PUR 3-Stage Horizontal Faucet Mount Chrome FM-9400B
by PUR
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of PUR 3-Stage Horizontal Faucet Mount Chrome FM-9400B
Customer Review: Redesigned 2010 Pur: Great filtered water on tap, in minutes
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
THE QUICK TAKE: If you need more filtered water than is practical to get from a pitcher, the 2010 redesigned Pur FM-9400B is a very good option. It's easy to install and use, and seems to work much better than previous versions of this filter sytem.
FULL REVIEW: We've had a Brita pitcher for ages, and still use it to get chilled water. But when our first baby came along, we needed a lot more pure water than a pitcher could provide. Since then, I've owned three of the Pur FM-9400 filters, and a Culligan filter. Why so many, you ask? Well, all but the newest one failed in one way or another - particularly with leaks at the seams or at the switch.
Despite the various problems, my bottom line take on the Pur is this:
- It was far from perfect, but I'm really glad we had the option to get filtered water on tap. It was worth the effort to get lots of pure water for drinking and cooking, relatively easily. We use it for many more uses than I'd originally envisioned.
- All fauceted-mounted systems are going to be a compromise. Especially when you consider how much your kitchen faucet gets used. Ideally, you should have a separate line and fixture for filtered water, and leave your faucet free for what it was intended to be used for. At some point, I'll have that done. But if you don't want to bring in a plumber to really do it right, or you need filtered water sooner rather than later - the Pur filter is a good option that you can have installed in minutes.
- The 2010 redesign seems to have much improved the Pur filter. Though only time will tell whether it develops leaks or problems switching between filtered and unfiltered water, as earlier versions did.
INSTALLATION: The new version really is far easier to install than the earlier versions. No need for fooling around with the threads, and no need for Teflon tape to keep it from leaking.
GOOD DESIGN: This thing is still huge, but the redesign has also improved the way the faucet and filter work. It also has a fairly nice aerator for when water is flowing through unfiltered, which really helps a kitchen faucet work well and reduce water usage.
A few tips and things to note:
HOT WATER REDUCES FILTER LIFE: Running hot water through the filter will cut the filter life rapidly, so try to avoid letting that happen.
CHECK YOUR WATER PRESSURE: I can't be sure it matters, but I did use the valve under the sink to lower the water pressure at the kitchen sink. The pressure was more than we needed, and I'm hoping that will ease the stress on the Pur filter system.
THERE ARE LOTS OF OLD REVIEWS AT AMAZON: I think the reviews for this Amazon listing cover at least three versions of this product. That's unfortunate, because it really confuses the information on the current version of this product. The product description does fit the current model, but just be sure to allow for the product change when reading reviews older than mid-2010.
COMPARISON TO THE CULLIGAN FM-15A: After having two Pur filters fail, I decided to try the Culligan FM-15A Filter for a while:
- It's about half the size of the Pur.
- More importantly, it was designed to address one of the big problems with filters added to a faucet: it switches back to unfiltered water when you turn the water off. That should help avoid some of the big ways filters get used up - when you accidentally run water when you don't need filtered water, or (far worse) when you run hot water through the filter.
Unfortunately, the auto-switching mechanism stopped working after a couple of months - too much to hope for, I guess. And it was rather unattractive. Plus, the really poor aerator made the faucet much less effective for regular use. The redesigned Pur is a much better option, if you don't mind the size.
Customer Review: The more I use this, the more I like it
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
UPDATE: I didn't think the snap-on/-off feature was that big of a deal until we moved to a new house that has a smaller sink than we're used to. The water is not good here, so having the PUR filter is essential; but when I'm doing a lot of dish-washing, it's a bit cumbersome. But it's SO EASY to just press the little white buttons and snap it off for a while, then click it back on when I want to filter water. Also, I was able to get DH in the habit of just always flipping the black filter on/off knob into the non-filtering position. (That was easier than trying to train him to remember to not use hot water with the filtering mechanism on.)
ORIGINAL REVIEW: Our whole town is on spring water, which normally tastes wonderful right out of the tap, but recently the town began a huge project to dig up and change out all the water pipes. We started noticing that the water was not tasting as good (hopefully a temporary situation until the work is completed and the pipes have all been flushed out), so I got one each of the new PUR 3-stage faucet-mount chrome filters, the "low-profile" horizontal one (FM-9400B) and the vertical one (FM-3700B). The directions for both are spare but adequate. If you follow them step by step, you should have no problems.
Comparing the two models, I'd say which style you choose is a matter of personal preference. We have standard faucets, not one of the newer designer kinds, so we had no trouble with installation or function with either type. I have a large farm-style sink and never need to rotate the filter to rest underneath my faucet, so either one works for me. For those who want the full 360-degree rotation capability, the horizontal mount would probably be the best for most faucets to ensure proper clearance. Personally, I like the look of the vertical-mount filter better, but the horizontal-mount one is a little easier to unscrew to change the filter. I speculate that the vertical one might be less likely to leak (if/when it starts leaking) due to gravity, but I haven't used these long enough to know if this would be the case.
Both models snap to and unsnap from the faucet easily, and both look good. If you don't look too closely, they look like they are made of stainless steel; they are not as heavy as stainless steel would be, however, and this is a good thing. Both horizontal and vertical models use the same style of filter and both have the green-yellow-red indicator light to alert you to the condition of the changeable filter. Both seem to work about the same. Like I said, which one you choose is largely a matter of personal preference.
One important point I'd like to make: Clearly, to keep from leaking, the filter enclosure cap must fit snugly, and it does on both models. But I have arthritis and found that I could not unscrew the hand-tightened cap by myself. Fortunately, somebody else in my household was able to do it for me.
Customer Review: This horizontal model is far better then the vertical upright model
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have tried both the vertical upright model and this horizontal low profile model. Both models offer the same great filtering and they do most definitely make your tap water taste much better. We have city water that is just horrible, I have trouble even brushing my teeth with it the chlorine is so strong. This filter made the water taste just fine, I was actually surprised how good it was.
As for which one to choose the vertical or the horizontal? I would only buy this horizontal lower profile one. My kitchen faucet is a moderately raised arch and I found that the vertical upright was in my way because the filter is too tall to swing away under the faucet, it only swings up to it leaving a big obstacle in your line of sight and in the way when washing bigger pots. I don't know of any faucet tall enough that the vertical model would swing underneath. Of the two designs I would only recommend this low profile horizontal model not the upright vertical one. The horizontal offers the same filtration and actually seemed to have much better water pressure and best of all it swings away under the faucet so it is not in your way nearly as much. They both take some getting use too but this lower profile would be the one to get.
I like that a green light indicator flashes when you turn the lever on for filtered water letting you know it is still clean and safe. The filter is very easy to replace simply unscrew the capsule and stick a new one in. There are two white buttons on the top if you want to take the whole unit off quickly just press and it comes off the faucet easily so you can unscrew the filter compartment much faster. I have been using it for several weeks and so far have had no problems with it falling off by itself, it seems securely mounted. There are several different fittings in the box, perhaps putting the wrong one on was the problem some reported of this unit falling off. I have had no problem. I was also able to find large discounted packages of filters at our local warehouse store.
We have been purchasing drinking water for the past year from a local reverse osmosis bottling place and while it tastes good there were some issues. Number one reverse osmosis takes everything out of the water which makes the water unusable by your body. My husband suffered a heat stroke last year shortly after we switched to r.o. water and was told by the doctor to add electrolytes because his body could not properly hydrate no matter how much he drank because all the minerals that make the water available to the body were stripped away. I had no idea why I was drinking so much and always still felt thirsty. I have not had that problem with this great PUR filter product! Also, it is much cheaper and far less of a chore to occasionally buy filters then it is to have to go buy expensive bottled water every week. I love this PUR filter!
Customer Review: New model seems better, though only time will tell
Summary: 4 Stars
Like most people, I have a love hate relationship with PUR faucet filters. The water tastes fantastic, but the quality of the filter unit is pretty low. PUR has redesigned the system, and it seems like it could be better. For one, the window is gone. The front part of the unit appears to be one piece except for the area where the spout is. That said, I had problems with the spout area on my last unit, so we'll have to see. I've only had mine for a week or so, thus, I'm only speculating based on the design changes I see.
The new mount design seems good, though I worry about longevity there too. It's got a plastic collar that compresses around a plastic adapter you screw into the faucet. It does have a little play (or wobble), at least on mine, but seems very secure despite that. It rotates freely without removing it. Obviously the faucet arm on most faucet styles prevents full 360 motion, but it does provide flexibility that can be very useful. You can also remove the entire filter unit easily and use it with just the adapter. It doesn't have a full aerator or nozzle on it though, so the water comes out at a higher pressure than with the unit attached. You'll want to turn it on carefully if you try to use the faucet "bare" like this, as you probably don't want full power. It does work for doing dishes or whatever, and can be useful if you're washing something big. Maybe it'll last a little longer too if it doesn't get bumped.
One thing to point out to anyone looking at the "stainless steel" version. First, as you might know, the old version was never stainless steel, just plastic styled that way. Still, it looked nice. The new version that many retailers (including Amazon at this time) still market as the stainless steel is now just a flat silver color. Additionally, it's only the cylinder part that holds the filter. The arm that holds that and attaches to the faucet is (plastic) chrome. I did not like the look, so I went with the all chrome version. They didn't change the model number, and even worse, most retailers are still selling it at a premium price. That was silly even back then, when it was still just plastic, but at least it did look a little nicer. In my opinion, the new silver version looks cheaper than the chrome version (though some may like it), and should be sold for the same price.
The real challenge will be how it lasts. Though it's frustrating that they won't just provide a high quality product, I will credit P&G for handling warranty claims easily. I just emailed them, described the problem, told them the purchase date and my address, and they sent me a coupon for a replacement. No need to send the old one back. The coupon arrived in a little over a week, and allowed for purchasing any faucet filter model up to a price that covered all models (even the so-called premium silver). So if you're still within one year if/when it fails, be sure to make your claim. I'll try to remember to come back and update this review in a few months (or sooner if I have problems). But so far, it seems promising.
Customer Review: Good filtration, with a mostly improved designed
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I've used PUR horizontal faucet filters for about five years now, with my four previous ones being the screw-on version. This is my first snap-on model, and I'd like to talk about what I think is better and worse about the new design.
First, for those who aren't familiar with PUR filters, I think that the filtration is quite good. The 3-stage filters that are used in this model (and the previous screw-on model) work well. In my house, the filtered water comes out at about half the rate as unfiltered water, so it's fast enough for me. I've found it to be significantly cheaper to buy the 6-pack of filters from Amazon versus buying the single or double packs locally, but definitely shop around. You'll certainly want to make sure that you like the product before buying that many filters, though.
Now, for the filter holder design. I replaced a still-working model, but the three before that all broke down within about a year. Two of them began to leak profusely where the holder screwed onto the faucet, and the other leaked through the front face that cracked and split open. So, filtration is good, but longevity was horrible. Time will tell if this unit will hold up better. Luckily, there is a warranty. Here are the pros and cons to me of the new snap-on model versus the screw-on model:
Pros:
- The snap-on model comes with a custom separate aerator, so the filter assembly can be removed from the faucet while allowing the faucet to still be used normally. This is a big plus to me.
- The snap-on model can be removed very quickly, whereas the screw-on model took me about a minute to get on and off. This is a plus because my sink is shorter, and this will help when trying to wash larger dishes and containers.
- The front face of the filter holder now has ridges on the sides to help in griping it, so that unscrewing the front to replace the filter is easier. Sooo nice, especially once any mineral deposits form around that seal and make it harder to turn.
- The front face no longer has the clear inset "window" with the LED. I only like this because maybe it will hold up better than the previous design that tended to crack there on the ones that I had.
Cons (minor):
- The whole assembly is wider than the screw-on model, so it takes up a bit more room.
- The snap-on connection allows the filter to swivel very easily. PUR mentions it as a feature, but I'd prefer that it stayed where I wanted it and didn't swing around too easily. Not a big deal at all, but a distraction to me at times.
So, overall, I like this model better than the previous model. The risk of it breaking down is worth the convenience of operation to me, and overall, it's a lot cheaper than bottled water.