FridgeFilters.com Blog

Contaminant Showdown: C8 vs Tap Water Shrimp

Forget Pacquiao-Mayweather...  All the best fights are happening right here at Fridge Filters as we put our favorite contaminants head to head in a Showdown For The Ages...The Slaughter in the Water!

This week, LIVE from Fridge Filters, it's an epic battle between two legends-

Industrial Contaminant C8

 

and...

 

These invisible shrimp in New York City's tap water!

image via Gizmodo 

 

(Crowd cheers wildly / cue Rocky theme song)

Introducing first: fighting out of the red corner is C "perfluorooctanic acid" 8. C8 is an carboxylic acid found in industrial waste, stain resistant carpets, Teflon cookware, and now--your water!  Weighing in at 414.07 g/mol, C8 is a toxicant and a carcinogen! A previously unregulated contaminant, C8 just made the news as one of 30 new contaminants the EPA monitors in public water systems across the country. Water soluble, this contaminant is best removed with a Reverse Osmosis sytem.

Fighting out of the blue corner is the current, reigning, and defending Eww!Champion, Teeny "Tiny"

SHRIMP! Found in New York City's water supply, this microscopic crustacean stands at a whopping 1-2
millimeters long. Not to be confused with Sea Monkeys, this little bugger is completely harmless--unless you're a vegan or Orthodox Jew. Though it reigns supreme based on ick factor alone, just about any water filter will TKO Teeny Shrimp. (Sorry, little guys!)

image courtesy of Readers Digest

The title's on the line, folks! Who will be the winner? You can judge the match right here on the Fridge Filters' Facebook page. 

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!  

Water for Panem: Hunger Games and the Hunt for Good Water

OK we'll admit it. We are obsessed. Have you seen the movie? Read the books? Are you Catching Fire too? Yep, we're talking about The Hunger Games.

If you're like us, with Panem ever on your radar, you've noticed Hunger Games merchandise just about everywhere. You can spend your hard-earned tesserae on a Hunger Games board game, Effie Trinket nail polish, a Hunger Games Snuggie (seriously), and even...wait for it...

Hunger Games water. 

Really.

h20 Spring Water has partnered with The Hunger Games to be the film's official water. While we see the tie-in (finding water was Katniss' first objective in the Arena, after all) doesn't this sound like something they'd drink in the Capitol? You know, while so many others go without clean water?

Luckily for us, we don't live in the Districts and our tap water is just as safe as bottled water. Though we admit that even Haymitch would approve of h2O's eco-friendly packaging, we'd rather fill one of these stainless steel Arena-Proof water bottles with filtered water from our tap.

You don't have to travel the the twelve districts to find good water--it's right in your home, where you're safe from trackerjackers, Cato's weapons, and President Snow.

So join the revolution and overthrow the bottle! 

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Fridge Filters 101: How Often Should I Change My Refrigerator Filter?

All refrigerator manufacturers recommend that you change your refrigerator filter at least every six
months--more often if have hard water or if your water has an odor or an unpleasant taste!

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Fridge Filters 101: How Do I Remove My Fridge Filter?

Most Refrigerators:

1. Twist the old filter a quarter or half-turn counterclockwise

2. Pull the filter straight out and discard
   

 

Frigidaire PureSource & PureSourcePlus - Only

1. Unscrew the filter cup and dump out the water
2. Pull the old filter straight down and discard

Frigidaire PureSource2 - Only

1. Press the button to the right of the filter to release it
2. Pull the old filter straight out and discard

Whirlpool & KitchenAid Base-Grille "Push Button" - Only

1. Press the button to the left of the filter to release it
2. Pull the filter straight out, and remove the reusable color-keyed cap from the end
3. Discard the old filter

 

Friendly reminders:

• If your filter is located in the base grille of your fridge, don't throw away your reusable knob!
• Don't worry-- nearly all refrigerators will automatically shut the water off while the filter is out.
  

 

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Water Filters: A Boiled Down History

14,00,000,000 B.C.E.    The first molecules of water form in space after an early star explodes in a supernova (try filming that, Michael Bay.)

 

 

4,000,000,000 B.C.E.    Liquid water on planet Earth--IN YOUR FACE, NEPTUNE AND MARS!

2000 B.C.E.    Egyptians boil water and use crude sand and charcoal filters like, you know, Egyptians.

 

 

400 B.C.E.       Hippocrates designs a sleeve-like cloth filter. He uses his "water cure" to treat many diseases but sadly does not cure his baldness. 

 

 

 

500-1500 A.D.        Beer is the staple beverage of Europeans because the fermentation process naturally purifies water and they need more excuses to day-drink. 

1627    Sir Francis Bacon attempts seawater filtration. The resulting product is salty and undrinkable, much like seawater.   

1660s    Anton van Leeuwenhoek uses a microsope to discover tiny, living organisms in the water--cholerae, salmonella, and maybe these little guys. (On a side note OH MY GOSH DELICIOUS SHRIMPJUICE!)

 

1800    John Snow (not that one) discovers chlorine as a disinfectant. Happily, people stop dying of cholera and typhoid.* 

 

 

1804    Paisley, Scotland installs the first municipal water filter plant. SLAINTE!

1972    The Clean Water Act becomes law (USA! USA!)

2012    Concerns about pesticide chemicals, industrial sludge, chlorine byproducts, and lead continue to motivate consumers to use water filters in their homes. Lots of people read the Fridge Filters Blog and get happy and smarter.

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*Sadly, waterborne illnesses are still a major concern in many parts of the developing world. Please visit http://thewaterproject.org/ to learn more. 

Charity Spotlight: Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club

In December, our Charity Spotlight was on the Rotary Foundation and Rotary International. In Cary, North Carolina, the Rotary Club of Cary-Kildaire collaborated with the Rotary Club of Mussoorie, India. These two clubs collaborated to provide sanitation and pure drinking water facilities to three schools in India. I was able to ask Scott Rossi a bit more about the completion of the project.

Fridge Filters:Scott, can you tell us more about the project and its completion?

Scott Rossi: The first phase of the ‘Purified Drinking Water System and Sanitary Facility Project’ undertaken by the clubs was dedicated to the students of MY Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir, Gandhi Niwas, Mussoorie on Monday, 27th June 2011. The second phase was dedicated to the students of Mussoorie Girls Inter College, Mussoorie on Thursday, 30th June 2011. The third phase was recently dedicated to the students of Sanatan Dharm Girls Inter College, Mussoorie on Friday, 4th November 2011.

FF: How did your club come to decide on doing such an ambitious project?

SR: Rotary has six areas of focus: peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, and economic and community development. Our International Service Committee felt that well-planned water projects have the potential to address multiple areas of focus.

FF: What made the club choose India for the clean water project?

SR: Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club was part of three water projects last year. The first project was constructing soak pits or recharge wells in Kolkata City and surrounding rural areas, West Bengal, India. The second project was digging a bore hole well and constructing water storage tanks at a school in Our Lady of Lourdes School, Ozuoba, Rivers State, Nigeria. The third project was providing drinking and sanitation facilities at three schools in India. We chose these projects because of the needs that existed and because their were excellent Rotary partners at each location.

FF: How can other groups do something similar?

SR: They can search for water projects that need partners/sponsors on websites www.waterteaminternational.org or www.startwithwater.org (a website run by WASRAG, the Water and Sanitation Rotary Action Group).

FF: What was the best part about being involved in these projects?

SR: It is tremendously uplifting to be able to help people and to contribute to the alleviation of needless suffering.

Special thanks to Scott Rossi and Carl Ryden of the Cary-Kildaire Rotary Club for their information on this topic.

Check out the video for the Cary-Kildaire West Bengal water project!

Rotary Club West Bengal Project

Charity Spotlight: The Rotary Foundation & Rotary International

What is The Rotary Foundation?

Rotary began over 100 years ago in Illinois and now has approximately 1.2 million members in over 200 countries. Since its creation in 1917, The Rotary Foundation has grown into a global force for good, thanks to the generosity of Rotarians and friends of Rotary who share our vision for a better world. Rotary is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

What do they do? How does it help?

The mission of the Rotary Foundation and Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty. Rotary's main objective is service - in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.

The Rotary Foundation and Rotary International have many programs set up throughout the world. The programs are funded through grants; most notably the PolioPlus program. PolioPlus is a worldwide initiative to eradicate polio by providing vaccines to those who may not other be able to receive the vaccine. Rotary Foundation and Rotary International also help with eliminating fluoride from water in areas whose people are prone to fluorosis- a debilitating degenerative condition found in parts of India, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Rotarians worldwide also help with Disaster Recovery efforts when an area is struck with a natural disaster.

Who does it help?

Rotarians help anyone and everyone. The Rotary Foundation has volunteers to help provide clean water, support education , eliminate hunger issues, and improve health and sanitation both in American and throughout the world. Rotarians are your friends, family, and neighbors who help friends, family, and neighbors.

How can I help?

Visit the site for information on volunteering your time.

You can also visit for ways to donate.

You might also see charitable donation collections all around your town in convenient stores, restaurants, and shops. Please feel free to donate anything you can.

Charity Spotlight: Habitat for Humanity

Fridge Filters Cares

What is Habitat for Humanity?

Habitat for Humanity (HFH) is an organization dedicated to providing safe, affordable, decent housing to families in need. Most Americans know of HFH as a volunteer organization. Maybe you’ve even volunteered through your school, your church, or your job! HFH has become an international household name sheltering over 2 million people across the globe.

What do they do? How does it help?

Simply put, Habitat for Humanity builds homes for people. Home ownership is a very important part of life for many. It creates personal wealth by dealing with equity, savings, and personal credit. In areas with safe and secure housing, schools and community groups will thrive. It’s a win-win for everyone. HFH also has ReStore. You can take your gently used furniture, home appliances, and home accessories to any ReStore where they will be sold to the public at a fraction of its price. ReStore is similar to a Salvation Army or Goodwill.

Who does it help?

Habitat for Humanity helps as many people as they can. HFH operates on nearly every continent and in dozens of countries. Over 1.5 billion (yes, with a “b”) people live in substandard housing and nearly 100 million are homeless worldwide. In the United States alone, approximately 95 million people live with housing issues.

Why we love Habitat for Humanity:

Fridge Filters loves Habitat for Humanity because they don’t take the easy way out. Sure, any organization can collect money and give it to those in need. HFH is different. HFH gets people like you and me, who want to make a difference, to go and help build homes for others. It’s not only something the family living in the house can be proud of; it’s something we can all be proud of. We also love HFH because they make it easy to donate to them. If you can’t donate your time, you can donate dollars, building materials, or water and air filters.

How can I help?

Nearly every region and/or county in the USA and Canada has a Habitat for Humanity branch or chapter. Please visit www.habitat.org for more information about monetary donations or to search your region for a volunteer chapter. Also, you can check out www.habitat.com/restores to see about donating different items to help others in your community.

Charity Spotlight: charity: water

What is charity: water? charity: water is a non-profit foundation committed to bringing underdeveloped nations a local source of freshwater. They believe in providing clean water to communities and villages, the water-borne illness and disease rate will diminish, increasing the quality of life of the people. charity: water also believes by providing a centralized freshwater source, adults and children do not have to spend many hours traveling long distances to collect dirty, unsafe water. This will help the villagers be able productive citizens and attend work and school.

What do they do? How does it help? charity: water doesn’t just go to a village and give them water. They partner with local organizations to determine the best way to help the community. Typically, a freshwater well in the middle of town will be created. This helps the people be actively engaged in the well-being of their village.

charity: water also is fundraising for a new drilling rig for their partners in Ethiopia. The new drilling rig can drill an additional 80 wells a year, and serve 40,000 more people with clean water in Ethiopia.

Who does it help? charity: water currently works in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, India, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Why we love charity: water: charity: water has passion! We’ve got passion! It’s a great combination. charity: water focuses on the positive outcomes of their work, not the negative circumstances of the people. They are also a great organization because you know where your money goes and you get proof with photos of the work and GPS coordinates of the area that was helped. Pretty cool stuff!

How can I help?

Visit the site to donate

You can choose to donate to a water project, or choose to donate to a drilling rig. Or both! Thanks for supporting by donating or reading!

Fridge Filters Gives Back

Fridge Filters Cares

Here at Fridge Filters, we believe everyone should have clean, good quality drinking water. Most of us reading this are lucky enough to have it. So what can we do about nearly one billion people on our planet who don’t have access to a source of clean drinking water?

We care! Fridge Filters will be sponsoring a Charity Spotlight to showcase the groups out there bringing clean water to those less fortunate. We will be donating to these charities. Will you?

At Fridge Filters, we have the best customers. Now, we want you to know why we are the best place to get your refrigerator water filters! Thanks for caring!