Brita water filter

[staffie]

Hello All,
Does anybody know if and where in paphos i could purchase a Brita water jug and filters from.

thank you

[Lincoln]

I have seen the filters in Pap's and so would assume that the jugs would also be there?

[staffie]

Ok, thank you for that Lincoln

[daveg]

Phillipos, Coral Bay...

[aphrodite]

They can be quite expensive here, around the €40 mark.

Amazon UK are currently selling them for £16.50 https://www.amazon.co.uk/BRITA-Elemaris ... ter+filter

And the filters are much cheaper too.

[Dominic]

Blimey, cheaper in the long run to get a water cooler. Only 2 euros for a huge bottle.

[cyprusmax47]

Blimey, cheaper in the long run to get a water cooler. Only 2 euros for a huge bottle.

Don't forget Dominic the electricity consumption of a water cooler all Summer long. Also the design of these cheap water cooler is poor as the water in the huge bottle which sits on top is NOT cooled. What happens is, if one does not use the water within a few days bacteria are growing in this bottle as in daylight and high temperatures they love it. So this water with the bacteria is then cooled down inside the unit which does NOT effect them. Many Cypriot households and companies using that kind of water dispenser and are used to the bacteria, while we are not. The perfect unit would be designed in a way that the big bottle is inside the unit like in the large American fridges in a dark environment and COOL. They are available but very very expensive.
Max

[PeteandSylvi]

Blimey, cheaper in the long run to get a water cooler. Only 2 euros for a huge bottle.

Don't forget Dominic the electricity consumption of a water cooler all Summer long. Also the design of these cheap water cooler is poor as the water in the huge bottle which sits on top is NOT cooled. What happens is, if one does not use the water within a few days bacteria are growing in this bottle as in daylight and high temperatures they love it. So this water with the bacteria is then cooled down inside the unit which does NOT effect them. Many Cypriot households and companies using that kind of water dispenser and are used to the bacteria, while we are not. The perfect unit would be designed in a way that the big bottle is inside the unit like in the large American fridges in a dark environment and COOL. They are available but very very expensive.
Max

While I do not dispute the science behind your post I have to ask has anyone heard of anyone being made ill from using one of these? Certainly I never encountered any problem in the one installed at my works in the UK. I know lots of ex-pats with them and have never heard of a problem.

We don't have one at home as we are happy drinking our tap water which we keep in a jug in the fridge in summer.

Pete

[Dominic]

Indoors the temperature doesn't get that high anyway.

[JimX]

Correct Lloyd I bought ours from the mentioned Supermarket many years ago, and the fillers are available here too, although I have purchased from Amazon DE.

We have an American style fridge that has a filtered water cooler built in also an ice dispenser, so we sold on our cooler many years ago. Always use the Brita for coffee etc.

Have to say unlike some other countries in the EU I find Cyprus tap water is OK to drink, never had any medical problems from doing so in many years.

[Dominic]

Surely people are missing the point here: a Brita jug and filter removes contaminants from the water and makes it purer/nicer to taste. A water cooler does just that: cools the water, as is. The quality of the large bottles of water varies from one supplier to the next. I remember that last year one water supplier in Paphos was prosecuted for simply filling his bottles with tap water.

Our daughter and son-in-law use a water cooler and whenever they make tea, there is always a layer of scum around the inside of the mug. We use bottled water (small bottles) and get no scum. The inside of our kettle also remains scale free for months on end.

You can easily test the cause of that scum by taking a small bottle with you and seeing if you get the same results when they make it.

Otherwise it could be down to a number of things; choice of tea, hardness of water that the dishwasher uses etc.

You must get through an awful lot of plastic bottles.

[cyprusmax47]

Lloyd it is not the size of the water bottle what matters, it is the content of the water if you have lime scale or not in your kettle. Water high in calcium leads to scale, water with high content of magnesium p.e. and low calcium keeps the kettle clean. I use every day 3 l water from Lidl where the analysis shows: Mg 81, Ca2 21 to prepare my teas with it. No scale at all even after many month. Unfortunately Lidl stocks this type of water not always (drosia) so I have a big stock myself. There were several articles in the press about the quality of the water in this huge bottles. There were bottle filler using bore hole water without analysis if it is potable or not, the one with tap water is actually not that bad as our tap water is in some areas quite good.
Max

[Lincoln]

Bacteria grows and thrives in DARK and Damp conditions. NOT in light airy conditions. The water coolers are fine. It is the internal pipes that have to be decontaminated on a regular basis.

[PeteandSylvi]

A few years ago we tried using a Brita type water filter jug and found that we did not like the water at all. It is difficult to describe but the water tasted "flat" as if all the personality and life had been taken out of it. We persevered for a while and then gave it up much preferring the tap water which we use.

I'll agree it is very hard and leaves deposits but I find putting a little white wine vinegar in the bottom of the kettle for a while is all that is needed to remove the unsightly hardness. I don't consider it too onerous to do this every couple of months. There was no difference in this process when using the jug filter as they don't remove hardness. Should anyone have a water softener (salt recharge type) fitted and is drinking the water, be warned that this is a bigger health threat than any bacteria is likely to be.

As for well water being used and not tested, this is not my experience. Despite having te 4th largest dam in the country and a newly built water treatment works, Kannaviou gets its water from a borehole. Our Muktar has assured me this is tested regularly by the water authority.

Pete

[ferryman]

We have a reverse osmosis unit fitted under sink unit, cost 225 Euros 10 years ago, plumbed into american fridge, ice cold water on tap, no descaling required in kettle or scum on cups, no carrying of water bottles, have only changed filters twice, worth every penny.
Ferryman

[Bograt]

Should anyone have a water softener (salt recharge type) fitted and is drinking the water, be warned that this is a bigger health threat than any bacteria is likely to be.

Pete

Oh no, is this correct? We have a water softener in the UK as we live on the South Downs, and the water is incredibly hard and leaves white deposits on everything it touches. Can you elaborate please? There is a separate tap for water which has not been softened, but I don't really use it apart from for house plant watering.

I was hoping to get a water softener in Cyprus also, as I find the water there very hard on the hair . Any thoughts, PL experts?

[Dominic]

I can't help feeling that one of the reasons allergies are on the increase is because of our quest to live in a sterile world.

[smudger]

Couldn't agree more Dominic.

My mother - Yorkshire born and bred - had a saying "a bit o' muck never 'urt anybody"

Whilst I'm not - and am damned sure she wasn't - advocating that dirty food should be eaten I think the sentiment is true now as it was then, too much anti-biotics, over use of sterile cleaning and bleach etc etc are removing any immunity our children/grandchildren have and/or acquire.

[Lincoln]

I can't help feeling that one of the reasons allergies are on the increase is because of our quest to live in a sterile world.

I reckon that you have hit the nail on the head. We grew up on the farm. All of us covered in muck (polite word). We picked our noses, ate apples straight from the tree as well goosgogs,plums,home made jams and cheese. Well still here at 74 with no major illness. We do not take any medication. So i guess we are lucky to have been brought up a bit scruffy and mucky.

[Jim B]

I have a water softener from Karma in Paphos, a good machine. We also have a water dispenser which is like a giant Brita Jug which we top up from the tap. We fill the kettle from a Brita Jug and there's no scrum on tea or coffee.

Jim