For now, I use RO water from my local aquatics shop. Most will fill a container for you, I pay around $4 for 25L of water. Kind of a ripoff, I guess, and it all depends on how much water you'll be going through.
Reverse Osmosis Overview, Pros, Cons, Considerations, Your Wisdom
- Thread starter snowkitty
- Start date
mojogreenhand
New member
Fixed link: (or go to google and type "ebay filter direct" and check out the home RO unit)
http://cgi.ebay.com/RESIDENTIAL-RO-...sidZp1742.m153.l1262?_trksid=p1742.m153.l1262
http://cgi.ebay.com/RESIDENTIAL-RO-...sidZp1742.m153.l1262?_trksid=p1742.m153.l1262
snowkitty
Member
One_Love, thank you for the link to the DIY filter. I didn't mean to say that the link was unwelcome...I have read the DIY filter post while I was searching for RO and since it came up in this thread I figured I would state my opinion.
But really, I want everyone to post links to everything about RO!! Or ways I can cheap out and not pay for RO. Some people in other threads mentioned Britta filters giving them a ppm reduction and I think that's great, too. And yes, I did notice the tinyurl was broken but I figured it would get fixed by the time I got back from my day job...LOL...
But really, I want everyone to post links to everything about RO!! Or ways I can cheap out and not pay for RO. Some people in other threads mentioned Britta filters giving them a ppm reduction and I think that's great, too. And yes, I did notice the tinyurl was broken but I figured it would get fixed by the time I got back from my day job...LOL...
I have to use RO water where i live cause the tap has almost 500 ppms. Damn water comes out chalky white here in the city.
Texasdrodown
Member
Check out Texas hydro and organics they've got everything you could ever want for great prices
snowkitty
Member
I think I am going to go with the Hydrologic Stealth 200. I'd like to hear what kind of gallons/hour people are getting when they use it in the field. Anyone who has the Hydrologic Stealth 100 or 200...how long does it take to fill your rez and what size is your rez?
Here's a list of the ones I was comparing, in case anyone else is comparison shopping...
HydroLogic: StealthRO200
$300-315
200 gallons/day
98% contaminant removal
4-Stage: Carbon pre-filter, sediment filter, 2 RO membranes
Garden hose connector & inline shut-off
8’ RO Line, 4’ Feed Line, 8’ Drain Line
Optional: float valve, extra tubing, under sink connector
SpectraPure: Eliminator 200 gpd
$299.95
200 gallons/day
Garden hose adaptor
3-Stage: Sediment filter, carbon filter, RO membrane
SpectraPure replacement filters ~20% more expensive than Hydrologic .
eBay – filterdirect: Residential RO System R05
75-85 gallons/day
$135
98% contaminant removal
5-Stage: Sediment filter, 2 carbon pre-filters, RO membrane, final inline carbon filter
Long reach faucet, pressure gauge, storage tank, shut-off valve, membrane flush feature
thefilterguys.biz: Ocean Reef Miser Six Stage RO/DI 150 GPD
$265
150 gallons/day
98% contaminant removal
6-Stage: Sediment filter, 2 carbon filters, 2 75 GPD membranes, DI housing
Garden hose adaptor, pressure gauge, drain connection
These guys do custom units so we could probably ask for one without the DI cartridge.
Air Water & Ice: The Cube RO/DI
$239.95
150 gallons/day
98% contaminant removal
6-Stage: Sediment filter, 2 carbon filters, 2 TFC 75 GPD RO membranes, DI cartridge
Choice of hose, faucet, or supply valve connection
Comes with 2 75gpd membranes which have a 98% rejection rate. For the same price you can request 100gpd membranes but those only have a 90% rejection rate.
These guys do custom units so we could probably ask for one without the DI cartridge.
Air Water & Ice: G.E. Merlin
$499.95 incl. extra filters
700-1100 gallons/day
Tubing for all connections, automatic shut-off, drain saddle
3-stage: carbon pre-filter, 2 TFC membranes, carbon post-filter
This is the time tested system for whole house RO or if you want to open up a pet shop water supply. Lots of data and field expertise available on this one.
HydroLogic: Merlin Garden Pro High-Flow
$589.95
750 gallons/day
30 gallons/hour
95% contaminant removal
3-Stage: Carbon pre-filter and 2 RO membanes
Garden hose connector & 3.8” inline shut-off
12.5’ RO line, 4.5’ Feed Line, 4.5’ Drain Line
I know Whirlpool also has a system on the market but I had narrowed by field of interest by then so I didn't look up the specifics...
Here's a list of the ones I was comparing, in case anyone else is comparison shopping...
HydroLogic: StealthRO200
$300-315
200 gallons/day
98% contaminant removal
4-Stage: Carbon pre-filter, sediment filter, 2 RO membranes
Garden hose connector & inline shut-off
8’ RO Line, 4’ Feed Line, 8’ Drain Line
Optional: float valve, extra tubing, under sink connector
SpectraPure: Eliminator 200 gpd
$299.95
200 gallons/day
Garden hose adaptor
3-Stage: Sediment filter, carbon filter, RO membrane
SpectraPure replacement filters ~20% more expensive than Hydrologic .
eBay – filterdirect: Residential RO System R05
75-85 gallons/day
$135
98% contaminant removal
5-Stage: Sediment filter, 2 carbon pre-filters, RO membrane, final inline carbon filter
Long reach faucet, pressure gauge, storage tank, shut-off valve, membrane flush feature
thefilterguys.biz: Ocean Reef Miser Six Stage RO/DI 150 GPD
$265
150 gallons/day
98% contaminant removal
6-Stage: Sediment filter, 2 carbon filters, 2 75 GPD membranes, DI housing
Garden hose adaptor, pressure gauge, drain connection
These guys do custom units so we could probably ask for one without the DI cartridge.
Air Water & Ice: The Cube RO/DI
$239.95
150 gallons/day
98% contaminant removal
6-Stage: Sediment filter, 2 carbon filters, 2 TFC 75 GPD RO membranes, DI cartridge
Choice of hose, faucet, or supply valve connection
Comes with 2 75gpd membranes which have a 98% rejection rate. For the same price you can request 100gpd membranes but those only have a 90% rejection rate.
These guys do custom units so we could probably ask for one without the DI cartridge.
Air Water & Ice: G.E. Merlin
$499.95 incl. extra filters
700-1100 gallons/day
Tubing for all connections, automatic shut-off, drain saddle
3-stage: carbon pre-filter, 2 TFC membranes, carbon post-filter
This is the time tested system for whole house RO or if you want to open up a pet shop water supply. Lots of data and field expertise available on this one.
HydroLogic: Merlin Garden Pro High-Flow
$589.95
750 gallons/day
30 gallons/hour
95% contaminant removal
3-Stage: Carbon pre-filter and 2 RO membanes
Garden hose connector & 3.8” inline shut-off
12.5’ RO line, 4.5’ Feed Line, 4.5’ Drain Line
I know Whirlpool also has a system on the market but I had narrowed by field of interest by then so I didn't look up the specifics...
Mojo, thanks for the link, This RO unit with 1-2 55 gallon containers (which I already have) will be perfect. Karma, One Love
i had the same probs this year got tired or filling 5gallon culligans bottles and got the hydro logic ro100 for $220 does a 100 gpd and works fine brought my ppm down to 25
just a touch of ph down to dail in 5.5-5.8 so im sure the hydrologic ro200 is gonna do the trick and i think the filters need to be change 1 a year and clean the membrane every 3-4months 100gallons a week is alot of water though and im unsure what the ratio is.I was told its better than 3 to 1 3gallons to make 1 gallon of ro water that is .
any how good luck.
just a touch of ph down to dail in 5.5-5.8 so im sure the hydrologic ro200 is gonna do the trick and i think the filters need to be change 1 a year and clean the membrane every 3-4months 100gallons a week is alot of water though and im unsure what the ratio is.I was told its better than 3 to 1 3gallons to make 1 gallon of ro water that is .
any how good luck.
i had the same probs this year got tired or filling 5gallon culligans bottles and got the hydro logic ro100 for $220 does a 100 gpd and works fine brought my ppm down to 25
just a touch of ph down to dail in 5.5-5.8 so im sure the hydrologic ro200 is gonna do the trick and i think the filters need to be change 1 a year and clean the membrane every 3-4months 100gallons a week is alot of water though and im unsure what the ratio is.I was told its better than 3 to 1 3gallons to make 1 gallon of ro water that is .
any how good luck.
just a touch of ph down to dail in 5.5-5.8 so im sure the hydrologic ro200 is gonna do the trick and i think the filters need to be change 1 a year and clean the membrane every 3-4months 100gallons a week is alot of water though and im unsure what the ratio is.I was told its better than 3 to 1 3gallons to make 1 gallon of ro water that is .
any how good luck.
O
ogatec
i agree, a 70-100gpd system can support up to 4k garden or more....plenty of water when used with a nice storage tank.
O
ogatec
for your requirements a 200gpd will be PLENTY. the merlin types would be overkill.. i can personally vouch for both the spectrapure and hydrologic models. my personal favorite is the hydrologic, defnitly the cadilac-top shelf model...built like a tank.
if you are good at fixing things then go for a ebay unit, its kind of a crapshoot on quality, im sure there are some gems out there somewhre. good luck on any type of return if somthing goes wrong tho.
I think people get caught up in gpd and flowrate numbers, its all really about having a nice storage tank(trashcan). in all but the biggest gardens a 55gallon barrel and a 100gpd unit would never run out of water
D
drdee
Hi SK and Friends...
Just a few thoughts to assist in understanding. The actual membrane of the RO unit can be damaged by chlorine. So that's why the charcoal filters are there. To remove chlorine thus protecting the RO membrane. So don't neglect those filters. And someone already mentioned that you need to backflush every couple of months. Be sure to save the instructions on how to do that because it can be complicated.
I bought a cheapo unit off eBay...about like the $135 one you listed. It's been in service for almost two years and still does a good job. I changed the filters once so far.
And while it may be an 85 gal unit...you should get an easy 50 gallons/day even with slightly low water pressure.
Peace,
Dee
Just a few thoughts to assist in understanding. The actual membrane of the RO unit can be damaged by chlorine. So that's why the charcoal filters are there. To remove chlorine thus protecting the RO membrane. So don't neglect those filters. And someone already mentioned that you need to backflush every couple of months. Be sure to save the instructions on how to do that because it can be complicated.
I bought a cheapo unit off eBay...about like the $135 one you listed. It's been in service for almost two years and still does a good job. I changed the filters once so far.
And while it may be an 85 gal unit...you should get an easy 50 gallons/day even with slightly low water pressure.
Peace,
Dee
Why?
Why?
Snowkitty, Good luck with the new system, I wish you very best.
Why?
Snowkitty, Good luck with the new system, I wish you very best.
snowkitty
Member
Thought I'd update y'all about my little RO project...
I ordered my Hydrologic Stealth 200 from BGHydro (online) and within a half an hour of the FedEx guy dropping it off we had it up and running. Good thing, too, because I spent over $75 last week on distilled water and I didn't want to make those supermarket runs again...
The Hydrologic has a great manual and color coded hosing. White is the intake water. Blue is your good RO output water. Black is your bad waste water. Even a stoner can get all that down...no problemo...
The Hydrologic intake comes with a garden hose adaptor. I hooked mine up in a spare bathroom. So I unscrewed the shower head and put two adapters to convert from the shower male thread down to the Hydrologic garden hose female thread. I've got the drain water running in the tub and the RO water going into a 32 gallon Rubbermaid trashcan. I'm using a pump and garden hose to get the RO water from my Rubbermaid "storage tank" down the hallways to my grow rooms.
Two screws to mount it to the wall and I was up and running. It comes with a large wrench for changing the filters. I believe the membrane was in the $80 range and I don't remember how often I have to change it.
I ordered my Hydrologic Stealth 200 from BGHydro (online) and within a half an hour of the FedEx guy dropping it off we had it up and running. Good thing, too, because I spent over $75 last week on distilled water and I didn't want to make those supermarket runs again...
The Hydrologic has a great manual and color coded hosing. White is the intake water. Blue is your good RO output water. Black is your bad waste water. Even a stoner can get all that down...no problemo...
The Hydrologic intake comes with a garden hose adaptor. I hooked mine up in a spare bathroom. So I unscrewed the shower head and put two adapters to convert from the shower male thread down to the Hydrologic garden hose female thread. I've got the drain water running in the tub and the RO water going into a 32 gallon Rubbermaid trashcan. I'm using a pump and garden hose to get the RO water from my Rubbermaid "storage tank" down the hallways to my grow rooms.
Two screws to mount it to the wall and I was up and running. It comes with a large wrench for changing the filters. I believe the membrane was in the $80 range and I don't remember how often I have to change it.
snowkitty
Member
One Love...I had no idea you could even negative rep on this site...I have only ever given out positive rep in any forum...it's not worth it to ever spread negative energy!
Chalk that up to me learning my way around...this is only my third forum site ever...but I have no idea how I could have given negative...
I will now attempt to give you positive rep........
Chalk that up to me learning my way around...this is only my third forum site ever...but I have no idea how I could have given negative...
I will now attempt to give you positive rep........
snowkitty
Member
It's been two days and this cold kitten is back to report on the RO project. I started another thread about ppm and pH fluctuations I am fighting in my overall bucket set-up:
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=117426
I was trying to chase down things like a broken ppm meter, or Hydroton dust causing problems, or my nutrient regiment, and I've finally figured out that I might be back to my RO water again afterall. Tap water is pH = 7.1 and 300 ppm. RO water out of my Hydrologic is pH = 8.0 and 80 ppm.
So I'm purchasing the Hydrologic Small Boy De-Chlorinator and Sediment Filter. I'll put this in-line ahead of my main Hydrologic system and then *crosses fingers* I'll be back to brag about my pH neutral low ppm water.
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=117426
I was trying to chase down things like a broken ppm meter, or Hydroton dust causing problems, or my nutrient regiment, and I've finally figured out that I might be back to my RO water again afterall. Tap water is pH = 7.1 and 300 ppm. RO water out of my Hydrologic is pH = 8.0 and 80 ppm.
So I'm purchasing the Hydrologic Small Boy De-Chlorinator and Sediment Filter. I'll put this in-line ahead of my main Hydrologic system and then *crosses fingers* I'll be back to brag about my pH neutral low ppm water.
O
ogatec
the only filters that are necissary are the ones that are sold with the unit. lets say you bought a 3 stage unit from ebay. its plug & play & no other filters are needed. you could add pre-filters if your water is extra crappy to extend the life of the unit though.
