A Good Idea...

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hi Folks,

This is the Renovo Trio.



I used to drink reservoir water when I was a teenager, but I'm older and, I like to think, wiser, so I bought the Trio.

I chose it over the Lifestraw or Sawyer Mini (which is the one to beat) because the Trio filters down to 0.05 microns and removes heavy metals as well as cysts, bacteria, and some viruses.

The Sawyer Mini is rated at 0.1 micron and the Lifestraw, at 0.2 microns.  Both are single stage units.

The Trio uses three stages:  A 5 micron first stage (coffee filters only do 50 microns at best), a 0.05 micron second stage, and an activated charcoal third stage.

All three stages are replaceable.

The cost is only about $33.  That's a bit more than the Sawyer Mini, but you do get 4x more filtration with the Trio.

I carry military canteens, both 1qt and 2qt, and the Trio is a backup to those.  I do carry iodine capsules in the pockets of the canteen covers but iodine only works on a relatively few nasties.  Chlorine tabs work about as well, and chlorine dioxide works slightly better.  Still, it's not all that great.

If I ever have to use this thing for any length of time, say, camping with a questionable water supply, the water will be treated in three stages:  First, filtered.  Second, boiled.  Third, iodized.  I'm really contemplating replacing my iodine tablets with chlorine dioxide for a number of reasons.

This filter should work plenty well, but if I have the time, I might as well use all methods available.

Josh

[cbdolphin]

Hi Folks,

This is the Renovo Trio.



I used to drink reservoir water when I was a teenager, but I'm older and, I like to think, wiser, so I bought the Trio.

I chose it over the Lifestraw or Sawyer Mini (which is the one to beat) because the Trio filters down to 0.05 microns and removes heavy metals as well as cysts, bacteria, and some viruses.

The Sawyer Mini is rated at 0.1 micron and the Lifestraw, at 0.2 microns.  Both are single stage units.

The Trio uses three stages:  A 5 micron first stage (coffee filters only do 50 microns at best), a 0.05 micron second stage, and an activated charcoal third stage.

All three stages are replaceable.

The cost is only about $33.  That's a bit more than the Sawyer Mini, but you do get 4x more filtration with the Trio.

I carry military canteens, both 1qt and 2qt, and the Trio is a backup to those.  I do carry iodine capsules in the pockets of the canteen covers but iodine only works on a relatively few nasties.  Chlorine tabs work about as well, and chlorine dioxide works slightly better.  Still, it's not all that great.

If I ever have to use this thing for any length of time, say, camping with a questionable water supply, the water will be treated in three stages:  First, filtered.  Second, boiled.  Third, iodized.  I'm really contemplating replacing my iodine tablets with chlorine dioxide for a number of reasons.

This filter should work plenty well, but if I have the time, I might as well use all methods available.

Josh

How many Liters/Gallons does it filter?

[J.A.B.M.]

Hi Folks,

This is the Renovo Trio.



I used to drink reservoir water when I was a teenager, but I'm older and, I like to think, wiser, so I bought the Trio.

I chose it over the Lifestraw or Sawyer Mini (which is the one to beat) because the Trio filters down to 0.05 microns and removes heavy metals as well as cysts, bacteria, and some viruses.

The Sawyer Mini is rated at 0.1 micron and the Lifestraw, at 0.2 microns.  Both are single stage units.

The Trio uses three stages:  A 5 micron first stage (coffee filters only do 50 microns at best), a 0.05 micron second stage, and an activated charcoal third stage.

All three stages are replaceable.

The cost is only about $33.  That's a bit more than the Sawyer Mini, but you do get 4x more filtration with the Trio.

I carry military canteens, both 1qt and 2qt, and the Trio is a backup to those.  I do carry iodine capsules in the pockets of the canteen covers but iodine only works on a relatively few nasties.  Chlorine tabs work about as well, and chlorine dioxide works slightly better.  Still, it's not all that great.

If I ever have to use this thing for any length of time, say, camping with a questionable water supply, the water will be treated in three stages:  First, filtered.  Second, boiled.  Third, iodized.  I'm really contemplating replacing my iodine tablets with chlorine dioxide for a number of reasons.

This filter should work plenty well, but if I have the time, I might as well use all methods available.

Josh

How many Liters/Gallons does it filter?

1000 liters according to the picture.... capacity

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hello,

It "only" does 1000 liters.  This is due to the charcoal filter mostly.  The 5 micron pre-filter is very easily replaced, and five or so are included.

The replaceable charcoal filter is what limits the lifespan the most, I think, as that's the nature of carbon filters.  The replacement is only $10.

From the website:

Why the rating of 1000 liters?

The Trio is one unit made of three elements. The last stage of filtration is the activated carbon fiber element. This element is what has the 1000 liter rating. Though it could be 100% effective more than 1000 liters, it is better to be safe than sorry. Remember, it is the stage 2 or UF hollow fiber membrane that removes the really harmful contaminants such as bacteria, protozoa, and some viruses which lasts far more than 1000 liters.

What is the capacity for the UF hollow fiber membrane?

Giving a specific gallon/liter rating on this element is difficult because it can vary on a number of variables. Also there is an inability to prove a rating over 1000 gallons. Such testing is not done in the industry because of the complexity and subjectivity of the water tested. Multiple independent laboratories have verified this fact. 

However, the UF hollow fiber membrane should be replaced when there is a significantly low flow rate even after back flushing or if there is suspicion that it was damaged in any way.

The UF filter stage is similar to others out there and has a similar life to those other UF filters.

In other words, usability is pretty indefinite.  Even after 1000 liters, the thing still functions like a NEW Sawyer Mini.

This is why I went with this one instead of the Sawyer.  I get 1000 liters of reduced metals and chemicals. 

Something else I found on the website is this:



I wish they'd put Sawyer on there, but the two aren't directly comparable unless you're only testing the UF portion, and there the Trio wins.

Regards,

Josh

[Joshua M. Smith]

Hi Folks,

I have some bad news nine months later.

The unit cracked:



The first time I attached the Renovo to a soda bottle, the micro-filtration filter body cracked.  It was finger-tight only, and should not have done this.  On the plus side, the filter did immediately shut down.  While it sprayed water through the crack, it did not let me drink any, so that part worked.

Please keep in mind, folks, that the Renovo unit saw no actual field use, but rather was used to filter water under controlled conditions in my home.  I did this prior to ordering a new unit for field use as I test everything I use during hikes and while fishing and hunting.

Upon contacting the company, I received no answer.  Trying again, I did receive a response to the effect that the unit is warrantied and the company requested pictures.  I received an email later telling me that the crack was normal wear the unit would not be warrantied.

I will be exploring other options as this sample is simply not tough enough for me.  Sawyer and LifeStraw are both on my list as of now.

I would still prefer to find a straw with a charcoal filter for chemicals and taste, but the 0.05 microns isn't absolutely essential for my uses, so that expands the field some.

Regards,

Josh

[Propellerhead]

  Ive had one for about a year that I've used pretty much like You did. Ive been using it as well hiking at gome in AK, drinking from streams and ponds. So far so good, no Giardia or anything else like that.
 I travel alot for work to some pretty sketchy places so I used it to mostly filter tap water in Mexico. Mine luckily hasnt broken like that, Maybe it was just a weak molding (casting?). I like mine alot, and have three more still in their wrappers.