Will Bleach Hurt A Katadyn Hiker Filter?

[D S]

I have a Katadyn Hiker filter cartridge that appears to have some blackish mold on it. I'm guessing it was stored wet. I was planning to soak it in some strong bleach/h2o solution. Will this ruin the charcoal part of the filter or otherwise hurt it?

[Steven McAllister]

Yes, bleach will be absorbed by the activate carbon, maybe to point of reducing the effectiveness of the carbon completely if a high concentration is used.

Don't know about other components in the filter though

[Franco Darioli]

Every so often I run a bleach wash through mine.
I only use it once or twice a year and have had it for 10 years or so.
I just add about 1 oz of bleach to a liter or so of water and pump that through a couple of times letting it sit inside for an hour or so.
I then pump through a few liters of clean water.
Works for me.
( I have the PUR version)

[Steve K]

Katadyn recommends flushing the system with a bleach-water mixture after trips if you are not planning on using it again soon.

I don't know whether or not soaking the system in bleach overnight is any better or worse for the product. For what its worth my Katadyn filters have always gotten "black stuff" over time and I am pretty sure it is pond scum and the like trapped in there and not necessarily mold or mildew.

[Roger Caffin]

Follow Franco's advice. Mild bleach then flush well.

Cheers

[Corbin Camp]

When I had one, I would run a mild bleach solution through it before I stored it. The important thing to do is let it thoroughly dry after you do the bleach treatment.

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