RO System Question for everyone - Orchid Board

Ray · #1 12-15-2007, 10:51 AM

I am thinking about adding RO systems and components to my product line, as it looks like I can get top quality components and still offer better prices than I typically see on the retail front. I believe I can offer 50 or 60 gpd systems for about the same price or better than most retailers offer 25 gpd systems. I probably wouldn't offer anything smaller, as the cost differential is minimal, larger-capacity systems refill quicker, and there's nothing that says you have to use the entire capacity!

The concept is to offer replacement components, as well as complete systems, but it's the definition of "complete" that's the sticking point, as I don't want to have to carry too many components.

The "standard" 4-stage unit on the market consists of a saddle valve to tap into an exiting water line, a sediment prefilter, carbon prefilter to remove chlorine and organic compounds, membrane with outlet flow restrictor, drain saddle for the flush water, auto shutoff valve, a 3- or 4-gallon pressure tank (that's the maximum amount of instantly-available water), and a faucet. Typically they are installed under a sink, with the faucet installed in one of the holes next to your normal faucet.

My own system does not use the tank or faucet, as I store the water in a large tank instead. Do you think it's worth including them in my own standard system?

Spider · #2 12-15-2007, 10:57 AM

Good on you Ray. I use Peters fertilizer with my RO-water.

smweaver · #3 12-15-2007, 01:03 PM

Hi, Ray. I would say that yes, it's a good idea to add the tank and faucet. I have the standard retail RO unit you described, and it's mounted just as you said, under the kitchen sink with the outlet faucet above. The tank is small, with a holding capacity of maybe five gallons. But for my needs now, it's sufficient. I'm in the process of building a house, and I'm having a much larger unit--something that produces, I think, around 80 gallons per day--installed in the kitchen, with a line that feeds all the way out to cabinet-mounted sink that's being installed in the large conservatory that's going to be around twenty feet from the kitchen and runs along the back side of the house. Since I'm going to have the same sort of arrangement with a faucet mounted in the conservatory, I do think it's a decent idea to include them in your standard system (but this, of course, is just one guy's opinion :-). Good luck!

Steve

Becca · #4 12-15-2007, 04:04 PM

Ray I think that is a great idea! I was on a trial rental from Culligan and I opted to purchase the system. I have 3 days to back out of the purchase, and I am going to check into what else is available for me before the 3 days is up. I think I have the standard 4-stage system and I know I have a 3 gallon tank, and it refills pretty quickly, or at least quickly to me.....I can pull 2 or 3 gallons from it every few hours or so and that is plenty for now, but I am not sure how many gpd it is rated at. I just wonder if I am being ripped off from the company, they were so pushy for me to purchase it, but I didn't want to be stuck making rental payments for the rest of my life either. The purchase price is 897.00 and then my financing would make the total purchase price of 1,091.16. I can have it paid off in 3 years at 30.31 a month plus 60.00 a year for the filters and another 100.0 every 5 or so years for the membrane, or I could continue renting the system on a month to month basis for 36.00 a month. Well I am not sure if this info helps you or not, but if you think you can offer a better deal then I say go for it!

Here is a link to what I have: Culligan Good Water Machine Drinking Water System Owners Guide

The model is an AC30 Good Water Machine, I found in the link that it is a 30gpd supposively because the AC30.

joe_orch · #5 12-15-2007, 04:16 PM

Ray, I live in Wisconsin and my house has a basement in which I have my RO unit. It is a 24gpd unit and I drain it into a 35 gallon drum on which there is a valve so I can fill empty milk jugs. In this case I have no need for the pressurized tank. The unit is mounted on the wall and is fed from the main pipe from a saddle valve. This set-up works fine for me, I have about 120 orchids, and never run out of RO water.

Joe

Ray · #6 12-15-2007, 04:26 PM

Rebecca - don't do it! That seems to be a total rip-off to me.

A unit of that capacity shouldn't be more than a couple of hundred dollars.

AHAB · #7 12-15-2007, 10:10 PM

Hey Ray,
Can you make it an option?
Sell one package with and one without for one year and see how it pans out.
AHAB
(Jim In Maitland, Fl)

goodgollymissmolly · #8 12-16-2007, 06:57 AM

Ray, I'm with AHAB. There are so many potential customers that only need a residential style under sink unit that you cannot ignore that market segment. However, larger units without the "kitchen" parts and styling would most appeal to larger hobbyists and greenhouse growers. I think you need both.

Some of the advertised units are mysterious even to me because I have trouble understanding (and believing) the "claimed" specifications. If you handled this stuff and could advise users on their needs and answer questions when necessary, I think you would be swamped with business.

I hope you will do it. I might just get one to augment my rain collection through droughts (which now seem the norm for our weather....but not this week). I use about 30 gallons per day of water during the summer months, but it varies between 10 and 60 depending on which plants are the daily schedule.

BTW..different point...since I upgraded to Norton Internet Security 2008, your homepage crashes my Internet Explorer 7.0. On my other computer with Norton 07 things work fine. So far I have not been able to find the key to fixing it. The other pages of your site load and run fine, but regardless of the route I take to your homepage, the thing crashes 100% of the time. If I find out why, I'll let you know meanwhile you might be aware that others could encounter this problem as they upgrade firewalls. I have not had crashes on any other site.

gmdiaz · #9 12-16-2007, 11:46 AM

Ray, I wish you would carry the ro units. . .I'd like one for total use in the home.

Edited to add: And I would like for someone, that I trust, to tell me what to buy to end up with a good system. . .LOLOLOL I don't understand all the info that is claimed on the boxes at Home Depot.

AHAB · #10 12-16-2007, 04:56 PM

Hey Ray,
I used a float valve like the one below in a fifty gallon barrel it shuts off the RO when it has gotten to the level you preset.
This really helps since you can turn it on and walk away without the worry of an overflow.
This might be good for the other option.
Thanks again for all you do!
AHAB
Float Valves
page:Float Valves