Need water filter help

[buddiiee]

Ok, I bought a filter exactly like this one (but in blue) http://dreamstreamr.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/p1050886.jpg from the local Lowes, to use on my hose when washing my car, and it doesn't even really make a difference.
My first question is what am I doing wrong? And secondly, what do you guys use to keep spots from forming?

[swanicyouth]

You really need a deionizer system to make a difference with water spots. The "filters" leave NaCl in the water - leaving "salty" water spots. While these spots are easier to remove than calcium spots, they are water spots none the less. I'm assuming there is some type of sodium chloride based water softener in that vessel?

If it's just a filter - your probably removing Ebola from your water - but your not removing minerals which cause spots.

[Setec Astronomy]

That looks simply like a particle filter, which as swanic noted, isn't going to do anything for water spots.

A common misconception is that dissolved minerals can be filtered out of water like a grain of sand or a rust particle. Dissolved minerals are "ions" which are basically atoms and are incredibly small and able to pass through any filter. The only way to remove these ions is a chemical process, either deionization (which traps these ions in a resin bed) or water softening (an ion exchange process where the hardness ions are exchanged for sodium or potassium ions in a resin bed).

To be fair there are other methods that can remove hardness ions, like distillation or reverse osmosis, but these aren't really practical for car washing.

[allenk4]

If that is a resin based DI system, it may work, but must be used at lower water flow, as the filter can only treat a low number of GPM

Try using the "fan" setting on a hose end sprayer to decrease the volume and see if that makes a difference

[frankprozzoly]

I stopped buying gallon jugs of distilled water. I'm sure it helped but if I rinseless washed in sunlight I'd still get streaking on the Windows. Couldn't see on paint but the car is silver

[alexxxx89]

You should invest in a second canister for softening the water, like the other guys said. I intend on doing a 4 canister, wall mounted system for my new house, just to be safe.