Affordable RODI

[HIppieRose]

Ya that is why I well keep my small tank. lol Good luck with your RO?DI water set up.

[plainrt]

I was gonna say spectrapure also because you get better quality filters.

[dandelion]

I use this cheap system from amazon and I haven't run into any problems. I don't have a TDS meter but everything tested 0 when i tested the output water.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GJCE2X4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

[AZDesertRat]

You cannot test RO/DI or ultrapure water with hobbyist grade test kits. The only way to test RO/DI is with a TDS, conductivity or resistivity meter. Good temperature compensated handheld TDS meters are only $25 and your best friend if you have a RO or RO//DI system. You will probably find your cheap system is not working like you think it is, almost guaranteed.

[ReeferReefer]

For $124 you would have been much happier with the Spectrapure but to each his own. I would highly recommend better filters at the first replacement and hopefully you went with an ATC handheld TDS meter and not an inline? There really is a difference.

 

I really do appreciate your advice and had intended on getting the Spectrapure based on what you said before. I got caught up in the sale at BRS and wanted to save the $40 bucks on a TDS meter and sink attachment. I guess the accessories got the best of me. Money is getting a bit tight with the reef and I was honestly just trying to save a few bucks. I hope that it will still give me clean water and I am not unhappy with BRS. I guess I should get a hand held TDS too then? Are the inline not reliable? I could potentially return the unit with BRS' good customer service.

[AZDesertRat]

Inline meters do not measure the water temperature and TDS or conductivity changes dramatically with temperature. Good handhelds from the same HM Digital like the $25 TDS3, TDS4TM and AP1 all measure water temperature and compensate for the changes plus serve dual purpose as a very accurate digital thermometer.

I love BRS chemicals and buy lots of them but they need to stick with that and not RO where many of their statements and systems are questionable like their false water saver claims that are not at all true if you expect the membranes to last and function.

[ReviloM]

Check your local ads or facebook groups. I got the unit below for $200. It was a 75GPD Plus unit but it has the upgrade to 150GPD.

 

[Learn It]

RO Buddy running for 11months now, around 5 gallons a week, still 0 TDS with original filters/membranes. Reminds me to go check that bucket that's filling,,,

[Sancho]

 

I really do appreciate your advice and had intended on getting the Spectrapure based on what you said before. I got caught up in the sale at BRS and wanted to save the $40 bucks on a TDS meter and sink attachment. I guess the accessories got the best of me. Money is getting a bit tight with the reef and I was honestly just trying to save a few bucks. I hope that it will still give me clean water and I am not unhappy with BRS. I guess I should get a hand held TDS too then? Are the inline not reliable? I could potentially return the unit with BRS' good customer service.

You will be fine with the BRS unit. For what we use it for the inline meters are fine. Batteries die in them and they are not "lab grade accurate" but +/- 2% I can live with. If you have some time check out the website. http://www.tdsmeter.com/ Spectrapure units come with the same inline meters as the BRS. A hand held TDS meter is nice to have on hand just to verify what your readings are.

[ReeferReefer]

Inline meters do not measure the water temperature and TDS or conductivity changes dramatically with temperature. Good handhelds from the same HM Digital like the $25 TDS3, TDS4TM and AP1 all measure water temperature and compensate for the changes plus serve dual purpose as a very accurate digital thermometer.

I love BRS chemicals and buy lots of them but they need to stick with that and not RO where many of their statements and systems are questionable like their false water saver claims that are not at all true if you expect the membranes to last and function.

 

So I should buy my replacement filters from Spectrapure then? Are the membranes compatible too? Ill look into a hand held TDS meter. Maybe it would be a good stocking stuffer.

[mark_hess]

i have a spectrapure 90gpd refurbished until and it works great, i would recommend buying your replacement filters from spectrapure but im sure the brs unit will work fine.

[AZDesertRat]

If the inlines were really auto temperature compensated they would be +/- 2% accurate but they are not. And that 2% is 2% of full scale or 2% of 9,999 so can be pretty inaccurate.

 

Get the handheld and compare the two, you will be cnvinced very quickly.

 

Yes I would buy all your replacements from Spectrapure. They test all their products in a lab before they put their name on them so only the best make it to their product line. Several of their filters were developed specifically for them and you will not find them anywhere else. There really is a difference. They would not be in business for almost 31 years if they were not on top of things. There are innovators and there are imitators.

[Sancho]

 

So I should buy my replacement filters from Spectrapure then? Are the membranes compatible too? Ill look into a hand held TDS meter. Maybe it would be a good stocking stuffer.

I have terrible water in So Cal. 390 to 450 tds out of the tap. I have used cheap membranes and good membranes. I got a year in a half out of my first cheap eBay membrane. 3 years with Buckeye Hydro's 100 gpd membrane, 3 years with a Dow Filmtec 100 gpd. The Dow Filmtec is the same as the buckeye hydro's but I found it online $10 cheaper than what buckeye was selling them. I and am 2 years into a Spectrapure 90 gpd membrane and still making 0 TDS DI water. The other filters I change out every 2 to three months. Since they are cheap and I change them frequently I stopped buying expensive ones with no ill affect. Over 9 years I have used filters from eBay, Amazon, Buckeye Hydro, BRS, and Spectrapure. All will be compatible. I use refillable DI cartridges. The color change stuff is a gimmick IMO and not worth the extra $$. I have been using the Buckeye Hydro bulk DI resin and have been happy with the results. AZDesertRat is very knowledgable but he or she seems to be a fanboy or sales rep for Spectrapure. There are other options out there.

[ReeferReefer]

If the inlines were really auto temperature compensated they would be +/- 2% accurate but they are not. And that 2% is 2% of full scale or 2% of 9,999 so can be pretty inaccurate.

 

Get the handheld and compare the two, you will be cnvinced very quickly.

 

Yes I would buy all your replacements from Spectrapure. They test all their products in a lab before they put their name on them so only the best make it to their product line. Several of their filters were developed specifically for them and you will not find them anywhere else. There really is a difference. They would not be in business for almost 31 years if they were not on top of things. There are innovators and there are imitators.

Thanks. Everything should be compatible including the membranes? (that is the part that Spectrapure does a lot better than everyone else right?). What filters were developed for them? Ill keep an eye out for them when I do my replacements. Maybe if I am good Ill get a handheld for Christmas I could always use another temp probe too.

[ReeferReefer]

I have terrible water in So Cal. 390 to 450 tds out of the tap. I have used cheap membranes and good membranes. I got a year in a half out of my first cheap eBay membrane. 3 years with Buckeye Hydro's 100 gpd membrane, 3 years with a Dow Filmtec 100 gpd. The Dow Filmtec is the same as the buckeye hydro's but I found it online $10 cheaper than what buckeye was selling them. I and am 2 years into a Spectrapure 90 gpd membrane and still making 0 TDS DI water. The other filters I change out every 2 to three months. Since they are cheap and I change them frequently I stopped buying expensive ones with no ill affect. Over 9 years I have used filters from eBay, Amazon, Buckeye Hydro, BRS, and Spectrapure. All will be compatible. I use refillable DI cartridges. The color change stuff is a gimmick IMO and not worth the extra $$. I have been using the Buckeye Hydro bulk DI resin and have been happy with the results. AZDesertRat is very knowledgable but he or she seems to be a fanboy or sales rep for Spectrapure. There are other options out there.

 

Interesting. I thought that there was a big difference in filters and it affected the life of the membrane? Where do you buy your filters? Do you just change the DI resin when you are getting TDS if you dont have color changing? I would not mind having a spectrapure membrane either they do seem pretty awesome. I hope I don't have any problems with the BRS unit. I just needed to get off tap water fast and affordably. I don't have any problems yet with the tank but I figure its only a matter of time with tap water.

[AZDesertRat]

There is a big difference in filter qualities. The better you protect the RO membrane the longer it will last and better it will perform. I am in no way connected to Spectrapure or any other vendor or manufacturer but being a water treatment professional I do recognize the difference between good and bad and heavily research all my purchases. If Sancho thinks they are all the same then more power to him but he is sadly mistaken and time will tell the story. My record speaks for itself. Russ at Buckeye is a friend and I used to buy resin from him in 50 lb bags but it lasted 150 measured gallons per fresh vacuum sealed and properly stored 20 oz refill. I switched to Spetrapure and the very first refill lasted 830 measured gallons, huge difference and it got better from there. Believe wh you want but its the truth and I have the log books and data to back it up.

[Sancho]

All I am saying is that Spectrapure is not the only quality option out there. AZD you are very knowledgable but you come off as one of those guys that thinks the only light to put on your tank is a Radion. Seriously any question about RO/DI you are there to put everything down except Spectrapure. Seems a bit ignorant to me. Personally I like Apple computers but I understand that there are other computers out there that may be cheaper and might actually be better or perform on par with the Mac. Dow makes most of the good RO membranes and have for many many years. I dont know if Spectrapure manufactures their own membrane or has licensed one from Dow as many others have. Dont get me wrong Spectrapure makes a quality product I have used the filters and am currently running a Spectrapure RO membrane. But........my unit is a no name eBay unit. It is very well made does not leak and 9 years ago it was a fraction of the price as the same thing from spectrapure. My RO/DI unit has served me well. Right now I am running a spectrpure 90gpd membrane, Amazon Ispring 5 micron pre filter, 5 micron carbon filter and a GAC. I have also used Spectrapure, BRS, Buckeye Hydro, Marine Depot, and no name eBay stuff. Honestly I have seen no difference except for cost. in the end I get good drinking water and 0tds DI water. Currently 398 TDS @ the wall. 18 TDS after membrane, 0TDS after DI. using cheap amazon filters. last year using spectrapure pre filters pretty much the same numbers at 3 times the cost.

[AZDesertRat]

Spectrapure has 30+ years of research and development in the RO/DI industry. Their reef systems we use in the hobby are only a small portion of what they do, they are big in RO/DI filtration for hydrogen fuel systems and even the large coffee shops we all frequent.

 

Sancho, I would recommend with your water quality going to a 0.2 absolute rated or 0.5 micron sediment filter and a single 0.5 micron carbon block. GAC is a waste since it has such a short useful life of about 300 total gallons. That is 60 treated gallons and 240 waste gallons on a normal 4:1 waste ratio system. It is actually making your treated water worse not better. I have been down the same road over the last 20 years with RO and RO/DI in Phoenix with a tap TDS exceeding 650 and the better filters really extend the life of the downstream components. I used the 10 micron, 5 micron, 1 micron set up years ago in a AWI Typhoon III and it didn't last worth a darn. Membranes lasted 15-18 months. My current 90 GPD Spectrapure membrane is over 8 years old now and still operating at better than 99.4% rejection rate, the 650 tap is dropped to between 2 and 3 RO only measured with a COM-100 meter capable of measuring TDS in tenths. DI lasts over a year and thats with a 100G reef with a 30G sump and a 16G nano reef so lots of usage.

There really is a difference. I have personally owned 7 RO and RO/DI systems and can tell you the good and bad about each of them.