Anyone used a LARQ water bottle?

[hughtrimble]

Afternoon BCUKers,

Hope you're all having a good Christmas break.

Has anyone had any experience with the LARQ bottle? It has a UV-C light in the lid that supposedly kills off almost all bacterial and viral nasties: https://www.trailandkale.com/gear/larq-bottle-review/

It's not my thing but the missus is keen on one.

Could this be a solution for not needing to filter water when out and about? I'd think you'd still want to remove the larger particles before drinking, but that could potentially be through a coffee filter or the like given the filter wouldn't need to be doing any health critical trapping.

Your expertise in this would be great, either through hands on experience or more theoretical.

Cheers,
Hugh

 

[Jared]

This was a kickstarter, and backer comments aren't exactly happy.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/443292702/quartz-bottle/comments

 

[Nice65]

This was a kickstarter, and backer comments aren't exactly happy.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/443292702/quartz-bottle/comments

I completely snub all Kickstarter stuff after getting messed around and ripped off on a titanium Hipp Flask. I did get the flask, but the finishing and quality was atrocious, the seal on the lid was a circle of white plastic so it leaked (I complained so they sent 5 more so I could pack them in), the soldering was bad, the finish was awful. The designers seem only too happy to give the manufacturing to incompetent Chinese manufacturers who don’t know what they’re dealing with. As it’s not their money, it’s yours, they’ve nothing to lose.

I wouldn’t trust a UV water bottle to clean water. If it was that easy it would already be in use. I don’t know enough about UV for killing bugs, but I’d imagine the wavelength needs to be quite specific.

 

[lou1661]

Just a brief look on there website, looks like it has only been tested on E.coli no mention of any other bacteria, cysts or Protozoa. I personally like proven safety when it comes to my health. Seems like a product based on marketing not science.

 

[hughtrimble]

@Jared @Nice65 @lou1661
Thank you all for your input on this - I too am wary given the marketing of the product and the target audience (hipster tax sounds appropriate given the price segment!).

Very good point on the issue of it not being in wider use despite the apparent panacea claims they make.

I hadn't thought to look at the Kickstarter comments, and instead seem to have only come across what are likely to be 'reviews' where people talk about items they've only just received in the post and haven't actually used/tested them in any meaningful way.

Cheers all - I'll be staying clear!

 

[Jared]

I completely snub all Kickstarter stuff after getting messed around and ripped off on a titanium Hipp Flask. I did get the flask, but the finishing and quality was atrocious, the seal on the lid was a circle of white plastic so it leaked (I complained so they sent 5 more so I could pack them in), the soldering was bad, the finish was awful. The designers seem only too happy to give the manufacturing to incompetent Chinese manufacturers who don’t know what they’re dealing with. As it’s not their money, it’s yours, they’ve nothing to lose.

I wouldn’t trust a UV water bottle to clean water. If it was that easy it would already be in use. I don’t know enough about UV for killing bugs, but I’d imagine the wavelength needs to be quite specific.

Yeah, UVC needed is somewhere around 260nm to 280nm for peak efficiency (DNA destruction).
UVC leds are still relatively new (< 10 years old), and coming from company that had to kickstart it, not sure I'd put much faith in that bottle either.

I'd say wait until someone with bit more credibility gets in on it, Katadyn comes to mind, they surely have to be looking to update their steripens to using leds.

 

[Nice65]

I'd say wait until someone with bit more credibility gets in on it, Katadyn comes to mind, they surely have to be looking to update their steripens to using leds.

If the system was viable and could guarantee bug free water, they’d already be on the market by an established water purifying specialist like Katadyn. I don’t think UV is reliable on its own. I see it incorporated in hand driers occasionally and wonder how the blue light is killing anything. Seems like a gimmick, blue is associated with cleanliness.

 

[Jared]

Here's a UK company making vehicle transportable UVC units, http://wananchi-uk.com/products/portable-purifiers/seon-uv/
They must have filters and then ensure the water flows past the leds.

 

[Billy-o]

You’d be better off putting a little bit of bleach in your waterbottle

 

[EdS]

UV disinfection is common in the treatment of private (off mains) water supplies.

However, the presence of any solids / colloidal matter or discolouration reduces the effectiveness.

Fe and Mn mess it up as does tannin. Peaty water is a right bugger to treat

 

[Nice65]

UV disinfection is common in the treatment of private (off mains) water supplies.

However, the presence of any solids / colloidal matter or discolouration reduces the effectiveness.

Fe and Mn mess it up as does tannin. Peaty water is a right bugger to treat

Cheers, makes sense that, and @Jared post, the light needs to be able to fully penetrate the solution or the water needs to be filtered and passed directly through the light. Under certain circumstances the E.coli bacteria the LARQ claims to kill might well be protected from the UV by particulates.

It’s amazing this LARQ hasn’t been picked up as charlatanism or fraud considering the claims.

 

[Nomad64]

Cheers, makes sense that, and @Jared post, the light needs to be able to fully penetrate the solution or the water needs to be filtered and passed directly through the light. Under certain circumstances the E.coli bacteria the LARQ claims to kill might well be protected from the UV by particulates.

It’s amazing this LARQ hasn’t been picked up as charlatanism or fraud considering the claims.

Steady on, there is nothing wrong with the concept, just it appears the issues are with supply and execution.

I’ve used the Steripen (which treats water with UV), for many years while travelling without any problems. Just pre-filter (if necessary) to get rid of any visible crud and then let the UV light do its thing.

https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/steripen-m48

Where I now live, the water comes from a spring and we inherited a system where the water is passed through a filter (only an ultrafine one which TBH is probably unnecessary as the water is very clear and the filter doesn’t catch much) - you can have a sequence of filters starting with ones that take out large lumps.

Not sure whether this is a reflection of the poor quality of the mains water there or they are just paranoid but these filter systems seems very popular in the US even for those with nains supply.

Then it goes through a a stainless steel tube with a UV tube (changed annually and fitted with an audible alarm in case of failure) which zaps the DNA of anything alive in the water.

https://www.uvwatertreatment.co.uk/products/

Passes an annual water quality test by the council with no issues - could be that there us nothing wrong with the water in the first place but nice to be safe.

Reading the reviews/feedback of LARQ on the KS page, it looks like the issues are either non-delivery or premature failure of the electronics.

I’m sure LARQ doesn't claim that you can drink from a muddy puddle or an open sewer without filtration or that it will deal with non-organic contamination but if you are worried about the quality of the water coming out of a tap then it could (if made and used properly), encourage people to move away from bottled water in single-use plastic bottles.