What do you guys think about this CHEAP RO/DI unit?

U knew the prices of these things had to come down eventually. Heck, there really isn't that much to them. Have you guys hit yours with a TDS meter to se if they're delivering?

DJ
 
Well the housings aren't configured in the standard upright orientation, but that's probably partly because this one is being marketed as portable. As far as I can tell though, it does take standard 10" cartridges. Can anyone offer input on this matter specifically? Because if I did know that I could simply replace the cartridges with some from someone reputable like buckeyefieldsupply if/when need be, then it would be a done deal...
 
The water quality is definitly high. I do get absolute 0 tds readings on mine but the flow volumn is lackluster. Not a big deal if I just run it in a large bin all day/night. I gotta say tho, my wife just LOVES it when Ive got a big tub on the kitchen floor on "fill day"

maybe I need a booster pump??
 
hmmm a portable aquarium ro/di for the reefer on the go!?

after looking at the setup again it shows your feed line as coming out of the sink faucet. do you really want this thing sticking out of you kitchen/bathroom sink all the time. If that doesnt bug you i say go for it. Myself personally also on a school budget would rather spend $30-$40 more and go with either of the two suggestiuons above.
 
read on here somewhere that units turned that way did not use filters as effective as standard units. but 0 tds is 0 tds
 
Yea actually I live in an apartment and my tank is apartment-sized as well lol (20 gallons system volume), so whatever I do for RODI does have to be able to be a setup where it just screws onto the sink from time to time. And I only go through a few gallons a week so I figure if I fill up my five-gallon jugs a couple times a month then that's cool.

Really I guess my only remaining question is whether you folks suppose that the cartridges are standard size like what everyone else carries? If not then I'd forget about it...

Can anyone deduce from the ad whether they are a standard form factor?
 
the cartridges on the one you are looking at are inline instead of the standard size used in their other "full size" units. I'm assuming the inline catridges would not be as easy to replace with another companies filters but the ad doesnt really give a lot of info in that.

Im also not sure what differences in size the inline is. It could still fit a standard size if the chamber was big enough. But i dont think you could be for sure unless you had the unit in hand.
 
jbird69 said:
The water quality is definitly high. I do get absolute 0 tds readings on mine but the flow volumn is lackluster. Not a big deal if I just run it in a large bin all day/night. I gotta say tho, my wife just LOVES it when Ive got a big tub on the kitchen floor on "fill day"

maybe I need a booster pump??
Click to expand...

plus, they'll run slower when the water is colder. Output may pickup during the summer.

DJ
 
I have a small air, water and ice and it was only about 100 dollars. they are sponsered on this site below the forums.
Didnt know that when I bought it, but found it on here the other day,
good luck
 
Besides not looking like standard housings, I don't like the fact that the DI chamber is horizontal, which will allow for channeling --- not nearly as effective as a vertical one.

Plus, I have a hard time believing this statement,

"Water Purity Reference: (1.)Tap or well water(200~400 PPM), (2.)After RO system(1~20 PPM)---> (3.)After DI filter(0 PPM) "

If the tap's TDS was 200, and the after RO it was 1 (( their claim )), that would be a 99.5 % rejection rate --- that just doesn't happen with that priced membrane. One of the best membranes that are readily available to us hobbyist (( the Dow FilmTec 75 GPD )) is rated for 96-98% rejection rate.

I also have an issue that they don't mention what brand RO membrane they are using -- besides saying 100 GPD (( most 100 GPD membranes have a rejection rate of 90% ))

So, all in all, I would think that this unit wouldn't be worth the money.
 
I dont trust that unit....They also offer other units for a reef tank at a higher price. So why buy the higher priced one if this one will do the same thing ??

I Dont trust it.... Also as toddrtrex said.....The Horizontal DI unit.... ???

I think that you will be just wasting money....Just to have to turn around and buy a good RO/DI unit.

You can get a good OceanReef +1 from theflterguys for $199.00....... I have 2 of them and I love them
 
I bought one that claims 150 gpd from the same company. It takes about 1.5 hours to fill 7 gallons. Almost a 1 to 1 ratio waste to pure. 0 TDS. I think it's a great unit for the $. Other reefers I know have this unit and it works great for them. I say go for it if you don't have the need for a higher output.
 
you can get a nice unit for 200 bucks brand new that uses standard housings and a high quality membrane. I am sure you can find the same unit used ,on cl or your local club for 100. Fork over the extra paper and get a decent quality unit and let it be a one time buy. You will have this thing for years and years. The cheaper units are like ink jet printers. Low entry price but turbo expensive maintenance, in time and money. Your always going to have to pay, either up front(smart) or over the long haul(sucker).
 
Oh gosh... Where do we start? Lets talk about that system in order of water flow:

1. Sediment Filter
In a better quality system you would see a larger sediment filter (more dirt holding capacity) with a 1 micron (catches smaller sediment) depth filter (more dirt holding capacity).

2. Carbon Filter
The system uses a small inline GAC filter. We use something similar between a pressure tank containing RO water and a drinking water faucet. GAC really has no place as a prefilter ahead of a high flow membrane (100 gpd). The capacity and performance of GAC just doesn't stack up relative to a carbon block. The T-33 cartridge has a chlorine capacity of 1,500 gallons. Remember that ALL the water (waste water and purified water) goes through the carbon prefilter. If the system were configured to produce a 4:1 waste to purified water ratio, that would mean the carbon stage would need to be replaced after you produced (1500/5 = ) 300 gallons or purified water. For comparison, a good quality 0.5 micron carbon block would have a capacity of 20,000 gallons. Do you have chloramines in your water?

3. RO Membrane
That membrane is rated at 100 gpd at 60 psi. How much pressure do you have in your apartment? This system doesn't have a pressure gauge. You won't know how much pressure you have, and you won't see the pressure drop when the prefilters clog w/o the gauge.

4. Flow Restrictor
The flow restrictor depicted is for a 50 gpd membrane, not a 100 gpd membrane. What happens if you over-restrict the waste line? You shorten the life span of the membrane.

5. DI Stage
Horizontal DI is a fundamental configuration concern.

Should you buy it? Not our place to say - just understand what you are (and aren't) getting in a system like that.

Russ
 
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