Honest question for vetran RO system owners

[CWO4GUNNER]

I currently pick up and carry 10 five gallon jugs of RO water from the RO store 4 miles away twice a month, a total of 100 gallons at a cost of $20 a month. I use about 50 gallons for my aquariums evaporation replenishment to hold down TDS and 50 gallons for household cooking and drinking?

I would not mind using twice that amount, more for my aquariums. So if I was buying 200 gallons a month at a cost of $40 a month, would an RO system for less then $300 pay for itself in say 1 year having spent $480 a year in RO water carry? And if I had it hooked up to a series of 5 gallon containers on a DIY manifold would it be able to supply or make at least 5 gallons a day or more?

Im asking becasue Im tired of lugging bottles and seriously considering a unit I can DIY into a manifold system at a recurring cost and efficiency rating that's worth it. Hoping that someone out there that has already went through the learning curve can save me time and money with their experienced knowledge.

[The Zigman]

I bought a 4 stage RO unit on Ebay for $90

I have had it for 2 years.
Replaced the membrane with a 3M Filmtec 100 GPD unit $40
Replaced the 3 prefilters only once (Yeah I know)

Anyway,
Cheaper than $40 per month?
Oh yeah.

[DiscusOnly]

Definitely get an RO unit. If you decide to get one, email or PM me. I have an extra one of these 100gpd unit.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4395+12093&pcatid=12093

[CWO4GUNNER]

Do either of you happen to know your water hardness number. I forgot to include that info as ours number is about 45 to 50 on the hardness scale. Of course I do pre-soften the water to about 14 to 17 which is considered soft but I still have to remove the Potassium that replaced the Calcium. Im asking becasue it will give me a basis for calculating life of the filters.

How much dose it cost to replace those 3 pre-filters and do they all wear out at once or separately?

From a price and performance standpoint is there a recommended GPD that is best as far as what works best? in other words should I stay away from the 24 GPD units becasue I wouldn't be satisfied yet not go with the pump models becasue they are overkill and added cost? Is there a happy medium?

[SubRosa]

One consideration when sizing a unit is that rate of production is calculated at a specific inlet pressure, usually 60 psi, and a specific water temp, usually 70 F. Lower pressure or lower water temp can drastically cut production. I replace all 3 at once because it only costs about $15.

[The Zigman]

I use a booster pump to push the water through the membrane.

I tested my Kh with and without RO

Tap 17
RO 5

PH
tap 8.4
RO 7.6

[DiscusOnly]

One consideration when sizing a unit is that rate of production is calculated at a specific inlet pressure, usually 60 psi, and a specific water temp, usually 70 F. Lower pressure or lower water temp can drastically cut production. I replace all 3 at once because it only costs about $15.

The water pressure is a very important thing to remember. If you are looking at a unit that produce over 75gpd, you need to make sure you have enough pressure coming out of your faucet. You may/may not need a booster pump.

The membrane is the most expensive part in an RO unit. If the pre-filter are doing it's job, your membrane should last pretty long.

[CWO4GUNNER]

Great info guys thanks! What about high temperature the cold water temp here in SW AZ is 80 in winter and 100 in summer? How did you ascertain your water pressure numbers from the city or did you use something? My KH is 24 my GH is 650 before the softener. After softener its KH 24 GH 7-14, however my TDS remains at 650 with potassium that replaces the GH minerals. Im guessing that I may need additional pre-filters, what do you think of this 6 stage RO system. Oh and do you know if most of these systems use standard prefilter componants or are they all propriatory?
http://59.124.16.10/items/Pic/22-442/22-442-g.jpg
http://cgi.ebay.com/Aqua-Reef-RO-DI-Reverse-Osmosis-Water-Filtration-System_W0QQitemZ380174451741QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item588429c41d

[DiscusOnly]

I have no experience with the one you posted but unless you are looking to get 0 ppm or require a DI, you don't need a DI. RO unit from reputable brand uses standard housing but you need to verify that it is if it's not documented.

As for water pressure. Some RO unit with come with an inline pressure gauge. If it doesn't come with one, you can add one to the inline. When using an RO unit, it's very important to have a pressure gauge and some sort of TDS meter.

You can get a TDS meter like this. http://cgi.ebay.com/HM-DM-1-Inline-Dual-TDS-Meter-Reverse-Osmosis-RO-DI-DM1_W0QQitemZ230390659003QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSmall_ Kitchen_Appliances_US?hash=item35a45a77bb

and pressure gauge like this http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Water-Filter-0-to-300-PSI-RO-Pressure-Gauge_W0QQitemZ380154299884QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSmal l_Kitchen_Appliances_US?hash=item5882f645ec

It's important to know what the TDS is coming in and what coming out (product side). This will give you the ability to monitor when to change your filter or membrane.

[CWO4GUNNER]

The irony is that my TDS is so high that I would be happy getting RO readings that some RO owners have from their tap water LOL. But OK very good information.

You know now that I think about it I believe we do have high water pressure here becasue I was told that our garden sprinkler circuit was blowing off sprinkler heads becasue we did not have an inline regulator like the rest of the house and sure enough my sprinkler heads were popping off left and right. Ill have to at least take a look at the pressure regulator rating on the side of the house.

Anyone know why its bad to have high pressure like 80 PSI as far as what it does to the filter like damage?

Anyone use a large tank to collect RO or storage containers? I was thinking of installing the RO system in the laundry room under a 4'H x 5'L X 3' wide deep sink cabinet with a 10 five gallon water bottles underneath to collect water. How do you shut off your RO unit automatically once you have your tank filled? Will the availability of cold water, a drain and 110V inside the laundry room be enough for RO hookups?

[roscoe70]

Used to live in NW Oklahoma (hard water country) and I used a large rubbermaid type trash can with a lid approx. 50 gallons and had a float valve that would automatically shutoff the water flow through my RO unit. Raw water, drain and electric hook up for a transfer pump should do the trick. Good luck.