# Using Filtered water with an internal filter or not?



## Oblivion (Mar 5, 2018)

I am using filtered water from a Brita Maxtra+ filter.

Test kit from Screwfix (Tablet type) shows tap water hardness of 270 and filtered hardness of 100. So far so good.

My new coffee machine came with a BWT filter which goes inside the water tank. It's a big thing and seems to use a lot of space.

The question is, is there any advantage in using the supplied water tank filter if I am using water already filtered? or should this only be needed if using water straight from the tap.

The BWT filter in question contains Magnesium but is this any advantage?


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

Am sure others will confirm, but the internal filters are generally not that clever. Can you tell us the make of machine and a picture. A filter will only filter out substances it is designed to do. So, a Brita jug filter might add a few minerals and take a couple out to produce drinking water. that is not the same requirement as a coffee machine. A coffee machine needs two things. the first is calcium control to stop scale, and remember, when water is sitting in a boiler constantly at high temp scale will build up far faster and secondly, depending on the area you live in your water might be horrible to drink, so you may need a different sort of filter the the first. it is a complicated area! If you are happy with the taste of your tap water, then it is the calcium content I would check first


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## Oblivion (Mar 5, 2018)

The machine is a Fracino Classico which came with the filter in a box. I have not installed it as I was using the Brita filtered water. The water here (London/Surrey) tastes okay but is hard. I'll upload a pic of the filter.


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## Oblivion (Mar 5, 2018)

I'm having trouble doing pics at the moment but here is a link which may or may not work.

The filter is big at around 5" tall by 2" wide.


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## ashcroc (Oct 28, 2016)

Even with a brita filter I find my kettle needs descaling. Just not as often as filling from the tap. Unfortunately London/Surrey water passes through the chalk bed that has the White Cliffs of Dover at the wnd of it so you can't get much harder.

Passing through a 2nd filter would help & the magnesium in the BWT one should improve the taste.


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## Oblivion (Mar 5, 2018)

ashcroc said:


> Even with a brita filter I find my kettle needs descaling. Just not as often as filling from the tap. Unfortunately London/Surrey water passes through the chalk bed that has the White Cliffs of Dover at the wnd of it so you can't get much harder.
> 
> Passing through a 2nd filter would help & the magnesium in the BWT one should improve the taste.


Thanks,

I think I'll install the supplied filter in that case.

(got the BB code to work from my home computer so the image works now too)


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