ro/di units?

[pr0teus]

hey all,

i've been doing research into ro/di units... i was wondering if anyone can recommend a good brand? comments/ personal experiences w/ ro/di units are much appreciated.

-pr0teus

 

[Anonymous]

I have a nature's way 38 GPD unit. I have no complaints. It's been a good applieance. The best thing is that it's easy to set up / run even if you're not a plumber. it came with an attachement on the hose that i hook up to the sink's faucet. all i had to do was go to a hardware store and get the proper corresponding fitting. you know the part in your faucet that holds the little screens? i just had to unscrew that and add the new attachment. now the ro unit snaps off when i'm not using it.

 

[kparton]

I bought mine from HB Water systems on Ebay, I paid $130 for a 75 GPH system. My only complaint is that the under sink installment kit that supposedly fits 95% of sinks didn't fit any of the 5 sinks in my house. I ended up getting the faucet adapter and hooked it up that way. Like stated above, you'll have to go to the hardware store to get the right fitting for your sink, but it's quite easy. They did always email me back when I had questions about the unit.

The sellers name on Ebay is cleandrink if you want to search for it. They have one available right now, I checked.

 

[Len]

Personally, I think they all work about the same granted they use the same filtering media. It boils down to an reliability and customer service issue after that. I've heard good things about Kent and Spectrapure RO/DI's build and reliability, but I've personally had subpar experiences with Spectrapure's customer service.

 

[ChrisRD]

I have an ARS Oceanus - no complaints. I've called ARS a few times with questions, etc. and they were always nice to deal with.

http://www.aquaticreefsystems.com/Reverse_Osmosis_4Stage.htm

 

[gabemerrill]

I have a 75 gpd that I got from aquasafe canada on ebay. Was 79.00 + 20.00 shipping. I also got a package of 4 sets of replacement filters that brought the total to about 200.00.
Its a pretty good setup, will fill a 5 gallon bucket in 3 or 4 hours, but watch out b/c there is no auto shut-off when the container is full 8O . It wasn't too hard to install, but took a little while to figure out the under sink hook-up.

75 GPD R/O reef system

 

[ChrisRD]

I've seen (on this board) some positive feedback about this vendor as well:

http://www.airwaterice.com/

 

[Anonymous]

Almost all the RO system out there are made by companies the put together OEM parts and slap a private label on the unit. As long as the units' specification is the same, and put together properly, there is nothing else to watch for. It is similar to the time when a PC manufactors are just people who put parts together. It is a no-brainer job, kind of....

However, associated with the purchase, it is important for the builder to stand behind the product and provide adequate support. This is where the brand is important. If the price is not an issue, try to get a RO unit from company that provides knowledgeable pre-sale AND friendly post-sale support.

 

[Osama]

Mine is a 100gpd Kent RO/DI that has performed well for me for 4 years with regular replacement of cartridges of course.

 

[Kara]

I've seen (on this board) some positive feedback about this vendor as well:

http://www.airwaterice.com/

I second that!

My 4 stage RODI unit and my friend's 5 stage RODI unit were both purchased there. They have decent prices and a great product. I highly recommend them!

 

[MLVA123]

Why not just go with an ionizer instead of RO?

 

[ChrisRD]

Why not just go with an ionizer instead of RO?

Sure, there are several ways of obtaining purified water, and a deionizer (DI) is another means that will work fine. Buying RO water locally is also an option for some people. There are +'s/-'s to each method.

Initial cost of a DI is low and they don't require good water pressure at the tap to function well. A stand-alone DI is, however, the most expensive way to go in the long run (most costly method per gallon of purified water produced).

If someone has very pure tapwater and/or a small tank (ie. doesn't need a lot of purified water) DI can be a decent option, but for the majority of reefkeepers, RO or RO/DI will be much more cost effective and convenient in the long run.

HTH