[instructions] How to connect water filtration under the sink

Why, which, with what and how to install a water filtration system also under your sink? Find out everything you need to know about choosing and installing a cartridge water filtration system here and now.

Why you also want a water filter

Fabulous "living water" can be bottled from your tap. Okay, it won't have the miracles of the fairy tale. But definitely this water will taste absolutely luxurious. Such crystal clear drinking water will flow into your tap after passing through filtration.

Special filters prevent the passage of unwanted water components. These are organic substances, foreign particles (e.g. rust or sand particles). They also remove unpleasant water odours caused by chlorine.

A good filter can also work with water mineralization, whereby thewater is enriched with magnesium - among other things, it supports coffee extraction -at the expense of the calcium content in the water, which is responsible for the well-known and unpleasant problem of limescale. If you use filtered water, it will greatly extend the life of your coffee machine or water kettle.

See, I didn't even go overboard with the live water to begin with. Let's summarize the benefits of a water filter in a neat list.

What are the benefits of a water filter

Protection from dirt, coarse and fine foreign particles in the water
elimination of chlorine, etc. organic substances reducing the quality of drinking water
reduction of carbonate hardness of water, leading to scale problems
mineralization of water with magnesium ions (Mg²⁺) to improve water properties

PS: If you go ahead with the installation of a water filtration system from BWT, you can also add the advantage of easy installation and future cartridge replacement.

What to start with - choosing a water filtration system

The absolute most convenient solution for water filtration is to install a water filtration system with replaceable cartridges. Because you're tired of constantly making filtered water little by little from a filter kettle. If you have a coffee maker with a direct water connection, then ...wait you don't have cartridge filtration yet?

Don't worry, we'll get this missing device for perfect water out of your tap right away. It will be a two-level decision:

Filter cartridge type - classic BWT Bestmax, premium BWT Bestmax or BWT Bestprotect
cartridge capacity - sizes S, V, M, XL, 2XL

Differences in BWT cartridges - water filters

BWT bestmax	BWT bestmax PREMIUM	BWT bestprotect
5-stage filtration	5-stage filtration	5-stage filtration
activated carbon filter	activated carbon filter	activated carbon filter
decarbonisation filter	decarbonisation filter	decarbonisation filter
filtration of water and bypass	water and bypass filtration	water and bypass filtration
easy installation and maintenance	easy installation and maintenance	easy installation and maintenance
vertical and horizontal connection	Vertical and horizontal connection	Vertical connection only
in sizes X, S, V, M, L, XL, 2XL	in sizes S, V, M, XL, 2XL	in sizes S, V, XL
	magnesium mineralisation	pH stabilisation
		protection against CaSO4-2H2O

Tables of settings and filtration capacities of BWT cartridges

The required cartridge size is calculated from the estimated required capacity. Thus how many litres of water will flow through the cartridge until the next replacement (the cartridge lifetime is always a maximum of 1 year after connection). The filtration capacity decreases in proportion to the increase in the overall water hardness.

How to determine the correct water filtration capacity

We want 10 l of filtered water per day from a BWT bestmax PREMIUM cartridge. This means that approximately 3650 litres per year will flow through the filter. We can consider (according to the table below) a size V, but we still need to find out the total hardness of our water. According to the "drip" water test, we will find a value of, say, 14°TH. And now we are sure that the ideal for us will be BWT bestmax PREMIUM XL with the bypass setting (by pass) at number 3.

BWT bestmax

Size	X	S	V	M	L	XL	2XL
(A) Height without bracket in mm	280	360	420	475	500	500	574
(B) Height incl. bracket in mm	300	385	445	500	530	530	600
(C) Connection height in mm	230	310	370	425	450	450	520
(D) Filter body in mm	88	88	115	130	145	145	185
Weight in kg, (dry / in operation)	0.5/1.1	0.9/1.5	2.1/3.2	2.4/4.2	3.4/5.9	3.8/6.0	7.5/11.0

Beverage dispensers without steam generation
Total water hardness	Bypass	Size
Total water hardness	Bypass	X	S	V	M	L	XL	2XL
<7°dTH	3	>1025	>1710	>4285	>6510	>8910	>11655	>20570
8°dTH	3	900	1500	3750	5700	7800	10200	18000
10°dTH	3	720	1200	3000	4560	6240	8160	14400
12°dTH	3	600	1000	2500	3800	5200	6800	12000
14°dTH	3	510	855	2140	3255	4455	5825	10285
17°dTH	3	420	705	1765	2680	3670	4800	8470
20°dTH	3	360	600	1500	2280	3120	4080	7200
23°dTH	3	310	520	1300	1980	2710	3545	6260
25°dTH	2	<255	<430	<1075	<1635	<2235	<2925	<5160

Hot beverage preparation with steam generation
Total water hardness	Bypass		Size
Total water hardness	Bypass	X	S	V	M	L	XL	2XL
<7°TH	3	>855	>1425	>3570	>5425	>7425	>9710	>17140
8°TH	3	750	1250	3125	4750	6500	8500	15000
10°TH	3	600	1000	2500	3800	5200	6800	12000
12°TH	2	445	745	1865	2835	3885	5080	8965
14°TH	2	380	640	1600	2430	3330	4355	7685
17°TH	1	265	445	1115	1695	2320	3030	5355
20°TH	1	225	375	945	1440	1970	2575	4550
23°TH	1	195	330	825	1250	1715	2240	3955
25°TH	1	<180	<300	<755	<1150	<1575	<2060	<3640

BWT bestmax PREMIUM

Size	S	V	M	XL	2XL
(A) Height without bracket in mm	360	420	475	500	574
(B) Height incl. bracket in mm	385	445	500	530	600
(C) Connection height in mm	310	370	425	450	520
(D) Filter body in mm	88	115	130	145	185
Weight in kg, (dry / in operation)	0.9/1.5	2.3/3.2	2.8/4.2	4.0/6.0	7.8/11.0

Beverage dispensers without steam generation
Total water hardness	Bypass	Size
Total water hardness	Bypass	S	V	M	XL	2XL
<7°dTH	3	>1285	>3085	>4625	>7370	>12000
8°dTH	3	1125	2700	4050	6450	10500
10°dTH	3	900	2160	3240	5160	8400
12°dTH	3	680	1630	2450	3900	6350
14°dTH	3	580	1400	2100	3340	5440
17°dTH	3	430	1035	1550	2470	4025
20°dTH	3	365	880	1320	2100	3420
23°dTH	3	315	765	1145	1825	2975
25°dTH	2	<290	<700	<1055	<1680	<2735

Hot beverage preparation with steam generation
Total water hardness	Bypass	Size
Total water hardness	Bypass	S	V	M	XL	2XL
<7°TH	3	>1070	>2570	>3855	>6140	>10000
8°TH	3	935	2250	3375	5375	8750
10°TH	3	750	1800	2700	4300	7000
12°TH	2	565	1360	2040	3250	5290
14°TH	2	485	1165	1750	2785	4535
17°TH	1	355	860	1290	2060	3355
20°TH	1	305	730	1100	1750	2850
23°TH	1	265	635	955	1520	2480
25°TH	1	<240	<585	<880	<1400	<2280

BWT bestprotect

Size	S	V	M	XL	2XL
(A) Height without bracket in mm	360	420	475	500	574
(B) Height incl. bracket in mm	385	445	500	530	600
(C) Connection height in mm	310	370	425	450	520
(D) Filter body in mm	88	115	130	145	185
Weight in kg, (dry / in operation)	0.9/1.5	2.1/3.2	2.8/4.2	3.8/6.0	7.5/11.0

Hot beverage preparation with steam generation
Total water hardness	Size
Total water hardness	S	V	M	XL	2XL
<7°TH	>855	>2140	>3143	>5125	>8570
8°TH	750	1875	2750	4458	7500
10°TH	600	1500	2200	3590	6000
12°TH	505	1250	1833	2620	5000
14°TH	440	1070	1570	2245	4285
17°TH	380	880	1294	1850	3525
20°TH	310	750	1100	1570	3000
23°TH	240	600	957	1175	2400
25°TH	<225	<556	<880	<1090	<2220

To install water filtration under the sink, prepare

The main thing - the type of cartridge, we have selected. Now let's list the necessary accessories for installing the water filtration under the sink. So, in addition to the cartridge, you will need the following to connect the filtration:

Pressure flexi tubing to connect the water from the line to the filtration and from the filtration to the faucet/coffee maker,
BWT Besthead Flex connection head for cartridge filtration,
I highly recommend you also get the BWT Protector mini as a pre-cartridge particulate filter, especially if you expect to use filtered water for your coffee maker (the plumbing in the coffee maker has very narrow components that even small particles in the water could clog).
It's also handy to have a BWT AQA monitor with an LCD to check the water flow through the filter, because that way you'll have accurate data on filter usage, whether you change it too early or too late. After all, a new cartridge isn't exactly a penny item, is it?
And then of course additional connecting hoses and fittings (reducers, elbows) as needed, or according to the specific types of threads on the water inlet, faucet, coffee maker water inlet, etc. You have to see what you actually have under the sink. ????

I'll also mention the necessary DIY equipment, i.e. what tools will come in handy when installing a water filtration system: tighteningwrenches and gaskets like silicone tape will also help.

How to install water filtration under the sink

Now we come to the final step, the actual installation of the water filtration system.

Check and prepare your water filter, accessories and tools for installation so that you have everything together and handy.
Get under your sink, or the place of your choice where you want to install the water filtration system.
If you'll be splitting the water supply for the unfiltered water and the water for the filtration,turn the lever on the water shut off to the off position before disconnecting the current hose from the sink faucet . (No kidding. More than one such "plumber" got an ice shower right off the bat.)
Now just assemble the filtration system according to the diagram below. (Note that the diagram shows a general water filtration assembly and does not include wiring for individual accessories.)
Don't forget toset the "by pass" on the filter cartridge head to the correct value you know from the water hardness test and tables earlier in this article.
Done. Turn the water shutoff valve to the "on" position, now you can test your filtered water and check that nothing is leaking or drippinganywhere under the sink.