pantherguy30 Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 I would like some opinions on what brands you like/dislike. It seems there are a ton of options out there and I can't seem to decide on a brand. Main concern would be useable water to waste created. I'm looking for a model that produces about 90 gallons per day. Definatly would like a model that has a membrane flush valve. And are there any pro's con's to hard plumbing over the garden hose? (scratch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lowman Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 here is a link to a zero waste system. They are expensive to say the least http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=zero+waste+reverse+osmosis&oe=utf-8&ved=0CCEQzAMwAg&cid=7086806544465334666&sa=title#p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefcam Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 I have the Air, Water, and Ice and Pure Water Club RO/DI units. Have also dismantled other units to put them together. RO/DI units are all built the same. The only difference are their features, such as clear canister vs. white, type of hook up available. Personally, if you are comfortable with working on the unit, then I would just get a cheap unit that meets your needs (i.. 90 gpd) and you can upgrade from there. I just upgraded all my units to 150 gpd and now get about 600 gpd together. Granted, I'm not getting that much, but it can fill my 30 gal can in 1.5 hours. A flush can be easily built with parts from Home Depot. It's basically a by-pass that allows the waste water to go around the flow restrictor. Hard plumb vs. Garden hose... depending on your needs and how much water lose you get from your Garden hose. If you have more than 45 PSI at your garden hose, you are good. If you need to move the unit around, then garden hose.. if not, then hard plumb it. I have mine hard plumb to my pipes under the bathroom sink. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefcam Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 Has anyone locally here used a zero waste system? Wonder how long do the membranes last? Water is cheaper than the filters. Not saying I like to waste water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 Any opinions on the puratek model with booster pump? Does that help with the amount of waste water ratio? I guess I've been stuck between that model and the spectrapure 4 stage model with 2 TDs meters. Main concern would be availability of replacement parts and filter media for both units. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 Hmm just looked at the air water and Ice Typhoon 3:) Looks bueno plus looks like a few people really like this company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new school Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 the basic plastic components are almost always the same. some filters will be to different microns, and somtimes types of carbon can be a little different. some are hi silica vs std de-i silica. an excellent cheap r.o system can be found at buck eye field supply, its a well know web page on r.c. that sells all the components we use to make our diy 2 part program and own balanced mag supplements. by far the cheapest r.o. systems ive ever seen!! be sure to look at the reef ready ones..... they have the better de-i, carbon, and micron filters. brand ones will cost 30-50% higher. i bought a kent r.o. 10 yrs ago but get my refills from buckeye and sometimes bulk reef supply if buckeye is out. they also have the floats, flush kits, and storage tank for home use as well. hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Head Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 I bought the Ocean Reef +1 system from www.thefilterguys.biz and I am extremely happy. 0 tds everytime. Five stage system for $199. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 I have this unit as well as have seen many threads on (reef central Reef2reef) on people using this guys stuff-so feedback is out there. http://cgi.ebay.com/0PPM-Portable-50GPD-Reverse-Osmosis-RO-DI-Water-Filter_W0QQitemZ380208220751QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item58862d0a4f I have rotten water pressure so I had to add the booster pump, but I push the water over 100 feet up through the attic into the garage were my res. is I built. I have dual TDS meter hooked up and the output is 0ppm as advertised, and I'm on the same membranes, resin etc, 8 months into it. Its hooked up to the sink in the laundry room, and does have waste water, probably a 1:1 ratio, you can always plumb it where you save the waste water and do what ever with it. I cant justify spending 100+ dollars on something that I would get the exact same results -IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted February 20, 2010 Author Share Posted February 20, 2010 Sweet deal on that ebay unit! Where did you pick up your tds meters and booster pump reefnjunkie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerv503 Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 I like Spectra Pure i owned one and love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pantherguy30 Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 Picked up Spectra's bulk reef supply 5 stage today:) Definatly gonna need a booster pump for it though:( Tried it out and got a ton of bad water and drips of zero tds water. Thank you everyone for all your info! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckeye Field Supply Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 Some things to look for in a good system for this hobby: Standard-sized prefilters, membrane, and DI cartridge Brand name, high-rejection membrane Specifications provided for each stage Pressure gauge after the prefilters and before the membrane Thermometer DI bypass Vertical DI stage Refillable DI cartridge Aluminum bracket Quick connect fittings Flush valve Clear housings High-quality instructions Customer support before, during, and after your purchase A vendor involved in your hobby Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckeye Field Supply Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 the basic plastic components are almost always the same. We hear this a lot, and have to respectfully disagree. Many of the components look similar, but over the last 10 years of building these systems - there is a fair amount of difference if you know what you are looking for. For example - we can get chear RO membrane housings than we do, but they tend to develop internal cracks. We can get cheaper filter housings, but they to have a tendancy to crack. We use rivets for instance in some places where we could use a sheet metal screw instead - this would be a distinction that is probably meaningless to you untill you catch a knuckle on one of those exposed screws. We could use cheaper fittings - they look similar - but the quality is lower and they tend to leak and the valves break. We could use steel brackets - they look similar, and are less expensive for use to buy - but they will rust. We could screw our pressure gauges into the tail end of the RO membrane housing, but you won't get an accurate reading that way. The list goes on... Bottom line - the "skeletons" of these systems often look similar, but that doesn't always equate to similar quality. Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.