Reverse Osmosis Water filters

I've been using this Omnifilter Water filter that has 3 compartments and takes 3 filters, and I've had it for 16 years, using high quality carbon block filters. I also replace the filters every 6 months. Water quality is not that good in my area, so it's a necessity.

I've been thinking of replacing the whole thing with a new RO filter. The thing that concerns me, is the size of the tank, and since it is only about 4 gallons, do you RO filter users run out of water?

4 gallons seems like a lot of water to use in a kitchen cooking situation at any one time, but I guess it is possible I could empty out a tank and then have to wait hours for more filtered water.

Do you find this to be a problem?

Any other things or problems that I'm not considering, that would make you steer me away from this kind of filter?

Any brands substantially better than another?

Thanks,

Steve

Reply to
Steve
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If you've got the room under the sink, I've coupled reservoirs to double my on-hand water. Only need it when there's company. Don't forget to harvest your effluent! Damn things waste about 3-4 times what they filter for use. I use mine to flush toilets, and laundry. I wonder if I'm the only one..... Tom Steve wrote:>I've been using this Omnifilter Water filter that has 3 compartments and

Someday, it'll all be over....

Reply to
Tom

|I've been using this Omnifilter Water filter that has 3 compartments and |takes 3 filters, and I've had it for 16 years, using high quality carbon |block filters. I also replace the filters every 6 months. Water |quality is not that good in my area, so it's a necessity. | |I've been thinking of replacing the whole thing with a new RO filter. |The thing that concerns me, is the size of the tank, and since it is |only about 4 gallons, do you RO filter users run out of water? | |4 gallons seems like a lot of water to use in a kitchen cooking |situation at any one time, but I guess it is possible I could empty out |a tank and then have to wait hours for more filtered water. | |Do you find this to be a problem? | |Any other things or problems that I'm not considering, that would make |you steer me away from this kind of filter? | |Any brands substantially better than another? | | |Thanks, | |Steve

Rex in Fort Worth

Reply to
Rex B

Water softeners by default take salt and substitute it for the mineral ions in the water.

Changing from sodium cloride (table salt) to potassium cloride (potash) as your water softener salt, will add potassium and not sodium to your drinking water.

Check and see if you can get muriate of potash for use in the softener.

Reply to
John Hines

Reply to
stuart8181

| snipped-for-privacy@REMOVEtxol.net (Rex B) wrote: | |>Can someone recommend a good brand and source for an under-sink RO unit? |>My mom discovered her water softener has been malfunctioning, adding salt to the |>water and increasing her blood pressure. At least that's the theory. So I'd like |>to get her an RO to solve the problem. | |Water softeners by default take salt and substitute it for the mineral |ions in the water. | |Changing from sodium cloride (table salt) to potassium cloride (potash) |as your water softener salt, will add potassium and not sodium to your |drinking water. | |Check and see if you can get muriate of potash for use in the softener.

Good suggestion, we'll check into that. The other issue is they have had several people come "fix" the water softener, but they don't think it's working correctly. So how do you tell?? Rex in Fort Worth

Reply to
Rex B

Yes. Virtually tasteless, similar to distilled water.

Reply to
John Hines

There are only two of us in the house now, but together we use an average of about one gallon of filtered water a day for cooking and drinking. We don't use it for anything else.

Reply to
jhill

Hi, You need ~2 liter of water daily per person to stay healthy. A Gallon for two persons to drink and cook? I have hard time understanding your water consumption. IMHO, it is too little. Tony

Reply to
Tony Hwang

Reply to
jhill

"Rex B" wrote

You may want to check this out too.

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And then how much sodium is added to water by a water softener. The amount is 7.85 mg/l per grain per gallon of exchange.

Gary Quality Water Associates

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Gary Slusser's Bulletin Board
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Reply to
Gary Slusser

Is this the water cooler type bottled water? If not what kind of package are they bottled in?

I don't have complaints about the taste but my tap water is very hard as evidenced by the furnace humidifier encrustations (disabled that), scale on the kettle element, scale on the bathtub enclosures and water traps, and grainy water stains. I don't feel comfortable passing all that mineral stuff through my body.

Some ramblings.

I did think or getting a resin ion exchange demineralizer but the use of salt to recharge it didn't jive with using that water to maintain an aquarium.

I am interested in RO machines to produce water for an aquarium. I didn't have much luck keeping the fish healthy for long. The aquarium plants just withered.

I like Tom's tip: "Don't forget to harvest your effluent! Damn things waste about 3-4 times what they filter for use. I use mine to flush toilets, and laundry. "

I had a motorcycle lead acid battery that needed a top up once. I added the mineral water from one of the soft drink type bottles. The battery became dead immediately and there was no way I could restore it to life by recharging. I had added ordinary boiled water before without destroying the battery. What's in the mineral water that could kill the battery this effectively?

Reply to
KLM

I have an undercounter unit with a 4 gallon tank. The only time we've ever run out is when we have a large crowd and are making pitcher after pitcher of iced tea.

Stay away from the sears units. They work fine, but twice now, I've gone to replace the RO cartridge after a couple of years only to find it's been discontinued and is no longer available. Expensive lesson. Shame on me for giving them a second chance.

HTH,

Paul

Reply to
Paul Franklin

An old wives tale. How about some hard evidence, like controlled studies, that show that so much water is necessary to stay healthy.

Don .

Reply to
Don Wiss

Gee, and I thought that getting minerals, like magnesium, from the water was healthy.

Don .

Reply to
Don Wiss

|I have an undercounter unit with a 4 gallon tank. The only time we've |ever run out is when we have a large crowd and are making pitcher |after pitcher of iced tea. | |Stay away from the sears units. They work fine, but twice now, I've |gone to replace the RO cartridge after a couple of years only to find |it's been discontinued and is no longer available. Expensive lesson. |Shame on me for giving them a second chance.

So what's a good brand?

Rex in Fort Worth

Reply to
Rex B

Reply to
jhill

"Gee, and I thought that getting minerals, like magnesium, from the water was healthy.

Don .

Don, may I ask you for the same concerning your concern for use of a RO and their removal of magnesium from drinking water?

Gary Quality Water Associates

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Gary Slusser's Bulletin Board
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Reply to
Gary Slusser

I've been using a RO under sink system for 3 years now with a 4 gallon tank. The only time it empties is when I bring the 5 gallon water cooler jug home from my shop at work to be filled. My RO uses a post filter to give the water some kind of "flavor", if you can call it that. Yea, I could go to the store and get bottles refilled for 30 cents, but it is so much more convenient to have ot right there. I got my system from hbwatersystems.com check em out, great customer service and good products for drinking or aquariums. You can also mount the whole system in the basement and put a line up to the sink, and have a larger tank.

Reply to
markherm

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