Anyone else with Sawyer filter frustrations?

[ozyclint]

what becca said has been my experience too. in addition to that i've found storing it wet it the way to go.
also, hot water back flush at home with faucet adapter gets it running well.

 

[COlineman78]

Remember too, just like a gas can with a vent hole compared to a can without, the gas will pour out much faster. I would assume the water would flow through the filters faster in an "open" system compared to a bag that is sealed off.

That's only applicable to a rigid container. Since the bag shrinks with the water and doesn't resist then there is no resistance to the outpouring water.

 

[aclawrence]

Ahh, I see. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[T43]

I had 5 years on my first Sawyer squeeze filter and last year I popped 3 bags trying to get water. I figure for the price E I will just replace it every 4 years.

 

[endorice]

Thought I'd share a little more of my experience with Sawyer. I've read reviews in the past about their customer service not really being all that stellar, and I kinda share that sentiment.

I emailed them my video (top of this page) and asked if they felt this is the filtering rate I should be having on a relatively new (purchased last fall) filter that has filtered maybe 10 gallons of clear Colorado water, stored for the season, experienced a blockage, soaked in vinegar for multiple days, back-flushed many times, and finally sent into Sawyer for “reconditioning”. We had a handful of back-and-forth emails on suggestions I already knew about (make sure there’s no air in the line, etc.). Finally, the CSR said that the flow rate in that video was “normal”.

Not sure I would put a whole lot of faith in their “1 million gallon guarantee”.

May try and replace the filter, but I haven’t come across any definitive explanation for the problems I’ve had, other than a defective filter (seems unlikely to me). I really don’t think it’s the source water I’m filtering (too clear). I would probably stay away from back-flushing with tap water and rig something up to use distilled water. The challenge would be to get the pressure high enough for an effective back-flush.

This is just one person’s experience