Is your Lifestraw membrane microfilter floppy or stable in the cap?

@machesta
With such a difference in the previous filter, I would call the company with this question. Let us know what you find out.

The filter on mine was just changed out and its very tight. I would contact company as well, maybe you got a defective filter.

Maybe it has something to do with having removed the charcoal filter. All the parts are engineered to fit well.

I would contact the company.
I have contacted the company previously and they have a fantastic costumer service they truly stand behind their products

I noticed that some people don’t use the carbon filter. I use my pitcher as designed, should that spot using the carbon filter? Also how often should we change our filters?

I’m a little confused. Perhaps I missed some dialog about this previously. I have the Lifestraw 7 cup glass pitcher and use it per the instructions (using both filters). Why would the carbon filter not be used? I thought the two filters work together to purify the water

There's some thought that charcoal carbon filters can harbor/grow NTM. I guess that's why it's important to change monthly.

Thank you. I was not aware.

Excerpt from Dr. Falkinham paper:
(9) Beware of Granular Activated Carbon/Charcoal (GAC) Water Filters. GAC filters are
widely marketed and sold directly to consumers to reduce the bad taste of drinking
water. They work by binding chlorine. other disinfectants, metals, and organics that
impart a bad taste to water. However, they promote the growth of NTM without
preventing their passage, as shown in an EPA study (Rodgers et al., 1999). The pores
of GAC filters are not small enough to prevent bacterial passage; the tortuous path of
movement merely delays passage for a while. NTM are quite happy in GAC filters;
they attach and grow on the carbon-bound organics and metals as they are resistant to
the disinfectant. The manufacturer’s recommendation for replacement of the filters is
based on the capacity to remove disinfectants, metals, and organics; not on preventing
passage of bacteria. In our hands, the recommended time to replace a GAC filter is
longer than the time when high NTM numbers pass the filter. If you want to remove
disinfectants, metals and organics from drinking water, install a GAC filter upstream
of a 0.2 micrometer filter.

Thank you for passing this info along. Now I am very frustrated since I thought I had resolved the “safe water” issue by purchasing my lifestraw pitcher. I just don’t know what to do next. Seems like for every step i take forward i am taking two steps back