Best Whole House Water Filter for Lead: Premiere PS-2000PB vs Aquasana OPTIMH2O ®

Lead-tainted water continues to be a problem across the US even after the water crisis in Flint, Michigan over six years ago. Lead is toxic even at low levels, so the best way to protect your household from using or drinking water containing lead is by using a water filter.

At Premiere Sales, we recently launched the PS-2000PB whole house water filter system that protects your household from both types of lead (soluble and particulate), as well as bacteria, viruses, cysts, parasites, chlorine, chloramine, PFOA/PFOS, and more. This filter system is revolutionary because its 0.02 micron ultrafiltration membrane is easy to clean whenever it gets full of contaminants (just turn the flush valve) and has a membrane life of 3-5 years.

The benefits of this system over the competition are numerous. In this article, we will look at the Premiere PS-2000PB in more detail and see how it stacks up against the Aquasana OptimH2o.

Updated January 5th, 2021.

System price: Premiere PS-2000PB v Aquasana OPTIMH2O

As of January 2021, the Premiere PS-2000PB system is $1,448 less than the Aquasana OptimH2o + UV filter model which is most comparable to the PS-2000PB. The PS-2000PB is $728 than the standard Aquasana OptimH2o model (this OptimH2o model does not remove bacteria and viruses). With such a massive price difference, you probably can't help but wonder what's the catch - why is the PS-2000PB so much cheaper?! Rest assured that the Premiere PS-2000PB is high quality and built to last. The Aquasana OptimH2o should not be this expensive for what it is. At Premiere Sales we have a big advantage because we're a small company with significantly less overhead. Our company owner/president, Tony, has worked in the water filtration industry for nearly 45 years so has great relationships with the best suppliers to affordably source the highest quality products to produce this product. We pass the savings on to our customers.

Micron rating: Premiere PS-2000PB v Aquasana OPTIMH2O

Micron rating is the size of particles a filter is capable of eliminating from water. The smaller the micron rating the better. The Premiere PS-2000PB system significantly beats the Aquasana OptimH2o on the filtration micron rating: 0.02 micron versus 0.5 micron. The PS-2000PB has 2,500% finer filtration. The PS-2000PB's 0.02 micron membrane is what enables it to remove bacteria (over 99.9999%), viruses (over 99.99%), and giardia & cryptosporidium (over 99.95%) from your drinking water. The Aquasana OptimH2o system has a 0.5 micron carbon filter so it does not remove finer contaminants like bacteria, viruses, giardia, cryptosporidium, or anything smaller than 0.5 micron.

Filtration process: Premiere PS-2000PB v Aquasana OPTIMH2O

The Premiere PS-2000PB uses ultrafiltration and a carbon post-filter. Aquasana OptimH2o has a sediment pre-filter + carbon post-filter. The Premiere PS-2000PB 0.02 micron ultrafiltration membrane drastically outperforms the Aquasana OptimH2o. The Aquasana OptimH2o + UV filter uses ultraviolet technology to kill bacteria and viruses, but it doesn’t remove it from the water. That means that bacterial remnants are still present in your water. Plus, UV filtration uses a substantial amount of electricity (the PS-2000PB does not need any electricity).

How does the PS-2000PB work?

When water enters the PS-2000PB it passes through a 0.02 micron ultrafiltration membrane and then a special 0.5 micron activated carbon post-filter. The ultrafiltration membrane filtration process similar to reverse osmosis. Water is pushed through a semi-permeable membrane which acts like a filter using slight pressure to separate particles like bacteria, viruses, germs, pollen, algae, and organic molecules from the water. Suspended particles and materials of high molecular weight are unable to pass through the ultrafiltration membrane, allowing only clean water and healthful, dissolved minerals to pass through. The activated carbon block post-filter works by adsorption. It tackles chemicals and liquid pollutants by trapping them inside the pore structure of the carbon block. Our activated carbon block filter has a very large surface area and therefore high contaminant holding capacity.

What is ultrafiltration?

Ultrafiltration has a very high effectiveness in removing bacteria (as well as other contaminants) and exceeds regulatory standards of water quality. It purifies and disinfects water to produce water that is safe to use and drink. Benefits of ultrafiltration include:

• No chemicals or electricity required
• Environmentally friendly technology
• Constant product quality no matter the feed quality
• Exceeds regulatory standards of water quality- has over 99.9% bacteria and pathogen removal
• A membrane filter lasts much longer than a conventional filter (years versus months)
• Maintains naturally occuring minerals which are beneficial to health and taste

Ultrafiltration has more than 5-log reduction of bacteria, cysts, viruses, and turbidity. (In other words, bacteria, cysts, viruses, and turbidity have been reduced 100,000-fold). It also eliminates colloidal materials, sand, silt, silica, sediment, and other relatively high molecular weight organic material.

Filter replacement schedule: Premiere PS-2000PB v Aquasana OPTIMH2O

With any water filtration system, the frequency of changing and cost of the replacement filters should be taken into consideration. With the PS-2000PB, the filters are replaced less often and the cost of replacement is significantly less than the Aquasana OptimH2o. Longer filter life doesn't mean the water quality will drop whatsoever - a consistent, high water quality is maintained through the life of the filter!

Replacement Filter Cost for Premiere PS-2000PB vs Aquasana OPTIMH2O® over 5 years

Contaminant removal and reduction: Premiere PS-2000PB v Aquasana OPTIMH2O

• Bacteria, viruses, pathogens: The PS-2000PB removes over 99.99% of bacteria, viruses, and pathogens due to it's 0.02 micron ultrafiltration membrane. The standard Aquasana OptimH2o does not kill or remove bacteria, viruses, pathogens, or any harmful contaminants smaller than 0.5 micron. The Aquasana OptimH2o + UV filter does kill bacteria and viruses but it doesn’t remove them from the water. That means that bacterial remnants are still present in your water.
• Lead, cysts, PFOA/PFOS, chlorine, chloramines: The Premiere PS-2000PB and Aquasana OptimH2o both reduce lead, cysts, PFOA/PFOS, chlorine, and chloramines due to their 0.5 micron carbon post-filter.

Flushable membrane: Premiere PS-2000PB v Aquasana OPTIMH2O

The PS-2000PB uses innovative technology which lets you flush (clean) the membrane whenever it gets full of contaminants. Don’t keep buying expensive replacement filters or membranes that must be replaced when they get full. The flushable membrane in the Premiere PS-2000PB is truly revolutionary in this sense. You can tell when it’s time to flush the membrane because there will be a drop in water pressure. Simply hand-turn the flush valve and leave open for up to 15 seconds to fully flush the membrane. The membrane should be back-flushed on a regular basis to ensure longest membrane life. The ultrafiltration membrane should be replaced every 3 – 5 years.

Flow rate: Premiere PS-2000PB v Aquasana OPTIMH2O

Both the Premiere PS-2000PB and Aquasana OptimH2o have a flow rate of 8 gallons per minute.

What is the PS-2000PB?

The PS-2000PB is a whole house water filtration system. This means it is plumbed into where water enters your home and filters all the water used in your house. It has a flow rate of up to 8 gallons per minute which is adequate to supply the water requirements of most homes. The PS-2000PB protects your household from lead, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), chlorine, chloramines, bacteria, viruses, parasites, cysts, and more. Whether you get your water from a municipal source or well, the PS-2000PB is the ultimate protector.

Stage 1: Ultrafiltration Membrane Filter

• Long membrane life – save time and money by replacing filters significantly less often without any drop in water quality
• Breakthrough system lets you easily flush (clean) the membrane of collected contaminants. Simply turn a little valve on the unit and voilà, your membrane is clear of contaminants. (Don’t keep buying expensive replacement filters or membranes you can’t flush – the Premiere PS-2000PB is truly innovative in this sense!)
• Membrane filter delivers 0.02 micron filtration – removes contaminants as small as 0.02 micron absolute including dissolved solids, bacteria, cysts, viruses, silt, colloids, silica, clay, iron, and sand
• Removes bacteria, viruses, and giardia & cryptosporidium from your drinking water
• More than 5-log reduction of bacteria, cysts, viruses, and turbidity. (In other words, bacteria, cysts, viruses, and turbidity have been reduced 100,000-fold)
• Also eliminates colloidal materials, sand, silt, silica, sediment, and other relatively high molecular weight organic material
• Breakthrough whole house water filter system easily takes the place of outdated reverse osmosis (RO) and ultra-violet (UV) systems
• Environmentally friendly technology – no chemicals used, and zero waste water during the ultrafiltration process
• Continuous, high flow 8 gallon per minute flow rate
• Constant product quality regardless the quality of the incoming water
• The membrane-housing is efficiently designed to provide easy backflushing. (When a membrane undergoes a backward flush, it’s pores are flushed inside out to clean it of contaminants)
• Membrane should be back-flushed on a regular basis to ensure longest membrane life (3-5 years). To flush the membrane, simply turn the valve and leave open for up to 15 seconds to fully flush the membrane. A small amount of water will go to drain while the valve is open
• Replacement ultrafiltration membrane filter is the PS-1000RC – change once every 3 – 5 years

Stage 2: 0.5 Micron Activated Carbon Postfilter

• 0.5 micron nominal filtration reduces lead, chlorine, chloramine, VOCs (volatile organic chemicals), cysts, sand, rust and sediment
• This filter reduces both soluble and particulate lead
• High dirt holding capacity
• High adsorptive capacity and efficiency
• NSF and WQA certified for material safety
• Tested to NSF standard 53 – This standard establishes minimum requirements for systems designed to reduce specific health-related contaminants
• Coconut shell activated carbon is an eco-friendly and renewable resource for water purification. It also has a higher contaminant removal than a granular activated carbon filter (GAC filter) which means better tasting water too
• Coconut shell is microporous with minimal dust, and therefore is very efficient at organic chemical adsorption. Coconut shell carbon block filters have high hardness which makes them ideal for water purification.
• Estimated capacity: 96%+ reduction of 8.5 pH lead; 95%+ reduction of VOC; 90%+ reduction in chlorine at 2 ppm; 83%+ reduction in chloramine at 3ppm
• Replacement carbon postfilter is the BG-20PB – change once per year

Other features and benefits

• In addition to being a whole house water filter system, the Premiere PS-2000PB can be used in a variety of applications including food service beverages & ice, convenience store beverages & ice, beverage process filtration, schools, hospitals, hotels, beer brewing, and much more
• White powder coated aluminum mountable bracket or floor stand that is corrosion resistant so it will not rust
• Heavy-duty, food grade plastic water filter housing suitable for drinking water filters
• Screw-off lid with wrench for easy changing of the drop-in water filter cartridge