Ebay RO/DI Units...

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9743153#post9743153 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jksites
I've had an aquasafe for 2 years servicing my 90 gallon and it is fine. Customer service is great with them and replacement filters are priced in line with all others on the market. They in fact do use the DOW membranes so the cost is the same.

I've spent thousands on my tanks and spend hours and hours before I make a purchase. This is one that I am confident that I made the right choice.

Best of luck in your decision.

As has already been mentioned... "fine" means very little to the conversation. I have a Harbor Freight socket set that I would consider "fine" in terms of fixing a bicycle, pure "junk" in terms of rebuilding an engine. Again, there is a need to put things in perspective.

Are we talking about "cost" "output quality" or "personal satisfaction"?

Bean

 

[Reefugee]

BTW - someone did point out that the more expensive unit have the clear plastic housing. If my unit had the clear plastic housing, I would have likely replaced my filters sooner.

 

[TwistedTiger]

This has been argued over and over again in numerous threads. None of the self proclaimed experts has been able to show me that their 0 TDS water is any better than the 0 TDS water I get from my ebay unit. When after 18 months my TDS crept up from 0 to 3 I replaced my filters, DI resin and membrane with what I believe are a little better filters and swapped to the dowtec 75GPD membrane. I then had a brand new unit and still hadn't spent the money it costs for some of the units the self proclaimed experts are pushing.

In the end you have to buy the unit that you feel comfortable using. If it takes a $300 unit to make you feel comfortable there is nothing wrong with that. However you can get high quality water from a unit costing much less. Good luck with your research.

 

[kylecanada]

"BeanAnimal" - I read the posts multiple times daily because this is such an intriguing hobby. I constantly find myself stumbling across posts were you feel for some reason you have to speak your mind. This really gets old. I'll I will apologize ahead of time to the others for littering this thread with more garbage. But I am sure that others will agree that you have gotten to the point of becoming annoying. Your not a moderator. If you have good advice, give it. We really don't "value" your opinion that much. Just FYI.

 

[Kpyto]

Refugee - great information. The Aquasafe unit is the same that I have. I like your mods, and may certainly look to employing some of them. Thanks for the great info and pics! That being said, I don't know what filters are being used in the other unit now being sold on E-bay... That would be something interesting to know if there is anyone else out there who has the New Reef system that can explain what filters are in it...

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9743777#post9743777 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kylecanada
"BeanAnimal" - I read the posts multiple times daily because this is such an intriguing hobby. I constantly find myself stumbling across posts were you feel for some reason you have to speak your mind. This really gets old. I'll I will apologize ahead of time to the others for littering this thread with more garbage. But I am sure that others will agree that you have gotten to the point of becoming annoying. Your not a moderator. If you have good advice, give it. We really don't "value" your opinion that much. Just FYI.

But yet you felt the need to liter it with more garbage? It is priceless how people such as yourself constantly enter fights and act as if you are speaking from a higher authority and are somehow justified in your behavior.

I am not a moderator, would never be asked to be a moderator and certainly have not said anything from the perspective of a moderator. I did respond to a childish comment by joe. It was of course directed at ME, AZRAT and a handfull of other helpfull people that happen to understand the differences between RO/DI unit components and how they interact to produce a gallon of water at a given cost.

Maybe if you understood the difference between opinion and fact you would understand "value" and speak to that, instead of adding garbage to a thread for the sole purpose of attacking me. I welcome your "fact" based reply. I have tried to use factual examples to support my "opinion". What have you contributed?

Did you come here to talk about RO/DI units or just come here to fight and make more personal attacks? That is what gets old... you folks who are only concerned with attacking people...

As for the "we" not seeing the value. Yes sir, most people of the same mindset as you usually do fail to see the value of opinions when they are based in simple fact. Why? It appears that you are unable to differentiate fact from opinion. I prefer to have a dialog about what we consider to be facts, not frameless, baseless opinion like "well I like mine and your a know-it-all jerk... jerk" and that is exactly what several of the posts in this and other threads amount to.

Joe did it in the first sentence of his first post in this thread and now you come along and add more of the same but yet somehow I am the bad guy with bad opinions and ruining a thread? You and joe have done nothing but give opinions and offer ZERO facts about RO/DI, hell YOU didn't even mention it. That is funny.

 

[USC-fan]

These thread are always the same. The people who know what they are talking about get flamed.

Just because you got a cheap ebay ro/di system that works well with YOUR tap doesn't me it will work well for someone else.

You can get good ro/di systems for $100-150, why waste time with these cheap units....

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9743777#post9743777 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kylecanada
"BeanAnimal" - I read the posts multiple times daily because this is such an intriguing hobby. I constantly find myself stumbling across posts were you feel for some reason you have to speak your mind. This really gets old. I'll I will apologize ahead of time to the others for littering this thread with more garbage. But I am sure that others will agree that you have gotten to the point of becoming annoying. Your not a moderator. If you have good advice, give it. We really don't "value" your opinion that much. Just FYI.

You can just add him to your ignore list and not worry about his posts anymore if they are getting to you....

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9743307#post9743307 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TwistedTiger
This has been argued over and over again in numerous threads. None of the self proclaimed experts has been able to show me that their 0 TDS water is any better than the 0 TDS water I get from my ebay unit. When after 18 months my TDS crept up from 0 to 3 I replaced my filters, DI resin and membrane with what I believe are a little better filters and swapped to the dowtec 75GPD membrane. I then had a brand new unit and still hadn't spent the money it costs for some of the units the self proclaimed experts are pushing.

In the end you have to buy the unit that you feel comfortable using. If it takes a $300 unit to make you feel comfortable there is nothing wrong with that. However you can get high quality water from a unit costing much less. Good luck with your research.

Fist of all, it is easy to show the differences between two samples of 0 TDS water. That is beyond the point.

Secondly, I have never proclaimed myself an expert. I would consider AZrat and the reps from the vendors mentioned above experts. I suppose they are "self proclaimed" and wrong as well?

Thridly, you did not state your input TDS or the number of gallons per day that you make with the system. The fact that you got 18 months out of ANY setup means that either the input TDS is either very low and/or the daily usage is very low. Why? Because a membrane and RESIN are predictable devices and their usefull life (esp the RESIN) can be easily calculated. No magic, no "opinion" just simple science and simpler math.

If I told you I drove my car for 1 year on 1 tank of gas, what would determine? A) I drove it very little or B) I only coasted it downhill or C) it got magical gas mileage. There is only 1 answer that makes sense. RO/DI is no different.

 

[wife no likey]

actually, the filmtec membrane has a NOMINAL rating of 98%

they can range down to 96%

see:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=895507

The Desal membranes that a lot of Ebay units employ have similar rejection rates, but require higher pressure to get 98%.

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9744206#post9744206 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pennilessreefer
actually, the filmtec membrane has a NOMINAL rating of 98%

they can range down to 96%

see:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=895507

The Desal membranes that a lot of Ebay units employ have similar rejection rates, but require higher pressure to get 98%.

Yup... As you know, some of the better vendors hand select membranes to ensure a better than 98% rejection.

You are also correct in the fact that the GE DESAL membranes require a higher pressure to meet their published specs. This is usually not the case in a residential setup (without a booster pump). Therefore, the true DOW FILMTEC 75GPD usually beats the pants off of the GE DESAL for our purposes. (Of course there are exceptions). No big surprise, they are two different types of membranes.

Some people get VERY lucky and get a DESAL membrane with 98% or better rejection. This is VERY much the exception. A look at the published specs from both companies will show this as well. We can get into the nitty gritty of the published specs and find even more wrong with the Desal... that that is pointless because the FILMTEC is a know better unit.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Doh! I just read the link you posted...

That is a great resource and certainly said much better than what I just typed.

 

[cleandrink]

For the most part the Filmtec membranes are the best. But I have seen many that do not get as good of a rejection rate. Each membrane is made slighty different from the other. One nice thing about the Osmonics membranes is that they are actually tested from the factory and sent with a test result in the case to the dealer. The Filmtec are dry packed and not tested individually.

Cleandrink, seller of Abundant Flow Water Systems RO/DI on ebay has a wonderful unit and has provided water systems for years with excellent results. They use the Filmtec membranes and clear housings with a verticle DI filter.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Would that be a commercial post? Hrmm

 

[cleandrink]

I guess the last part could be, sorry. The first part is very true about the membranes.

 

[Texas Reef]

I am going with a Purely Optima Vision with flush kit and tds meter.

Seems to be what I want at not a really expensive price.

Once again, thanks for all the info. This thread has over all been informative.

 

[carlso63]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9742566#post9742566 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Texas Reef
:uzi:

I guess you can already see how it gets around here sometimes...

Anyway, one thing that i don't think was mentioned in all the infighting is that it would be helpful to have you tap water TDS tested before you buy a unit.

The reasoning behind that is simply that the "cheap ebay units" actually are fine if your TDS level in your tap is not too high; probably 300ppm or less. If your tap water supply tests much higher than that (some areas have TDS reading from 600 - 900ppm!) then you are wise in buying a higher end unit...

In my case, my tap tested at 221 ppm... I bought a "Cheap unit" and get consistent 0 ppm output without a problem.

But even with the "cheap" units, you would be better off buying a better quality membrane when the original is ready for replacement (they should last at least 12 to 18 months)...

Oh, and buy a TDS meter if your purchase does not include one. It will tell you when to change your filters /resin / membrane and is well worth the $$$...

 

[twkenny]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9744410#post9744410 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by BeanAnimal
Would that be a commercial post? Hrmm

"Moderator Wannabe." Everyone will have to excuse him. Pretty much the reason I rarely post or read anything in this forum anymore.

FWIW, I don't think the original poster was trying to pick a fight or anything of the sort. Some people really need to relax....but here I am contributing nonsense to what could have been a good thread. For that I do apologize.

Anyway....AZ knows what he is talking about. He does not just regurgitate what he has read here. Had I listened to him I'd be in better shape now.

I bought that ebay unit too....a long time ago. I added a Vertical DI unit that I got from Purely H20 and was very happy with the results. My incoming TDS is only around 65, so membranes and resin last me a long time. The horizontal bed was a mess to change.....I would not recommend it. I also was able to get a DOW Filmtec 75 GPD membrane for free. So, what I ended up with was (pretty much) a decent unit. The metal frame has not rusted like folks said it would, the housings have not cracked, the fittings seem fine. BUT, if I were to do it agian, I would not buy the ebay unit. I'd got with a purelyH20, AWI, or one of the other favored units here. You'll come out better in the end.

Neat thing about a public forum is everyone is entitled to their opinion. The world wil not stop turning if someone buys another ebay RO/DI unit. At least they care enough for their animals to use RO/DI. Maybe we should keep things in perspective.

Good luck with your new unit. I hope it gives you many years of service.

 

[bstreep]

If I can ignore all of the bickering...

I have both a Coralife unit, and an Aquasafe unit. There's no contest. The Aquasafe unit is far superior, it's worked without a hitch for 2 years (with regular filter changes...). The Coralife unit is, IMO, junk.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Actually the best membranes by far are the Spectrapure SpectraSelect series RO membranes. They are individually hand tested and guaranteed to be 98+% efficient unlike any other membrane on the market. No one else offers this service or this guarantee. They are also the only membranes shipped in a wet solution from the factory and the vendor which for some reason makes a huge difference. These membranes are available in a 90 GPD or a 150 GPD which is also a first as no one else offers a 150 GPD membrane much less in a 98+% rejection rating.

 

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9744880#post9744880 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by twkenny
"Moderator Wannabe." Everyone will have to excuse him. Pretty much the reason I rarely post or read anything in this forum anymore.

Other than to take the opportunity to attack me right Gee that brings back old memories. No hard feelings... at least there is more to your post than an attack.

Anyway....AZ knows what he is talking about. He does not just regurgitate what he has read here. Had I listened to him I'd be in better shape now.

I fail to see the point. Are you saying that the rest of us (Me?) are wrong even though AZ rat is correct? Or, are you saying that learning something and then repeating it is dishonest? Maybe you are saying that AZ is smart and we (I?) am/are stupid and can only repeat what I hear and do so with little or no understanding of the subject matter? Honestly, your comments are not clear to me. Maybe I am just taking them out of context and you mean nothing by them. In any case, yes AZrat is certainly a great help.

The metal frame has not rusted like folks said it would, the housings have not cracked, the fittings seem fine.

No, but other folks have reported these problems. That is why (at least I) have stated those are side issues to be considered after the membrane, DI resin, DI housing, and prefilters are considered. My metal frame has not rusted either, but then again it never gets wet and is not in a humid or salty area. I have seen other rust first hand. With regards to the cracked housings... that is a real problem with some of the brands. Cheap plastic can be a nightmare. The better housings are rated at a fairly high pressure (above what you should ever encounter in a residence). Some of the cheap housings I have seen (not just from eBay units) are not rated at anywhere near that pressure. A seasonal change in pressure could be enough to cause failure of some of the cheaper housings, esp if they are exposed to sunlight. Again, not the major deciding factor, just something to consider.

Neat thing about a public forum is everyone is entitled to their opinion. The world wil not stop turning if someone buys another ebay RO/DI unit.

Nope it sure won't. But giving people good answers is certainly a help. I for one, could care less what somebody buys. I do however want people to get decent information to make a decision with. "Your a know it all jerk and my unit is fine" is certainly not decent information. You have gone out of your way to take a swipe at me in your post, but AT LEAST you have also provided information as well.

I am glad you have got your system where you want it... though as has been pointed out you are pretty much the exception to the rule, as your input TDS is VERY low.

I guess that speaks volumes in a way. You have super low TDS and still "needed" to upgrade your unit.

In any case, the OP has decided on a system... I suppose his thanks and his actions speak to what has transpired here as well.