ro di unit

[moedocker]

has anyone used or knows about this unit http://cgi.ebay.com/New-6st-100GPD-R...1QQcmZViewItem

http://stores.ebay.com/H2O-SPLASH_W0...Q3amesstQQtZkm any input would be helpful thank moe

[lifesworksataol]

what i dont like about the first one is that the cylinders arent clear, so you dont know how bad the filters are getting. make sure you get 100gpd unit for that price.

[thor32766]

what jason said is correct you want clear cylinders for sure.

[rdmpe]

Sometimes I wonder if the clear prefilter housings are just being sold to help sell more prefilter cartridges. I think maybe the filters could "look dirty" but still have plenty of life left in them. Not that clear housings are a bad thing, but the best way to know if the prefilters need changed is to measure the pressure drop from their input to output. I read an article that discussed this point a while back but can't seem to find it now. Having said that, I'd still prefer clear filter housings, but I'd also want a pressure meter I could stick on the lines to check the filters.

One thing that is nice to have in an RODI system is a bulk DI canister. You can mount the bulk DI canister vertically with flow from bottom to top which pretty much prevents channelling of the flow through the bulk DI. Bulk DI is really cheap compared to the prefabricated cartridges. The DI canister needs to be clear since the DI is made to change color when it becomes saturated with contaminants.

Last thing - get the dual in-line TDS meter from ebay or somewhere. They are super nice to have, you can see what the TDS reads when coming out of your RO memberane and then coming out of your DI. This will let you know how your membrane and DI are functioning at a glance and is 100X easier than using the handheld or pencil style meters that you have to dip into a container of water...

Also nice to have a 3-4 gallon pressure tank, so you always have several gallons of water available whenever you need it. I would not want to go without the tank since I'm often filling up buckets of RODI water for something or other...

LASTLY - systems often come with a final carbon filter that is in-line after the DI. Ditch that, it's useless for tank water, it's geared for "drinking water taste enhancement".

I have two RODI units that came from http://www.aquasafecanada.com/
They sell on ebay as "aquasafesystems" http://stores.ebay.com/The-Aqua-Safe-Pure-Water-Shop and their products are less expensive on ebay usually.

I have not had any trouble with these units, they are working great for me. I use one for drinking water and one for the aquarium.

[burris]

Clear is nice and not that expensive, but its not a good way to tell if filters are exhausted. For mechanical filters, they are plugged when the pressure drops in the RO housing but they may look really brown and rusty long before that. You can't tell at all if your carbon block is still removing chlorine just by looking at it, you need a chlorine test kit to know (but most people just replace them preemptively.) DI resins come in color changing versions but there may be breakthrough before they appear to be exhausted; the only way to really know is with a TDS or conductivity meter.

The one you posted doesn't look very good. It has a 5 micron mechanical filter in front of a 1 micron carbon block, so your carbon block is likely to get plugged up long before it is exhausted. You don't even need a granular carbon stage if you have a decent carbon block. They don't mention who makes the membrane which is never a good sign. Then it has a small horizontal DI. You're much better off investing in a good unit, with a mechanical filter pore size the same or smaller than the carbon block, a good 98%+ rejection membrane, and a full size vertical DI stage.

Don't forget that over the years you'll be using the RO/DI often/constantly to make water. The cost of the consumables will overwhelm the initial purchase price of the system. If you have a low rejection membrane you'll pay more for DI resin and if you're tossing filters before they're exhausted you'll also pay more. IOW, buying a cheap system with a dodgy membrane, no pressure guage, and no TDS meter is likely to cost you more in the long run and you wont even get as good quality water out of it.

[dugg]

If you search for RO/DI on ebay, on the first page, there is a water general unit for $115. WaterGeneral RO6100+DI 2 OUTPUT REVERSE OSMOSIS RO + DI. That is a great unit. I have had one of these for 6 years, and had no problems. You can Order replacement filters for it from air water ice here in Florida cheap. The filters are all standard size and easy to find. It comes with a pressure tank, and a drinking water tap, and has a clear pre filter housing. You will want to re mount the DI cartridge on any system you get, to where it runs up and down to prevent channeling though.

[lifesworksataol]

watergeneral is the store i was telling you about. i love mine.

[thor32766]

I have a waterfgeneral also and have had no problems.