Crystal Quest Water Filters
Demineralizer (DI) Water Pitcher Cartridge
Demineralizer (DI) Water Pitcher Cartridge
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Not for drinking: water treated with this cartridge is not recommended for human consumption.
Some jobs call for water with almost nothing dissolved in it. Tap water carries minerals, and ordinary carbon filtration leaves every one of them in place. Deionization takes them out.
The Demineralizer (DI) Water Pitcher Cartridge turns the Crystal Quest Water Pitcher Filter System into a simple source of low-TDS, demineralized water for non-drinking uses. Its deionization media strip dissolved minerals from the water, reducing total dissolved solids (TDS) by up to 90 percent, or to non-detected levels, and lowering the water's pH.
At a glance
- Demineralized water by gravity: no plumbing, no power, just pour
- TDS reduced by up to 90 percent, or to non-detected levels
- Easy to monitor: a handheld TDS meter tells you when it is time for a new cartridge
- Same pitcher, different job: swap it in and out of the Crystal Quest pitcher as you need it
- Non-drinking uses only
What you are looking at
A slim pitcher cartridge with mesh inlet screens, filled with deionization media. It presses into the bottom of the pitcher's reservoir and seals, so water poured into the top has to pass through the media to reach the pitcher below.
How a demineralizer works
Trading ions
Dissolved minerals exist in water as charged particles called ions: positive ones such as calcium, magnesium and sodium, and negative ones such as chloride, sulfate and bicarbonate. Deionization media are resin beads loaded with exchange sites. As water passes through, the media trade those mineral ions for hydrogen and hydroxide ions, which combine to form water. What comes out has far fewer dissolved solids than what went in.
Why the pH drops
Minerals such as bicarbonate act as a buffer that holds tap water's pH steady. Remove them and the water has almost nothing to resist change. It picks up carbon dioxide from the air and turns mildly acidic. That lower pH is expected from this cartridge.
What demineralized water is, and is not
Demineralized does not mean healthier or purer drinking water. It means the minerals are gone, including the calcium and magnesium many people value in drinking water, and the pH is lower. That combination is useful for some tasks and is the reason Crystal Quest does not recommend water from this cartridge for drinking. If you want low-TDS drinking water, choose reverse osmosis: Crystal Quest under-sink reverse osmosis systems are built for that, and an optional alkalizing stage can add minerals back.
Why it is not intended for drinking use
- The minerals are gone. Tap water can contribute calcium and magnesium to your daily intake. Demineralized water contributes almost none.
- It is "hungry" water. With its ions stripped out and little buffering left, deionized water is easily contaminated and can corrode many of the materials it touches, and its pH drifts lower.
- It does not make water safe. Deionization does not remove bacteria or particles and does little for most organic chemicals, so it is not a way to treat water of unknown quality.
- It is a technical water tool. Deionized water is used in laboratory and medical water systems. This cartridge is sold for non-drinking uses, and Crystal Quest makes no drinking water treatment claim for it.
What it reduces
- Total dissolved solids (TDS): up to 90 percent, or to non-detected levels
- Hardness minerals: calcium and magnesium
- Sodium and other dissolved metal ions
- Chloride, sulfate, nitrate and bicarbonate (alkalinity)
Also changes: lowers pH.
Not designed for: drinking water, chlorine taste and odor, VOCs, THMs, bacteria and viruses, or water that is microbiologically unsafe. For drinking water, use the Standard/SMART Water Pitcher Cartridge or a SMART specialty cartridge.
Why Crystal Quest
- Clear labeling. We put the not-for-drinking warning first, in plain words.
- Easy to verify. TDS is simple to measure, so you can see the cartridge working and know exactly when it is spent.
- Made in the USA. Over 1,000,000 people served since 1994, under ISO 9001 quality management.
- Real help. Not sure whether you need DI or reverse osmosis? Our water filtration team will tell you straight.
Where it fits
This cartridge, part number CQE-RC-04132, fits the Crystal Quest Water Pitcher Filter System in every pitcher color. If you also use the pitcher for drinking water, switch back to a drinking-water cartridge, such as the Standard/SMART cartridge, before you drink from it. Single, Pack of 2, Pack of 4 and Pack of 6 all contain this same cartridge.
Common questions
Can I drink water filtered through the DI cartridge?
No. This cartridge demineralizes water and lowers its pH, and the treated water is not recommended for human consumption. Use the Standard/SMART cartridge or a SMART specialty cartridge for drinking water.
What does the DI cartridge do?
It is designed to reduce total dissolved solids (TDS) by up to 90 percent, or to non-detected levels, by demineralizing the water, and it lowers pH.
How do I know when to replace it?
No fixed interval has been published. Because its job is lowering TDS, check the treated water's TDS and replace the cartridge when it rises above the level your use requires. Actual life depends on feed water quality, system configuration and usage.
Is the linked lab report for this cartridge?
No. The IAPMO R&T Lab report covers chlorine reduction by the Standard/SMART pitcher cartridge (CQE-RC-04047). It does not test this DI cartridge and is not a product certification.
How is a DI cartridge different from reverse osmosis?
Both lower TDS. Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane that holds most dissolved solids back, and it is designed to make drinking water. Deionization trades mineral ions for hydrogen and hydroxide on resin, and the water from this cartridge is not recommended for drinking.
How do I check TDS?
Use a handheld TDS meter. Measure your tap water, then the water from the pitcher. A fresh cartridge shows a large drop; when the filtered reading climbs back toward a level your use cannot accept, replace the cartridge.
Published cartridge specifications
| Cartridge type | Demineralizer (DI) pitcher replacement cartridge |
| Replacement for | Crystal Quest Water Pitcher Filter System, all colors |
| Part numbers | CQE-RC-04132 (single); CQE-RC-04918, CQE-RC-04919, CQE-RC-04920 (packs of 2, 4 and 6) |
| Treatment | Demineralization: TDS reduced by up to 90 percent or to non-detected levels; lowers pH |
| Use | Non-drinking uses only; treated water is not recommended for human consumption |
| Media | De-Ionizer |
| Water temperature | Cold water only, 40 to 85°F (4.4 to 29°C) |
| Not designed for | Drinking water, chlorine taste and odor, VOCs, THMs, microbiologically unsafe water |
| Replacement interval | Not published for this cartridge. Actual life depends on feed water quality, system configuration and usage. |
Cartridge color is subject to change without notice.
What is and is not included
| Not included | Pitcher, lid and reservoir (they come with the Water Pitcher Filter System) |
