Assessing Water Flow
If the flow rate drops by more than 30% compared to a new cartridge-shifting from a full, steady stream to a thin trickle and taking noticeably longer to fill a glass-it indicates that the cartridge pores are clogged with sediment and impurities, significantly reducing filtration efficiency.
First, rule out low main water pressure by checking that other faucets are flowing normally; if they are, the issue is likely a clogged filter cartridge.
Assessing Changes in Water Quality
If the filtered water appears yellow, cloudy, or contains visible suspended particles, the cartridge can no longer trap large impurities like rust or colloids, meaning its filtration capability has failed.
If the water develops a noticeable taste or odor-such as the smell of residual chlorine (bleach), an earthy/musty scent, or a metallic tang-the activated carbon layer is likely saturated and can no longer remove residual chlorine or unpleasant odors.
If you notice a sudden, significant increase in limescale buildup on the inner walls of your kettle when boiling water, it indicates that the cartridge is no longer effectively filtering out calcium and magnesium ions.
