Instructions for a Pur Water Filter Faucet Installation

The company Pur is well known for its water filtration technology. The company makes pitchers, attachable filters and faucets that reduce up to 70 common water pollutants down to negligible levels. With America's infrastructure beginning to significantly age and the growing concern for landfills and the environment, a Pur filter or homemade water filter can be an affordable way to ensure clean water for the household.

You don't need to purchase and install an entirely new faucet. Pur makes filtration units that attach to the end of most common kitchen faucets, allowing you to easily install filtration technology without significant work.

Nearly all kitchen sink faucets have an aerator — the round bit attached at the very end of the faucet. The first step is to remove that aerator (it screws on and off) and determine whether or not the faucet will need an adapter. The filter might fit the faucet's current size; if not, the Pur kit contains several threaded adapters to ensure the filter and faucet can work together.

Once the correct adapter has been identified, put the suitably sized rubber gasket (also included in the kit) into or on the adapter and screw the adapter into the end of the faucet. You should be able to finger-tighten the adapter into place.

Once the adapter is in place, you may have to assemble the filter unit. This involves taking the top off of the filter unit, removing the packaging from the filter itself and placing it into the filtration unit. There should be an obvious alignment arrow or a matching shape within the filter unit that guides the installation of the filter. Screw the top of the filter unit back on manually once the filter is in place and properly aligned.

Once assembled, the filter unit should simply click into place on the adapter. Push it in until you hear the click. This means the filtration unit is securely installed. There may be a button you need to push to activate filtration.

Once the filtration unit is in place, run cold water through the filter for at least five minutes. Once this flush has been done, the filter is ready for use. Most models have a display light that will flash to indicate the remaining life of the filter: green for good, yellow for nearing the end of its life and red for replacement.

Many models also have a way to turn filtration on and off. This allows users to conserve the life of the filter during tasks like washing dishes or cleaning countertops where normal water is perfectly adequate.

Sometimes, with older faucets, it can be hard to fit an adapter to the existing threaded end of the faucet. Pur does offer other fittings, but they'll likely have to be ordered through the company's website by talking to a customer service representative to make sure an alternate fitting will solve the problem.

In addition, there can sometimes be leaks around the connection point, which wastes water. In this case, check the rubber gasket to make sure it isn't cracked, damaged or pitted. If so, the gasket will need to be replaced. If not, tighten the adapter assembly back into the threaded part of the faucet and make sure you're using the correct size gasket and adapter.

The Pur filtration system can last up to two years in some cases. It's an affordable way to improve the quality of your drinking water and helps keep thousands of plastic bottles out of the landfill.