R/O Units

[etheonut]

I have had my R/O unit since 2002/2003. I haven't ever changed filters or membranes. That is a little on the long side. They recommend changing filters every year and the membrane every 3-5 depending on use. Mine gets used lightly, so I am probably just at the end of it's life.

I went on Ebay to find membranes and filter material. The first thing I discovered is that all membranes should fit all R/0 units. Btw, a starter R/0 unit costs $70 and Denny has a used one for $40. The second thing I discovered is that a membrane on Ebay (50 gpd) costs $25 (including shipping). The costs of R/O units sure has come down. I spent $100 on mine when I originally purchased it.

So, for those of you that are looking at soft water fish and aren't sure if you can do it or not, well, water quality is a lot more reasonably priced than it was even 5 years ago.

Kevin

[pinkrblu]

So, tell me...How invasive is it to hook up an R/O unit? The only reason I haven't jumped all over the R/O unit Denny has is that Mark tends to shy away from extra equipment being hooked up to things in the house. If it is something I could hook up and use,then unhook and store somewhere, or something like that I would have a much better time having it accepted. OR if I just whine and cry and bat my eyelashes, maybe that will do... Anyway, most of you know that I love dwarf cichlids and they don't work and play well in my "so hard you can't run it through a strainer".

[etheonut]

I have mine hooked up under the sink in the spare bathroom. It takes up about half the space under the sink. They come with hangers for attaching to a wall or the underside of a cabinet under the sink. They are about 15 inches long, 15 inches tall and about 4 inches deep. They are not difficult to hook up at all. Mine is a semi-permanent fixture, but with a little rigging you could easily make it removable for storage when you aren't making water. The bulky part of my set up is where I keep the water itself. That is a 40 gallon trashcan that sits in the spare bedroom shower/tub combo.

Kevin

[dennysfishroom]

Actually, the unit I've got was supposed to be for $20. As far as hookup, all you need is one of those self-tapping saddle valves used for ice cube dispensers (about $3-5). You just put it in position on a water pipe, and it punctures the pipe by turning the on/off handle. Pretty simple with an exposed pipe. I think the outline on mine is probably about 10x15 inches and it probably sticks out 3-4 inches from the wall. It's mounted on a plate. Denny

[etheonut]

Oops, sorry Denny. That will teach me to rely on my steel trap like memory. Btw, if Kenna doesn't want that R/O unit I may buy it from you.

Kevin

[pinkrblu]

Tell you what...I'll take it for $20 and if Mark is really unhappy, I'll pass it on to Kevin for the $40 he thought Denny wanted for it! (Am I catching on to the way Kevin works, or what?)

[etheonut]

Well, if Denny hadn't spoken up, I was going to buy it for $20 and pass it on to you for $40, so it looks like you are catching on.

Kevin

[dennysfishroom]

You guys do realize that you do have 1 input tube and 2 outlet tubes don't you? One output is RO water and the other is the waste water (or you can use it for East Africans). Just so you know. My RO has 4 cartridges 1-charcoal, 2- prefilter, 3-RO membrane, and 4-another charcoal (not sure why the last one is there???) Denny

[etheonut]

The final filter of charcoal, after the RO membrane, is a polishing filter for flavor.

Kevin

[pinkrblu]

Can waste water can be used for watering plants or something? Or to water Mattie, since I think she has too much of something in her system??? Or could I sell the waste water to Kevin for the $5/gallon for science experiments at school?

[etheonut]

You can do anything with it that you would normally do with you tap water.

ONLY $5! I will take every bottle you can get!

Kevin