Review: Brita Under Sink Water Filter System (Total 360 BRDPFS)
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Sep 12, 2023
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The Brita Total 360 BRDPFS is a basic under sink water filter designed for easy installation and maintenance.
It has several features that could make it an attractive option for anyone interested in a simple inline system including tool-less filter changes, a compact design, and low cost.
Let’s take a closer look at the Brita and see if it merits serious consideration as a top under sink water filter.
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Brita Total 360 BRDPFS Under Sink Water Filter System |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon |
| Filter Life: | 2,000 Gallons |
| Flow Rate: | 1.8 Gallons Per Minute |
| Annual Cost: | ~$180 |
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Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Brita Total 360 BRDPFS Under Sink Water Filter System – All Specs
- Model: BRDPFS
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$180
- Filter Media/Process: Activated Carbon
- Flow Rate: 1.8 gpm
- Filtering Capacity: 2,000 gal
- WxHxD: 4″x14.5″x3.5″
- Water Temperature: 40-100 °F
- Water Pressure: 30-100 psi
- Fitting: 3/8″
- NSF Certifications: Standard 42, 53
- Warranty: 1 Year
Brita Total 360 BRDPFS – Key Features
The Brita Total 360 Under Sink Water Filter System with the model number BRDPFS is an affordable product designed to remove various contaminants common to municipal water (including lead, mercury, cyst, chlorine taste and odor, benzene) – it will make your water healthier to drink and cook with.
The inline filter design allows for fast and easy installation, as no additional faucet is required.
The encapsulated filter design allows for tool-less filter changes without shutting off your water supply – which means no mess.
The system features a 1.8-gallon per minute flow rate, which isn’t the highest for an under sink unit but is high enough that you’re unlikely to notice any big drop-off in water pressure.
The system comes with a 1-year manufacturer’s warranty and an optional warranty extension when you register your unit online.
The filter cartridge has a 6-month or 2,000-gallon lifespan, which is fairly good for a system of this type.
Brita Under Sink Water Filter Pros
One of the biggest pros of the system is its low cost. It’s more affordable compared many other under sink filters in the market.
Another major advantage is the system’s ease of installation. Installation can be performed on your own with the help of the included DIY installation kit, which means step-by-step instructions as well as all of the necessary hardware. This means you’ll save money over using a plumber.
Changing the filters is also simple and easy, and doesn’t require shutting off the water supply. All that’s needed is a quarter turn to release the old filter followed by another quarter turn to install the fresh filter.
Finally, contaminant reduction is NSF-certified (NSF Standard 42 and 53).
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
The BRDPFS by Brita Total 360 will remove sediment, lead, mercury, cysts, chlorine taste and odor, and benzene. While it’s not completely clear what filter media the system contains, based on the contaminants removed we can assume it includes some type of activated carbon block.
The Brita BRDPFS – learn more on Amazon.com
Installation
As the filter is an inline design, installation is fairly straightforward and can be performed independently without any special tools or skills. Again, no dedicated faucet is required to run this Brita under sink water filter, and all the bits and pieces you need are included in the installation kit.
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
Tools needed for installation:
- Phillips head and slotted head screwdriver
- Drill/driver
- Tube cutter or utility knife
- Pliers
- Adjustable wrench
- Bucket
- Plumbers tape
To install the system follow these steps:
- Turn the cold water shutoff valve all the way closed. Then open any faucets downstream to drain the plumbing.
- Find the flexible hose line running from your cold water supply to your faucet. Disconnect it from the cold water supply by rotating the nut until the line comes free. Use a bucket to catch any water that drains out of the line.
- Find a section of included 3/8” tubing along with its compression nut, tubing insert, and ferrule. Assemble the components onto the cold water shutoff as indicated in the manual. Tighten to make sure there are no leaks.
- Find the included water supply adaptor and fit it to the nut on the supple line that you previously disconnected.
- Push the supply adaptor stem into one end of the union connector making sure to press it in fully.
- At this point, you’ll need to find the other segment of 3/8” tubing that you haven’t used yet. Connect it between the water filter outlet and the union connector. Leave some slack in the line and cut to the length required. Be sure to cut the tubing ends clean and perpendicular.
- Press the tubing into the filter outlet’s union connector. To ensure it’s connected properly, pull lightly on the tubing to ensure it’s mounted in place.
- Repeat the previous two steps on the tubing connection from the cold water supply to the inlet on the filter.
- At this point, the system installation is essentially complete, all that’s left to do is turn the water back on, check the system for leaks, and flush the filter.
- First, turn the cold water shutoff underneath the sink back on.
- Open the faucet to release any air trapped in the system. When the water is running normally with no sputtering or gurgling, turn the faucet back off and examine the system for leaks.
- Finally, open the faucet and flush the system for 20 minutes to remove any fine carbon particles in the filter.
The Package (Parts)
- Water filter head with bracket
- Top cover
- Filter cartridge
- Tubing
- Installation parts and screws
Maintenance
As the Brita system uses a single filter cartridge, maintenance requirements are exceptionally low. All that’s needed is changing the filter cartridge every six months or 2,000 gallons of water, whichever comes first.
The exact replacement interval will depend on your water usage and the amount of sediment, chlorine, and other pollutants in your water. You’ll know it’s time to change the filter when you begin to notice foul tastes and odor, or a slowdown in the flow rate from the faucet.
As mentioned before, filter replacements are quick and easy with no need to shut off the water supply. Cost: About $180 a year which is acceptable.
To change a filter cartridge:
- First, turn the cartridge counterclockwise to loosen it from the unit head.
- Discard the old cartridge and open the new one.
- Insert the new cartridge into the unit head and then rotate clockwise to secure it in place.
- After installation, be sure to flush the system for 20 minutes to get rid of any fine carbon dust contained in the cartridge.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
https://resources.ecopurehome.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/BRDPFS-7379612_C.pdf
NSF and Other Certifications
The manufacturer states that the Brita Under Sink Water Filter System is certified to both NSF Standards 42 and 53 for the reduction of aesthetic and health effects: Sediment particulate class I, chlorine taste and odor, lead, benzene, mercury, cysts.
Earlier Product Versions
To our knowledge, the Brita Under Sink Water Filter System (Total 360 BRDPFS) has no earlier product versions.
Brita Under Sink Filter Cons
The first major issue with the Brita BRDPFS is the lack of clarity when it comes to the filter media. While we can assume it contains an activated carbon block, the manufacturer is somewhat opaque on the details.
Another issue relates to the NSF testing and certifications. While the manufacturer states that the system is tested and certified to Standards 42 and 53, we haven’t been able to verify these claims with any documentation. Additionally, the manufacturer only claims to have tested the system against 5 contaminants – which is significantly less than similar under sink water filters from other brands.
Brita Total 360 BRDPFS Review: Our Verdict + Best for
Overall, the Brita Total 360 BRDPFS makes a solid choice for anyone looking for a basic under sink water filter to improve their water’s taste and odor, especially when you consider the low price.
In our opinion, it’s mostly designed for simple municipal water filtration and likely wouldn’t perform that great with more contaminated well water. But even when you’re on city water, you shouldn’t expect exceptional filtration results. Yes, the Brita will reduce some of the harmful stuff from water such as lead, but that’s about it.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 3.5/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 4.0/5.0
- Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 4.0/5.0
- Overall: 3.5/5.0
Comparison to Other Under Sink Water Filters
Let’s compare the Brita to 2 other under sink water filter systems to get a better idea of how it compares to some of the most popular units on the market.
Clearly Filtered 3-Stage |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon + Proprietary Blend |
| Filter Capacity: | 2,000 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | Not Specified |
| Annually: | $440 |
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Overall Rating: 5.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Epic Smart Shield |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon Block |
| Filter Capacity: | 651 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | 1.25 gpm |
| Annually: | $115 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Brita Total 360 BRDPFS |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Process: | Activated Carbon |
| Filter Capacity: | 2,000 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | 1.8 gpm |
| Annually: | ~$180 |
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Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Firstly, the Clearly Filtered 3-Stage system also features an inline design but with 3 different stages with blends of filter media to remove a wide range of contaminants. First, granular activated carbon removes chlorine/chloramine, unpleasant tastes and odors, VOCs, and turbidity among other things. Next, a proprietary filter stage removes heavy metals like lead and chromium 6, PFAS, radiation, pesticides, etc. Finally, the last stage is another proprietary filter designed to remove fluoride and arsenic.
The system is tested against NSF standards 42, 53, and 401 for over 200 contaminants with excellent results – filtration is really broad and powerful. Additionally, it comes with a limited lifetime warranty and a 30-day money-back satisfaction guarantee, plus it’s manufactured in the USA.
Cons: It has a significantly higher price tag than the Brita filter and also costs significantly more to maintain.
Next, the Epic Smart Shield is another inline filter with a single carbon block filter cartridge. At first glance, the Epic seems to feature a similar design and filtration ability to the Brita, however, it is NSF-tested/certified to remove many more contaminants: Chlorine/chloramine, cysts, asbestos, lead, mercury, MTBE, turbidity, VOCs, BPA, pharmaceuticals, and more.
The Epic costs less than both the Brita and the Clearly Filtered, is simple to install and maintain, and comes with a lifetime warranty, return policy, and excellent customer service. The company also offers a cartridge recycling program that gives you a free filter when you send in three used ones.
One weak point for the Epic filter is its 1.25 gallon per minute flow rate, which is worse than both the Brita’s and the Clearly’s.
Overall, if you’re looking for the #1 under sink water filter and cost is no object, the Clearly Filtered is the hands-down winner. Alternatively, if you’re looking for solid filtration at a low cost, then the Epic Smart Shield is the better choice. In other words, the Brita system doesn’t offer enough filtration for its price point and would come in third place in most scenarios.
More Brita Reviews:
This completes our review of the Brita Total 360 BRDPFS Under Sink Water Filter System. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
Information provided on BOS is for educational purposes only. The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances.
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