New 'used' Kinetico K5 RO system - General and filter help

[sidneyhop]

Hello all, Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Im buying a used Kinetico K5 RO system with unknown history. Is there anything in particular I should check, test or ask about before I make the purchase?

Im assuming Ill need to buy all new filters. How much will they cost and where is the best place to order them from?

I currently have city water and am primarily interested in getting rid of the fluoride, and other chemicals that are especially harmful to young children. Any specific filter recommendations?

Thanks!

[Andy CWS]

The K5 is relatively new so unless there was some unusual damage done to it, it should be in good working order. I would why someone decided to get rid of it. Had it been on city water or well water?

The prefilter for city water is different from the one for well water applications. The membrane should not need to be replaced. The pre- and postfilter would cost around $80.00 for the pair and can be replaced by you easily. The final final should be a VOC filter and the prefilter a combination sediment/carbon filter to remove chlorine to protect the membrane.

I see that you tried to send mer a message but my mailbox was full. You can try again.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

[sidneyhop]

Hey Andy, thanks for the quick reply!

Ill ask about the well/city application from the previous owner. If it was city as mine is would you still replace the pre / post filters as a precaution?

Im not sure how long its been sitting without being used. When would the cutoff time be before you would recommend changing the membrane?

What is the VOC filter? I checked the kinetico website and only found a few filters listed. Where would the best place be to order a wide selection of them? Does the K5 take generic filters or ONLY the expensive kinetico ones?

My post is essentially what I messaged you about.

Alex

[Andy CWS]

Membrane warranty is ten years if following a Kinetico softener (new or used) and four year without--which three more than any other brand. You can get a cheap TDS meter to determine membrane effectiveness. Volatile Organic Compounds--A special carbon filter that removes a host of contaminants that a typical carbon filter (clarity, taste and odor) cannot. These can be used or added to the system.

http://www.deanzawater.com/pdf/K5-DWS-Owners-Manual.pdf

these are propriatary filters so only available through a K-dealer.

[sidneyhop]

Ok, got the system today. The previous owner was on city water and said it had been sitting for about a year without being used. The MAC filter says it has half its life left. Should I replace the pre and post filters anyway because its been sitting for so long?

Also I contacted the local Kinetico dealer and they wanted close to 120 for the pre and post filters. Wheres the best place to order them from that youre aware of with the best price? Id also be ordering the sanitizer kit, the VOC filter, and a couple of the caps that block off the unused filters so I can sanitize it.

Another thing I noticed when cleaning it up was a couple of the lines were clogged with some foul smelling crud and also with what looked like a sandy material. The in line from source, one of the WoW tank lines, and the faucet were clogged.

Thanks!

[Andy CWS]

The unit sounds very 'used' especially on city water. Maybe it went through some unusual conditions like a water main break. How is that you got it? Why did the original owner get rid of it? .... just curious....

Yes, to be on the safe side I would get new filters. The membrane should still be good.

You can blow air through the faucet and sanitize it too.

I think you can get it back inot good condition with a little effort and proper filters.
Andy Christensen, CWS-II

[sidneyhop]

A very nice gentleman had it for his wife who was battling cancer. After that he never used it and thats why it had been sitting for so long. He had it listed on craigslist and I picked it up.

I did call Kinetico and explained I was buying a used unit and wanted more info on the filters, life span, etc and they wanted the serial # for warranty purposes. I didnt have it at the time but Im guessing they wanted it to cancel it since I was buying it from the original owner. Do you know if it still has any type of warranty coverage once its sold???

It appears to be in excellent condition other than the clogs that I flushed out. BTW if there are clogs in the lines, Im guessing there may be clogs up in the top portion of the unit where I cant get to. Keep my fingers crossed that there arnt.

Andy, please message me if you know of a good place to order parts/filters. I hate getting gouged and since theres only ONE place in my area that services Kinetico I fear thats exactly what theyre doing.

Thanks!
Alex

[Andy CWS]

Kinetico warranties provide service for owners if they take it with them to a new location and the source water falls within the limits of the system, or to new owner in the original location. But it doesn't go to a new owner in a new location. This precludes getting the warranty after buying it on eBay of something like that. That is what you are doing, right?

You might be able just to hook it up and get it working without any problem.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II
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