Another KATADYN BeFree Filter Issue Solved Differently

Nice job Ken!

I wonder if bleach could plug up a filter

I’ve read about other’s having to use the Vinegar soaking method with a Sawyer squeeze, and I too thought about CLR.  I didn’t know how strong of an acid it was, however, or whether it was safe to use to backflush a Sawyer squeeze without damaging it.

It would be great to hear from Sawyer about this.  I threw out my first Sawyer squeeze, purchased in 2012 last year.  It had started to slow down considerably, so I purchased a new one.

I’ve seen folks with Sawyer mini’s that have TERRIBLE flow.  Not sure they’ve tried the warm vinegar soaking approach.

Could CLR be a miracle cure for clogged Sawyer filters that are suffering from mineral deposits?

Jerry the bleach I used to store the filter was ~ 4-5 drops in 1 liter. I believe the ground waters hardness test I had done on 2012 showed that 267.0 mg/L and180 mg/L as hard; and more than 180 mg/L as VERY HARD.

OVER A PERIOD OF 11 MONTHS THERE WAS AN INTERACTION WITH THE FILTER FIBERS TO CAUSE THE CLOG.

POST TRIP MAINTENANCE WITH DISTILLED  WATER IS SOMETHING TO TRY.

My 2 Cents

Diluted CLR is how I revived my BeFree last year as well.

Something I failed to mention. I also had a  SAWYER Micro Filter along on the trip as a backup and had prepared, was used and stored it in the same manner and amount as the KATADYN BeFree filter.

The SAWYER Micro Filter I’m once again using as a backup on Augusts’ packrafting trip along with the BeFree filter. When I tested SAWYER Micro Filter without back flushing or chemical soaking,  it produced a stream of water WITHOUT ISSUES, and this filter was prepared for stored identically as the KATADYN BeFree that was plugged!

Well, that is an interesting solution.  My Platypus GravityWorks filter refused to move water through recently after cleaning with dilute bleach two years ago.  I wonder if the same hard water issue caused mineral buildup that plugged it.  Now I’m sorry I pitched the not-so-old original filter.  Thanks for the research, Ken.

Jenny….. I’m planning to use distilled water for post trip cleaning and storage,  and see if this solves the problem or it reoccurs.

That makes sense.

As I think back, almost every hollow fiber tube filter I have had that has failed inexplicably was cleaned at some point with dilute bleach in tap water, which is on the hard side.  This includes the recent GravityWorks and several MSR Hyperflow filters.  I wonder if manufacturers are missing the boat in not suggesting that people use distilled water instead of tap water to sterilize prior to long-term storage?  I appreciate your thoughtful sleuthing.

anecdotally, it seems like there are many reports of plugging up after using bleach

I’ve used my Squeeze for years.  I just backflush with tap water (that has a small amount of chlorine, fairly soft water)

maybe the combination of bleach and hard water is bad?

I found this:

http://www.es2inc.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Sodium-Hypochlorite-and-Its-Properties.pdf

When an insufficient amount of dilution water is used the hypochlorite can cause the pH to rise. If the dilution water is hard water, the rise in pH will result in <span class=””><span class=”highlight selected”>calcium</span> carbonate precipitation which will coat the inside of piping, valves and pumps. </span>

This would lead to suggest that indeed, adding bleach to hard water causes calcium carbonate scale.

If you put “sodium hypochlorite calcium carbonate precipitation” into Google you’ll find multiple references.

Well, crap!

Well, I guess if this is the explanation for otherwise inexplicable failures, that is progress!

why do people put bleach in in the first place, to prevent micro organisms?

maybe just use tap water instead of distilled water?

Yes.  For one, Katadyn recommends it.

https://sawyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/sawyer_bucket-cleaning_2016-01-15e.pdf

Second, I’ve personally experienced my Camelbak and Platypus bladders and hoses grow “crud” on the insides if I don’t clean them regularly.  I would rather not drink water from a filter with the thought of mold or mildew growing inside it.

SAWYER’S RECOMMENDATION

“Standard bleach solution (fragrance free and no more than one cap of bleach per quart of water). Let air dry and in a cool dry place before using.”

KATADYN BEFREE RECOMMENDATION:

Disinfect your Katadyn BeFree™ before storage to prevent microbiological
growth within the EZ-Clean Membrane™.
A) Fill a container with filtered or treated water and add 1 Micropur Tablet.
(If not available, use 4 drops of ordinary household bleach.)
B) Pour the solution into the Hydrapak® SoftFlask™. Close the system
by screwing the cap (with EZ-Clean Membrane™) clockwise.
C) Squeeze the entire amount of water through the EZ Clean Membrane™.
D) Allow the components to air dry completely before reassembling the
system.

NOTE:  one cap of bleach is ~ 10ml or .7Tbsp and is larger than 4 drops.

Personally in the past I used the cap measurement to 1 liter of water. In the future I am going to using the small quantity of 4 drops to 1 liter of distilled water as I believe this will still prevent microbiological growth AND MAYBE prevent NO flow issues.

ahhh…  that now makes sense

maybe Sawyer should modify their recommendation

I just tried some hot water (sourced from my refrigerator so it goes through some type of filter) with distilled white vinegar (like 5:1 ration) and I’m happy to report it’s working like new. I let the filter soak in a glass for a couple of minutes and then ran some filtered (from my refrigerator) water through it. If it plugs again after drying, I’m going to try the CLR with distilled water. Plus, before storing, I’m definitely using distilled water to flush it.

I tried backflushing my old BeFree filter and it seemed to restore the flow rate, so that it faster than the new one that replaced it.  I backflushed it using the blue adapter thingie that Sawyer sells (effectively it’s a male barb that screws onto a regular water bottle, which can be inserted into the BeFree’s opening so water is forced back through the filter).

To this day, after 2 years of reading forum posts and emailing Katadyn, I cannot understand WHY THE BEFREE CANNOT BE BACKFLUSHED.  I don’t understand the reasoning behind why the Sawyer filter can and the BeFree cannot.  From what I understand, and looking at pics online, it seems that they are effectively designed the same, except that the BeFree has the cage.

I’ve done the integrity test and the backflushing (squeezing a Smartwater bottle with the blue Sawyer adapter through the filter) didn’t seem to damage it.

I suppose what remains is for me to purchase a Sawyer squeeze (or have someone donate me an old one?) and dissect it in the lab to compare the two filters in front of my own two eyes to see what the differences are.

Thoughts on this?  The BeFree is the best filter I have used (when it works), but Katadyn’s instructions regarding backflushing/cleaning the filter don’t provide a good rationale for their statements.  For instance, they say not to rinse the filter sideways under the faucet.  What are they thinking?  Surely the water pressure in a fast moving stream will be nearly the same or more than a kitchen faucet on at a reasonable pressure.  Need to talk the Katadyn science team to give us some better explanations…