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Main Boards => Gear => Topic started by: landy87 on 09:45:26, 16/01/18

Title: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: landy87 on 09:45:26, 16/01/18
i havent used the mini in a long time and cant remember what it was like before, i remember backflushing it with water+ bleach solution before storing and backflushed it again before using it

tried hanging a large 1l sawyer squeeze bag with mini attached upside down and the flow rate is a fast continuous drip with a constant flow after a firm squeeze of the bag, though even this would take a long time to get a decent amount of water im guessing at this rate it would take 10 minutes to get half a litre at least :(

is this normal for the mini ?
anyone else dissapointed with the sawyer mini?


Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: jimbob on 13:40:36, 16/01/18
The sawyer mini gets a really good press all over this type of forum.

I have a Water to Go bottle which you fill up and then drink direct from the bottle  as and when needed. I also own two life straws, (do't ask,) which are unused though I do carry one just in case, sometimes. Before I walked in Spain my son got me  a Revive H2O collapsible filter bag, which I did use as a back up to my Water to Go Filter bottle. It just fastens to the back of my knapsack with a caribiner. I do use this sucking through the filter as & when required.

The reason I like these type of filters is that you can just fill and go. I don't use huge quantities of water (two litres a day is about my limit if I want decent night sleep ;D )   But then again your sawyer would fit a collapsible water bag and then you would not need to hang about waiting for it.

Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: NeilC on 14:19:22, 16/01/18
i havent used the mini in a long time and cant remember what it was like before, i remember backflushing it with water+ bleach solution before storing and backflushed it again before using it

tried hanging a large 1l sawyer squeeze bag with mini attached upside down and the flow rate is a fast continuous drip with a constant flow after a firm squeeze of the bag, though even this would take a long time to get a decent amount of water im guessing at this rate it would take 10 minutes to get half a litre at least :(

is this normal for the mini ?
anyone else dissapointed with the sawyer mini?


Assuming you're squeezing the bag continuously, then that's not normal. it should take a minute or something.
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: April on 19:10:08, 16/01/18
We use the sawyer mini and we gravity filter 3l of water (without any squeezing) in about 15 minutes, squeezing we can filter half a litre in a couple of minutes.
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: landy87 on 21:10:03, 16/01/18
We use the sawyer mini and we gravity filter 3l of water (without any squeezing) in about 15 minutes, squeezing we can filter half a litre in a couple of minutes.

that would be an acceptable rate, do you use tubing between filter and bag or do you screw it straight onto the bag?



this guy is having the same problem as me and the comments section is split with people having no issues and having slow flow rate
it seems to be a common problem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb0rYJvlowg&t=4s
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: beefy on 21:18:10, 16/01/18
that would be an acceptable rate, do you use tubing between filter and bag or do you screw it straight onto the bag?



this guy is having the same problem as me and the comments section is split with people having no issues and having slow flow rate
it seems to be a common problem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcVT3kGZodo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcVT3kGZodo)


Unfiltered water in one elevated bladder,  pipe, filter, then another bladder with the filtered water in  O0

Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: landy87 on 21:21:27, 16/01/18

Unfiltered water in one elevated bladder,  pipe, filter, then another bladder with the filtered water in  O0

thanks

do you find the pipe between bag and filter makes a difference to connecting filter straight onto the bag?
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: April on 21:25:21, 16/01/18
We use 2 platypus water bladders with tubing between the sawyer mini, both ends. I'm trying to find a pic that illustrates it, this is the best one I can find.

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5701/31301933025_b72dfa971f_z.jpg) (http://)

We've never had any problems with ours, have you contacted the company to see what they say?

That bleddy beefy always posts summat when I'm already writing an answer  ;D
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: beefy on 21:25:56, 16/01/18
thanks

do you find the pipe between bag and filter makes a difference to connecting filter straight onto the bag?
Yes,
The higher you put the unfiltered bladder the quicker the water filters  8)
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: beefy on 21:26:57, 16/01/18
We use 2 platypus water bladders with tubing between the sawyer mini, both ends. I'm trying to find a pic that illustrates it, this is the best one I can find.

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5701/31301933025_b72dfa971f_z.jpg) (http://)

We've never had any problems with ours, have you contacted the company to see what they say?

That bleddy beefy always posts summat when I'm already writing an answer  ;D
;D  good pic Ape  O0
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: April on 21:36:59, 16/01/18
this guy is having the same problem as me and the comments section is split with people having no issues and having slow flow rate
it seems to be a common problem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcVT3kGZodo (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcVT3kGZodo)

The video isn't about sawyer mini's?  ???
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: landy87 on 22:18:10, 16/01/18
The video isn't about sawyer mini's?  ???

oops

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb0rYJvlowg&t=4s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb0rYJvlowg&t=4s)
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: April on 08:45:38, 17/01/18
I don't have sound at work so I cant hear what the bloke is saying  ;D

You say it would take 10 minutes to filter half a litre, that is far too long, I would have a word with the shop you bought it from they may replace it? It really shouldn't take that long.

I know the sawyer squeeze is faster to filter water than the mini but heavier, the mini is so light and compact, it is worth it for us having to wait a bit longer. Beefy filters on the move, we both fill a half litre bladder and beefy gravity filters into another half litre bladder when we are walking so we always have water on tap so we never have to wait for it anyway. When we camp we set up our 3l bladders to filter before we put up the tent, most of the time, so by the time we have the tent up and our things unpacked we have 3l of water ready to use.

Here is another thread about the sawyer mini. I posted a pic of beefy and his filtering while he walks on post 16
http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=34445.15
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: dinger on 18:50:05, 18/01/18
I bought one a few months ago, apart from having the advantage of being small its poor because of the flow rate.
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: beefy on 19:09:05, 18/01/18
I bought one a few months ago, apart from having the advantage of being small its poor because of the flow rate.
What are you comparing it to?

Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: dinger on 22:08:35, 18/01/18
I compared it to water to go but it was a bit of a rip off having to change the filter every 3 months which are not cheap really
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: beefy on 22:24:34, 18/01/18
I compared it to water to go but it was a bit of a rip off having to change the filter every 3 months which are not cheap really
We've been using our Sawyer minis for over 2 years now, and probably use them more than most,
They are still filtering water, I'd say that was value for money, and I don't mind waiting a few mins to get the clean water
Although as April said, I've always got half a litre ready to drink   :)
Title: Re: sawyer mini flow rate
Post by: marmottungsten on 21:41:54, 22/04/18
I think a lot of the problems people have with their Sawyer Minis are caused by careless use...It only takes one filtering session with water that is heavily filled with sediment and you can knacker your Mini forever.  The reason is the incredibly tiny pores inside the Mini (0.1 micron)...It doesn't take much to block them up.  And secondly because there is no pre-filter to reduce this sediment before it gets to the Mini.  Back-flushing may not be enough to get rid of clay particles because they are very sticky, and once in the Mini they are very hard to budge.  But there is something that can done to prevent them getting to the Mini in the first place...Make a pre-filter.  I have just made a prototype pre-filter that also contains activated charcoal to take out sediment and toxins in the water, that the Mini cannot remove, and to improve the taste of filtered the water too.  It is simple, compact, lightweight and very cheap to make.  My prototype is made from about 100mm of 22mm diameter, clear but green tinted, flexible silicon aquarium tubing, with the cut off threaded tops off two PET bottles, glued onto each end using silicon sealant.  I have ordered one of Sawyers female to female thread adapters (which is currently in the post) which when screwed on one end allows the Sawyer dirty water squeezy bottle to screw on one end, whilst the other end screws straight onto the Mini.  Sedement filtering is provided by two removable cotton wool balls, one at either end of the tube, and these also hold in the activated charcoal granuals, in the middle section. The activated charcoal should last about a month (going by my experience of using Brita filters) and the cotton wool balls can either be removed and replaced as soon as they look to dirty to filter any more, or even rinsed and reused in the field if you don't have replacements available.  My prototype weighs 33 grams when dry (5g lighter than the Mini).  Here is a picture of my prototype, minus the Sawyer female to female thread adapter (which is still on it's way): https://flic.kr/p/GLVndD (https://flic.kr/p/GLVndD) and here it is screwed onto the Mini: https://flic.kr/p/23F11vq (https://flic.kr/p/23F11vq)