Ordering a Spectrapure

[91mini]

I'm about to pull the trigger on one of the $120 refurbished RO/DI systems from Spectrapure and have a few questions that I need help with first.

 

1. Does this setup include all the tubing and fittings that I will need or is that all separate? It states that it comes with a garden hose adapter which is perfect for me since this is going in my laundry room but no mention of tubing?

 

2. Why would one want to shell out the extra cash on the 5 stage systems? It seems like the 4 stage systems give you exactly what you need. 0 TDS water. I have a 14G biocube and have a 100G in the works (main reason for getting a RO/DI).

[nor_cal_nano]

1. You will have everything you need to connect it to the cold water spigot in your laundry room...with the exception of the Y splinter which you can get at home depot for a couple bucks. Depending on how you set it up you might wanna by a few more feet of tubing to reach buckets all the way on the floor etc.

 

2. This will fit your needs perfectly. I might take some of the saved money and buy your next sediment and carbon replacement filters now so you save on shipping and won't have to worry about the system for at least a year.

 

Also. You NEED a tds meter to monitor the system. The tds 3 model should be just fine.

[91mini]

Is the TDS3 meter sold on Spectrapures site? I am looking all over for it but can't find one.

***edit - found it

 

After this I am headed over to glass holes for some equipment. I'll check if they have one if not. Trying to move this build forward. Slow and steady.

[Fluffeh]

you'll be very happy with this spectrapure unit. i am always making 0 tds water now

[91mini]

Done deal. Can't wait for it to arrive.

 

$214.00 for 90GPD RO/DI w/ TDS meter and replacement filter (thanks for the advice nor_cal_nano). Probably just saved me a few shipping $$$$

[solefald]

I love my CSP-DI. Just hooked up an RO drinking water storage to it too. The only problem is that my tiny-ass kitchen is so freaking small, that the 3Gal storage tank does not completely fit under the sink, so now the under sink cabinet door does not completely close.

[AZDesertRat]

Spectrapure RO/DI system come with all the necessary tubing and fittings for a normal installation. Yes, you do want a handheld TDS meter such as the TDS-3 for $25 additional.

I would not order replacement filters until they are needed. DI resin has a shelf life and you need to use your system for awhile to determine you DI life so you know when to order a new DI cartridge or resin. My DI lasts almost exactly a year with a 100G reef and a 16G nano both using RO/DI. If I ordered resin it would be exhausted from sitting before I needed it.

 

Forget the word "stages" even exists. What the ebay and some of the other vendors call 5 or 6 or 7 stages isn't really an improvement and can actually be worse rather than better. You do not want nor need two carbons like many provide or you do not want two or three little dinky horizontal tubes with 6 oz of loose resin bobbing around in them supposedly acting as a DI filter.

 

Spectrapure and many others have done much research and found todays carbon blocks are much much better than even a few years ago so the old method of multiple carbon actually impedes flow and reduces the efficiency of your membrane due to lower pressure. They have also found a low micron absolute rated sediment filter does a superior job of protecting that carbon block so it can actuallty last up to its 20,000 gallon rating rather than some others 10 or 5 micron nominal rated filters. Think about this, you can see 40 microns with the unaided human eye so what size filter do you want protecting your system, a 0.5 micron or a 10 micron? Which will allow particulates and colloidal materials to pass through and foul the carbons billions of tiny pores and which will protect it?

 

Then they blend all their DI resins in house based on thousands of hours of bench and real world testing so you get the vesry freshest and best resin on the market. No preblended or prepackaged stuff there.

 

The biggest thing you need to do once you receive the system is flush the filters to waste for 3-5 gallons before installing the DI cartridge so you don't exhaust it and take the time to measure the waste ratio and trim the flow restrictor for your exact conditions. This is something else most vendors do not provide, a capillary tube flow restrictor for an exact waste ratio, no guessing or ballpark close.