3M Aqua-Pure AP431 Whole House Scale Inhibition Inline Replacement Water Cartridge For System AP430SS, Genuine 3M Replacement Cartridge

Be sure to flush the filter with something that doesn’t have a fine filters for 5-10 mins or so after installation. I have those electric smart toilets and it filled the bowls with little pieces black plastic and clogged their inline filters. Game changer in water quality. My showers and appliances are as grateful as I am. ZERO spots on the shower doors or sinks.

The installers of my gas boiler put this scale inhibition system in along with everything else so I just needed the replacement cartridge. It fit perfectly with no threading issues others have mentioned, went right in first time and sealed tight, no leaks. Did not use Teflon tape as it is not needed for the cartridge.

Works with magic and unicorn tears. :o)It is not a filter. It is a water treatment system.The stainless steel head is robust and a nice solid chunk of metal. Easily could withstand brazing/soldering, on the spot, with the cartridge off.The 3/4" NPT inlet and outlet has nearly a clear flow path, so your GPM, will not be reduced. Install a ball or gate valve in front to permit easy cartridge changeouts.The tee must be orientated to the water flow, use the arrow on the side of the tee, for the water to get treated while flowing.There is an elevated tab in the tee with a single hole for directing a small portion of the water down into the center whole of the cartridge.The water slowly dissolves a small amount of food-grade polyphosphate from the beads and, using the venturi effect, the water is then pulled back through the 8 holes in the cartridge perimeter and through the 3 holes in the tee, surrounding the center tab, to mix with the flowing water.Only 2 to 3 ppm is needed to treat for scale.From past uses at a different home, I've gotten about 20,000 gallons out of a cartridge with still some beads rattling in the bottom when replacing the cartridge.I would say that if you used less than 2,000 gallons a month then one cartridge should easily last a year.The cartridge threads are plastic and you can easily cross-thread them if you get in a hurry replacing the cartridge. Just make sure you get the threads started straight and it screws up with no problems.The threads do no provide the seal, it is the o-ring so once hand-tight that is tight enough.

I have used this 4 months now, and replaced the cartridge after 3 months. Cartridge changeout is very easy as long as shutoff valves are closed at both the inflow and outflow sides. My reason for installing this was to prevent scale buildup in my new tankless hot water heater which would shorten the lifespan of the expensive heater. Since it is installed as a whole-house unit, this cartridge system should also help prevent scale buildup in the showerhead, and in our coffee maker. So far it appears to be doing a good job, and to ensure it is always functioning optimally I will change the cartridge every 3 months.

Good item good value works as intended

I have been using these for a couple of years now. I added this inline before my tankless water heater, to protect it from scale. I have definitely noticed that since adding the filter it has eliminated hard water build-up on my faucets and shower heads. I set an alarm on my phone to change it every six months, and have one auto delivered from Amazon "Subscribe & Save".

This turned out to be a simple, effective solution to two problems associated with my well water. At 12.86 gpg of CaCo3 (Calcium Carbonate) or 2.36 gpg above the "Very Hard" threshold, I had problems with calcium deposits in my boiler from the boiler feed water inflow and problems from my hot water throughout the house. Since all the water going to my dishwasher came from a hot water line, water spots on glassware were unsightly. I installed the Aqua-Pure AP430SS just before both the boiler feed and the supply to the indirect hot water tank. The water spots are gone and there are more soap bubbles when showering.A note to those who think the shiny silver thing on the top assembly is an overpriced ¾" SS tee. . . it's more than that. It is a machined casting with a scoop diverter to cause some of the water flowing through it to flow downward into the canister where it mixes with the food-grade poly phosphate in the replaceable canister before it returns through small holes drilled inside the tee to the pipe above where it ties up the CaCo3 as it flows on its merry way unable to plate our as scale.Time will tell, but, I prefer it over a water softener because it is sodium free which seems like a good thing in this stressful world of high blood pressure. Also, it won't kill the beneficial bugs in my septic system. Whew – enough said!