User:Jonathan/Tankless Revers Osmosis Physical DRM (Culligan, Waterdrop): Difference between revisions
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{{Cleanup|reason=Needs to be rewritten in general third-person PoV.}} | {{Cleanup|reason=Needs to be rewritten in general third-person PoV.}}Culligan and Waterdrop are using a plastic key (physical DRM) to lock their water filters out of each others systems{{ProductCargo | ||
{{ProductCargo | |||
|Company=Culligan | |Company=Culligan | ||
|ProductLine=Aquasential Tankless RO | |ProductLine=Aquasential Tankless RO | ||
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|Description=DRM on Aquasential Tankless reverse osmosises water filtration system | |Description=DRM on Aquasential Tankless reverse osmosises water filtration system | ||
}} | }} | ||
I (Jonathan) purchased a [[wikipedia:Culligan|Culligan]] [https://www.waterdropfilter.com/products/tankless-reverse-osmosis-system-wd-g3p800-w-fc-1 Aquasential Tankless Reverse Osmosis System] (RO) a few years ago. Every year the filter beeps and needs to be changed out. Culligan after COVID decided that the filters are now much more expensive than they were when I purchased the RO. The only way to purchase cartridges for the RO are through contacting a sales person at Culligan and either going to their office or paying them $5 to drive to my house and hand it to me. | |||
With the absurd nature of being more or less held hostage to their proprietary filters and process I spent time every year looking for alternatives. This year (2026) I found it! [https://www.waterdropfilter.com/products/tankless-reverse-osmosis-system-wd-g3p800-w-fc-1 Waterdrop] created an RO filter with the EXACT same filter size and [[:File:Culligan without key.jpg|locking system]] that Culligan uses on my model. [[File:Culligan without key.jpg|thumb|Culligan Filter with plastic key removed.]] | |||
[[File:Culligan without key.jpg|thumb|Culligan Filter with plastic key removed.]] | |||
[[File:Waterdrop-key-left culligan-key-right.jpg|thumb|Water drop key (left) Culligan key (right)]] | [[File:Waterdrop-key-left culligan-key-right.jpg|thumb|Water drop key (left) Culligan key (right)]] | ||
I ordered 2 Waterdrop filters from [https://www.homedepot.com/p/Waterdrop-WDG3-Replacement-Filter-1-Year-Combo-2-WD-G3-CF-and-1-WD-G3-CB-Compatible-with-WD-G3-W-WD-G3P600-WD-G3P800RO-Systems-B-WD-G3-2CFCB/332726014?MERCH=REC-_-fbt_test-_-325393553-_-3-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a-_-n/a#overlay Homedepot] and when they arrived I realized that there is a [[:File:Waterdrop-key-left culligan-key-right.jpg|plastic key]] on both brands of filter that prevents them from being directly interchanged. Luckily they were not very solidly attached and I was able to pry them off with a butter knife. I put one of the Waterdrop filters in the RO with the Culligan key replaced onto it and then put the second Waterdrop filter in without a key and it [[:File:Culligan unit with Waterdrop filters.jpg|worked]] just the same. | |||
==Consumer impact summary== | |||
{{Ph-C-CIS}}Attempting to physically lock two cloned RO filters from one another with a key is anti-consumer behavior that needs to be called out. Culligan profits heavily from locking consumers into a high upfront cost RO system with expensive filters and no other way to get them than to call a salesperson to come by your house. | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
{{Ph-C-SA}} | {{Ph-C-SA}} | ||
* [[GE Refrigerator water filter DRM]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 05:08, 18 March 2026
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Culligan and Waterdrop are using a plastic key (physical DRM) to lock their water filters out of each others systems
| Basic Information | |
|---|---|
| Release Year | |
| Product Type | Hardware |
| In Production | Yes |
| Official Website | https://www.culligan.com/product/culligan-aquasential-tankless-ro-drinking-water-filter-system |
I (Jonathan) purchased a Culligan Aquasential Tankless Reverse Osmosis System (RO) a few years ago. Every year the filter beeps and needs to be changed out. Culligan after COVID decided that the filters are now much more expensive than they were when I purchased the RO. The only way to purchase cartridges for the RO are through contacting a sales person at Culligan and either going to their office or paying them $5 to drive to my house and hand it to me.
With the absurd nature of being more or less held hostage to their proprietary filters and process I spent time every year looking for alternatives. This year (2026) I found it! Waterdrop created an RO filter with the EXACT same filter size and locking system that Culligan uses on my model.
I ordered 2 Waterdrop filters from Homedepot and when they arrived I realized that there is a plastic key on both brands of filter that prevents them from being directly interchanged. Luckily they were not very solidly attached and I was able to pry them off with a butter knife. I put one of the Waterdrop filters in the RO with the Culligan key replaced onto it and then put the second Waterdrop filter in without a key and it worked just the same.
Consumer impact summary
[edit | edit source]Attempting to physically lock two cloned RO filters from one another with a key is anti-consumer behavior that needs to be called out. Culligan profits heavily from locking consumers into a high upfront cost RO system with expensive filters and no other way to get them than to call a salesperson to come by your house.
See also
[edit | edit source]