SpriteShowers HOB_CM High Output Brass Metal Shower Filter Housing, Chrome

TLDR: This is one of the best shower filters on the market for removing free chlorine, and is also effective on sodium hypochlorite, lead, mercury, iron, hydrogen sulfide, iron oxide, bacteria, algae, fungus, dirt, sediment, and odors. Like all shower filters, it's not effective on chloramines and won't soften your water by removing magnesium, calcium, or other minerals. Chloramines can only be effectively removed from cold running water using a carbon filter, and minerals can only be removed by a water softener - in both cases typically using whole-house systems.Sprite filters use a combination of Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF, aka copper zinc water filtration) and Chlorgon filter media, both of which operate on redox (oxidation/reduction) chemical processes that are effective at typical shower water temperatures (85 to 105 degress Fahrenheit) and allow high flow rates and volumes with a relatively small amount of filter media. Carbon is not effective above 80 degrees Fahrenheit for example, above which point it readily sheds contaminants back into the water.Sprite filters are only certified to NSF standard 177 for aesthetic effects (specifically free chlorine removal), but the filter media should be effective on other contaminants as well. The phenomenal efficacy of free chlorine removal was independently verified by "reviewguy" in 2007, when he measured a 99% reduction in free chlorine from 1.67ppm to 0.02ppm. His page disappeared back in 2008 but can still be accessed via Wayback Machine.KDF, which is used by most shower filters, removes chlorine, lead, mercury (only at low concentrations though), iron, and hydrogen sulfide. It has a mild anti-bacterial, algaecidic, and fungicidic effect and may reduce the accumulation of lime scale (but does not significantly alter water hardness). It does not remove organic chemicals, such as pesticides and disinfection byproducts, nor is it effective against the parasitic cysts of giardia or cryptosporidium. It's only effective on water that's already relatively clean (TDS<150) and within a pH range of 6.5 to 8.5. There is some worry that the chemistry behind KDF is dubious however, so take all of this with a grain of salt and verify efficacy with a test kit if you're relying on this filter to help with anything beyond free chlorine.Chlorgon, unique to Sprite filters, removes free chlorine (Cl-), combined chlorine (sodium hypochlorite), hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell), iron oxide (rust water), dirt, sediment, and odors. It converts free chlorine and some combined chlorines to chloride salt, which makes Sprite filters more effective at removing chlorine than filters that contain only KDF.Chloramines are a combination of ammonia with chlorine that can easily be removed from cold running water using a carbon filter, or from warm or hot water using a very large amount of media (much larger than would fit inside a shower filter) or a very long contact time. If there is a shower filter out there that claims to remove chloramines, most likely it’s a very tiny percentage which would hardly make a difference. According to the chloramine.org FACTS page, “There is NO certified showerhead filter to remove chloramine”. Of note, the half-life of chloramine removal using vitamin C is 4 minutes, so that can be an effective way to remove chloramines from something like bath water but the very brief contact period it has in vitamin C shower filters makes them completely ineffective.Minerals and metal cations such as magnesium and calcium (the primary constituents of hard water) are not removed in significant amounts by any water filters. The most common way to remove them (and therefore soften your water) is by means of lime softening or ion-exchange resins. The only water softener I'm aware of that can be installed in a shower is the WaterSticks ShowerStick, which is available with one of two ion exchange resins, both of which are effective at removing magnesium and calcium, and one of which is effective at removing iron as well.I bought this to replace the plastic Sprite shower filter I had for years because I wanted an all-metal one. The plastic one it replaced still works great, so it will probably be used elsewhere. As with the one it replaced, the water coming out of this filter feels great and seems more agreeable to my hair; it's one of the first things I install when I move to a new place. Installed easily between a solid metal shut-off valve and solid metal arm-mount hand shower using blue monster thread tape.I'm also working on measuring the impact this filter has on water quality and will update this review with the results.The other products I'm using:●  DANCO Shower Volume Control Shut-Off Valve, Chrome, 1.6 inch, 1-Pack (89171) ●  100% Solid Metal Hand Held Shower Head Set with 2.5 GPM High Pressure Spray Wand, 72" Long Stainless Steel Hose & Brass Holder Bracket for Hotel Quality, Polished Chrome ●  Mill-Rose 70885 Blue Monster PTFE Pipe Thread Sealant Tape, 1/2-Inch x 1429-Inches, Blue ●  Sprite HOC Replacement High Output Shower Filter

I've only been using this filter for 3-4 weeks but right away I noticed my hair was unusually soft after shampooing and rinsing. I didn't realize how harsh and straw like my hair used to feel like before installing this filter. A Draw back is it makes my shower head too close to my head because it installs before your existing shower head lowering it a few inches from where it is without the filter. Also I did leave the optional water saver o ring in the filter inlet side when I installed it so the water pressure is very low when you put that o-ring water reducer in there...but you dont have to use it. I am afraid that if I don't use the water saver o ring the filter life will be too greatly reduced so I'm just living with lower water pressure for now. Our city water here has more chlorine than my swimming pool! I've tested the water out of the tap with my chlorine pool test kit and the chlorine level is so high it's off the chart. That woke me up to the seriousness of this from a health aspect, so I just stopped drinking or showering except with filtered water. The rosacea like rash I used to get on my forehead almost daily for the past 4 years has now gone away. I feel sure the chlorine was toxic to my body. I've read this filter doesn't last very long but I can't report on that yet. I will never shower without some type of shower filter again. Test your tap water with a simple chlorine test kit or have a friend with a pool do it for you to make sure you know what your family is exposed to. I have to say this filter is well worth the money. It's chrome and looks like part of your existing fixture also. It's not cheaply made.

I owned the first generation of the High Output filter, and I loved it. I tried several other brands of shower filters and almost every other filter clogged up on my in a couple of months. The High Output Sprite filter is the only one that went the distance (time).My original unit was made of plastic and while I have owned it for nearly ten years, the plastic around the threads where it screws onto the Shower pipe were starting to crack and I was having to over tighten the unit to get it to stop leaking. This had the unfortunate side effect of pushing the O-ring into the hole opening, which is criss crossed with plastic to reinforce the opening, and unfortunately restricted the water flow. Remember that was the plastic version of this brass unit.This brass unit has none of these deficiencies. It is a very sturdy and solid unit. It screwed onto the pipe easily and sealed with little fuss. It is heavy, but what do you expect from brass. The openings at both ends are unobstructed holes. Water flow is strong and vigorous.The images for this unit often look like the threaded portion onto which you screw the shower head is very short. I had reservations about buying this unit because of those images. Please rest assured that upon having the device in my hand, I was no longer concerned. The threads are plenty long enough and a little teflon tape should make for a good seal.I am expecting to get 15 or 20 years of service out of this unit before I need to worry about replacing the o-rings and once I replace the o-rings I expect I will get another 15 to 20 years. If you purchase this unit, I would expect nothing less for you as well.Do remember to replace the filter inside every 6 to 12 months.

We had to replace our plastic filters with theses. These ones last until filters need to be replaced from use.

Most durable and beautiful shower head filter. Also the best filter for better water. Feels like rainwater, you can drink the water in the shower. I can’t shower anywhere else now.

We have had the same shower filter for several years and works very well. We needed a new shower filter for our second bathroom and decided to purchase a second one.