What RO unit is the best?

[halfpint]

I am looking to buy an RO unit. What do you guys think is the best setup? A 3 stage, 4 stage, 4stage with DI or whatever else you guys think is best. my water demands are low so i don't need a high GPH unit. something around 50 GPD is fine. what brand do you think is the most reliable?

 

I don't know about the maintenance of an RO unit, so if you guys could tell me what there is to know about maintaining one. do i need a flush kit? how often do i replace the sediment filter? how about the membrane?

 

I appreciate all the help and opinions I can get.

 

~Halfpint1187

[lgreen]

Go for RO/DI with at least 4 stages (including the DI canister)

 

I prefer Spectrapure or Kent Marine.

[halfpint]

thanks for the lightning fast reply!

 

 

anyone else?

[RobD]

I recently bought an RO/DI unit from Filter Direct, off of eBay.

 

It's like this unit.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...=ADME:B:EF:US:1

 

I also bought the TDS Meter at the same time and took advantage of the free shipping.

 

It's a good quality unit. The water tests out at 2ppm after filtration compared to 29ppm for water directly out of the tap where I live.

 

I'm still considering adding a second DI stage to try to get 0ppm, which I would have been able to get (the 2nd DI stage) if I had bought a different model. But one of the things I wanted was the storage tank, which didn't have a model with a second DI.

[Travis]

I got my RO/DI unit from http://www.buckeyefieldsupply.com/

 

The tap water in our town has a yellowish hue to the water...after going through the unit, it's crystal clear. I just need to get a TDS Meter to see just how clean it is.

 

Since I started doing my own water, I havn't seen any negative affects, so I assume the water is clean.

 

I may add on a Phosphate remover chamber to make sure I don't add any to my tank.

[Mizer67]

I also got a filter direct unit. Mine lacks the tap water setup, but has 2 DI chambers. Here's the link.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/AQUARIUM-2-110GPD-RO-2...oQQcmdZViewItem

 

This is the link to the last one under $100. They raised the "buy it now" price" to $115. I haven't set it up due to an upcoming move. Feels solid though.

[halfpint]

thanks guys. I'm looking at maybe getting one of those 4 stage RO/DI units off of ebay. they are pretty cheap. could someone tell me what there is to maintaining a unit?

[lgreen]

it tells you in the instructions. it depends on the tds before the water hits the unit as to how often you will have to replace the filters/membranes. If things go really well, hopefully yearly-biyearly, but if really dirty could require more often. replacements stuff is not the cheepest.

[halfpint]

Thanks guys. I think i'm about ready to get one. I'll post which one i get when i get one. which will hopefully be real soon.

[bobioden]

I have a Filters Direct one also. It has been working great for almost a year.

 

Bob

[chipmaker]

I have a Filters Direct one also. It has been working great for almost a year.

 

Bob

 

I bought two from sellers on ebay..One was by Aqua-Safe the other from Filtersdirect. Both are basically the same. BOth work equally well. I did have a problem with the Aqua safe unit, as the autoshutoff valve kept hanging up. Numerous calls and emails and have never received a reply, or someone to answer the phone, as all they do is internet sales and support and tell you send email which they never return. Funny, they were quick to talk on phone and take money, but lack any interest in problem I have.

 

I bought a second unit, filtersdirect, as I could use another RODI unit outside in the one area I have tanks setup. I mentioned the run around and lack of obtaining a part from Aquasafe, and Filtersdirect reply was other than stages, and housings and a few other parts they are all pretty much the same, and odds are their auto shutoff valve would fit, and they were good enough to send me a "FREE" shutoff valve for a competetors unit......Filtersdirect units have clear filter housings, which is preferable, and they answer a phone and will talk to you or return a call. Overall Filtersdirect is cheaper for what you actually get along with shipping and that all to important tech support or warranty. You can callem on the phone and get it for the buy it now price and negotiate their sellers commisison they normally have to pay ebay, from what I have heard, and odds are 9 out of 10 of the units will sell for within a few bucks of the buy it now price anyhow if you have followed any sales of rodi units, so if you want one, just call and you can eliminate the waiting and bidding game on ebay. 0 TDS is what i have been getting froom both my units.. Its well made.

 

One thing to check on the unit or any other for that matter is when you get it, befor eyou hook it up is to pull the DI carts out of their snap in mount, and loosen the end caps, and visibly ensure they did not get loose or that any media was between cap and O ring. On both my rodi units they came loose in shipping but appeared to be snug, but leaked when water was applied. Clenaing off any media resin prior to filling with water is much easier than doing it once water has been introduced. Only takes a minute to check.

[itswayner]

how much truth is there in the list GPDs? They seem really high for a really low price.

[halfpint]

thanks, chipmaker! I will check them out!

[randygsx]

how much truth is there in the list GPDs? They seem really high for a really low price.

 

Generally Higher GPD units are cheaper because they dont filter as well as the lower GPD units.

 

~randy

[proraptor]

Ive only heard good things about the filter direct units...I plan to pick one up very soon...

[halfpint]

Is Water General MFG another name for filterdirect? Because on this site (http://www.aquariumadvice.com/reviewpost/showproduct.php?product=93) it calls the unit being reviewed a "WaterGeneral Mfg. Co. Filterdirect RO/DI unit."

[Samc]

Yeap. Filters Direct is the distrubutor. Says so on their e-bay lisitings and store.

[halfpint]

awesome! thanks guys. I found the one I want. What do you guys think?

 

Here it is

[horseflesh]

I just finished installing my RO/DI system from Aqua Safe last night.

 

I pored over many message boards and ebay stores before choosing Aqua Safe. As others have pointed out, most of this stuff is the same so I was looking at the accessories and combinations available. Filters Direct and Aqua Safe are definitely the two most popular sellers and you’ll probably do fine with either of them.

 

Interestingly, Aqua Safe uses a big 16 oz DI filter. FD's is 6 oz. (I have NO IDEA if this is meaningful, I chose AS for the reasons below.)

 

I chose Aqua Safe because one of their packages included a TDS meter and mechanical PSI gauge for buy-it-now of $119. (Shipping was $25.) The package was called the “Maximus Plus.” I would have liked clear filter housings, but liked not having to shell out another $25 for a TDS meter even more. I think the TDS meter is really important, otherwise you won’t really know how well your system is working. I think I can plumb in the PSI meter to monitor RO membrane health but I am still reading up on that.

 

The instructions Aqua Safe sends out are a little rambling, and a little incomplete, but even though I am a near total tool-tard I was still able to get my system up and running fairly easily. I have a pinpoint leak from the DI filter, there is probably some of the sand-like resin in the endcap threads. I’ll fit it this weekend. The system is sitting in a plastic tub under my sink, so a small leak isn't an emergency. I highly recommend this!

 

Lowes stocks the 1/4" OD quick-connect fittings used for icemaker line and these RO/DI systems, so if you need to run extra T’s off your filter system, that is the place to go. (Home Depot may have them too, didn’t check, Lowes is right by work.)

 

The Aqua Safe system runs RO/DI water to a new faucet and a storage tank. Some people don’t believe in drinking DI water, so you might want to run just RO water for drinking, and reserve RO+DI for the fish.

 

I set up my system like so:

 

RO + DI + final taste filter: to supplied faucet per instructions, plus to the icemaker via "T"

RO + DI without final filter: T connection to a 25 foot line with inline ball valve--for fishies. (Of course, this will just run at a trickle once the tank is empty.)

 

My tap is 35 ppm, and after the RO/DI I am down to 2-3 ppm, and that is still with filters breaking in. I have only put a few gallons through the system so far so there are probably still some carbon fines to flush out.

 

The RO membrane will get wrecked by chloramine in your tap water. The pre-RO carbon filters should take it out, but the question is do they do a good enough job. Some people replace the pre-filters with a special ones. Check the chloramine references at this vendor:

 

http://www.buckeyefieldsupply.com/showprod...ory=131&Sub=130

 

However, I don't know if this is really necessary or not. So far I have decided not to bother with it. If I kill my RO membrane too quickly I guess I will have learned a lesson.

 

Last, check this FAQ for some more info about RO/DI:

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?nam...=showpage&pid=2

 

Anyway, whatever you choose, good luck! Hope this helped.

[dja1980]

If it's not too late, I would strongly recommend looking into Air Water & Ice. I did tons of research before I purchased my unit, and I couldn't be happier. They have great customer service too. I chose their Typhoon III unit. Check them out if you'd like. They even through in a free float valve because I told them that I was a Reef Central member. Here's their site:

 

http://www.airwaterice.com/category/reefkeeping/

 

Do some research on them if you want to be sure. I couldn't find one bad review on them. I hope this helps.

[chipmaker]

Horseflesh.....The leak you have is probbaly due to the cap on the end of the DI cart was installed with just a piece or two of resin under it and the o-ring or it got loosened in transit and allowed resiin to mirgarte between the sealing surfaces. Its pretty common. Just shut off water, pullout cart, hold vertical with removeanle cap upwards, and remove cap, clean any resin thats in there, wipe off O-ring and reassemble and snug cap down....SHould fix it quick and easy.

 

GPD is GPD and I have yet to grasp the concept soome folks have of a larger say 100GPD unit not going as good of a job as a smaller say 75 or 50 GPD unit does..Its not just more water that is forced through the same type membrane but the membranes are desigined to pass X amount of water and remove X amount of compounds, at such and such temp and pressure......I just can;'t see how my 2, 100GPD copuld be any more effective than they are if they were smaller since I get a reading of perfectly clean compound free water of "0"TDS content.......The saying you get what you pay for is one thing, and on these Aqua Safe and Filtersdirect(Watergeneral) units its not the case. They do the job and make the water you need and want.......but there is also another saying, There is a sucker born every minute and if you like paying 2 or 3 times more for a unit that does nothing any better with the same end results, thats fine too.....Just no need to spend big bucks for an RODI with a big name on it when these units will do just as fine a job for a lot less $$$......

[halfpint]

well put, chipmaker.

 

BTW, do you guys like the new logo in my signiture? I whipped it up last night.

[DamageInc]

I returned my airwaterice ro/di unit. The ro part would not bring my TDS below 30 which is not very efficient. It was working at about 80-83% efficiency when it's supposed to be around 97% for r/o.

 

I went with the Kent Marine Hi-S 60 gpd ro/di unit. Works much better. Costs a little more but it's worth it.

[halfpint]

BUMP

 

 

Well, I still haven't bought a water filter. I'm able to afford one now, and Filters Direct seem to be nonexistent on eBay any more. So what is a good brand now? Opinions?

[HecticDialectics]

I returned my airwaterice ro/di unit. The ro part would not bring my TDS below 30 which is not very efficient. It was working at about 80-83% efficiency when it's supposed to be around 97% for r/o.

 

I went with the Kent Marine Hi-S 60 gpd ro/di unit. Works much better. Costs a little more but it's worth it.

 

 

Did you ask about having airwaterice just replace the ro membrane? Sometimes a bad one just slips through :X Dow actually guarantees the membrane to at least a certain percentage, which is 96-97%.

 

My airwaterice typhoon III works fantastic.