Interested in the Aquasana Clean Water Machine? Wondering if there’s anything you should know before you buy this system? In this guide, we’ve covered all the most important information about the Clean Water Machine’s features, performance benefits, specs, installation and maintenance requirements, and more.
Table of Contents
🧾 Overview
The Aquasana Clean Water Machine is a standout filter in the pitchers and countertop water filters market. Rather than use gravity to filter water, this unique system uses electricity to push water through a filter at a much faster rate, providing purified water in a matter of seconds.
You can buy the Clean Water Machine with a pitcher, or upgrade the capacity to a larger dispenser. The machine offers exactly the same performance regardless of the capacity.
📝 System Specifications
| Dimensions | 9.69 x 7.96 x 11.61 inches (L x W x H) |
| Operating Pressure | 20-70 psi |
| Flow Rate | 0.5 gallons per minute (GPM) |
| Filter Type | Activated carbon, catalytic carbon, ion exchange, sub-micron mechanical filtration |
| Filter Lifespan | 300 gallons/ 6 months |
| NSF Certifications | 42, 53, 401, P473 |
| Voltage | 90-264 V |
| Water Tank Capacity | 64 ounces |
| Warranty/ guarantee | 1 year/ 90 days |
💡 Features
Sleek, Modern Design
The Clean Water Machine has a slim profile and shouldn’t take up too much of your kitchen counter space. The unit’s sleek, modern design helps it blend in with most kitchens.
Removes 70 Contaminants & Retains Minerals
This unit is NSF certified to reduce or remove 70 contaminants, without removing healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium that are found naturally in tap water.
6-Month Filter Life
Both filters in the CWM need replacing once every 6 months, minimum. Your water quality and water usage determine exactly how frequently the filter should be replaced.
Quick, Simple Setup
It takes just minutes to assemble this machine and prime the filter, ready for use.
1-Year Limited Warranty
For your peace of mind, the CWM is backed by a 1-year limited warranty. You can also try the unit risk-free with the 90-day money-back guarantee.
🚦 Performance
There are three key factors we consider when we measure the performance of any filtration system:
- Contaminants removed (effectiveness of performance)
- Flow rate (speed of performance)
- Filter capacity/lifespan (longevity of performance)
When it comes to contaminant removal, the Aquasana CWM ticks our boxes.
This capable filtered water unit removes virtually every contaminant out there – apart from fluoride. Plus, it retains healthy minerals, like calcium and magnesium. You can rely on this filter to deliver great-tasting water that’s just as healthy as it was when it came out of your tap.
In all, we’re impressed with the effectiveness of this filter’s performance. With its ability to remove 70 contaminants, it’s not far off the leading pitcher filter on the market, the Clearly Filtered Pitcher (which currently removes more than 300 contaminants).
What about flow rate?
Aquasana says that the Clean Water Machine can “instantly transform tap water” into filtered water. Most pitcher filter models slowly trickle water into a bottom chamber, but this Aquasana model offers a much faster result thanks to its electricity use.
Expect a flow rate of up to 0.5 gallons per minute with a new filter (most filter pitchers have a flow rate of around 0.2 GPM). This speed will drop slightly as your filter gets older and more clogged.
How does this countertop filter perform in the long run?
As far as longevity is concerned, the filters last for a maximum of 6 months, more likely 3 months for a family of four, which is a bit lower than average for a countertop water filter. We’ve seen better – just look at the likes of Berkey, whose Black Berkey elements last year upon year before they need replacing.
📌 The best mark of good performance? Official NSF certifications. The Clean Water Machine has several: it’s certified to NSF Standard 42, 53, 401, and P473.
The CWM also comes with a 1-year warranty that covers manufacturing defects, which is another reassuring sign of reliable performance.
🔧 Installation & Maintenance
The Aquasana CWM doesn’t have a lengthy installation. You’ll need to do three things to set this system up: prime the pump, install the filter, and flush the filter.
The included parts are:
- The filter housing
- The filter
- The pitcher or dispenser
- A lid for the pitcher/dispenser
To prime the pump, fill the dispenser or pitcher and place it on the unit’s base. Then plug the unit in and simply wait for the water to pass through (for the pitcher) or press and hold the button until all the water has gone through the system (for the dispenser).
To install the filter, remove the top lid by sliding it to the right, then insert the filter, making sure that the male end points up. Press and rotate the lid to lock it back down in place, then plug the unit in.
To flush the filter, fill the pitcher or dispenser with water and place it on the base of the unit. Wait for the filtration process (for the pitcher) or press and hold the button until the dispenser is full (for the dispenser). Discard the first batch of water.
Aquasana has a useful video that runs you through the setup process if you’re more of a visual learner. 👇
Maintaining this filtration system is also pretty simple. You’ll just need to buy a replacement filter every 3-6 months, depending on your water quality or water usage.
📌 There’s a filter indicator light built into the system that takes the guesswork out of filter changes. The light is blue when the filter is working well, and blinks red once the filtration capacity reaches 80%. When the light turns solid red, you need to replace the filter. We recommend buying a new filter as soon as you notice the blinking red light.
Keep in mind that the light estimates filtration capacity based on a timer, and you may need replacement filters more or less frequently than the light indicates.
For instance, a family of one or two with a drinking water consumption below 320 gallons within three months might get more use out of the water filtration system before the filters need replacing. In this case, reset the filter indicator light just once, and replace the filter after six months.
Here’s the user manual for the Clean Water Machine.
📝 Filter Info
📌 The Clean Water Machine combines a blend of sub-micron mechanical filtration, activated carbon, catalytic carbon, and ion exchange filter media, within two filter cartridges.
Activated and catalytic carbon are some of the most reliable media available for the reduction of aesthetic contaminants affecting the taste and smell of water, like chlorine. Catalytic carbon offers more advanced filtration work, which reduces chloramines and hydrogen sulfide in water.
Let’s look in more detail at what these filter media are capable of reducing or removing:
- 96.06% of chlorine and chloramines
- 99.9% of particulates
- More than 99% of asbestos, chlorine-resistant cysts (cryptosporidium & giardia, lead, and turbidity
- More than 96% of mercury
- Around 91.2% of MTBE
- At least 95% of herbicides, pesticides, and other VOCs
- 95.8% of PFOA and PFOS
- Above 90% of organic substances like pharmaceuticals
This is all according to testing and certifications to the NSF Standards mentioned earlier in this review.
🔔 Pros & Cons
👍 What We Like
- The CWM filters water while retaining beneficial minerals, so you get clean, mineral-rich drinking water
- The filtration dock is sleek and attractive, making it suitable for modern kitchens
- We’re pleased with this system’s NSF certifications for contaminant removal, offering the promise of reliable performance
- You might be able to use the same filter for six months if your water usage is lower than average
- The 0.5 GPM flow rate is better than what you’d get with any other water pitcher filter.
- The 1-year warranty and 90-day satisfaction guarantee are reassuring
👎 What We Don’t Like
- This water filtration system doesn’t remove as many contaminants as the leading pitcher filter on the market
- Numerous customers complain about leaks in the system, and some customers had issues with units that stopped working entirely, suggesting issues with quality control
- If you want to filter water at an antisocial hour, you might not get away with it. The hum of the motor is quite loud
❔ Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Clean Water Machine best suited for?
If you want the portability of a pitcher filter without the long wait times of gravity filtration, the Clean Water Machine might just be the leading pitcher filter for you. Regardless, we’d still recommend looking at your full range of options if you’re interested in buying the best water filter pitcher or the superior countertop water filter available today.
Does Aquasana Clean Water Machine remove fluoride?
No. Fluoride is one of the few contaminants that the Clean Water Machine doesn’t remove. If you want a water pitcher filter that’s capable of fluoride removal, you’re best looking at the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher or the Epic Nano Water Filter Pitcher.
Does the Aquasana Clean Water Machine remove bacteria?
No, Aquasana makes no claims of bacteria removal for the Clean Water Machine. The filter doesn’t reduce viruses or cysts, either. This is difficult to achieve with countertop filtration, but some pitchers, like the Clearly Filtered Water Pitcher and the Epic Nano Water Filter Pitcher, can reduce bacteria.
Is Aquasana Clean Water Machine loud?
The Clean Water Machine isn’t loud, but it’s noisier than a regular pitcher filter because of its electric pump. When the machine is in operation, you should hear the low hum of the pump pushing water through the filter media. You’ll only hear this noise during the water filtration process.
How much does Aquasana Clean Water Machine cost?
The Aquasana CWM currently costs about $200. Check Aquasana’s website for the most up-to-date cost (prices have been increasing with inflation, but Aquasana occasionally has sales and deals for its products).
Does Aquasana Clean Water Machine need electricity?
Yes, the Clean Water Machine operates with electricity. The unit has a voltage of 90-264.
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