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  1. #41

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    I have what I think is a brand new Sawyer Squeeze. I bought it before Covid and didn't get out. The only water it may have seen is an initial try with tap water, but I can't recall trying it or not. Anyway, I got out for a long weekend and I could only get drips out of the filter. I soaked it, tried multiple times etc. Needless to say, I am disappointed in this product. The bags are another issue, but I won't go there today.

    I seriously doubt there is any calcium buildup on a practically new filter, but I will give vinegar a try. Any other tips? Anyone one else have disappointing first time experiences with this filter?

  2. #42

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    So no matter how long it was soaked, it never began to allow water to pass through?

  3. #43
    Registered User
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    Quote Originally Posted by wccanoe View Post
    I seriously doubt there is any calcium buildup on a practically new filter, but I will give vinegar a try. Any other tips? Anyone one else have disappointing first time experiences with this filter?

    Please report back about how the vinegar does for you. Perhaps you have hard water and your (maybe) initial try with tap water was enough to cause issues. Longshot but who knows. It's worked for me.

    FWIW my routine is to always test it with distilled water before going, and take it wet. If packed fully dry, even after being cleaned, it can be quite slow to get started. It's a high-maintenance item IMO, but nice and small.

  4. #44

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    The 'slow to get started' thing hit me the last time I went to use my BeFree. I had totally forgotten to soak it the night before and it had been several months since the previous use. It did -nothing- for several minutes, then only very slowly began to drip and increase to a decent salad.

  5. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by wccanoe View Post
    I have what I think is a brand new Sawyer Squeeze. I bought it before Covid and didn't get out. The only water it may have seen is an initial try with tap water, but I can't recall trying it or not. Anyway, I got out for a long weekend and I could only get drips out of the filter. I soaked it, tried multiple times etc. Needless to say, I am disappointed in this product. The bags are another issue, but I won't go there today.

    I seriously doubt there is any calcium buildup on a practically new filter, but I will give vinegar a try. Any other tips? Anyone one else have disappointing first time experiences with this filter?
    If water has passed thru the filter, it's no longer "brand new".
    Keep in mind these filters work by literally having microscopic holes in tubing... holes small enough that they mechanically filter out protozoa by making the holes too small for these single-cell life forms to pass thru.
    So it doesn't take much in the way of mineral deposits to close up those tiny holes.

    I've made the mistake of back flushing my Sawyer filter with tap water and then storing it for the winter. The next season, my filter behaved exactly as you describe (but I didn't find out until I was on the trail).
    So now when I get home, I backflush with vinegar and then tap water before returning the filter to storage.

  6. #46
    Registered User ldsailor's Avatar
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    I have had the Sawyer Squeeze clog up on me several times. Once, I hit the trail without testing it first. Imagine my surprise when I tried to filter water the first time. I have since figured out how to resolve the issue. As mentioned in a previous post, run vinegar through the filter and let it sit in vinegar for an hour or more with the vinegar in the filter. I have also run bleach through the filter and let it sit for an hour or more. To clean out the vinegar and bleach, I backflush with about a liter of water. Without fail, the Sawyer comes back and gives me a steady stream when filtering water.

    Do yourself a favor and get Sawyer Coupler and use a Smart Water bottle to backflush water, vinegar and bleach through the filter. That syringe Sawyer provides isn't enough.

    By the way, this clog has happened even after I followed the Sawyer instructions on storage for long term.
    Trail Name - Slapshot
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  7. #47
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    Soak overnight in white Vinegar is what Sawyer told me to do.


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  8. #48

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    Quote Originally Posted by HooKooDooKu View Post
    So now when I get home, I backflush with vinegar and then tap water before returning the filter to storage.
    Not sure the tap water is a great idea. After a couple months of training hikes with no overnights or filter use, my Sawyer Micro would barely let any water through.
    I do have hard water, but also have a filter on the tap at home whose water I use for backflushing the filter, so...I don't know. When it was getting used almost weekly last fall through spring, it didn't have any problems.
    After the vinegar and distilled water flushes, I'm storing it in a freezer bag full of distilled water to see how that goes.
    Don't know when I'll use it again, as I'm trying out a BeFree a friend gave me.

  9. #49

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    I have tried all the Sawyer products,BeFree,and Hydroblu Versa Flow.My preference is the Versa Flow at $22.95 Prime delivery or the standard Sawyer squeeze.Versa flow has no washer to get lost,has a great flow rate,a slim profile and weighs in at roughly 2 oz.I carry a spare as cheap insurance as I really like clean water.The Versa Flow has color coded caps on the inlet/outlet which think is a nice feature,can be used as an inline,squeeze,or gravity filter and a little simple back flush with filtered water on the trail is easy to do.

    If you want to use your bottle as a dirty water container it needs to be an AcquaFina bottle as the Smart water bottle is not quite leak proof.I always filter from an Evernew bag to a Smart Water bottle with no issues though......

  10. #50

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    If after using your filter and you don't plan to use it again for a while I wonder what would happen if you backflush it with distilled water and then store it totally immersed in a sterilized glass jar filled with distilled water. I'm sure it would solve the problem of the filter drying out but not sure about bacteria on the filter housing from growing inside the storage jar over time?

  11. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by OwenM View Post
    Not sure the tap water is a great idea. After a couple months of training hikes with no overnights or filter use, my Sawyer Micro would barely let any water through.
    I do have hard water, but also have a filter on the tap at home whose water I use for backflushing the filter, so...I don't know. When it was getting used almost weekly last fall through spring, it didn't have any problems.
    After the vinegar and distilled water flushes, I'm storing it in a freezer bag full of distilled water to see how that goes.
    Don't know when I'll use it again, as I'm trying out a BeFree a friend gave me.
    No idea why I said tap water... I meant to say DISTILLED water

  12. #52
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    After getting burned by a 100% clogged Sawyer Squeeze on the Ouachita Trail last spring (thank goodness for backup Aquamira), I used a 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts warm water mixture to bring it back to life. Backflushed with the solution first, then soaked the filter in the solution for an hour. Restored the flow pretty well.

  13. #53

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    Quote Originally Posted by 901john View Post
    After getting burned by a 100% clogged Sawyer Squeeze on the Ouachita Trail last spring (thank goodness for backup Aquamira), I used a 1 part white vinegar to 4 parts warm water mixture to bring it back to life. Backflushed with the solution first, then soaked the filter in the solution for an hour. Restored the flow pretty well.
    It is good to hear that actually worked for you. I'll have to remember that in case it ever happens to me again.

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  14. #54

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    Preventing Off-Season Clogging (Video)
    https://youtu.be/nD6n6Xj2nwE

    Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk

  15. #55

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    FWIW,I have always had great results using a product that home brewers use known as One Step.I run it thru my bags,hose,and filter after back flushing the filter with clean tap water which in my case is well water that has been run thru a salt operated water softener.The night before heading out I will test the filter and have never had a problem but at only 1.9 ounces for my filter I do carry a spare just in case there is a filter failure and someone needs one.YMMV

  16. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by GreatLakesBackpacker View Post
    Preventing Off-Season Clogging (Video)
    https://youtu.be/nD6n6Xj2nwE

    Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
    Excellent video.
    I need to go get some distilled water.

  17. #57

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    Quote Originally Posted by MtDoraDave View Post
    Excellent video.
    I need to go get some distilled water.
    Thanks! I'm happy to hear that it was helpful.

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  18. #58
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    [QUOTE=Five Tango;2289580]I have tried all the Sawyer products,BeFree,and Hydroblu Versa Flow.My preference is the Versa Flow at $22.]

    And add that since both ends are threaded, you can back flush with no syringe and no adapter.

  19. #59

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    [QUOTE=Odd Man Out;2291127]
    Quote Originally Posted by Five Tango View Post
    And add that since both ends are threaded, you can back flush with no syringe and no adapter.
    That's good to know.

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  20. #60
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    [QUOTE=GreatLakesBackpacker;2291134]
    Quote Originally Posted by Odd Man Out View Post
    That's good to know.
    Sent from my SM-G781V using Tapatalk
    What I do is attach a bladder of dirty water to the dirty side and an empty clean bladder to the clean side. (1 L Evernew water bags).
    I have attached a short loop of spectra cord and a mini biner to the dirty bag so I can hang it from a tree limb (This cord also lets me know which bag is clean and which is dirty). Let it hand and do camp chores. When I come back, the dirty bag is empty and the clean bag is full. I remove the dirty bag and squeeze a bit of water back through the filter from the full clean bag. This way you can back flush every time with no extra time or work to speak of.

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