4 vs 5 stage Reverse Osmosis

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Wojo42

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I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask this, but I was wondering if there's a big difference between a 4 and 5 stage reverse osmosis system.
 

LLigetfa

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Depends on your water quality and what filters are in the stages. If the water is clean, the filters will stay clean and not need to be changed as often. If the water is not so clean, more filters are better. If the water has chlorine, the carbon filter will be consumed by it.
 

Wojo42

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Thanks for the replies. Are there any systems you recommend?
 

Bannerman

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What is the purpose or filter type for the additional filter stage?

Once you know the additional filters purpose, that will help you to assess if it is necessary for your water conditions.

My R/O originally was equipped with only 3 stages but I have added 2 additional stages, one to remove chlorine and the other as remineralization.
 

ditttohead

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My RO is a 1 stage w/ UV. Then again, my whole house filtration system removes sediment, hardness, chlorine, heavy metals and more.

We manufacture common RO's in 3-10 stages depending on the customer. What is your current water source and quality?

If you have a whole house backwashing GAC system and a softener, a 3 stage RO is probably ideal for you. If you have no treatment, then a 4-5 stage may be better. If you want to remineralize, this can be a combo filter or a separate additional stage.

Hope this helps. PM sent.
 

Reach4

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Just thinking... If I were to get a remineralization filter for drinking water, I think it would be nice to have a tap for straight RO water for cleaning purposes. For example, I rinse eyeglasses, windows, and mirrors after cleaning with a spray of distilled water, so I would want to use RO water the same.

A tap that lets you select would be good. Maybe that's already an available product.
 

Bannerman

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We first obtained our R/O unit as we knew we wanted additional filtering than the carbon filter we had been using. At the time, I knew little how a R/O process operated but proceeded to purchase a unit from a local retailer along with our softener. As the R/O had been equipped with a CTA membrane that could tolerate chlorine, it was equipped with a pre-sediment filter, not carbon. I then installed my existing 10" filter housing ahead of the R/O for the sediment element and inserted a carbon element where the sediment element originally had been located.

The original CTA membrane has since been replaced with a more thorough and now standard TFC membrane which is replaced every 2-4 years.

The remineralization filter was since added about 3 years ago. http://www.maxwaterflow.com/104052


Reach: I am in process of installing an non remineralized faucet in the laundry room for that purpose and to fill our clothes iron and ultrasonic humidifier during the winter.
 

Wojo42

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Great posts everyone. I know very little about R/O and what I'm looking for at this time. We are currently on well water and since the original owners softener has gone to crap (just ordered a flex) our water has a very earthy taste and smell as well as an iron stain although our test numbers show up low.
I'm not sure if it's mental, but I want the reassurance of drinking pure/no sediment/ earthy irony water so I can stop drinking bottled water.
 

ditttohead

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My RO system feeds a large storage tank. The outlet of the tank feeds faucets in the house, and a tee'd line goes to a DI tank which feeds my lab faucet in the garage and a carwash. A remin filter or Alkaline filter is great for adding a little mineral taste to the water. I like the mineral taste, some people do not.

Earthy taste... a softener is porobably not going to fix that. Have you tested for Tannins? Did you have a good water test done in the last year or so? Post the results so we can see what is going on.
 

Wojo42

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This was about a year ago. I've been wanting to do another, but currently a test like this cost a pretty penny and I've been using it on other things in the house (upgrading heating, insulation ect. ). Is there a cost efficient test you guys would recommend that allows me to test yearly if not more?

View attachment 23812
 
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Reach4

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Is there a cost efficient test you guys would recommend that allows me to test yearly if not more?View attachment 23812

Not that I know of. The tests that you send off are significantly over $100, which some would find cost-efficient. http://www.ntllabs.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=NTL&Category_Code=Well+Water AKA http://watercheck.com/products.html is often recommended. There are DIY test kits that each lets you test some particular thing, such as pathogenic bacteria, iron, hardness, that you could use yourself.

If you were just looking for safety tests, your county might offer something significantly cheaper. That is usually testing for bacteria and maybe nitrates, but not iron, manganese, sulfate etc.

Your water test looks good. The thing that would affect taste that I saw is iron. That is a moderate amount of iron, and you might see orange staining in your toilet tanks. A water softener could remove your 0.69ppm of iron. Soft water is better to feed to an RO system because hard water is harder on the life of the membrane. I find numbers for that effect, however.

Your test did not test for tannins, but with a pH of 7.79, tannins seem less likely.

So softener, RO with permeate pump, or both all seem like reasonable options to me to give better tasting water. I have an iron+sulfur filter. I drink the output of that (hard but iron gone), and I also drink softened water.
 

ditttohead

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Your water looks fairly common, nothing really jumps out. Small amount of iron, no tannin test. Tannins can give an earthy/musty odor to the water and is often a cause of color in the water. Some describe it as a weak tea...
tannins are usually an annoyance rather than a safety issue. Not the nicest thing to drink, smell, or bathe in, but usually no health risk.

If it doesn't bother you other than your drinking water, then a properly designed RO is a good option. Just stay away from the lowest price units, I have tons of pictures of system failures and house floods caused by RO systems. The past decade has seen a great drop in system quality as every company tries to be the lowest price. A reasonably priced RO with high quality components will serve you well. And do not be fooled by companies claiming their RO's are made in the USA, we have purchased many RO systems that make this claim and were unable to find a single USA made part inside of them. Maybe they mean the box is made in the USA?
 
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