Caution: Frizzlife Lead NSF Certification is Misleading

I moved to a new house two weeks ago, and a neighbor informed me over the weekend that the municipal water lines contain lead. I started researching under sink lead filters for kitchen and bathroom sink. 3M's NSF 53 filter was being sold on Amazon for $350 CAD, and then I saw Frizzlife's NSF 53 filter (SW15 model) for $119 CAD. I knew of 3M before, but never heard of Frizzlife. I purchased both.

Another user on this subreddit posted a link to a public notice by NSF for "Unauthorized use of the NSF mark and claims of NSF certification found in advertising": https://www.nsf.org/about-nsf/public-notices/frizzlife

This public notice was from 2023, so I emailed Frizzlife customer support yesterday seeking clarification. This was their response:

Please rest assured that the Frizzlife SW15 water filtration system has undergone rigorous testing and fully complies with NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 53 for lead and heavy metal reduction. Our products have received official certification from IAPMO (International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials). IAPMO is a leading third-party testing organization accredited by ANSI in the United States, utilizing the same testing standards and procedures as NSF.

You can verify our certification status in real-time via the following official link: https://myplc.iapmo.org/certificate#/29648

How does the SW15 effectively remove lead?
To give you complete peace of mind before installation, please refer to the attached documentation.

The SW15 utilizes the PLC15 composite filter cartridge, which operates as follows:
-Multi-stage physical filtration: Upon entering the cartridge, tap water first passes through a high-density carbon block outer layer, physically trapping sediment, rust, and large suspended particles.
-Core heavy metal adsorption: The cartridge core incorporates specialized lead-adsorption media. Through microscopic chemical adsorption, it precisely captures and securely binds both dissolved and particulate lead, effectively removing them from the water.
-Odor removal and mineral retention: While efficiently removing chlorine, odors, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the system retains beneficial natural minerals (such as calcium and magnesium); consequently, the filtered water's TDS level does not drop drastically.

This is incredibly misleading. Frizzlife’s email says the SW15 complies with NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 for lead, but the verification link they provided appears to verify something else. The certificate link they provided does not appear to prove what they say it proves. Certificate #29648 appears to relate to NSF/ANSI 372, which is not the same thing as NSF/ANSI 53 lead reduction.

NSF/ANSI 372 is about lead content in plumbing products; essentially whether the product itself is “lead free” and does not add lead to the water. That is completely different from being certified to remove lead from contaminated water. All this means is that the SW15 itself won't add lead to your water.

Many consumers will see “NSF 53,” “lead reduction,” and “IAPMO certified” and reasonably assume the system itself has been independently certified for lead removal. But based on the link Frizzlife provided, I don't think that claim has been properly substantiated.

TL;DR: I purchased Frizzlife SW15, but saw that NSF publicly called out Frizzlife in 2023 for "unauthorized use of the NSF mark and claims of NSF certification." I contacted Frizzlife directly before installing it and asked them to clarify its certification status. Frizzlife replied that the SW15 complies with NSF/ANSI 42 and 53 for lead reduction and provided an IAPMO certificate link as proof. However, the certificate they linked (W-29648) relates to NSF/ANSI 372 (lead-free construction), not NSF/ANSI 53 lead reduction. Those are very different certifications. NSF/ANSI 372 means the filter itself does not add lead to the water; it does not prove the filter removes lead from contaminated water