Aquasana Active Clean Water Machine Review (New 2023)
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated:
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The Aquasana Active Clean Water Machine (CWM) provides purer drinking water than most other countertop and pitcher filters you can buy. Water that not only tastes delicious but that’s also 100% free from any odors – at a very low cost per gallon. So, should you invest in the system?
Aquasana Active Clean Water Machine – Key Features
Aquasana’s Clean Water Machine runs on electricity to push raw tap water through an ultra-dense Claryum filter block, you also get a much faster filtration rate (.5 gallons per minute to be precise) for shorter waiting times.
We know, this is not a whole lot of water, but much more than what you get with any gravity-based pitcher.
The CWM simply sits on your countertop and is very easy to use. 100% BPA-free? Check!
What’s more, you can choose between two sleek designs, black and white, and whether you want the version that comes with a pitcher or the one with the dispenser. Which option you go for doesn’t make a difference price-wise (all available here).
However, you can undock the pitcher and put it in your refrigerator for cooling, something that the dispenser does not allow.
The dispenser on the other hand has the advantage that it can hold twice the amount of water that fits into the pitcher: One gallon vs. half a gallon.
Another difference is that the dispenser will filter your water on demand at the push of a button. With the pitcher installed, all the water will run through the filter automatically. The unit stops once the feed reservoir is empty.
Filtration capacity: 320 gallons or 3 months, so many times more than a regular pitcher filter.
CWM Pros
First things first. The Clean Water Machine basically can remove every single contaminant that you can think of – except fluoride – and retains all healthy minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium while doing so.
So you not only get healthy drinking water that is 100 percent safe for consumption. Reducing acidic compounds and preserving minerals also improves water alkalinity and overall pH for better hydration, says Aquasana.
To give you a better idea of what impurities will be eliminated from your water, here is an excerpt of the test results that Aquasana has provided:
Chlorine and chloramine – 96.06%*
Particulates – 99.9%*
Turbidity, asbestos, lead, chlorine-resistant cysts (cryptosporidium & giardia) – more than 99%**
Mercury – more than 96%**
MTBE – 91.2%**
Dozens of VOCs (e.g. herbicides, pesticides) – at least 95%**
Organic substances (e.g. pharmaceuticals like Ibuprofen, Linuron, Estrone) – way above 90%***
Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) – 95.8%****
*According to NSF Standard 42
** According to NSF Standard 53
***According to NSF Standard 401
****According to NSF Protocol P473
All in all, the activated carbon, catalytic carbon and ion exchange filter media combined with sub-micron mechanical filtration can handle more than 70 harmful contaminants that might be present in your water supply.
More features are the slim profile that takes up only a minimum counter space and the sleek design. After all, the Clean Water Machine will be visible on your countertop 24/7.
And lastly, we like the fact that you get a 1-year limited warranty covering defects in materials and workmanship in manufacturing.
The Aquasana Active Clean Water Machine – learn more on aquasana.com
Setup
Setting up this countertop water filter is a piece of cake as you are about to see. No tools are required in the process.
Priming the Pump
Start by priming the pump:
First, fill the dispenser/pitcher with tap water and place it firmly on the base.
Plug in the unit.
If you are working with the dispenser, press and hold the button until all water has run through. For the pitcher, simply wait for the process to finish and the blue light to turn off. Please note that it may take a couple of minutes for the water flow to start.
Installing the Filter
Continue by installing the filter.
Slide the top lid to the right and take it off.
Place the filter into the dock with the male end facing up.
Put the lid back on by pressing it firmly down and rotate it to the left until fully locked in.
Plug in the unit.
Flushing the Filter
Finally, it’s time to flush the filter before use.
Fill the dispenser/pitcher with tap water and place it firmly on the base.
If you are working with the dispenser, press and hold the button until all water has run through. For the pitcher, simply wait for the process to finish and the blue light to turn off.
Discard all water.
If something remains unclear, check out this setup video provided by Aquasana:
Parts List
Filtration dock
Claryum filter
Dispenser or pitcher with lid
Maintenance
All that is required for maintenance are regular filter changes. When the filter indicator light is blue, all is good. A blinking red light means that you are at 80% filtration capacity. A solid red light usually means that immediate filter replacement is required.
However, the light is timer-based. There is no actual meter inside the system that measures your water consumption. After 3 months of using the same filter the light will turn red, no matter what.
So if you are single or living in a household of 2 and the amount of water that you drink is far below 320 gallons within 3 months, you might be able to hit the reset button at the top and get away with another 3-month cycle. Just don’t do this more than once. After 6 months of use you should definitely change the filter, says Aquasana.
After reading dozens of ratings we can say that leaks are a common issue. They usually first occur after a couple of weeks or months of use. And for some users their system stopped working entirely.
Aquasana provides a few possible solutions to the leaking problem, which include making sure that the pitcher/dispenser is fully attached to the filtration dock or double-checking that the black rubber O-ring is in place on the bottom connection point of the filtration lid. Unfortunately, they don’t work for everyone.
A handful of people complained about broken units being shipped. At least quick refunds and immediate replacements are no problem. Customer service is good with no questions asked.
One smaller issue is that the system is loud while running. Sure, you can place a towel underneath to dampen the noise, and the whole process takes less than a minute, but better not turn it on in the middle of the night.
Aquasana Active Review: Our Verdict + Best for
The Aquasana CWM is best for people who like a combination of countertop and pitcher water filter. It is beyond doubt that it provides exceptionally clean, great tasting water. And although leaking can be a problem, most CWM users are happy with their purchase and would recommend the product. 4 stars!
This completes our Aquasana Active Clean Water Machine review. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
Gene Fitzgerald has been with BOS since the very beginning. She is head of content creation and has fully immersed herself into the home water treatment industry only to become an expert herself. Outside of BOS, Gene loves reading books on philosophy & social issues, making music, and hiking.
Learn more about Gene and the rest of the BOS Team.
Leave a Comment:
Jon Choi says
December 1, 2020
I had to return my first table top Aquasana Clean Water system due to a bad leak after a few months. Got a new replacement. The replacement started leaking after about 4 months. It leaks from the bottom.
I have a countertop unit that leaks from the back of the unit. It has begun self starting without pressing the button. It actually leaks from the rear seam. We are no longer confident in this uniting afraid it emptying out on granite countertop. It was a good unit when working.
