RO system questions

You don't need a pressurized tank and you can just use a barrel.

I picked up a romate 40 gallon tank on ebay for 150 shipped. (probably some chinese knock off but works)

You should get your water tested before you buy anything.

- Jiji

My tap water, according to town water record cost about $.004 /gallon( yeah..i had to read that a couple times). even at a 4:1 waste ratio..that would be like $2.00 for 100gal of RO..with 400gal waste.. 500gal*$.004/gal=$2. Seems the initial $200-$300 for a good RO system is the big cost..monthly water costs are next to nothing..I'd be more worried about trying to save electric.

Carolina Dream'n said:

Hydrologic is a trust worthy brand of RO's. Just know when using RO u must add calmag back to the water or it will strip your plat a of nutrients. If your tap water isn't bad, it's an unneeded cost now and later when u have to use 5ml/gal calmag forever.

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WRONG.

calcium nor magnesium can be taken up via tap water. They're both way too immobile. This explains why in nature they're cations and must be charged..

I mean you can get some calcium carbonate/magnesium carbonate if you'd like..

But I feel this is also a waste of money

RO is useless and wasteful. If you want to filter use a hydrologic small boy or tall boy, this removes chlorine (with the right canister) sediment, rust , silt but wastes zero water in the process.
My tap comes in at 40 ppm, I'll be damned if I'm gonna waste 75 percent to reach 0 ppm. .
I'm not worried about what that 40 ppm is.

40ppm is very good. I don't use RO and my tap reads between 300-400ppm, mostly from lime. You've got some great water.

churchhaze said:

40ppm is very good. I don't use RO and my tap reads between 300-400ppm, mostly from lime. You've got some great water.

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damn I guess. back after the flooding out here it jumped up to 140 ppm for awhile for some reason.
If my tap were 300-400 I would change my mind about RO.

dbkick said:

damn I guess. back after the flooding out here it jumped up to 140 ppm for awhile for some reason.
If my tap were 300-400 I would change my mind about RO.

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There's no reason to. It's free calcium. I just put 40mL of a nitric acid based pH down (technaflora is the only brand I know) per 4 gallons of water before adding any of the other nutes, and use less calcium nitrate. The end result is the nitric acid substitutes out the carbonates which become expelled from the reservoir as CO2.

It's been working just fine, so I see no reason to use my RO anymore. I got the RO because I was living in an apartment that used a water softener, and the sodium screwing everything up.

Your 40ppm tapwater is a blessing. Try using very hard tapwater with 155ppm Ca and over 90ppm of sodium in it

Mr.Goodtimes said:

They don't cost much... I paid $75 for a 150 gpd portable system and upgraded it to a 300gpd system for $50. It puts out a lot of waste water, which is normal, still cheaper than running to the store to fill up containers. Replacement filters might cost $75 a year....

Purewaterclub.com had the cheapest systems I've found and spit out 0ppm water. Plants love it.

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What system did you go with? I have very hard water so have been mixing down to 100ppm with RO water from WM. At $0.37 / gallon it is only $11 / 30 gallons but filling 1 gal jugs is getting old as I use maybe 20gal a week. I could buy 5g jugs to make this easier but thinking an RO system will be easiest and hopefully cost less.

avnewb said:

What system did you go with? I have very hard water so have been mixing down to 100ppm with RO water from WM. At $0.37 / gallon it is only $11 / 30 gallons but filling 1 gal jugs is getting old as I use maybe 20gal a week. I could buy 5g jugs to make this easier but thinking an RO system will be easiest and hopefully cost less.

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I got the 150gpd portable unit, it was under $100 iirc

Mr.Goodtimes said:

I got the 150gpd portable unit, it was under $100 iirc

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Thanks.

Looks like this would be what I want to go with:
http://www.purewaterclub.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=660

Comes with set of 3 filters for $
as I do not want DI.

Comes with a year worth of filters suppository and bought a spare full set:
http://www.purewaterclub.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=683

That along with a float valve:
http://www.purewaterclub.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=196

Total $157.

At 20g / week I would end up spending $381 on water a year so seems worth it.

How did you upgrade to 300 gpd? I assume 150 will be fine for me. I assume a different filter and flow valve.
Oh I see:
http://www.purewaterclub.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=105&products_id=531

I do not understand this statement they make:

• 
  
  
  • This system will start to generate the pure water under 35 PSI, please make sure if the pressure of your tap/well water is enough

Assume they are trying to say pressure must be above 35psi.

They sell a 300gpd adapter kit.

150 GDP should be ok for you tho. Sounds like a good deal

Check out hydrologic RO systems. The nice thing about their units is they use clear housings on their filters so you can see when they are bad. They also include a flush kit as well as a 3 settings 1-3, 1-2, 1-1 for fresh to waste water settings. Be careful on who u buy from. If it's cheaply made it will leak and you will have never ending problems.......I have been there many times. Hydrologics system has never failed me in any way. Also if you go back to get more RO water tell them you have a saltwater aquarium. RO water is a must for those systems.

avnewb said:

Thanks.

Looks like this would be what I want to go with:
http://www.purewaterclub.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=660

Comes with set of 3 filters for $
as I do not want DI.

Comes with a year worth of filters suppository and bought a spare full set:
http://www.purewaterclub.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=683

That along with a float valve:
http://www.purewaterclub.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=196

Total $157.

At 20g / week I would end up spending $381 on water a year so seems worth it.

How did you upgrade to 300 gpd? I assume 150 will be fine for me. I assume a different filter and flow valve.
Oh I see:
http://www.purewaterclub.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=105&products_id=531

I do not understand this statement they make:

• 
  
  
  • This system will start to generate the pure water under 35 PSI, please make sure if the pressure of your tap/well water is enough

Assume they are trying to say pressure must be above 35psi.

Click to expand...

These work great! I bought the 50gpd version for about $60, takes 85 minutes to fill my 3g containers. My tap water is 250+ ppm, pretty filthy. I do cut my RO with tap to 40ish ideally. It helps stabilize ph

System has been working well and now that I have it setup to feed two 27 gallon bins with a float I should be able to save a lot of time. Bins feed a hose that I can water hempy buckets with. I will cut with tap to 100ppm as I have been and mix with 3g/gallon Jacks Citrus and have been PHing to 5.8.

They did not send my extra set of filters is the only thing I really have to complain about.
I have read that others have had issues with them not emailing back so I expect I may be screwed out of the spare set of filters which is aggravating. I also had to buy a new valve to connect to my water system was the one they sent was junk and would not seal that is not big deal.