masonicman
New member
Can any one recomend a good but not too expensive RO filter or manufacturer.
RO filter
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AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
www.buckeyefieldsupply.com - 75 GPD Premium
www.thefilterguys.biz - 75 GPD Ocean Reef+1, Ocean Wave+
www.purelyh2o.com - 75 GPD Optima Vision, Automated or Professional
www.melevsreef.com - Reefkeeper
Just to name a few. These are all good entry level or a little higher reef quality systems.
www.thefilterguys.biz - 75 GPD Ocean Reef+1, Ocean Wave+
www.purelyh2o.com - 75 GPD Optima Vision, Automated or Professional
www.melevsreef.com - Reefkeeper
Just to name a few. These are all good entry level or a little higher reef quality systems.
masonicman
New member
What about Cora life Pure-Flo TFC R.O. Systems?
masonicman
New member
Is it recomended to get a RO/DI system or is a RO system just needed
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
The Coralife is a very low quality unit with lots of complaints.
For the extra $30 or so it is definitely better to have RO/DI, RO only gets 90-98% of the contaminants, a good DI polishes off the rest. Look for units with a full sized vertical DI not little low capacity horizontal tubes on top.
For the extra $30 or so it is definitely better to have RO/DI, RO only gets 90-98% of the contaminants, a good DI polishes off the rest. Look for units with a full sized vertical DI not little low capacity horizontal tubes on top.
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
If you mean side by side test results I am not aware of any independent firm that has tested them all. I do know all the major vendors have tested most if not all of them in-house and had poor results but would probably not be willing to publish the results for fear of slander or libel. You can rest assured if they worked the majors vendors would have the same systems priced at $69 too but they are a little more proud of their name and reputation so choose to not deal in goods like that. A quick buck and a satisfied customer for life are two entirely different philosophies or ways of doing business.
If you are wanting more info on the filters and components in them, some are hard to compare without actually buying them. Notice even Coralife does not give you any information on the membrane or carbon block it contains. Trying to pry accurate info out of some e-bay vendors is an exercise in futility as most don't even know what China puts in them before they load them on the boat.
Stick with a reputable vendor that builds their own unit one at a time in their own facility here in the states, relies on satisfied customers and word of mouth advertising and you will be much better off. Expect to pay about $150-$160 for a very good basic and up reef quality system. Any less than that and you are giving up things like no DI at all or at least not a vertical refillable one, TDS meter, autoshutoff valve, RO bypass valve, pressure gauge, flush valve, 0.5 or 0.6 micron carbon block, true Dow Filmtec RO membrane, etc. It will cost you more to upgrade or add these things to a cheaper unit later than if you get it up front.
If you are wanting more info on the filters and components in them, some are hard to compare without actually buying them. Notice even Coralife does not give you any information on the membrane or carbon block it contains. Trying to pry accurate info out of some e-bay vendors is an exercise in futility as most don't even know what China puts in them before they load them on the boat.
Stick with a reputable vendor that builds their own unit one at a time in their own facility here in the states, relies on satisfied customers and word of mouth advertising and you will be much better off. Expect to pay about $150-$160 for a very good basic and up reef quality system. Any less than that and you are giving up things like no DI at all or at least not a vertical refillable one, TDS meter, autoshutoff valve, RO bypass valve, pressure gauge, flush valve, 0.5 or 0.6 micron carbon block, true Dow Filmtec RO membrane, etc. It will cost you more to upgrade or add these things to a cheaper unit later than if you get it up front.
masonicman
New member
Thanks, AZDesertRat
I went with the V Series 75 GPD RO DI System. In my short experience with salt water, I've learn to spend a little more to save in the long run.
I went with the V Series 75 GPD RO DI System. In my short experience with salt water, I've learn to spend a little more to save in the long run.
AZDesertRat
Is there any advantage to some of the ro/do units having 2 carbon blocks? I notice the BFS Premium series has just one .6 micron carbon block while the Filter Guys Ocean Wave/Reef + has two carbon blocks. It has one 5micron and then the .6micron.
Does having that extra carbon block do anything for the membrane?
What would you recommend for somebody in southern california with around 180tds from the faucet? Is it still recommended to get the SpectraPure MaxCap? I know you usually recommend them for people with high tds like in AZ.
Thanks
Is there any advantage to some of the ro/do units having 2 carbon blocks? I notice the BFS Premium series has just one .6 micron carbon block while the Filter Guys Ocean Wave/Reef + has two carbon blocks. It has one 5micron and then the .6micron.
Does having that extra carbon block do anything for the membrane?
What would you recommend for somebody in southern california with around 180tds from the faucet? Is it still recommended to get the SpectraPure MaxCap? I know you usually recommend them for people with high tds like in AZ.
Thanks
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
With the quality of carbon blocks today there really is no advantage to having more than one as long as the one you have is a sub 1 micron like a 0.6 or 0.5 micron Chlorine Guzzler or Matrix type. These are designed to adsorb the chlorine and volatile chemicals out of about 20,000 gallons of tap water at 1 ppm of chlorine residual. Looking at some of the other varities or micron sizes you will see they do not have near that capacity. Regular granular activated carbon cartridges can actually be exhausted after 300 gallons so they always used to provide two of them on the old drinking water systems most of us started out with. Keep in mind when you say 20,000 gallons or 300 gallons that is total water through the RO system including waste so its more like 4,000 good gallons and 16,000 gallons waste or 60 gallons of good and 240 gallons of waste in those two instances.
A 10 micron carbon block may only go 1,000 to 1,5000 gallons, a 5 micron may do 5,000-10,000 gallons etc. I have yet to exhaust a 0.5 micron Chlorine Guzzler type and have been running it for 9 months now without changing it while monitoring for chlorine breakthru with a low level chlorine test kit. I don't know for sure how much water has passed through it since I also use my unit for drinking water, ice maker and other uses besides DI but I plan to start the test over very soon and install a 5/8" water meter in the tap water line and monitor every drop that goes through the system. My one caution is use a low micron rated prefilter in front of it prefferably equal to the carbon so it does not have to act as a second prefilter in addition to a carbon filter which can cause it to plug prematurely. I am presently using a 0.2 micron absolute rated prefilter in front of the 0.5 micron carbon block so it only has to do the job it was intended for.
Any of the units I recommended earlier in this thread should serve you well. I would not try to go any less than them or you get into things like non refillable low capacity DI filters, no pressure gauges or TDS meters, non standard filters etc.
masonicman, you might consider spending another $20 to $30 and get the unit with a full sized refillable DI. It will pay for the difference in your second DI replacement. Those small capacity horizontal DI throw aways don't hold near as much resin so do not filter as well nor as long and cost $18 a pop. Verticals hold 20 oz of resin and can be refilled for as low as $6-$8 a pop with over twice the resin life and better final effluent quality. Just a suggestion.
A 10 micron carbon block may only go 1,000 to 1,5000 gallons, a 5 micron may do 5,000-10,000 gallons etc. I have yet to exhaust a 0.5 micron Chlorine Guzzler type and have been running it for 9 months now without changing it while monitoring for chlorine breakthru with a low level chlorine test kit. I don't know for sure how much water has passed through it since I also use my unit for drinking water, ice maker and other uses besides DI but I plan to start the test over very soon and install a 5/8" water meter in the tap water line and monitor every drop that goes through the system. My one caution is use a low micron rated prefilter in front of it prefferably equal to the carbon so it does not have to act as a second prefilter in addition to a carbon filter which can cause it to plug prematurely. I am presently using a 0.2 micron absolute rated prefilter in front of the 0.5 micron carbon block so it only has to do the job it was intended for.
Any of the units I recommended earlier in this thread should serve you well. I would not try to go any less than them or you get into things like non refillable low capacity DI filters, no pressure gauges or TDS meters, non standard filters etc.
masonicman, you might consider spending another $20 to $30 and get the unit with a full sized refillable DI. It will pay for the difference in your second DI replacement. Those small capacity horizontal DI throw aways don't hold near as much resin so do not filter as well nor as long and cost $18 a pop. Verticals hold 20 oz of resin and can be refilled for as low as $6-$8 a pop with over twice the resin life and better final effluent quality. Just a suggestion.
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