Frequently Asked Questions
Top Questions
What, exactly, do Hydroviv filters remove?
Our filters are custom-designed to treat the chemicals found in your home's water.
Hydroviv's custom drinking water filtration systems are NSF-certified to treat harmful contaminants, including PFAS (PFOA, PFOS), lead, arsenic, and Chromium 6. We also achieve broad protection against volatile organic compounds, PCBs, MTBE, mercury, cysts, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, petroleum-based chemicals, chlorine, disinfection byproducts, atrazine, benzene, simazine, bisphenol A, estrone, and more.
On a scale of 1-to-rocket-scientist, how hard is it to install Hydroviv water filters?
On a scale of 1-to-rocket-scientist, this is definitely a 1.
Our customers repeatedly tell us it is harder to empty out the cabinet than to install a Hydroviv system. The connections are all screw-on and screw-off, and the hoses for a standard 3/8 inch sink install are included. No cutting, drilling, or plumbing expertise is required. We have asked a few rocket scientists and plumbers too, and they all ranked it a 1.
Does Hydroviv really customize its water filters?
Our pros actually look at your local contaminants and customize your water filtration.
When we receive your order, the Hydroviv team cross references millions of data points against your service address and water supply to identify the correct formulation for your water's contaminants. We then customize your cartridge's flow rate and active media, customizing six stages of treatment to ensure we build the optimal cartridge to protect your water.
Water Filter Optimization Process
Our experts analyze water quality data from local, county, state, and federal databases to help determine present contaminants in your drinking water. Using your shipping address, we’re able to assemble a filter based on what we find. If you’re on a private well, we use the USGS groundwater database, source water assessments, and land use data.
No. Our water filters blend different types of filtration media that remove toxic chemicals from your water. Our approach delivers several benefits only an in-line filter can provide:
1. Our systems deliver water fast and on demand, so you spend less time waiting for water to fill. RO usually has to fill a tank, and that can easily be exhausted if you need to fill a large pot or several bottles.
2. There is no bulky reservoir taking up space under your sink, so our compact filters leave you more space for storage.
3. Reverse Osmosis requires drilling permanent holes in your drain and your counter top, jobs that are best left to a professional. This can add hundreds of dollars to installation and isn't possible if you're a renter; our systems easily hook up to your existing faucet.
4. Maintenance on Reverse Osmosis is important and can be complicated. RO's final stage removes lead, chromium 6, arsenic, and more, but it can be damaged by chlorine. This is why RO systems have so many filters and can be so time-consuming (and expensive) to maintain. We do everythign in one small, easy-to-change cartridge and we even provide the tool!
Don't get us wrong, Reverse Osmosis is a great technology and might be exactly what you need for your home. Our experts are happy to discuss, and can even help identify an RO system from one of our partners if it's the right solution for you.
We think custom solutions are great for everyone because water contamination is different everywhere! Cities like New York and Pittsburgh may have older infurastructure with pipes containing lead, while the Southwest may see higher contamination with arsenic. There are countless scenarios with thousands of contaminants, and they vary in every home.
By design, our competitors have to address varied water with bulky systems, slowerwater flow, standalone faucets, difficult and expensive multi-step filtration changes, and may not even filter the right contaminants.
Hydroviv scientists evaluate factors including your region's geology, your municipality's disinfection process, your home's infrastructure, and proximity to complications like industrial and agricultural sites, to create a custom, compact, NSF-certified filter with great flow rates that is effective throughout the lifetime of use!
Filtration Questions
Yes, Hydroviv drinking water systems are NSF certified to standards 42 (aesthetic effects—Chlorine filtration) and 53 (health effects—Lead, VOCs, and PFOA/PFOS filtration), and are independently tested to filter hundreds of contaminants.
This is a link to our full NSF Certification for drinking water products.
Due to the nature of shower water filtration we have not pursued NSF certification for this product.
Hydroviv's custom drinking water filtration systems are NSF-certified to treat harmful contaminants, including PFAS (PFOA, PFOS), lead, arsenic, and Chromium 6. We also achieve broad protection against volatile organic compounds, PCBs, MTBE, mercury, cysts, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, petroleum-based chemicals, chlorine, disinfection byproducts, atrazine, benzene, simazine, bisphenol A, estrone, and more.
Our filters are designed to target contaminants rather than minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron that are essential for your health. Our filters are not designed treat fluoride in drinking water. If you are looking for solutions that address these minerals our support team would be happy to assist you learning about alternatives.
Yes, Hydroviv filters are designed to treat PFAS. In independent North Carolina based studies*, GenX and other PFAS are not detectable in water filtered by Hydroviv's under sink and refrigerator line filters through the lifetime of the filter cartridge. You can see graphs from the report.
*The studies are independent; Hydroviv is not endorsed by NC State or CFPUA.
Yes. Our systems meet or exceed filtration performance standards set forth by NSF Standard 53 for dissolved/particulate lead removal.
No, Hydroviv in-line filtration does not target fluoride. We do appreciate this question but our in-line filters are not designed for this purpose.
If you'd like a system that removes fluoride, our Customer Support team can help connect you with a partner Reverse Osmosis solution that will meet your needs.
Yes. Our systems meet or exceed filtration performance standards set forth by NSF Standard 53 for chromium 6 removal.
Hydroviv drinking water filters can effectively filter down to 0.2 microns (0.0002 mm), which includes a majority of microplastics. However, for nanoplastics, defined as particles below 1 micron (1000 nanometers), nano-filtration or ultrafiltration may be necessary.
Hydroviv filters have passed the leaching test required by water filter companies through NSF Certification (Standards 42 and 53) and is frequently used as a microplastic filtration measure.
Hydroviv filters were designed by a PhD scientist and usse chemistry and physics to ensure our filters are effective.
Our cartridges use a sub-micron pore network and prolonged exposure to active media. The drinking water makes contact with five active media embedded in the cartridge for a prolonged time. This means we can treat a larger volume of water for multiple contaminants at the same time, all with a single block. Other technology can only treat very specific contaminants in each stage, which is also very effective but takes up a lot more space and can be much slower.
Hydroviv drinking water systems are NSF certified to treat PFAS, Lead, and Chromium 6, Arsenic, and Chloramines.
The systems provide broad protection against heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, PCBs, MTBE, mercury, cysts, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, petroleum-based chemicals, chlorine, disinfection byproducts, atrazine, benzene, simazine, bisphenol A, estrone, and more.
Yes, Hydroviv customizes our drinking water systems for well water. We use our same data on water quality in your area combined with special attention to well water systems.
Product Information
Yes, your first Hydroviv water filtration cartridge is included in each housing. You can subscribe for discounted, worry-free water protection with automatic delivery or purchase additional cartridges at any time.
Our systems are designed to be compact and effective.
Under Sink and Fridge Filter
Housing: 14 height x 6 width x 6 depth (inches)
Filter Cartridge: 10 height x 2.5 width x 2.5 depth (inches)
Weight: 1.50 Ibs. when dry
Shower Filter:
Housing: 4.5 length x 3 diameter (inches)
These in-line filters can save a tremendous amount of space when compared with an reverse osmosis system, but deliver NSF certified protection to keep your family effectively covered through each cartridge's entire lifespan.
Hydroviv's Sink and Fridge water filters are custom, end-point systems that works with your existing fridge and faucet. If you are looking for the best filtered water flow rates, to preserve usable space in your cabinets, and don't want to drill your countertops, Hydroviv custom filtration is a great solution for you.
If you have specific questions about what we filter, or whether this solution is right for you, our agents are happy to assist with your questions.
No, we do not soften water. We have partner companies which do offer softening services if you need a softener, just ask our Customer Service team and they can provide recommendations.
No, a single Hydroviv filter cannot filter an entire house's water. We have partner companies which do offer whole home solutions if this is what you need, just ask our Customer Service team and they can provide recommendations.
User Reviews
No, Hydroviv does not and will never pay for user reviews.
We have thousands of actual customer reviews on our product pages.
Installation and Maintenance
Very easy. No plumbing experience is required. All you need is an adjustable wrench with almost all systems, and a standard install just takes a few minutes with no drilling, adapters, or power tools needed. Learn about installation on our instruction page.
Hydroviv does not provide installation services or support. We recommend you contact a licensed plumber or handyman if you are not confident installing your system after watching our instructions.
Yes, our systems are great for rentals! Hydroviv in-line drinking water filters use your existing faucet, do not require a drain-line drillout, and do not require countertop drilling. Unlike Reverse Osmosis, they can easily be installed and removed without any damage or modifications to a kitchen.
No special maintenance is required and we provide the cartridge changing tool. We recommend cleaning your housing with dish soap when you change your cartridge, and always run the water through a new cartridge for 3-4 minutes before starting use.
Replacement Cartridges
Hydroviv drinking water cartridges are designed for up to 720 gallons of water, or 6 months of average use. Shower cartridges are rated for 25,000 gallons, or 9 months of average use.
Changing drinking water cartridges is easy. Just turn the water valve off, then open your faucet to release any pressure. Your housing sump should easily unscrew with our provided tool, then you can just swap the cartridge.
Shower cartridges can be installed by hand with no tools required.
Make sure to visually inspect the housing O-ring and inform Hydroviv if you may need a new one before re-installing the housing.
We will automatically message you about subscriptions before delviery, which default to 6 months.
You may notice a lower water volume when your cartridge is towards the end of its effective lifespan, which indicates you need a new cartridge.
If your water flow is still strong after 720 gallons have been used (about 6 months for an average house) this does not mean your cartridge is still good to use; you'll need to replace your cartridge for one with new active media to guarantee effectiveness.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are set to 6 months by default and are adjustable in your account page. Every filter housing purchased on Subscribe & Save features a 25% discount on its associated cartridge, and shipping times may be customized by product. You will receive an email prior to your shipment to confirm your order and may pause or cancel from your account page on Hydroviv.com at any time.
Once you have purchased your system, you will need to periodically change out the the cartridge inside to effectively treat contaminants, maintain flow rate, and make your water safer for you and your family. Cartridges in any filtration technology cannot be effective indefinitely (Hydroviv cartridges are effective for up to 720 gallons of water, which we estimate this at six months for an average home) so we recommend a subscription to save money and maintain water quality.
✳The subscription itself does not cost anything.✳
✳The subscription sets up a schedule for replacement cartridges to be shipped to your home✳
Perks of the subscription plan:
✅ 25% off replacement cartridges, always.
✅ Change the delivery schedule anytime
✅ No penalty to cancel before a shipment
Drinking Water Cartridges:
$91.25 on a subscription vs. $121.67 as a one-time purchase.
Shower Cartridges:
$74.99 on a subscription vs. 99.99 as a one-time purchase.
*one shipment every 6 months is the most common replacement schedule*
Orders/Shipping/Returns
Hydroviv customizes our filtration for your home's address. We would not be able to do this if we sold anywhere other than Hydroviv.com.
We build pack and ship on demand; since our analysts are so close to our production we can generally ship orders in 2-3 days.
Yes, please check your inbox! We automatically send order and tracking information via email.
We offer a money-back-guarantee for 90 days. We do charge a 25% restocking fee.
Please indicate the address where a filter will be used in the order notes and we will use that for the order's formulation.
Contact
We have team members on chat and email from 9am to 9pm eastern time during weekdays, and from 9am to 5pm eastern time on weekends. We can be reached at hello@hydroviv.com and will respond as quickly as we can.
Please send us a message at marketing@hydroviv.com and we will get back to you.