is this reverse osmosis device ok?

[neophyte]

I was browsing through the Home Depot website in search of an r/o machine, and this is one of the cheaper ones I saw. What do y'all think? Is it suitable?

Oh, there's one on Amazon too: link. Not sure what's good and what isn't.

(edited for weird typo)

[Ray]

As someone who has been using RO for over 35 years and building and selling systems for 25, let me offer a little perspective:

The Home Depot one uses proprietary components. In most systems, sediment filters should be replaced every 6 months, carbon filters every 12, and membrane and post filters every 24. Proprietary components tend to be significantly more expensive and more difficult to find.

The system on Amazon uses industry-standard components, meaning you can find them almost anywhere, and the system capacity can be upgraded by simply changing the membrane and flow restrictor. However, for orchids, you really don’t want the “alkaline demineralization” cartridge they’ve added. The goal is to have pure water to which you can control the additions. That mineralizer is there for making the purified water taste better, which is not a concern for plants.

Of the two, I’d get the one from Amazon and remove the mineralizer. It’s really a pretty good price if shipping is included.

If you have any more questions, drop me a PM with a phone number and I’ll be happy to help you better understand the ins and outs of RO. No obligation to purchase - I only drop ship residential and growers systems these days, and cannot compete with dedicated vendors.

[WaterWitchin]

Here's the one I've been using for numerous years

Amazon.com

Like this, or similar design. Inexpensive, does the job well.

[early]

Originally Posted by WaterWitchin

Here's the one I've been using for numerous years

Amazon.com

Like this, or similar design. Inexpensive, does the job well.

After buying Ph tester, cheap from amazon, which Estacion says don't work. I checked out the two I have with the pH sticks, and found that they are very inaccurate. With what I have spent in the last two years trying to acidify my very hard well water, I decided the product of R/O from Amazon, which is now on sale, is well worth the money, both for my orchids and drinking water, making ice and cooking. Thanks WW for the recommendation. NOW if I can just figure out how to attach it. My friend/handy with anything I ask of him, and I are not spending time together since the cases of covid and deaths have quadrupled this past month.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by early

NOW if I can just figure out how to attach it. My friend/handy with anything I ask of him, and I are not spending time together since the cases of covid and deaths have quadrupled this past month.

Are you wanting to “semi-permanently “ hook it up?

I sell a similar device with a garden hose adapter, as most folks use it to fill up jugs then put it away again. I use one, but have it “hard plumbed” above my laundry room sink. You need a few, relatively inexpensive parts to do so:

The first is an “angle stop adapter valve”. You simply disconnect the current faucet cold water line from the shutoff at the wall, add the adapter and reattach the line to the spigot. The feed line for the RO system connects to that.

Then a “drain saddle” helps. You drill a 3/8” hole in the sink drain pipe, clamp the drain saddle over it and connect the flush water line.

I highly recommend that you get two inline stop valves. Put one in the input water line right near the unit, and the other near the delivery end of the pure water outlet. The input valve simply turns the unit on and off, but the one in the pure water line is there to keep the membrane housing from draining between uses. If the membrane is allowed to dry out between uses, it will be worthless.