Watts 500313 2-Stage Undercounter Lead, Cyst & VOC Reducing Drinking Water System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It is strange to leave one star feedback for an item that works fine for what it was made. Yes, it makes good clean water and price is right. Why one star then? If you read about other Watts Premier products listed here, you can see that many people complain that the included manual was made for a different product. This one is not an exception. 500313 unit as actually WP-2 LCV per Watts Premier web site. Their next expensive one is WP2-BVC with designer faucet which has an electronic indicator. WP2BVC Amazon sells doesn't come with designer faucet and is much overpriced compared to WP2LCV (500313). The Watts' statement that 0.5 micron $33 BVC carbon filter is much better than 1 micron $28 LVC and safely cleans bacteria has nothing to do with real life. Bacteria range in size from 0.2 microns (spherical) and up to 10 microns (nonsperical species). The largest ones are from 100 microns in size.If you have bacteria in your water (the majority of drinking water violations since 2004 have occurred at water systems serving fewer than 20,000 residents) you need to boil your water and not to rely on filters with 0.5 micron holes - they will help, but not much better than ones with 1 micron holes. The worst thing you need is a false sense of security you don't really have.
OK, back to manual. The included manual (9 sheets stapled together with a staple :) is for WP2-BVC with a designer faucet to begin with. The only faucet Amazon sells with Watts units is a regular air gap one, not designer, and manual doesn't mention that one at all. For years people complain that Watts Premier filters are shipped with wrong manual, but they still didn't update it. Even the latest PDF manual on their site is for WP2-BVC only.
Designer BVC and regular LCVfaucets have very different installation procedures. For designer one you use a screwdriver, it has white backing on gaskets and it has 3/8 lines. Regular air gap faucet doesn't have anything mentioned, so in the middle of installation you will find yourself with a bunch of rubber, plastic and metal parts you don't know where to insert. I spend 2 hours researching Internet how to put the damn thing together.
Another bad thing in the manual: they don't mention Teflon tape at all. Per Watts, it is not needed for installation, period. You will need it, believe me. The manual has a horrible picture of a brass fitting in the green tube which isn't inserted all the way, so when I tried to repeat the picture, I flooded my cabinet. Even with Teflon tape, it will take a lot of patience to make required 4 connections watertight. As another person mentioned, you may go to HD or Lowes and get real fortified 1/4 tubes to replace the included plastic ones. They have thick walls, yes, but the included end parts are pathetic and can ruin your kitchen one day (see my update below, the hose has ruptured after a month of use)
On a good note, the filter makes very good water after all, but frustrating installation process and included tubes call for one star. Watts should really listen what users are saying here and spend a few dollars to fix obvious problems.

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Update, 3/5/2010.
I just found that Watts 2-PK Bio Premier 6-Month Microbiological Replacement Filter for Watts WP2BVC (Amazon sells it for $109) actually fits this LVC model. Watts states that it does not. The filter is the only difference LCV model has wich BVC Amazon sells for much more. So, when it is time to replace filter you can convert it to BVC one for no free. I will add images. The housing of my LCV system actually states "WP-2 BVC". Looks like they are trying to cut costs and made the housing universal now. Don't buy Watts Premier 560088 filter (VOC) which is the only replacement stated in the manual. Go with microbiological BVC one. It may be helpful to clean some types of smaller bacteria and viruses VOC filter can not. The table Watts provided that LCV filter removes Lead and Chemicals and BVC is not, is false.In the manual for BVC it is stated that it cleans those as well. BVC carbon block is a 0.5 micron filter, original one is only 1 micron. It is only $4 more.
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Another update LOL, you should never underestimate amount of damage you can do to your house with a ruptured water hose connected to the main water line. The inlet green hose has ruptured the night of 3/7, about a month after installation. It was so expected that it is even funny. Our cat was screaming in the kitchen seating on the table surrounded with an ocean of cold water.
I posted an image where the junky green hose has failed. The water pressure simply pushed it away leaving the end connector still attached to the supply fitting sending about 100 gallons of water into the kitchen and garage). I went to Lowe's and got an ice maker supply hose which fits perfectly. The blue line which comes out of filter is a low pressure and should hold in theory. But you may want to replace it as well just to get rid of original plastic one.


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Product Description:
The Watts 500313 2-Stage Undercounter Lead, Cyst & VOC Reducing Drinking Water System is a two stage filtration system that is NSF Certified for the reduction of lead, parasitic cysts as well as a long list of VOCs including herbicides, pesticides, insecticides and more.

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