Have you ever bought a water filter that starts out great, but after a few uses becomes painfully slow? We have used – and loved – a PUR pitcher for years, but the last package of filters I bought was a real dud. The filters seemed fine at first, and then suddenly they began filtering at a glacial pace. It was taking literally half a day to fill the pitcher! That just doesn’t work for my water-guzzling family.
We’ve never had this problem before so I decided to put Google on the case and see if I could fix it. Turns out there’s a pretty simple solution! Thanks to some wise Amazon reviewers, I learned that a slow filter rate typically means there are water bubbles trapped in the filter. Here’s how to get that slow water filter back in working order:
First, put the filter in a large jar filled with water and see if it floats. If it does, you’ve got air bubbles. Take out the filter and bang it against the sink – not too hard! – a few times. Then put it back in the water. It should sink now. Pop it back in your pitcher and you should be good to go! When I did this, the difference was remarkable. The entire pitcher filled in a matter of minutes, not the hours it was taking before.
If your filter still seems unreasonably lazy, you may have particles or some other material obstructing the filter. Try spraying water directly into the filter to dislodge whatever is in there. That should take care of it.
Now, I don’t know why we suddenly got filters with air bubbles after years of trouble-free use, but I’m glad to know I can fix it if it occurs again. A slow water filter seems to be a pretty common complaint so I wanted to share this tip in case it ever happens to you!
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Welcome to Bargain Babe! I’m Mara, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price. 
Once I installed a new filter it started to run slow, grinding to a halt on events. I expected it was the filter, went obtained LG filter and it keeps on running slow. When I evacuate the filter it keeps running at full speed. What might be the reason?
Did you try banging it against the counter a few times? If you put it in a glass or jar of water, does it float? If so, you probably have some air bubbles in there. Or there may be something else obstructing the filter. If you have a spray head on your faucet, try spraying some water in the filter.
You are a genius! Thanks for the quick and effective fix.
So glad it worked for you! Yay for quick and effective fixes:-)
Just fixed my issue with the new style Brita pitcher slow flow.
It wasn’t air bubbles, it’s was the four flow ports under the cover with the skits in it.
Fix involves using a exacto knife or razor knife and carefully cut around the lower edges of the water slots and continue all the way around till the white cover comes loose, don’t cut to deep or you’ll cut the inner body plastic.
Now use a clean object to clean all 4 ports careful not to perforate the micro screen and rinse and reinstall and ur back in business, I’ll do this on all new filters before I install them and don’t worry about a grab handle for removal in future, just push it out from the bottom of housing to remove.
Also as far as air is concerned, just bump the pitcher handle with a blunt object and any air will be purged as ur filling.
Mine works like new now and hope this helps
Thanks for sharing this fix! I will try this if my banging method doesn’t work:-)
Filter was floating. Banging didn’t work so I held the filter under the water and squeezed it until the air bubbles stopped coming out and the filter sank. Now it works great. Thank you for the tips.
Good to know that squeezing is an effective strategy too! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing. The original filter in the box worked fast. The replacement one trickled. Followed your tip and my filter floated.
Tapped it hard several times in the proper flow direction and it sunk.
Flows fast.
Many thanks
I dont understand what you mean about cutting the bottom of the filter off
I’ve done all of the above and still running quite slow!!
Darn. How old is it? It might just be time to replace.
My Brita Longlast was beyond slow
I could literally count the drops as it filled the reservoir. I do understand the long last filter takes it time to filter out impurities, but at this rate it’s going to take me nearly 3 hours just to do the initial set up for the new filter . Remember it says to fill three times and disregard the water before use. This new long last filter is unacceptable as I do not have Three hours to waste filling up water. I will go back to the standard filter and if I’m not satisfied with that anymore I’ll just get rid of the whole device
I’ve never heard of the long last filters. Sounds like they’re not worth trying out! Hope the standard filter is working out for you.
I do remember actually reading the instructions years ago. Brita said to soak it in water first. Even push it down and hold till it stay sunken.
Yes, you are supposed to soak the filter before first use. After that, though, it can slow down quite a bit, even though the filter is not yet spent. That’s when you start banging it against the sink:-)
The information you shared with us was very helpful, thank you very much.
_hanna_
Thanks Bargain Barb. Your solution works
Yay!
Thank you so much for this advice — totally worked like a charm. I feel stupid for not looking this up earlier!
So glad it worked!
May must remember it says to fill four times and disregard the water before use. The new long last filter is unacceptable as I do not have two an half hours to waste filling up water.
Bargainbabe, you are an angel!! I would never have known how to fix this issue! I HATE wasting filters (I send them to a recycling program). This solution is A-1!
So glad it worked for you!
Thanks, it really helped. In any case, you need to understand that from time to time you will have to change the cartridge, on which the quality of cleaning will directly depend. Its resource will depend on the volume of water passed through it, as well as the degree of its pollution. As for the filtration unit itself, it, as a rule, does not require serious maintenance, except for ordinary washing. Most filters have a sufficiently long service life in case of timely replacement of cartridges. Good luck!
thanks for sharing this knowledgeable post. What a excellent post and outstanding article. Thanks author your awesome topic . Really I got very valuable information here.
I also had the same problems. Can’t understand why we had no problems,
for years, and then recently have every one quit? I am absolutely fed up,
And looking at other brands. Brita is not on the list!
This is amazing. I have used this trick so many times now. Works like a charm! Thanks!
Yay, so glad it works for you!
Thank you for posting this – I’ll give the various solutions a try!
Hope it works for you!
What??? This tip worked so instantly and so completely. I can’t even believe it!
Thanks. I’ll give it a try. I make three gallons of iced tea a day, and I have to fill up the Keurig. These chores have gotten excruciating in that it’s taking my Brita about an hour to fill up, and it seems to keep getting slower and slower. Now I understand why.
The reason I buy Long Last (blue) filters isn’t the long life, it’s that they claim to remove lead from tap water. The regular (white) Brita filters do not, as Brita admits when pressed, though many people are under the mistaken impression that they do remove lead, in my experience. I personally feel that Brita was remiss in not making this fact better known in the past.
This said, every long life filter I’ve used has slowed down radically. I’ll try your fix tomorrow and see if it works on the one in one of my pitchers that’s putting through a drop every ten seconds or so.
Has anyone seen lab test results showing whether the Brita blue filters do remove the lead to the degree claimed?
I have a long last filter and I hate how long it takes. Banging does not help. It always floats in a glass full of water no matter how many times I bang it. One tiny drip every 5 seconds. We have a family of six and this is just not a solution. I’m irritated I spent $50 on this pitcher!!
Just my opinion, I tried Brita pitchers and then tried Pur.
I did research and I think the Pur is a much better and usable product.
Thank you so much for the help with fixing the slow filter. Had to so it a couple of times but works like a charm tou are a (filter) life saver . =0 )
Yes, worked like a charm. I just wished I had googled the issue earlier.
Thank you
So glad it worked!
Hallelujah! A newly inserted filter did not run properly. I’ve had this pitcher for a few years and knew how to pre-wet filter before use. Today it filtered 2 fast pitchers. Then it got so slow like a spent one does after heavy use doing the next 3 fills. Mine floated in the jar test. I removed and banged on the sink. Yup, must have had air bubbles in the cartridge.
Thank you for being my hero today!
Yay!! Don’t you love it when a hack actually works?
Again many thanks Mara! I was so frustrated…it never happened before. Thought I had a defective/poor quality one from a new boxed set.
Thanks for this brilliant tip, Mara. I was about to give up and chuck my filter, which I’d only had for a couple weeks. Instead I submerged it in a pot of water and then knocked it around while submerged to get rid of the air bubbles. It worked! I’ve never seen the water flow through the filter so well!!
I’m so glad!
I just received my new brita water dispenser. Obvious there’s too much air in the filter. Tried everything to take the bubbles out but nothing is working. I opened a new package but it’s the same thing. Thinking about returning it!
Thank you for explaining this. I followed your tips, and the water flowed again. Then it slowed to a crawl. Banged it again, and it worked… and then the slowness returned. Do you think this just means the filter is faulty? I’ve only been using it for about a month, and it’s supposed to last for many months.
Did you try spraying some water in there (like with a faucet spray head)? I’m wondering if there are particles in there that are only temporarily dislodging when you bang it.
I’ll try that next time :-).
Thank you!!! So easy & s life changer. Much appreciated!
COMPLETELY fixed my problem thank you 🙂
Yay!
I have three Brita filters – one for work, one for room temperature water and one for fridge. All pitchers with double filter pack for each bought at Costco. No problems with any of the original filters that came with them. Bought 8 pack of new ones at Costco – have had this issue with 4 of 7 – so frustrating with slow flow I replaced filters within days to get working one in each. Now 2 of 3 working slow so I will try above. Regardless if works or not, returning first set of duds to Costco for refund. This info should be on the box.
I would research the effectiveness of Brita VS Pur on google.
In my opinion Pur is much better and I do not think Zero is worth it.
I used to use Brita and switched to Pur but I check the tests and comparisons from time to time.
Pur filters are cheaper and last longer, but more importantly they filter more pollutants.
Please do your own research to be sure.
I tried your method and was getting frustrated because it was working for so many but me. I used the sprayer filling it directly, banging on side of sink and FINALLY I was doing the air bubble test again and it again started floating so I then grabbed it, held it under water and kept squeezing it as I rotated it in my hand and I never thought the air bubbles would stop! But I now have a filter flowing faster than any other I have ever used so I will do that before use of each new one just to save the frustration and can only help get any particle dust out quicker.
Glad you figured out a way to make it work for you, Amanda! Thanks for sharing your technique.
It worked!! Thanks for that quick fix! My Brita pitcher was dripping water into the main chamber so so slowly. I tried your float test and it did float in water, so I gave it a couple of whacks, checked to see if it floated still, and this time it did not!
It’s filtering the water through much more quickly. Thank you for posting this!
Yay, so glad it worked!
i have tried absolutely everything and nothing has changed! the first filter that came with my brita filter worked amazing, but these replacement filters are so slow! there’s no signs of air bubbles trapped inside but i still banged it, soaked it, ran it under water, squeezed it. tried cutting it based on one of the comments, and nothing! i’m out of options please help:(
I’m sorry, that sounds so frustrating! I don’t know what else to suggest, but hopefully some readers will have ideas for you.