Reverse Osmosis Water Systems-Under Counter

[emeryjre]

Checking in with the thousands of TUG users on Under Counter RO Systems
Over the years I have installed several of the 5 stage RO filters and storage tanks
They have worked well and are the least expensive to purchase and maintain
They do take time and energy to replace the filters as each filter has a separate canister and other issues
The question is how well do these new systems work
They use twist in filters, no tank, and are plugged into an electrical outlet
They take up much less space and the filters can be replaced very quickly
I realize they are more expensive to maintain
But I will trade cost for convenience at this point
How well do they work is the question

 

[dioxide45]

RO technology has come a long way. I think the best way to determine how well each system works is to read up on independent testing of each system. There are also lots of YouTube videos out there comparing different systems. I've never used a whole home or under counter RO system, but do have a counter top RO. The main issue with under counter is they tend to use a lot of water. Usually a 1:4 or 1:5 ratio where countertop systems can be almost the inverse of that.

 

[Ken555]

I wanted a tankless system, so installed this unit not long ago. Works and tastes great so far!

Waterdrop G5P500A Alkaline Mineral pH+ Reverse Osmosis Water Filter, NSF/ANSI 372 Certified, 8 Stage Reverse Osmosis System, 500G RO Water Filtration System, 2:1 Pure to Drain, Reduces TDS, BPA Free https://a.co/d/gbXestf

 

[rickandcindy23]

Tankless is so nice. Ironically, my R/O is currently not working because Rick disabled it to add air to the bladder. It's been very slow for about a month. I just went to get a glass of water and nothing came out. I guess I should have known because everything from under the sink is on the floor. I wondered what he was doing in the kitchen.

 

[emeryjre]

Tankless is so nice. Ironically, my R/O is currently not working because Rick disabled it to add air to the bladder. It's been very slow for about a month. I just went to get a glass of water and nothing came out. I guess I should have known because everything from under the sink is on the floor. I wondered what he was doing in the kitchen.

This is exactly the situation I am trying to avoid
I have had tank bladders fail
I always have had to check tank air pressure on a regular basis to keep the flow at an even rate
The new ones do not have a tank
The only downside I see is the filters cost more per replacement cycle
But it only takes about 2 minutes to replace a filter
Twist a half turn to get the old one out
Twist a half turn to get the new one in

 

[rickandcindy23]

This is exactly the situation I am trying to avoid
I have had tank bladders fail
I always have had to check tank air pressure on a regular basis to keep the flow at an even rate
The new ones do not have a tank
The only downside I see is the filters cost more per replacement cycle
But it only takes about 2 minutes to replace a filter
Twist a half turn to get the old one out
Twist a half turn to get the new one in

It was just so timely, Rick dealing with exactly what you were talking about.

 

[Ken555]

This is exactly the situation I am trying to avoid
I have had tank bladders fail
I always have had to check tank air pressure on a regular basis to keep the flow at an even rate
The new ones do not have a tank
The only downside I see is the filters cost more per replacement cycle
But it only takes about 2 minutes to replace a filter
Twist a half turn to get the old one out
Twist a half turn to get the new one in

When I investigated options I thought the replacement filters were affordable. I don’t recall exactly what they cost, but it didn’t surprise me. Have you checked prices?

 

[easyrider]

We've had reverse osmosis under the sink for as long as we've lived here. Last year I switched it to an A.O. Smith under sink water filter. It's very easy to install and doesn't take up much room.

Bill

 

[jp10558]

We've been ok with the tankless, it was better than a countertop that worked similarly. We just got a cheap one from Amazon. The issue is if you go away you have to refridgerate the filters or replace when you come back. They also seem to need changing somewhat frequently in our case - I'd say more like 3-4 months before the water starts to smell. And the indicator doesn't say to change the filter. The random Amazon one also has the less water use than the old style RO filters. (not that it matters where we live, we're drowning in water and have a well).

TBH, I've found the best middle range between taste and hassle are the gravity filters from Berkey/British Berkenfield. The "good" black ones lasted forever, and the ceramic ones still go for a couple thousand gallons IME. Changing them is unscrewing and running a tank through and dumping. But the electric one is more convenient - you don't have to wait potentially hours for the gravity filter to work. But the filters have to be replaced much more often.

 

[emeryjre]

When I investigated options I thought the replacement filters were affordable. I don’t recall exactly what they cost, but it didn’t surprise me. Have you checked prices?

The filters for the older five stage RO systems are about $35
Includes an RO element and four other filters
Each filter has an additional job from sediment to post filtering
They are generally changed based on the TDI measurements of the output water
The Waterdrop system recommends the pre filter be changed every 6 months
About $30 for a filter so $60 a year
Then the RO filter is about $90 and recommended for 2 years
So about $45 plus $60 a year equals $105 a year
I changed the old system every year
So about $35 vs $105
But the convenience is worth it
5 minutes vs a couple of hours to replace the old style

 

[easyrider]

The filters for the older five stage RO systems are about $35
Includes an RO element and four other filters
Each filter has an additional job from sediment to post filtering
They are generally changed based on the TDI measurements of the output water
The Waterdrop system recommends the pre filter be changed every 6 months
About $30 for a filter so $60 a year
Then the RO filter is about $90 and recommended for 2 years
So about $45 plus $60 a year equals $105 a year
I changed the old system every year
So about $35 vs $105
But the convenience is worth it
5 minutes vs a couple of hours to replace the old style

I bought a new RO set up every couple of years. I think the cost was under $200 for a new unit with a facet. This new cold water filter connects to the cold water line in the kitchen. The cost was about $120. It was easy to install. My plan is to just replace it after two years.

Bill

 

[emeryjre]

I am going to be running lines for a faucet at the sink and 2 refrigerators with icemakers and water dispensers
The consensus is a RO water tank should be added to the system
The tank would hold water in reserve and maintain the water pressure necessary to supply the refrigerators
I also like having larger separate filters for incoming water filtration before the water gets to the RO filter
The smaller filters will do the job for a shorter period of time
So far I am leaning to a SimPure system and tank
They have quick spin filters and are the systems have been around for almost 20 years

 

[easyrider]

I am going to be running lines for a faucet at the sink and 2 refrigerators with icemakers and water dispensers
The consensus is a RO water tank should be added to the system
The tank would hold water in reserve and maintain the water pressure necessary to supply the refrigerators
I also like having larger separate filters for incoming water filtration before the water gets to the RO filter
The smaller filters will do the job for a shorter period of time
So far I am leaning to a SimPure system and tank
They have quick spin filters and are the systems have been around for almost 20 years

That's a decent system. We had a couple of the Simpure systems bought off Amazon. The problem for us was our well water isn't coordinated and a tan jelly like substance would grow in the filter canister. I asked our water quality lab for our well about it and was told it is a harmless biofilm but even though it was harmless, it's really gross, and I couldn't tell if it was growing in the tank. I ended up just buying a new system every year until I went with the A.O. filter system we use now.

Bill

 

[dioxide45]

That's a decent system. We had a couple of the Simpure systems bought off Amazon. The problem for us was our well water isn't coordinated and a tan jelly like substance would grow in the filter canister. I asked our water quality lab for our well about it and was told it is a harmless biofilm but even though it was harmless, it's really gross, and I couldn't tell if it was growing in the tank. I ended up just buying a new system every year until I went with the A.O. filter system we use now.

Bill

I didn't think that RO systems are really designed for well water. Aren't they mainly designed to use on municipal supply?

 

[jp10558]

I didn't think that RO systems are really designed for well water. Aren't they mainly designed to use on municipal supply?

Isn't the main point to clean up water though? It seems weird that it wouldn't be designed to handle whatever input you might get. Well, aside from like Brita that's simply flavor filtering. Not saying it's not true, but that is a real PITA then because putting something else in can be pretty difficult space wise.

 

[dioxide45]

Isn't the main point to clean up water though? It seems weird that it wouldn't be designed to handle whatever input you might get. Well, aside from like Brita that's simply flavor filtering. Not saying it's not true, but that is a real PITA then because putting something else in can be pretty difficult space wise.

It is, but RO isn't really designed to handle well water as it is. If the TDS content of your water is too high it isn't good for the RO filters. Often you will need some kind of pre-treatment before it can go through most standard consumer grade RO systems.

 

[emeryjre]

In the case of possible organisms and bacteria in the water, A UV light system is recommended on the unit
The UV light system will destroy any possible growth
On a municipal system, I have never chosen to use a UV light system
On well water, I definitely would

Isn't the main point to clean up water though? It seems weird that it wouldn't be designed to handle whatever input you might get. Well, aside from like Brita that's simply flavor filtering. Not saying it's not true, but that is aout real PITA then because putting something else in can be pretty difficult space wise.

The water clean up people have every type of filter you can imagine
They use RO to convert sea water to fresh water
If a person has a particular problem, there is a particular solution
In small towns around the power plants in North Dakota, the well water has fine grade coal dust
They use heavy grade sediment filters to filter out the coal dust
Generally before the water enters the house
Then they use carbon block filters in 3 stages before it enters the RO system

 

[easyrider]

I didn't think that RO systems are really designed for well water. Aren't they mainly designed to use on municipal supply?

RO can be used to treat well water. RO doesn't kill bacteria and virus, it blocks them on the membrane. In our RO system, the filter canisters, including the membrane canister, grew a biofilm because we have no chlorine in our water system. We mostly used the RO to remove yard and construction contaminants. The A.O. Smith under sink filter does this too and doesn't take up much room.

The other likable thing about the A.O. filter is it connects to the regular sink facets cold water side so there is no need for the extra R.O. facet. Our newest sink is a large single bowl with a single black facet through a hole in the center of the sink. It's a really clean look.

Bill

 

[capjak]

I have well water and under counter R/O system with holding tank for 30 years. We replace filter 1x per year and the r/o filter every 3 years or so. Works great. We do have a water softner.

 

[dioxide45]

I have well water and under counter R/O system with holding tank for 30 years. We replace filter 1x per year and the r/o filter every 3 years or so. Works great. We do have a water softner.

I think I was misinformed because we have an Aquatru RO system. It specifically says that it should only be used on a municipal supply. It seems as long as your well water is under 500 TDS then RO should be okay. That said, you do need to be careful with bacteria in the water as RO will remove it but it can grow in the filters. Municipal supply shouldn't have that issue as it has been treated with chlorine.

 

[emeryjre]

RO systems can be equipped with UV Filtering to kill Bacteria, Viruses, etc. etc
Depending on your water quality and source
You can get whatever a person needs
Even for under counter systems

 

[Panina]

I have the Brio G10-U RO Under-sink Filtration System and love it! It has two filters. One filter lasts me two years and second filter lasts a year.