LifeSaver Jerrycan: What It Is and How to Use It Safely

The LifeSaver Jerrycan is a water carrier that filters as you pour. It holds 18.5 litres, and its replaceable cartridge purifies up to 20,000 litres before it needs changing¹. You fill it from a freshwater source, pump it to build pressure, and draw drinking water from the tap. No power, batteries or chemicals are involved.

For a UK household, that makes it a backup supply for a water cut, a boil notice or a trip where you cannot rely on mains water. The maker describes it as a backup supply of safe drinking water for the home, suited to areas where the water supply is unreliable³. It is not a substitute for storing tap water, and it is not designed for saltwater or chemically contaminated water³.

This page sets out what the can does, the specifications that decide whether it suits you, how to use it in an emergency at home, and the handling rules that keep the tap and pump working. The maker's own instructions are named as such throughout.

What the LifeSaver Jerrycan is and what it suits

The Jerrycan is a rigid water container with a filter cartridge built into the lid assembly and a hand pump and tap on top. You fill the body with water, pump air into it to pressurise the can, and open the tap. Water is forced through the cartridge on its way out, so what comes out of the tap has been filtered⁵.

The maker lists it as a backup supply of safe drinking water for the home, ideal for those who take emergency preparedness seriously or live in areas where water supply is unreliable³. In a UK context that covers a planned mains shutdown, a burst main, a boil notice, or a prolonged outage after a storm. It also suits camping, caravanning and overlanding, because it needs no power and fits standard jerry can racks³.

The maker says it fits perfectly into standard jerry can racks for overlanding vehicles, 4x4s and SUVs³. One user reported that it did not fit a particular popular holder because it is 6.5 inches wide and lacks the rounded tapered edges of a classic military can, so measure your own rack before relying on it¹.

Specifications: 20,000 litres per cartridge, 3.9 kg dry, no power needed

The figures that decide whether the can suits your household are capacity, filter life, weight and what it removes. The maker's product pages give them consistently across regions.

The 20,000 litre figure is the life of one cartridge, not the amount you can store. At 18.5 litres a fill, that is a very large number of refills before the cartridge reaches capacity. The maker's own failsafe stops the flow when it does⁹.

The can is heavy when full: 18.5 litres of water plus the 3.9 kg dry weight. Plan where you will fill it and how you will move it before you need it. A full can is best filled where it will stand, rather than carried far.

What it removes, and the water it must never be used with

The maker states that the replaceable cartridge removes 99.99% of viruses, bacteria and parasites from up to 20,000 litres of water¹⁰. It also states that the cartridge has been tested by an independent test house to exceed NSF P248 compliance standards for virus, bacteria, protozoan cyst and microplastic reduction, by the US Army Public Health Center (MEDCOM)⁴.

The Jerrycan passed compliance testing for NSF Protocol P248 Military Operations, Microbiological Water Purifiers³. Test results from BCS laboratories dated 28 August 2018 showed the Jerrycan exceeds NSF Protocol P248 for virus, bacteria and protozoan cyst reduction¹¹. Treat the certification as established and the exact year as reported.

Cloudy or muddy water is within its range. The maker states that the cartridge reduces turbidity and improves the clarity of glacial, cloudy or muddy water⁴. That matters in a flood, when collected water may be discoloured. For more on what different filter types remove, see what ceramic, carbon, hollow-fibre and RO filters remove.

Fill, pump, drink: using it in an emergency at home

The maker sums up the method in three words: FILL. PUMP. DRINK.⁹. The sequence is simple, but the order and the pressure matter.

1. Fill the can with water. The maker's method is FILL. PUMP. DRINK.¹⁰
2. Fit the pump and tap securely.
3. Pump by hand to pressurise the can. Do not pump if water is not flowing from the Jerrycan, as this will over pressurise it¹².
4. Drink from the tap. The water has passed through the cartridge on its way out¹³.
5. Release pressure when you have finished, and store the can with the tap closed.

The maker's manual gives two firm rules for pumping. Do not pump if water is not flowing from the Jerrycan, because this will over pressurise it¹⁴. Do not operate the pump while the Jerrycan is empty¹⁴. Both rules protect the can and the cartridge.

If you are using the can during a boil notice, follow the notice itself. The Jerrycan filters microbes, but a boil notice is issued by your water company and its instructions take precedence. See what to do if you get a boil water notice and how to make water safe to drink in an emergency.

Be gentle with the tap and never over-pressurise

The tap is the part most likely to give trouble, and the maker is explicit about why. The maker states: "Never pressurize too much as this will just pop off and be unfixable"¹⁵. It also warns: "A small word of caution: be gentle with the tap. If you're too rough, the spring can pop out, and the tap break."¹⁶.

The same warning appears across the maker's product pages, including the tap and pump listings¹⁷. The practical rules are:

• Pump only until water flows; do not keep pumping to force a stronger stream¹⁴.
• Open and close the tap gently, without forcing it¹⁶.
• Do not touch the plastic insert once it is seated; the maker says it will break off as soon as you touch it, and advises trying not to ever touch it once fixed⁶.
• Release pressure before storing the can¹⁴.

If the tap or pump breaks, you can still get water out

A broken tap does not write off the can. The maker states that if the tap breaks you can still use the jerrycan in an emergency by inserting a pen into the hole and opening the tap using it as a handle¹⁹. The same tip appears on the pump and maintenance pack pages²⁰.

That workaround is for an emergency, not a permanent repair. Fit a replacement tap when you can. The maker lists a replacement tap and a maintenance pack containing O-rings, a dome valve and a flat pump seal²². Keeping a spare tap and a maintenance pack with the can means a breakage does not leave you without water.

The maker also lists a replacement pump as a separate item²⁰. If the pump fails, the pen workaround gets water out, but you will want a replacement pump for normal use.

Cleaning, storing and when to replace the cartridge

The cartridge has a finite life and a shelf life. The maker states that a filter cartridge has a shelf life of 3 to 5 years from the date of purchase⁴. Once primed, if stored correctly, the maker says the cartridge will last indefinitely or until it reaches the 20,000 litre limit⁶.

A foil-wrapped replacement cartridge is listed with a shelf life of at least 10 years⁸. If you are buying a spare to sit in a cupboard, the foil-wrapped version gives you a longer window. The Graphene:Ultra replacement cartridge is listed with a shelf life of 10 years²³.

The maker's failsafe tells you when the cartridge is spent. The maker states that the cartridge has an integrated failsafe mechanism that prevents water flow once it reaches capacity, ensuring you never drink unfiltered water³. In practice the tap stops delivering water. That is the signal to fit a new cartridge, not a fault to force.

Store the can clean, dry and with the tap closed, away from frost. The maker's maintenance pack exists to keep seals in condition²¹. For general filter care, including priming, cleaning and frost, see looking after a filter.

Support and warranty: 2 years from LifeSaver

The maker lists a 2 year warranty on the Jerrycan, the Starter Pack, the replacement cartridge, the foil-wrapped cartridge and the Graphene:Ultra versions⁶. Keep your proof of purchase with the can.

The Starter Pack includes one pre-installed replaceable ultrafiltration filter cartridge, five replaceable activated carbon discs, a LifeSaver Shower Attachment, a plastic flush cap, a pump and tap, and a paper manual⁶. The shower attachment connects to the tap for washing²⁵. The maker states that the water is still safe to consume without an activated carbon disc installed, so running out of discs does not stop you drinking¹².

For the wider picture on storing water at home, see how much drinking water to store per person and containers and jerrycans for drinking supplies. For other LifeSaver products, see the LifeSaver Jerrycan Graphene:Ultra and the LifeSaver Bottle.