Oste Makes Affordable Water Coolers Too
The kit of parts for the separate faucet of Oster water coolers costs less than $50. A main-line filter present in it treats all the water as it enters the house so both hot and cold water is purified. Its filter element may be cellulose, string or pleated filter paper.
It is designed to remove rust, dirt and sediment from a large volume of water. Installing one is more of a job than putting a system under the sink, but you can do the job yourself and save from $50 to $100. Essentially, you divert water from the main line after it passes through the water meter through the water cooler and back into the main line.
By installing valves on the pipes leading in and out of the filter as well as on the main line between the filter inlet and outlet connections, you can change the cartridge elements without having to shut off the water supply to the whole house.
With this setup, you can also bypass the filter if it plugs. To install a Oster water cooler, turn off the water supply, cut the main waterline at a convenient height to install a valve and piping leading to the filter inlet. This cut should be after the master shutoff valve for the whole house and after the water meter. Install the filter following the instructions that come with it for mounting and piping. Install a valve in the outlet pipe from the filter and another in the bypass main line or in the main line after the filtered water rejoins it. If you are working with copper tubing, this work involves soldering connections. Black iron or galvanized iron pipes require threaded fittings to make these connections.
Where local building codes permit, PVC plastic piping may be used with threaded compression fittings or solvent-welded joints.
Follow the instructions that come with the water cooler on positioning the element for an easy cartridge change. One Oster water cooler uses a cartridge with activated carbon granules to remove tastes and odors combined with rigid porous fibers to trap dirt particles, silt and rust. It has a button that pops up on the filter element to indicate when it needs changing.
Oster water cooler costs about $600 plus installation. Smoke detectors save lives. The International Firefighters Association have adopted a policy to try to get everyone to install smoke detectors. If everyone installed a smoke alarm, then the 12,000 fire deaths a year in the United States could be cut to 6,000 and injuries would be greatly reduced.
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