Sawyer filters are becoming popular for backcountry travellers who need drinking water. The filters are smaller, lighter, and cheaper. The filter removes almost all bacteria like salmonella, E.coli, protozoa, and microplastics. How to use the filter, attach the MINI to the drinking pouch and use the straw for drinking water from a water source. While using the filter, you may encounter some challenges, and you need to learn how to troubleshoot.
How Sawyer Mini Filter Works
The water filter contains high numbers of tiny U-shaped hollow fiber micro-tubes that trap all contaminants. In addition, the Sawyer Mini filtration unit has pores smaller than 0.1 micron. These pores prevent any harmful microorganisms like bacteria, protozoa from passing through the filter, thus allowing one to drink from any water source.
How Long Will a Sawyer Mini Filter Last?
This filter boats a life of 378 541 liters, meaning it will serve you for a very long time. If you maintain it well, avoiding clogging and getting brittle will help you for an extended period.
Do the Sawyer Mini Filter Viruses?
The sawyer filters eliminate both bacteria and protozoa. However, the filter can’t remove viruses, chemicals, pesticides, or heavy metals unless you upgrade to the S3 for heavy metal removal. The filter that removes viruses is a reverse osmosis system.
How Many Gallons of Water Can a Sawyer Mini Filter?
The sawyer mini-filter is an excellent tool for any traveler. The filter is light, weighing 2 oz, and can filter up to 100,000 gallons of freshwater. Again, the device is convenient to use and clean.
How to Clean a Sawyer Mini Water Filter
For best results, it’s advisable to clean your filter daily. Always clean the white cap and the collection buckets with soap and water or bleach.
- Keep aside a liter of water.
- Disconnect the filter from the hose.
- Fill the cleaning plunger with clean water.
- Remove the cap and position the cleaning plunger on the end of the filter.
- How to backwash a sawyer mini water filter
- Use force and backwash the filter three times with clean water.
How to Backwash a Sawyer Mini Water Filter?
To backwash your filter, fill the cleaning plunger with water and push it forwards through the filter to remove the dirt. You can use a bottle or cleaning plunger to backflush the filter. Backflushing means pushing water backward through the filter to remove the dirt and grime built up on the filter. It’s best to backwash a filter when the flow rate reduces at least once a week.
Why is My Sawyer Mini Water Filter not Working?
Sawyer mini-filter may fail to work if it has hardened calcium on it. You need to do a forceful backwash with hot filtered water for it to work. You can still consider soaking it in vinegar.
How Do You Unclog a Sawyer Water Filter?
- Soak the filter in hot clean water but not too hot to burn your hand.
- Let it soak for half an hour.
- After you remove it, backflush forcefully.
- If the above process fails, it may be clogged with calcium.
- Soak the filter in vinegar for half an hour.
- Later flush it with clean hot water.
- Keep repeating g the process until the filter restores its flow.
How Do I Know If My Sawyer Filter is Broken?
You need to blow through the filter from the clean end; if you can’t do it, the flow isn’t broken. If you can blow the air through, it means the filter is damaged. A broken filter won’t be helpful, and you need to get a replacement for it to filter contaminants in water.
Check this too: Pelican Water Filter How-to & Troubleshooting Guide
How to Maintain a Sawyer Water Filter?
- Always clean your filter regularly through clean coupling, backwash, soaking in vinegar, or hot water.
- Sanitize it after cleaning
- Clean it before storage and after storage before using
How Often Should You Clean a Sawyer Filter (and signs it’s time to clean)
Always clean your filter at least once a week. Clean the filter when the flow rate diminishes, before long-term storage and before using it after storage. But for a longer lifespan, it’s best to clean and sanitize your water filter after every outing.
