What is the shelf life of an unused bottle and is there an ideal temperature to store in?

The LIFESAVER bottle has an unopened shelf life of up to 3 years. Unused the minimum storage temperature is -10°C and the maximum storage is 60°C. Once used the minimum operating temperature is 0°C and the maximum operating temperature is 50°C.

What is the shelf life of a little used bottle?

Once the bottle has been used then maintained correctly it could last for up to 5 years dependent upon conditions. See warranty for additional details.

Does it degrade over time prior to use?

LIFESAVER bottle has an unopened shelf life of up to 3 years dependent upon storage conditions. It is designed to maintain the same level of microbiological removal across its entire service life.

LIFESAVER bottle incorporates FAILSAFE technology. This technology means that when the cartridge has expired the system shuts off, preventing the user from drinking contaminated water. To use the bottle again Simply replace the cartridge with a new one.

Please explain how to achieve the maximum storage life of a LIFESAVER bottle.

The maximum unused storage life of a LIFESAVER cartridge UF is three years. This can be extended by a further two years by “priming” the cartridge (see manual).

The reason for this is that the Ultra-Filtration membranes are infused with glycerine which is used as a hydration medium for the system, when the cartridge is first primed the glycerin washes away and is replaced with water. Follow the instructions for long term storage within the manual.

Could the LIFESAVER bottle be used to filter and drink urine?

You can filter urine with the LIFESAVER bottle and it will remove all microbiological contamination however as there is a certain amount of salt in urine the resulting water will have a level of salt dissolved into it that the LIFESAVER bottle will not remove. This will increase as the urine is repeatedly filtered.

We suggest that you could potentially do this up to four times before the salt levels become dangerous. However it is recommend that you seek alternate water sources before using the LIFESAVER bottle in this way.

Is there a restriction on the temperature that the bottle can be used in?

The operating temperature should be within the following ranges: minimum 0°C and maximum 50°C.

Could I use the LIFESAVER Bottle to carry water around?

YES. You can use the LIFESAVER bottle to carry around dirty/contaminated water, as the bottle is designed to provide users with sterile water on demand, the user pumps the LIFESAVER bottle when needed, which forces the water through the membranes producing sterile water at the moment of need.

This takes away the risk of contaminating clean water by transferring it into a potentially contaminated container. With the LIFESAVER bottle, clean water comes directly from the bottle itself and is only produced once the teat is opened.

Although, the carbon filter can be used for up to 250L before being changed, is its performance affected by daily use, without allowing the filter to dry?

No the performance of the activated carbon filter will not be affected by daily use.

Maintaining the pump during my trip my require me to use silicone grease from time to time. Is this silicone grease specific to your product or is it the same grease that can be purchased from any store? Are there any alternatives that can be used in substitution?

The Silicone grease provided has been developed for the LIFESAVER bottle, However any food grade silicone grease can be used.

Do any parts of the bottle require particular consideration to long term and continual use over a span of a year?

Other than the capacity of the filters (4000 and 6000 litres respectively) and maintaining the pump (see manual) the LIFESAVER bottle is unaffected by continual use. You may find depending upon how hard you bite that the teat will need changing occasionally. You should also consider changing the Pre-filter disc / scavenging sponge when necessary.

How often does the filter need to be changed?

The LIFESAVER Ultra-Filtration filter generally only needs to be changed upon expiry. The 4000UF cartridge is rated to last up to 4000 litres of water and the 6000UF is rated to last up to 6000 litres of water.

Does repeated use with dirty water reduce the bottles filtration capacity?

Yes. If you are using water with large quantities of detritus in it then the capacity will be reduced. However the LIFESAVER Ultra-Filtration cartridge is unique in that the particulate matter (the contaminates removed from the water) form a caking layer on the outer surface of the LIFESAVER Ultra-Filtration cartridge.

In order to extend the life of the LIFESAVER UF cartridge you can perform a front-side wash by swishing water in and out of the bottle, agitating the caking layer (of particulate matter) which tends to slip off, extending the life of the cartridge.

How do you dispose of the contaminates that are filtered out?

The Contaminates always remain on the dirty side of the bottle. They are washed away simply by performing a front-side wash (see manual) or by filling the bottle with water and emptying it again. You can also clean the cartridge using sterilising fluid as per the instruction in the manual

I have noticed that when using my pre-filter disc the water can take some time to enter the bottle.

If the water is cloudy/dirty etc then to overcome the initial hydro-phobic (water-resistant) nature of the disc you should immerse it in the water source and squeeze it a couple of times. If the water is clear of visible particulates you don't need the pre-filter disc when filling the bottle. It has similar properties to a bath sponge and is designed to adsorb as much particulate matter as possible. Its design means that the disc should not lose contact with the surrounding edge of the bottle. The depth of filter is fixed as it performs another safety function within the bottle. The important bit is the PPI (pores per inch) The Pre-filter disc is designed to prolong the life of your LIFESAVER cartridge and as such has a high number of PPI.

Q. I have noticed that when using my pre-filter disc the water can take some time to enter the bottle. A. If the water is cloudy/dirty etc then to overcome the initial hydro-phobic (water-resistant) nature of the disc you should immerse it in the water source and squeeze it a couple of times. If the water is clear of visible particulates you don't need the pre-filter disc when filling the bottle. It has similar properties to a bath sponge and is designed to adsorb as much particulate matter as possible. Its design means that the disc should not lose contact with the surrounding edge of the bottle. The depth of filter is fixed as it performs another safety function within the bottle. The important bit is the PPI (pores per inch) The Pre-filter disc is designed to prolong the life of your LIFESAVER cartridge and as such has a high number of PPI.

15 Q. Is there a chance the bottle could break down or produce less clean drinking water through repeated use? A. The ability to produce clean water is never compromised and the first litre of water will be as sterile as the last. FAILSAFE technology ensures that when the cartridge has expired the system shuts off preventing contaminated water from getting through to the drinking water side.

What does the bottle remove and how does it work?

LIFESAVER bottle removes all micro-biological contamination from water.

LIFESAVER bottle has been thoroughly tested by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine showing that even the smallest of viruses were removed. Download the LSHTM laboratory test results HERE.

The smallest bacteria measures 200NM (nanometres) whilst the smallest virus measures about 25 nanometres. The ultra filtration membranes in the LIFESAVER Ultra-Filtration cartridge have pore sizes of only 15 nanometres, this means that no contamination can pass through into the drinking water.

The pump creates pressure within the bottle which forces water through the membranes leaving the dirt and contamination on the other side of the membranes.

Will the bottle work without the "activated carbon filter"?

Yes - The carbon filter reduces a broad spectrum of chemical residues including pesticides, endocrine disrupting compounds, medical residues and heavy metals such as lead and copper. It also eliminates bad tastes and odours from contaminates such as chlorine and sulphur. It is designed to last approximately 250 litres.

The Activated Carbon Filter is an optional extra as all microbiological contamination is still removed from water using the LIFESAVER bottle without the activated carbon filter.

Does the LIFESAVER bottle filter Sea Water?

Yes. LIFESAVER bottle will remove all microbiological contamination from sea water. However the LIFESAVER bottle does not filter the salt from sea water or any other salts from water.

What kind of plastic is the exterior of the container, the bottle itself?

All plastics in the used in the production of the LIFESAVER bottle are; Food Grade.

What prevents the UF membranes from bacteria growth or organic fouling with high biological activity water?

If you do not perform a Front-Side wash then after a period of time microbiological growth can and will build up on the outer surface of the membranes. However, Microbes will only form on the dirty side of the membrane (allowing you to store contaminated water for use on demand).

It is important to follow the instructions when Front-Side washing your bottle as well as the other long term storage instructions.

What about suspended solids? Normally membranes need to be cross-flow mode, or in dead end need to be backwashed frequently?

LIFESAVER bottle membranes are not normal membranes. Suspended solids tend to be very large in comparison to the size of the pores within the LIFESAVER cartridge UF membranes. Over the life of the membranes, particulate matter will build up on its surface. The filter cartridge’s unique design induces particulate matter to form a caking layer on its external surfaces. To reduce this build-up you should perform a front-side wash on a regular basis. Please also see page 16 of the instruction manual for long term storage and sterilisation instructions.

With the LIFESAVER cartridge UF membranes backwashing is not necessary and will damage the membranes if attempted. Performing a Front-side wash is similar to the action of cross flow. If we were to use normal MF (Micro Filtration) membranes or ceramics as most other products do, the LIFESAVER bottle would also suffer the “clogging up” effect that is commonly experienced with other products, However as we do not use these methods the LIFESAVER bottle does not suffer with this problem.

The main filter utilizes our unique failsafe technology and shuts down when it reaches capacity, what indication is there that the carbon filter has reached it's 250 litre capacity?

The only indication that the carbon filter is reaching the end of its life might be a taste change. The less the carbon has to take out the longer it lasts.

Activated carbon filters are £16.50 a pack (of four) or about £4.13 each or about 1p per litre. If you are on a trip and you drink 3 litres a day the carbon filter would last you about 3 months

Is the end product tasteless or will stagnant water (for example - worst case) produce a foul tasting end product?

People tend to think of water as having one distinctive taste. The reason for this is that they are generally used to drinking from one source, i.e. their tap water from home. As such when they drink water from somewhere else they will always compare it to the water from their home tap. Water with chlorine in will have a very different taste to water without it. If you have been used to drinking water with chlorine in it you may well dislike water without it. Water that is very cold tends to mask most of the flavour of water so the temperature will have an effect on the taste of the water.

Taste on its own is a relatively basic sense. We can only generally recognise four things - Sweet, Salt, Bitter, Sour. In order to extend the taste gamut we need our sense of smell. It the smell in the water is caused by particulate matter then when the water comes through the LIFESAVER bottle it will not have a discernable smell. If however the smell is caused by dissolved gasses then there may well be a smell. The activated carbon will deal with most of it but there may still be a discernable odour.

Will the activated carbon filters filter out hydrocarbons (from gas, etc.)?

Activated carbon has long been used as a filter medium to remove all sorts of contaminants. Hydrocarbons are no exception. The Activated carbon filter we use, whilst similar to the carbon used in air filtration units, is designed to remove contamination in water. So (and whilst this is a roundabout way of saying so) yes our filter will reduce the presence of hydrocarbons in water.

Will the LIFESAVER bottle protect against Cholera?

Yes.

Will the LIFESAVER bottle protect against cryptosporidium?

Yes.

What is the capacity of the bottle?

LIFESAVER bottles hold approximately 750ml of water.

Does the LIFESAVER bottle filter out chemical residues?

Your LIFESAVER bottle comes with an activated carbon filter. This is designed to reduce chemical residues, Inc: pesticides, endocrine disrupting compounds, medical residues and heavy metals.

What are the dimensions of the LIFESAVER bottle?

LIFESAVER bottle is approximately 300mm in height and 90mm in diameter (12 in x3½ in) at its widest point.

Is there a chance the bottle could break down or produce less clean drinking water through repeated use?

The capacity to produce clean water is never compromised and the first litre of water will be as sterile as the last. FAILSAFE technology ensures that when the cartridge has expired the system shuts off preventing contaminated water from getting through to the drinking water side.

What systems are in place in terms of quality assurance in manufacture?

LIFESAVER bottle UF cartridges are checked at several stages during the manufacturing process. In addition we perform a 100% integrity check which ensures the membranes and seals are working correctly. In addition to this and built into FAILSAFE technology is a user performable integrity check. If the LIFESAVER bottle does not work in any orientation, in other words it passes air in preference to water, you have damaged the membranes somehow and the cartridge must be replaced immediately.

Does repeated use with dirty water reduce the bottles filtration capacity?

Yes. If you are using water with large quantities of detritus in it then the capacity will be reduced. In order to extend the life of the LIFESAVER UF cartridge you can perform a front-side wash by swishing water in and out of the bottle, agitating the caking layer which tends to slip off, extending the life of the cartridge.

Does this Life Saver bottle filter Guinea worms?

Yes the LIFESAVER Ultra-Filtration cartridge will not allow the larva that causes the Guinea Worm infection to pass through the LIFESAVER bottle.

Will the bottle be damaged by the air pressure changes during air travel?

The LIFESAVER bottle will not be damaged by air pressure changes during flight.

It is recommended that you empty the entire liquid contents from the bottle before flight and that they are always carried as hand luggage. This is to avoid any potential freezing that may occur.

Are there any shock or force restriction for the carbon filters? Can they be packed in my luggage and subjected to those forces?

As with the bottle you should attempt to avoid subjecting the carbon filters to shock, however they will withstand minor bumps and knocks.

Can we provide larger units other than the individual bottles, i.e. big enough containers to serve a household?

YES – LIFESAVER systems now have the LIFESAVER jerrycan. It holds approx 18.8 liters and can process up to 20,000 liters of water dependent upon the model you choose..

Can we provide smaller units e.g. 500/1000ltr and smaller bottles?

We currently are only able to supply either a 4000L or 6000L version. If this changes we will update the website.

Has LIFESAVER bottle won any awards?

Yes - LIFESAVER bottle was recently voted ‘Best Technological Development for Future Soldier System Enhancement’ at Soldier Technology 2007, the world’s premier soldier modernisation forum (http://www.soldiertechnology.com/). LIFESAVER bottle will revolutionise the battle space, reduce carried weight for the soldier, and lessen the traditional logistic demands of drinking water faced by militaries around the world.

The LIFESAVER bottle has also recently been voted “best in test” in a direct comparison with its competitors by BushCraft and Survival Magazine.

Where can I get an Instruction Manual for the LIFESAVER bottle?

You can download an Instruction Manual