The Sterasyl^™ Ceramic Shell
The Sterasyl^™ grade ceramic is designed to remove suspended solids and pathogenic bacteria (>99.99%).  The filter elements are produced using the latest ceramic techniques to provide a hollow porous ceramic, which is fired at a temperature in excess of 1,000º C.  They are designed to operate with water flow going from the outside to the inside of the element. The ceramic shell exhibits a strictly controlled pore structure, so as to provide efficient sub-micron filtration, a proven defense against hard-shelled parasites such as Cryptosporidium as well as pathogenic bacteria. The ceramic also removes other less harmful, but equally unpleasant particulate debris such as rust and dirt.

Composition of the Sterasyl^™ ceramic contains pure silver.  This silver is a material designed to significantly inhibit bacteriological mitosis or grow through. The result is that bacterial growth is inhibited from occurring within the Sterasyl^™ ceramic element (which is possible with the other ceramic filter elements).  This silver content insures that filtered water contains levels well below those required by international standards.  Because of the silver, Sterasyl^™ filter elements do not require sterilization after cleaning.

The Sterasyl^™ filter, when used in in-line housings, is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) as meeting their Standard No 42 for materials.

The Super Sterasyl^™ Water Filtration Element
The Sterasyl^™ ceramic is the ceramic shell used for the Super Sterasyl^™ filter element. Accordingly, this filter element will have, at a minimum, the filtration benefits of the Sterasyl^™ ceramic.  Additionally, the bore of the ceramic shell is filled with granular activated carbon, which enables the filter to reduce chlorine and organic chemicals while improving the color, taste, and odor of the source water.  The re-cleanable Super Sterasyl^™ filter elements remove suspended solids, parasites, cysts and pathogenic bacteria (>99.99%) and reduce organic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, organic solvents, trihalomethanes, SOCs, VOCs and foul tastes and odors. The top of the Super Sterasyl^™ element is closed with a unique ceramic dome.  This prevents the possibility of breeching (leakage), which can occur with filtration elements that are closed with a plastic cap.

What’s Hiding in Your Drinking Water?  Super Sterasyl^™ Filters:

Remove Pathogenic Bacteria:
Cholera, Typhoid, Salmonella, Serratia, E.Coli, Fecal Coliform > 99.99% removal.

Remove Cysts (>99.999%):
Cryptosporidium Parvum and Giardia Lamblia - 100% removal (based on tests by Arizona State University).

Reduce Organic Chemicals:
Pesticides, herbicides, organic solvents, SOCs, VOCs, trihalomethanes.

Reduce Chlorine > 90%

Reduce Turbidity, Sediment and Particulate:

@ 0.9 micron                  > 99.99%
@ 0.5 – 0.8 micron          > 99.9%
@ 0.2 – 0.3 micron          > 98%
(based on tests by Spectrum Laboratories, Minneapolis, MN).

Maximum working pressure:           125   psi
Maximum working temperature:      100º F
Minimum working temperature:        40º  F 

Super Sterasyl^™ ceramic filters are manufactured to the following international standards and have been tested and approved by the following independent bodies or agencies:  

ISO-9000: 2000,  Hyder Labs – UK, Spectrum Labs – UK, WRc – Mednenham UK, Clare Microbiology – UK, Loughborough University -  UK, University of Arizona – USA, Thresh, Beale, and Suckling – UK, and WRc Gwent – UK.

Bacterial mitosis and “grow-through”
Mitosis is the name for the usual method of bacterial cell division. This division is characterized by resolving the chromatin of the cell nucleus into a threadlike form that condenses into chromosomes, each of which separates longitudinally into two parts, one part of each chromosome being retained in each of the two new daughter cells. When conditions of growth (cell division) are right (proper environmental conditions, temperature, pressure, etc.) and sufficient nutrients, the “threadlike forms” can penetrate ordinary ceramic structure and create bacterial cells on the inside of ceramic elements.  The Sterasyl^™ grade filter elements incorporate pure silver into the porous ceramic shell, which inhibits mitosis or  “grow-through”.

Not available in California or Iowa