Viqua 3 piece Water Filter Housing Review

Have you ever opened up a filter housing to change a water filter?  Was it difficult to loosen? Was it heavy and did you find that the likelihood of spilling water was definitely a concern? With the large 20” BB filters, you could get a back injury too!

Once you‘ve tried one of these 3 piece housings from Viqua, you’ll never go back to the old 2 piece units. Changing filters is a breeze, especially the ones with the drain plug in the bottom so you can drain the housing before removing the cannister. The 10” clear ones makes it easy to monitor the amount of sediment inside the filter housing without needing to open it up. Check out this video of mine on How to Change a Filter with the Viqua 3 piece Filter Housing to see how easy they are to use. https://youtu.be/n5lUgkN_aO4

So how do the Viqua 3 piece Filter Housings compare? Check out my review.

Performance – 10/10 They work perfectly every time and since you don’t twist the cannister when removing or installing the filter, the o ring lasts longer and seals better. The biggest benefit is that the housing is much easier to open because you’re not twisting against the friction created by the o ring.

Capacity – 9/10 They accommodate a standard 20” x 4 .5” Big Blue size filter although I have found that with some non Viqua carbon filters you might need to remove the bottom o ring to get them to seal fully.

Cost to Operate – 10/10 They are about the same cost as any other filter housing to operate except that since the o ring will last longer there should be some savings on O ring replacement cost.

Ease of Installation/Use – 10/10 The housings are super easy to install, just check out my video on their installation here to learn more. https://youtu.be/X0qIhpHarPA

Features – 9/10 – The mounting bracket and filter housing wrench are included. There’s a built in pressure release to make depressurization for filter changes easier. The clear ones allow you to view the amount of sediment that has accumulated inside without opening the housing.  The white ones have a drain plug, so once the drain plug has been removed and the housing drained it’s much easier to replace those extra heavy 20” filters. The only thing that would be an improvement would be if the clear housings were available in the 20” size and with the drain port in both sizes.

Parts Availability – 9/10 Parts are readily available from this Canadian manufacturer and any distributor just about anywhere in North America can access parts.

Longevity – 10/10 I have personally seen these installed in customer’s homes where they have been in service for well over 10 years! I expect them to last a very long time.

Reliability and Build Quality – 9/10 These are made in USA and I have seen and used them myself consistently with great performance.

Initial Investment – 9/10 Viqua 3 piece filter housings are only a slightly larger investment than a standard housing. But given that they are so much easier to use and the potential for back injury due to the drain port is significantly reduced by this housing it’s well worth it.

Styling/Aesthetics – 10/10 When installed in the utility room in the basement, this means very little, but when installed in a bathroom or other public area in a home or cottage this housing looks great!

Gary the Water Guy Overall Score 95/100

So what’s the Verdict? I rate this as a Gary the Water Guy Best Buy for any family that uses a Big Blue size filter housing especially if the filters will be changed by the home owner.