If you have at your disposal a free tap, you can install the filter above and thus have filtered fresh water at all times. The device alerts you when the filter will soon change (orange), and when to change really (red color). The filter length is relatively long, of the order of 3 months. If you do not have free tap, you can install the filter on your kitchen tap, there is a "bypass" to choose to use filtered water or not (to do the dishes for example). I am very happy with this system.