Why DIY Filters?

[Big Lou]

No critism at all intended with my query. Numerous times I have read about building and maintaining homemade filters. Please help me better understand why building a filter unit is as good as or superior to a ready made filter unit? Cost, better performance? To my untrained way of looking at these devices seems like reinventing the mouse trip. Btw, I am all for DIY. Goodness, in my lifetime I've DIY'd many, many things. I also appauld those of you who teach others new skills.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Dave 54]

Basically Big Lou its cheaper I've even seen a nexus that was home built very cleaver and half the cost of an original , our barrel filter that replaced the vortex style filter that sprung a leak cost £45 , god knows what it would cost to replace a 32" vortex style filter brand new ,

Dave

 

[sissy]

Diy is cheaper and you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself .Like any project I build I feel proud I can do it .I could never afford 400 or 600 dollars (and more )for a filter that may or may not work and then to replace there filter material another 100 dollars or so WOW .

 

[Big Lou]

Diy is cheaper and you get the satisfaction of doing it yourself .Like any project I build I feel proud I can do it .I could never afford 400 or 600 dollars (and more )for a filter that may or may not work and then to replace there filter material another 100 dollars or so WOW .

You are a hard working lady Sissy. I think I can say we are all proud of you.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

DIY is almost always much cheaper, but for many, it's also much more satisfying when you build something yourself rather than just buying it. You have more of a connection to whatever it may be. You know how it was put together, you know how it works, and you'll know how to fix it if it needs to be.

 

[Big Lou]

DIY is very satisfying!

 

[sissy]

Plus you can change it or go bigger .Thank you lou I learned to work hard from my dad so I have always thought he made me what I am .Cheap ,hard worker and caring .I am just sorry he and mom did not live long enough to see what I made of my life ,but I always imagine them looking down and smiling on me every time the sun shines and the rain is there tears when the see me sad .March 7th will soon be here and I home the sun shines that day

 

[Andy41]

As many have already said, it's often cheaper, and it's the satisfaction of knowing you built it all yourself, but it's also the learning.

If you don't understand the basics behind a filter you can't DIY one, so it adds to your understanding. Learning by Doing.

 

[Big Lou]

Thank you all.

 

[MitchM]

I'm on the other side of DIY. I'm kind of tired of it.

Half the time I don't have all the parts I need, the drive into town is 1-1/2 hours each way, maybe I figured out something wrong, the project can take a lot longer than I like, ...on and on...
I usually try to figure out how to do without what I was going to build in the first place.

(maybe this belongs in the Rant thread.)

 

[DrCase]

I like the cheaper part

 

[koiguy1969]

Mitch... you cant blame the DIY.. Blame your choice on where to live...lol

 

[MitchM]

Ha!
No, there's other stuff too.
Like driving to the HOME IMPROVEMENT STORE with my TRUCK only to find that the parking spots are too SMALL so I need to park a long way away, then when I get to the plumbing section, all the contents of the boxes are mixed up, or if I need a piece of hose cut, there's no attendant around and all I hear is the sound of crickets chirping...

(let me go get some cheese to go with my whine...)

.

 

[27goldfish]

Price and flexibilty. You can design to your needs and the cosmetics you are looking for.

 

[sissy]

I love diy because i can try some of my crazy ideas and some of them have even worked .Fail in some but was worth the try .If you can't fail and learn you can't succeed and get it right .