Lifesaver Bottle Filters 4000 & 6000 UF

The bottle started to leak after filtering about 2 gallons. It's not cracked. It's leaking where the bottom black piece threads into the plastic middle. There is no seal and you just can't make it stop leaking as soon as it is filled. I contacted life saver in the UK where they are based. They initially showed interest but as soon as they learned I live in the US they stopped answering any inquiries at all. I cannot get them to respond. Shame cause it looked to be a good and rather rugged product. Sadly, it's a scheme, please beware. No one stands behind this product. The customer service is a study in ignoring customers.

At first I thought this was a great product because it is a great concept. When it first came out it claimed numbers much better than anyone else. I really liked that it claimed numbers that were 10 times better than anyone else.Ultimately, I could never get it to work. It leaks all over the place. I never really trusted the way it intakes water because it seems so easy to contaminate the filtered water when you pour it. In fact I trusted it so little, that I took my little portable filters instead.The real irritant is that the filter expires. What's worse is they make it sound like a benefit. Why don't they just admit that something about the filter won't last more than a few years and they don't know how to work around that?? Instead, they say something like how much you'll appreciate the fact that it only lasts a few years. I'm so tired of the BS from sellers. If they won't be honest about that, what else are they hiding?BTW, in case you're wondering: The filter mfr date is stamped in very very small and hard to find dots on the body of the filter which tells you the date that particular cartridge was manufactured. If for example the serial number is 1124 20214 it means the cartridge was manufactured 11:24 on the 202nd day of 2014. Add water within 3 years of manufacture date and count on end of life 2 years after you add water.Product lit says this filter is .025 microns. The best Swiss filter out there is .2 microns, and the gravity fed ceramics are described as "nominally" .5 microns with a standard deviation down to .2 and up to .8 microns. So in theory, this filter blocks everything, while the Swiss filter blocks everything but small viruses, and the gravity feeds block most things except viruses. So I vote "everything" and I just add Citrus based kool-aid type powder to the finished water if I want to improve taste a little, and also to neutralize chlorine which is often added to barrels of water that are standing around for a while.

I bought 2 bottles, 1 for me and 1 for my wife, she loves it, I love it and we are constantly telling our friends about it.Just make sure that you read and follow all of the instructions.EDIT:The Kit: Maxpedition 12-Inch X 5-Inch Bottle Holder Maxpedition Shoulder Strap, 1.50 Lifesaver Bottle Replacement Carbon Inserts (4-pk) x2 Lifesaver Bottle Replacement Pre-Filter Disc (2-pack) x1 WhirlPak 1 Liter Stand Up Water Collection Bags - 3 Pk Solar Flashlight Keychain with 3 Super Bright White LEDSo I use the lifesaver EVERY DAY, I keep it in my maxpedition bottle hander and throw the strap over my shoulder to carry it, when I am at work or at home, when I am out hiking or camping, even when I go to visit friends and family I FILTER MY WATER using the lifesaver, it does a better job of removing the flavors and odors of municipal water than any filter that I have ever owned, the cost per liter on replacement filters is around $0.03 which beats the pants off of bottled water, the nice thing is that I do not have to have tap water available to me to be drinking the exact same clean pure water at all times, I can get it from the pond at the cold course or the stream in the park or my rain barrel!I can drink the exact same great tasting, pure water everywhere I go and that is important to me.In my kit, I keep the bottle, 3 pre-filter sponges, 2 extras stuffed down in the bottom of the bag and 1 inside of the lifesaver itself, I keep a total of 8 carbon filters with my kit, they all fit inside the front pocket of the maxpedition, this keeps the water tasting fresh and it eliminates a lot of chemical additives, the 3 water collection bags are in the main compartment and I use them mostly for camping but sometimes I also use one to fill the bottle if it is a little precarious to dip the whole thing into a pond or stream, lastly I use the flashlight to assist in filling up in the dark which isn't always a problem but was once or twice before I got the light.Most of the time I use tap water in this thing but more and more often I find myself being "water independent" in that I can fill it anywhere that there is water...I LOVE THE LIFESAVER and when combined with the maxpedition bottle holder, some filter extras and a lightweight reusable water collection bag, it gives you good tasting, pure water independence...Everyone should get one!

This appears to do the job - of course I cannot validate the chemical analysis of the water but it tastes great and looks crystal clear. The process of filtering is a little tedious but for what it is designed to do that is not even an issue. This little bottle bottle can save lives - I plan to do quite a bit of desert travel and this will be going with me. Its well constructed and should last a long time.

I bought this to take on backpacking trips, and it hasn't disappointed. It is definitely heavier than other filters, and takes a little more effort, BUT it doesn't clog like my friends' filters do. I have taken water from lakes and streams, without an issue. I don't actually use this to drink from directly; instead, I run the water through this into my large water bottles. One thing I didn't realize is that this does not come with any protective pouch, like the one you get directly from the manufacturer.