APEX RF-1050 Alkaline Filter Cartridge

This filter has been an excellent product for me, and its' been great to not have to schlep all those water bottles. The only drawback was dreading the filter change that has received not insignificant reviews about the difficulty of replacing the filter. Replacing the filter on mine turned out to be a non-event. Specifics to follow: The common complaint is that the unit is hard to "crack" open, or break the seal allowing the unit to be unscrewed from the base. The first step in that process is to disconnect the black tubes from their connections. Next, drain as much water from the unit as possible. My process was to put a folded bath towel on the kitchen floor, securing the unit between my knees. With the plastic wrench (provided with the original unit) on the outer casing, and bearing down on the base to prevent rotation, steady, firm pressure resulted in immediate rotation of the casing away from the base. The seal was snug, but not so secure that it needs to be wrestled or "cracked" to release. (Disclosure: I'm a 5'11" male w/fairly sturdy but not exceptional build. A tinier or more delicate frame may have more of a challenge.) So mine was a non-event. That said, assuming these are primarily hand assembled or done with some mechanical assistance, there probably is variability in how torqued each particular unit may be. Point being, my experience represents only my unit, which surely isn't universal. But ... I continue to be pleased with the unit, new filter, and overall experience. I give a strong "buy" recommendation.

We absolutely love how the water tastes. Been using the product for 5 years. We replace the filter cartridge annually. So far really happy.

I replaced the KX MATRIKX Pb1 which had a bad taste to it. I have had the Ispring countertop water filter for over a year now and after trying several filters, I decided to spend a little more and get one that had more filter media in it and also makes the water more alkaline. It was easy to install and the instructions say to run it 2-3 minutes which I did. It makes the water taste great and my GF also notices the better taste and like it better than the other one. They also say it will last a year which is a plus, as others have said, less than $4 a month, so I will replace this filter with a new one in a year from now. Very good water. NOTE; DO NOT drink this kind of water with a meal. Like soda, it will lower your stomach acid and make it harder to digest your food, so you get even less nutrients than what little is in the food.

5 star quality and service. I was shipped a bad refill cartridge. The seller replaced mine with no cost to me. I have been using this water filter for over a year. Pro's- - Water flow is the best. I cannot imagine one can get a better water flow out of a filter than this - Taste is alkaline and pleasant - Trouble free once hooked up. Switch between filter and regular tap is smooth and seamless - Owners/Sellers of Apex filter are very responsive to customers Con's - Because of the tight seal of the filter it is difficult to open for installing replacement filter. I think it is a expected that the seal will be tight for a high quality filter

Fairly easy to deal with I will say, though you kinda have to wrestle with the filter to get it off and replace the old one with the new one yeah you do have a wrench to remove it that they give you. It’s probably best to do with two people so you don’t hurt yourself that would be my only complaint. Otherwise the alkali filter cartridges is a great product. That’s what it’s supposed to and as long as you put it on right, it does not leak if it is leaking take it off and put it back on. Make sure the O-ring is not out of place.

I'm obsessed with this filter after my (very knowledgeable) brother put me on to this. I recently moved to Chicago and when I would boil tap water (for spaghetti) crystalized bubbles would form at the top once it reached boiling point. I'd buy bottled water and I still felt icky. It was so bad I didnt eat for 3 weeks and lost 27 lbs (yay I guess?) Finally my brother told me about this filter even tho he has an entire 3 filtered tank in his kitchen I needed something small for my apartment but effective and didnt care the cost. I bought this and boiled water immediately and alas! No weird crystal bubbles at top! I ended up moving from that god forsaken state back to Brooklyn and my beautiful filter came with me. So easy to install and remove to wherever you move to. I changed the filter a year later and yuck! The disgusting slimy mustard yellow goop that was filtered from the water. UGH. I vouch for this filter 110% and they offer 10% discount after buying the filter for replacement pieces. Thank you filter man for making this. This saved my marriage because I refused to cook with crystal water lol

This is a great filter, and I won't go into detail as many others have here. What I do want to write is how to get the thing open when it comes time to replace the filter... I have seen in the reviews that many others have had problems with this. Here's what finally worked for me: 1. Unscrew the spout and the white line on either side of the base, they will just get in the way, and it's impossible to drain with them on. 2. Drain the housing of any water. The water will only flow out one way, so if nothing is coming out, rotate it 180 degrees. 3. Put a screwdriver into the deeper of the two holes in the base. 4. Put the tool that came with the filter over the housing, ideally 90 degrees from the screwdriver. 5. Squeeze the two handles together. Make sure you're loosening and not tightening. I had to sit on the edge of my bathtub and push the two levers together with my legs, but it gave way pretty easily this way. I'm convinced it would be impossible to do this just with your hands and without the screwdriver. Hope this helps someone!

So far, I'm extremely pleased with this filter cartridge. I purchased it to replace a more expensive alkaline and carbon filter cartridge that I would have been stuck buying one every 6 months. Fortunately, that filter that I purchased was not supposed to be sold or available to California residents (probably hadn't been tested by the California Water Resources Board). I thought I would be stuck and not able to get a replacement cartridge, but I researched many cartridges and found that I liked this one the best, and it turned out that this filter fit the housing (standard 10" water filter housing) and I am enjoying the same benefits of pure, refreshing, clean, alkaline drinking water out of the tap of our kitchen faucet. We already have a whole house hard water filter system that softens the water and does offer some filtering, but I wanted to add this to the kitchen faucet on the cold water line which I did. I used 3/8" Pipe to 3/8" Compression fittings on the filter housing, then connected the outlet of the filter to the cold water line on the faucet, the inlet side I used a 20" long 3/8" Compression water line and attached it the angle stop to the inlet side of the filter. I will eventually add a tee fitting so that I can send the filtered water to the refrigerator water dispenser and ice maker, but it currently has a charcoal water filter attached, so I will adapt it later.

Easy to install

Bought this replacement filter since I was so impressed with the original one that came with the unit. The water from this tastes chalky, metallic and slightly salty—not exactly the refreshing, crisp tasting product promised. Less inspired to drink water than ever before.

Well packed and quality is good.

Great product...I feel way better now..healthier than before

I have big problem to unscrew the housing though i soak it into hot water with vinegar and baking soda… what can I do?