lookin for an RO unit

[D.J.]

trying to find a good deal on an rodi unit.....never needed one before since i had one on my well water at the other place....but now im on city water.....

if anyone runs across a deal on one let me know.....lookin for a nice 4 or 5 stage unit but a 3 stage would be fine i can just add on to it.....

[diggler]

I just bought ro unit from menards on sale and added di add on from bulk reef supply tds reads 0

[hansmatt]

I just posted something on LARK about a big spectrapure sale, I have one, as do 3-4 others in the club. They are IMO the best out there, and the membranes are individually tested. I still have TDS of 0-1, and have not changed my RO filter (I did the prefilter etc) in two years! Yes they are more $, but the sale makes them in line with other good filters.

[D.J.]

hey eric....ive been told to get one of them by others....what do they run $$ wise??

thanks matt....ill look at them as well....i totally over looked that thread....

[diggler]

Originally Posted by D.J.

hey eric....ive been told to get one of them by others....what do they run $$ wise??

thanks matt....ill look at them as well....i totally over looked that thread....

I think about 120$

[schneijt]

Originally Posted by diggler

I just bought ro unit from menards on sale and added di add on from bulk reef supply tds reads 0

Do you happen to know the brand and efficiency (a.k.a. rejection rate) of the membrane on the Menards unit? Also, I'd be interested to know what they're using for sediment and carbon block pre-filters, since I bet they're not as high-quality as the ones from Spectrapure or Bulk Reef Supply, etc...

My fear is that the Menards membrane might only be 90% rejection instead of 98% like most that are usually used for reefers. This would use up the DI resin faster, and it's a pain in the butt to replace the DI resin frequently, not to mention the long-term cost of replacing resin more frequently.

As far as the pre-filters, I hope the Menards unit didn't skimp on these. The pre-filters are there to protect the membrane from large particles and chlorine that could damage it. The last thing you want is to replace a membrane prematurely, since they're rather pricey.

I'm sorry if this comes across like I'm bashing the Menards unit, because I really hope it's great for the $120. But at the same time, I've gotten burned in the past by buying an RO/DI system that didn't come from a company that specifically targets the "reef tank" market. The last thing I want is for you to save a few dollars by buying it from Menards and then see you slowly have to replace pre-filters or membrane etc over time.

-Joe

[firsthesitation]

The Menards/Fleet Farm units are typically for home use applications for drinking water. As they use a carbon and coconut prefilters I don't believe the weave is as tight on those as the reef ones. So like Joe says rejection rate will not be as high and your resin consumption will be high. The unit matt suggested is a very excellent price for that type of unit. The dual TDS meters and the pressure gauge would be awesome in telling how well the unit is performing and to keep an eye on when things need to be changed and if you have enough water pressure to effectively use that unit. Definitely wish I'd have spent more when I got mine. I did an ebay unit and after replacing basically eveything but the housing I'm finally down to 0-1 TDS.

[schneijt]

I also purchased an eBay RO/DI unit, and I used it for around a year without ever having a TDS meter or knowing anything about it. I'm lucky that when I finally realized what I was doing and educated myself about RO/DI systems and TDS, it was only a TDS of 18 coming out of my eBay unit.

Since a really good RO/DI system is expensive, I recommend starting small if you don't have lots of money. Buy a hand-held TDS meter and one of the "bargain" 4-stage RO/DI systems from a reputable dealer such as Purely H2O or Buckeye Field Supply, etc. Over time, you can buy "premium" sediment and carbon block pre-filters, add a pressure gauge (if it doesn't come with one), add a dual in-line TDS meter, etc...

I'm sure it costs a bit more to buy the "upgrades" for an inexpensive RO/DI system than to just buy a good RO/DI the first time, but probably not by a whole lot. Anyway, I really do think it's best to stick to RO/DI systems from trusted companies that have been in the reef-keeping industry for years. It shouldn't even cost much more to get a trusted unit, either, if the Menards unit is really $120 like it was posted.

-Joe

[D.J.]

im lookin at a 3stage rodi on bulkreef for $121.......and one on marine depot for like $150....the one on marine depot comes with a pressure gauge on it.....

[schneijt]

This is probably just about the best value you can get for an RO/DI, I think. Local (Twin Cities) company, good price, etc. And as far as features, it's great. It's got a vertical, refillable DI stage, and decent pre-filters. Over time, you can add a pressure gauge and an in-line dual TDS meter, which would take the system to the next level.

-Joe