Hold the unit upright and fill it with carbon. Then, run water over the carbon until the PVC is full. Check to be sure the vinyl tubing is dispensing the clean water into a washed storage container. It is advisable to discard the first batch since you could not guarantee no contaminants were in the materials you used.

A stand can be made with two 4 inch squares of wood, a wooden base and attached upright. Drill a hole in each 4 inch square large enough for the PVC. Then screw the wood blocks to the upright piece and insert your filter. A setscrew can be used in one of the square supports so the PVC does not slide down.

Your unit is ready to use. Remember, the more carbon you have in your PVC pipe, the more filtering takes place. Thus, the longer it is, the better. Also, be sure to replace the carbon periodically and to clean out the inside of the PVC while it is empty. The frequency will depend on how much water you filter through the unit.

This unit has obvious limitations. It is not designed to produce a great quantity of water. But if you keep the PVC full and store the filtered water, it will surely provide sufficient drinking water for several people.