Getting Started with the K8 Water Filter

So, I finally decided to get one of those k8 water filters everyone's talking about. Heard a lot, figured I'd give it a try myself. My tap water's always tasted a bit...off, you know? So, I ordered one online, and it showed up pretty quick.

Opening the box was straightforward. Nothing too fancy, just the main unit, a bunch of tubes, some connectors, and the filter itself. Looked kinda plasticky, but felt solid enough. The instructions seemed okay, lots of pictures which helps someone like me.

Hooking It Up

Alright, the installation part. This is where things usually get tricky for me. First, I had to shut off the water supply under the sink. Learned that lesson the hard way a few years back with a leaky faucet fix! Found the cold water line, okay.

Next, I disconnected the cold water hose from the faucet supply line. The instructions said to put this T-valve thingy in between. It took a bit of fiddling, needed a wrench to get it tight enough so it wouldn't leak. Checked it twice.

Then came connecting the tubes. One tube from the T-valve to the k8 filter unit. Another tube from the filter unit out to the little extra faucet that came with it. This meant drilling a hole in my countertop. That was the nerve-wracking part. Measured like ten times, put down some tape to prevent chipping, and just went for it with the drill. Thankfully, it made a clean hole right where I wanted it, next to the main faucet.

Feeding the tube up through the hole and connecting the small faucet wasn't too bad. Just tightened the nut underneath. Then connected the 'out' tube from the filter to this new faucet. Double-checked all the connections again. Felt like a plumber for a minute there.

Turning it On and First Taste

Okay, moment of truth. I slowly turned the main water supply back on under the sink. Watched all the connection points like a hawk. Phew, no leaks! That was a relief.

The instructions said to run the water through the filter for a few minutes to flush it out. So, I turned on the little filter faucet. The water came out kinda cloudy at first, which they said was normal, just air bubbles and maybe some carbon dust from the new filter. Let it run for maybe 5 minutes until it was crystal clear.

Then, I grabbed a glass. Filled it up. Took a sip. Honestly? It tasted... clean. Just clean. That slightly chemical taste I used to get from the tap? Gone. It was definitely different, much better.

Living With It Now

Been using it for a few weeks now. It's pretty simple. Just turn on the little faucet when I want drinking water or water for coffee. The flow rate is decent, not super fast but fine for filling a glass or the coffee maker.

• The water tastes consistently good.
• No more buying bottled water, which is nice.
• Haven't had any leaks or issues since install.

Changing the filter eventually will be the next step, but that seems pretty easy based on the manual. Just unscrew the old one, screw in the new one. We'll see when the time comes.

So yeah, that was my little adventure setting up the k8 water filter. Took a bit of effort, especially drilling the hole, but overall, not too complicated. Happy with the result so far. Definitely an improvement to my kitchen sink setup.