Culligan US Change Sink Drinking Water System with Dedicated Faucet and Premium Filter, EZ-4 (Best Filtration), Chrome

Improved our water quality! No more lugging water from the store! Thank Goodness!

I had just purchased a second Consumer Reports check rated room humidifier and was using tap water in both... until I saw the white mineral dust accumulating everywhere. Consumers Reports just had an article about humidifiers and recommended an under sink filter... this Culligan US 4 EZ filter that was highly rated to reduce minerals. Before ordering, I read the pdf owners manual (did you see the link on the page?) I knew the included 1/2x1/2 inch T wasn't going to work and a trip to the hardware store would be needed. At this price point you might expect Culligan to include another 3/8x3/8 T, but no. My supply pipe is 1/2 to the valve, then 3/8 to the faucet. Fortunately, the guy at the hardware store found the appropriate T and an additional nut/ferule/insert for the 1/4 inch plastic tubing that fit perfectly. The next problem was where to mount the filter head. One side of the under sink cabinet had the garbage disposal, the back wall faced the outside (and potential freezing) leaving the side next to the dish washer. That wall was too thin for the long screws that were included. I just happened to have a 6in x 6in x 3/4 block of wood that I Flex Glued to the wall after marking and installing the filter head mounting screws. I left the screws slightly loose in order to lift the filter off and pull it out for easier filter replacement. That just left connecting the water lines, which was as easy as laying on my back and reaching wayyyy up behind the sink to first hand tighten the nut to secure the faucet to the sink (the hole was already in the stainless steel sink), then again with a wrench to tighten the water line to the faucet. Pushing the water lines into the filter housing was easy, just be sure to push in to the marked lines on the hose. After running water for ten minutes (to clear the charcoal dust fines from the filter as per the instructions) I tried my newly filtered water and was surprised on just how clean, wet and tasteless it was. Excellent! I then filled my humidifiers with filtered water and now enjoy dust free humidity. I am also now using far fewer plastic water bottles... actually, I have used 0 water battles since this install. I also tried using filtered water in my Keurig coffee maker. Guess I was used to the tap water taste because I didn't care for it. I tried half tap water and half filtered water and that worked great. The faucet is designed so that the LED indicator is facing you, that puts the handle on the right hand side. That handle could be better designed, but works ok. The faucet nozzle snaps into place and is pretty wobbly but does not (yet) leak. Overall, CR had it right.

This Under-Sink Drinking Water System is just like a Brita filter, but way more expansive. Short story, after installation of this system, I request a Culligan Representative to pass by my house and check the water from the regular tap and this new installed Under-Sink Drinking Water System. He was also surprise that there wasn't any difference in between the two. I have to mention that I also have a water softener installed on my house that work's great. He couldn't explain either why there's no difference, but he mention that the filter is just a carbon filter that might take out the odors only, not the actual chemicals from water. I also experienced some problems installing it, even I had another Drinking Water System installed before. I won't recommend to spend money on it.

Fairly easy to install. I didn't have any leaks. Water comes out cloudy at first but then clears up as it settles (I guess from going through the filter media). Tastes a little different than before, but maybe that's because I'm used to the chlorine taste that it previously had and now it has no taste?. Overall, very satisfied. I did call tech support for a question on how far the tubing went into the culligan faucet (5/8 inch or all the way which is about 2 inches) because the manual wasn't clear here (just said to push 'firmly' into the faucet). The tech did not call back until the following day, but said it only goes in a short distance so the ferrule compression ring compresses on the tubing where the T insert is fitted into the end of the tubing. Makes sense to me...the insert gives it strength so the compression washer doesn't crush the tubing. I originally had the tubing pushed all the way into the faucet and still did not have a leak. Another thing I did was to cut a piece of 5/8 inch plywood to use as a template that I could hold firmly against the wall to drill the hole in a granite countertop for the faucet and to keep the bit from walking. I drilled a 5/8 inch hole (same size as the bit I was using to drill through the granite countertop) in the plywood where I wanted the hole and used it to guide the diamond coated bit to cut through the countertop. This worked perfectly. I kept dipping the diamond coated bit in water every 30 seconds to clean it and keep it cool. It only took about 5 minutes or so and I was through. Perfect clean cut.

It was fairly easy to install, plastic pieces surprisingly have an OK strength. However, don't treat them as they are steel. The adapter worked perfectly under my sink, on the faucet connector side. I have added a layer of Teflon plumber tape on the threads, just because I didn't want to twist the plastic adapter too hard (to compress more the rubber gasket). The filter cartridge itself has a mark that has to be aligned with "Unlock" position when inserted (check inside the base if the receiver is aligned the same way first) and will align with "Lock" when fully seated. Attention, it has another "stop" before that, if you leave it there you will have water flowing under sink. Suggestion keep the base steady with the other hand, to relief the rotating pressure, when installing the filter. My unfiltered water is normally clear when poured directly in glass, but tastes bad because the Chloramine content (city switched from Chlorine recently). This takes a long time to clear, longer than Chlorine. Will kill fish too. The filtered water, in same glass, has almost microscopic white specks that float at surface that eventually disappear. Hard water (with calcium) feels a little slippery on fingers, Chloramine/Chlorine masks that. The included battery for filter monitor is a nice touch - it gets installed in the faucet holder. The bad: The kit provided faucet has a handle that turns the "wrong" way. If you grew up and you are used with rotating faucets, counter-clockwise turns water "on", clockwise is "turn water off". You don't even think about that. If you work on cars and bolts, screws, you don't have to think either, clockwise is "tightening", easy to associate with water being "squeezed" off. Well, surprise, now you have to think again, because now "clockwise" is turning the water "on"... I took one star away for this. This is because they decided to position the handle pointing down and you have to pull towards you to let the water flow. If the handle was initially pointing up, the same movement towards you would rotate the handle the right way.