Brita unit constantly flashing, Whaa?

Factual Questions
1

I’m on my second faucet head Brita filter thingy. The owner’s guide said, green flashing=good, yellow flashing=close to needing to change the filter, red flashing=don’t you dare drink this water. The first unit flashed green until it stopped flashing. I changed the filter, and it flashed green again until it stopped. The third filter brought no more flashing.

The Brita website seemed to convey the message, “You speak English? Pppplbbbbth!”

I bought another Brita faucet head thingy. It flashed green until it flashed yellow! (Hey, an improvement!) I replaced the filter, and it flashed green until it didn’t flash any more. (two months on the second filter) I replaced the filter, and still no flashing.

I took the thing apart, and I soaked the faucet unit without the filter in vinegar (as is the custom in these parts.) After 12 hours, the faucet unit, without a filter, started flashing green in the vinegar, in the plastic bag.

I thought of batteries made of potatoes and lemons, so I suggested soaking in dish detergent (an alkaline solution.) After that, and a thorough rinsing in clean water, the damned thing is still flashing green, whether water is running or not!

So, here’s my question: Is this a POS, and I should buy another brand, or did I get the only two bad Brita faucet thingies?

By the way, my house is plumbed so the kitchen cold water, where the thing is, is the only hard water tap in the house. All the rest gets soft water. Does that make a difference?

I have read here that soft water systems work on an ion ladder concept, whatever that means, and that is about all I know about soft water. Please don’t rend my flesh with all that string theory stuff. I’m not ready to be a martyr. :eek:

2

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Moved to General Questions.

COCC > GQ

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3

Thanks, Rico.

It finally stopped flashing, and now it won’t flash any color, whether the water is running through the filter or not. Perhaps it means the flashy part is broken. I’m disappointed.

4

The last (4) of these things I have received from Brita under warranty due to the flashing light not working, have failed.
This is OBVIOUSLY a manufacturing defect.
I am now requesting # 5 from the factory.
They have been pretty good about replacing them so far, but we shall see.
As far as the soft water issue is concerned, it should make no difference, as I had a unit installed on a faucet in Arizona, which has the hardest water on the planet, and it had no problems. (that was 10 years ago, YMMV)

5

Why do you think you need a filter? These are water softener filters, right? Soft water is better for washing, but hard is generally fine for drinking, and often even tastes a bit better. That is probably why your plumbing is set up like it is.