how much better is the reverse osmosis than a faucet filter ?

[[email protected]]

Hi
i'm a new member here ( this is a very cool site btw )
i have a waterpik model F-5 and i use a model R-7 filter cartridge and was wondering how much better a revese osmosis filter system is than the type i'm useing now ?
this may be a dumb question but i'm new at the water filter game
thanks

[Andy CWS]

RO is the way to go...

No questions are dumb...except those not asked.

Clearly you are concerned about your drinking water and wish to have the best possible given limits on cost, size, capacity and preference.

An RO (even a cheap one) will provide better water than any standard filter. The secret is the membrane, which physically removes elements to just slightly larger than the molecule of water (H20) itself.

Without going into great detail, I would recommend looking into an RO as a convenient and effective way to improving drinking water.

Andy Christensen, CWS

[[email protected]]

what model/brand do you guys recommend

i have been looking around on the net and found a Ge merlin at first it seemed to be a good system (dont need a tank) ..but when i looked at all the teck stuff it seems that the max chlorine it will take is (i think) 2 mg/l .
it seems that the Hydrotech 4VTFC75GPB will take more chlorine and other stuff than the GE merlin system .
what do you guys think is a good system ?
i have city water but i want better water that what the city has .
i have not done any test on it yet but i know it can be a lot better.
thanks

[Andy CWS]

First of all, before making a selection, base your decsion on facts. How much chlorine does your water have? 2ppm is typical in city water, albeit very high to my taste, most RO prefilters that use carbon should be able to handle that.

I haven't been able to find where one takes out more chlorine than the other.

There are a variety of whole house filters that will reduce or eliminate chlorine from your water.

The Merlin is a great little unit. Two membranes make it produce water at a much faster rate. There might be a few down sides but all-in-all it will serve you well.

Andy Chrsitensen

[[email protected]]

need help with mg/L = ppm

ok is 1 mg/L the same as 1ppm ?
the chlorine in my city water is 2.2 ppm
i got a water report from the city
thanks

[Andy CWS]

Yes, 1 mg/l = 1 ppm. Either is used but sometimes one is used more thyan the other depending on th euser, audience an dother measuring parameters.

2ppm is quite high and, in my opinion, unacceptable for drinking water. It may als affect laundry services, make skin dry in feeling and affect flavors in food and beverages.

Andy Christensen, CWS

[[email protected]]

TDS monitor question

i just got a DM-1 TDS monitor ... i didnt take time to hook it up in line yet just got a cup of water and put one of the probes in it and got a reading of 404 ppm then i got a cup of filtered water waterpik filter and it was only 394 ppm. so my qeustion is wbat is the max TDS reading a person should have with city water ?
thanks

[Roxanne]

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) are found in any and everything that consumes, lives in, or uses water. From the fish in the sea to the plumbing in our homes. TDS are the total amount of mobile charged ions (minerals, salts, metals, suspended solids and any other inorganic elemement present other than the H2O water molecule) dissolved in a given volume of water.

The lower the TDS level in the water you drink, the more efficiently the cells in your body are hydrated (because you are getting more pure H2O). On the other hand, the higher the TDS levels are in your water the greater the chance harmful contaminants are present that could cause health risks or prevent absorption of water into your body.

Carbon Filters, Reverse Osmosis Systems, Distillation, and Deionization are all methods to reduce or remove TDS from your water.


Water Type/Source Average TDS Range for Source :


Reverse Osmosis, Distilled, Deionized Water 0 to 50 ppm
Carbon Filtration, Aquifers, Mountain Springs 50 to 140 ppm
Average Tap Water 140 to 400 ppm
Hard Water 170 to 500 ppm
Less than Average Tap Water 200 to 300 ppm


The EPA's Recommendation for the Maximum level of TDS for human consumption is 500 ppm.

I'm not suprised that the Waterpik system you have didn't remove that many TDS. If you really want to see a difference you need a Reverse Osmosis System.

[[email protected]]

thanks for the info roxanne.
now i have beend working with this TDS meter i noticed something if i use the probe makerd out i get a reading of 404 and if i use the probe marked in with the same cup of water i get a lower reading of 356 now is this meter working right or is it cause i'm just putting the probs in a cup of water where i dont have it hooked up to the lines yet ?
oh i'm getting and RO system as soon as i do some more homewrok ..
thanks

[[email protected]]

update on TDS meter

i tested rain water with both the in and out porbes and i got the same reading which was 5 ppm does this mean my rain water is better than the city water i have been drinking .
i know there is more stuff in the rain water that i dont know about yet.. i will get a water test kit and see whats in the rain water and the city water
thanks

[Roxanne]

TDS Information

Hi all,

The best place to go for instructions on how to use TDS meters is directly to the manufacturer. The normally have technical support for questions such as these. If you bought the TDS meter from us then the manufacturer would be HM Digital. The phone number is 800-383-2777. Here's a link to their website as well : http://www.tdsmeter.com/

[Andy CWS]

[email protected]

"Better" is a very subjective term and what is better for one may be worse for another. Rain water and municipal water are very different indeed. Since the rain water you are collecting had recently been "distilled", the TSD will be quite low. As it passed through the atmosphere it picked up enough inorganic materials to actually register on your meter.

City water may come from surface water, well water or some other storage capacity and pass through a wider variety of of ducts. containers and equipment where is can pick up a wider array of minerals that may regiser.

Moreover, it may contain high levels of chlorine, and other disinfectants, sequestering agents and other chemicals. Rain water may be low in pH and contains dissolved CO2, In other words, there is little that is similar between the two. each, in its own way requires different treatment and affects its usrs differently.

Calling one better, is difficult to determine without more detail in the actual water condition and the end users demand of quality.

Andy Christensen, CWS

[BoB-O]

The Merlin is a great little unit. Two membranes make it produce water at a much faster rate. There might be a few down sides but all-in-all it will serve you well.

I'm looking at replacing a Kinetico unit with a Merlin. What do you see as the down sides to the Merlin?

Thanks,
BoB

[Andy CWS]

Hi, Thanks for asking.

The Merlin is an interesting approach to RO systems. Since it doesn't require a tank, space, which is at times a premium, is saved.

Installation is not difficult. It comes with a wrench that doubles as a mounting stand.

It requires a minimum of 60 psi to work effectively. On City water this may be available at all times; on well water, your pressure is regulated by a switch, tank, pump, plumbing and other factors. You may need to boost the pressure in your tank as well as at your switch. (2 psi air pressure lower than kick-in at pump).

A booster pump may be needed ($200-$300).

Given that the pressure is controlled, the reason it can produce 1/2 gpm is that it uses two (relatively large) membranes. So a steady stream of water can flow to the faucet or fridge.

Membranes are expensive to replace and according to TDS, temperature, in-coming pressure and volume, their expentent life can vary.

All-in-all, not a bad choice and I would prefer those to the BIG BOX variety, which are cheap for a reason.

Andy Christensen, CWS