Refilling the essencia carbon filter

[ninja_geezer]

Ok so emptied out the old carbon from the filter washed and dried all.
now before i put new carbon in ,what is the fine gold coloured stuff under where the carbon goes ? its in a separate section sealed off but as its very fine bits come out.
i have also got the ceramic filter stripped that came apart very easy just with a bit of prising,
i plan to seal the them both with a bit of dow corning 786 silicone ,says its safe for food contact .
one thing i did notice the carbon in the carbon filter was very coarse and the carbon in the ceramic was very fine,the stuff im putting back in is very fine also.

[Easydrinker]

Your "Gold stuff" is a new one on me, and I don't recall a seperate section, sorry I can't help. Can you upload a pic or two, the design may have changed.
Don't worry about your carbon being finer, you may find some black sludge/dust next time you do this task.
I do.

Robert.

[ninja_geezer]

Your "Gold stuff" is a new one on me, and I don't recall a seperate section, sorry I can't help. Can you upload a pic or two, the design may have changed.
Don't worry about your carbon being finer, you may find some black sludge/dust next time you do this task.
I do.

Robert.

Ok so this is what ive found,the gold stuff is metallic gold ?? thats why the filters are so expensive lol... the photos will show more even though it looks a bit like sand on these it is not.this filter was bought last year around september,the spider would not come off complete so i cut around the legs and pulled it over the spindle,even with it off there is no way the remainder will shift ,they have put a serious amount of glue on this thing.i will pop the spider back on and use the sealant .another thing the gold metallic stuff is heavy .i think i will leave it out as i had to destroy the plastic cover to get it off as the remainder of the spider would not allow it past the lip.im thinking maybe its to stop any carbon bits blocking the felt filter pad ? what are your thoughts Robert ?
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[Easydrinker]

For what it is worth;
Sadly not real gold. What it is I cannot guess.
I find my "felt" filter to be easily washable, so would skip putting the gold back.
I also do not re-glue the spider, I do not find it important.
Do you suspect that the manufacturer has maybe visited this site, read how we advise on DIY re-filling, and is trying to complicate things further?
I do.

Robert.

[ninja_geezer]

For what it is worth;
Sadly not real gold. What it is I cannot guess.
I find my "felt" filter to be easily washable, so would skip putting the gold back.
I also do not re-glue the spider, I do not find it important.
Do you suspect that the manufacturer has maybe visited this site, read how we advise on DIY re-filling, and is trying to complicate things further?
I do.

Robert.

Yes Robert i do think this site and others mentioning refilling has been viewed by the manufacturer.i also forgot to mention that this filter also on the spider rim where the glue is there are 4 what look like plastic locating pins also to add to the strength of the glue i believe.
i have left the gold metallic substance out and refilled to the brim with the fine carbon,also put a thin layer of the food grade silicone where i cut the spiders legs off (ouch)
the ceramic was very simple cleaned scrubbed and refilled also to the brim and resealed with the same food grade silicone .will leave it know for a few days to get rid of the nasty smelling acetic .should have a wash ready by then.the bag of carbon i believe was about £8.50 and i think there is enough for a second refill of both the filters left.if it works ok its a massive saving in anyone's book.we know they are all in it to make a living but the prices for the filters are extortionate to say the least.are you listening Essencia ??

[Anavrin]

Just a quick bit of potentially useful info, I once found that spare metal filters from Bodum cafetière coffee makers fit nicely in the top of the carbon filter, so if you ever break or loose the spider, then you’ve got an option to replace it with.

[ninja_geezer]

Just a quick bit of potentially useful info, I once found that spare metal filters from Bodum cafetière coffee makers fit nicely in the top of the carbon filter, so if you ever break or loose the spider, then you’ve got an option to replace it with.

sounds like a good plan, something like this ? https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-replacement-coffee-maker-filter/p309922?size=3-cup
also i see there are a few sizes do you know which one fits,also is the hole large enough to go over the plastic stem on the carbon filter ?

cheers

[Anavrin]

Hi Ninja

I think the one I tried was a 4-8 cup size, can’t remember if the center hole needed enlarging or not, I suspect it did.

[Phantom]

Another tip, though this is from Gert Strands "carbon filtering e-book", loose carbon can be rinsed for re-use.

Place it in a pan and pour boiling water on it, let it sit for a minute or two, then strain out the carbon. Repeat 5 or 6 times, until any smell of spirit in the rising steam has gone, rinse the carbon in cooler water, spread out on a baking tray and bake it in the oven on the lowest setting, making sure you remove the tray and mix the carbon up and then to a flat layer again.

After an hour or so of checking, once the carbon is baked dry, it can be stored with fresh ready to use.

Reduces carbon bags cost. Once re-elected in the filter unit, you may get a little black dust on the first run, though if when setting the filter medium, if you run water through it until the water runs clear, the black dust shouldn't be present.

And yes, this is what I do when I think the carbon in my Z filter needs changing........

[Anavrin]

Sounds like a good plan to rejuvenate the carbon, just make sure you don’t do it in a fan oven lol

[ninja_geezer]

Another tip, though this is from Gert Strands "carbon filtering e-book", loose carbon can be rinsed for re-use.

Place it in a pan and pour boiling water on it, let it sit for a minute or two, then strain out the carbon. Repeat 5 or 6 times, until any smell of spirit in the rising steam has gone, rinse the carbon in cooler water, spread out on a baking tray and bake it in the oven on the lowest setting, making sure you remove the tray and mix the carbon up and then to a flat layer again.

After an hour or so of checking, once the carbon is baked dry, it can be stored with fresh ready to use.

Reduces carbon bags cost. Once re-elected in the filter unit, you may get a little black dust on the first run, though if when setting the filter medium, if you run water through it until the water runs clear, the black dust shouldn't be present.

And yes, this is what I do when I think the carbon in my Z filter needs changing........

Another good idea.

[ninja_geezer]

Hi Ninja

I think the one I tried was a 4-8 cup size, can’t remember if the center hole needed enlarging or not, I suspect it did.

Thank you