Does whole house reverse osmosis make sense?
The short answer is "YES" but that doesn't mean that it is for everyone. We will consider the pros and cons of a whole-house RO system and you can decide if it is for you or not. First of all, water quality varies greatly from well water to surface water to municipal water. Well water may have things like iron, sulfur, manganese and tannin which almost always have to be removed, especially in the case of a whole-house RO system. Those contaminants must always be removed before the reverse osmosis process. Let's not forget that reverse osmosis removes the largest spectrum of contaminants at the most economical cost of any water treatment process. Essentially, a whole house reverse osmosis system will remove 98 to 99% of most contaminants including Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), sodium, chloride, sulfate, nitrate, arsenic and a plethora of other chemical and organic contaminants. One of the key ingredients to a whole house reverse osmosis system is proper per-treatment, which includes removing the iron, sulfur, manganese, tannin and other nuisance elements. So, ahead of an RO system, it is essential that filtration or oxidation of these contaminants are accomplished. If the water is hard, then it needs to be softened or (what I prefer) use an anti-scalant to prevent hard water build-up on the membranes. Anti-scalant systems are gaining popularity because no water is wasted and no salt is needed. A whole house RO system consists of the aforementioned pre-treatment, the reverse osmosis system itself, an atmospheric storage tank, a re-pressurization pump, ultraviolet light or Quantum Disinfection and sometimes a calcite filter to raise the pH or add some TDS back to the water. Here is what a city water whole-house RO system might look like:
Who might need a whole house reverse osmosis system? Lots of people. It could be health related in that they may want to remove as many chemicals as possible from their water. Many people have a sensitivity to such chemicals and therefore need a whole house RO system. In other cases, it may be that there are contaminants in the water that create ascetic issues such as high chlorides, sodium, sulfates and others. Sometimes we see water that has TDS levels in excess of 2,000 PPM (the USEPA recommends drinking water that is below 500 PPM). I'll grant you that the water you use to flush your toilet doesn't have to be super clean, but the amount of water used for flushing toilets in very insignificant compared to most other uses for water in your home. Washing dishes or clothes, bathing, shampooing, shaving and cleaning in clean reverse osmosis water is a pure joy. Back in the day, people used to bathe in rainwater, which is generally absolutely soft. When I was in Haiti a few years ago, we would wait for a heavy rainstorm and stand underneath a downspout plume just to enjoy a good shower. With shorts on and a bar of soap, we enjoyed every second of that shower. If taking a shower in the cleanest water on the planet, without chemicals, pesticides and hardness appeals to you, then maybe you are a candidate for a whole house reverse osmosis system. If you want to be able to drink from any faucet in the home, then maybe a whole house RO system is for you. Maybe you just want the best water possible. If so, a home whole house reverse osmosis system may just be what the doctor ordered! Cheers!
141 Comments
This statement is not always true: RO water is very corrosive regardless of pH. The truth is, that it depends upon what the incoming TDS is. If the incoming TDS is high, then the RO water will not be corrosive. If it is not high and appears to be corrosive we can raise the pH or add a little hardness back to the water. Most water heaters and faucets have linings which are impervious to corrosion.
Mike,
We can solve all of the problems, including corrosion. I do need to know more about your water. Do you have a more detailed water analysis?
Yes, I agree. We will get professional journalists to write who know nothing about water. You will have an enjoyable reading experience but fixing your water may be a problem. Is that OK?
Is form over function what you are seeking? I am the writer. I have a college education, but I admit I am not a journalist. I do have 45 years of water treatment experience and am one of the highest certified Master Water Specialists in the USA, but if you want a journalist to treat your water then that can be arranged. The problem is: I may not write that well but he knows nothing about water
I do recall verb-subject agreement, but does the journalist know about the role of the Langelier Saturation Index or competing contaminants in treating your water? Sometimes, you cant have the whole package, but you might have to decide what is most important Good Water or Good Grammar?
Nobody has put out more water treatment content than me the past 15 years (by tenfold), so I apologize if I make a few mistakes in grammar. You get what you pay for and thats the best water treatment experts in the USA (grammar aside). #noghostwriters
Here are our basic systems:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/systems/reverse-osmosis/whole-house-reverse-osmosis-systems
You would be wise to call, us and talk to a water specialist about your particular application.
You have to take the iron and sulfur out before a RO anyway.
Heres the 100% guaranteed way to do it:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/infusion-backwashing-filter-for-iron-sulfur-and-manganese-removal.html
I would use something like this:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-craftromaster-5000-gpd-beer-brewing-system.html
Please call us for further sizing.
Yes, but we would need to have a detailed water analysis to know what other competing contaminants there are and other things.
You would need a commercial-graded system similar to one of our craft beer brewing systems:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-craftromaster-7000-gpd-beer-brewing-system.html
Steven,
I would need to know a lot more about your water, like Silica levels, Langalier Index, Cation and Anion breakdown before I could answer intelligently. Our newest systems operate at 80 psi and at up to 80% recovery, so they waste only 11 gallon per every 4 gallons made, but a detailed water test is vital:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-lab-water-test.html
Whether you can add another membrane depends upon the water test, the pump and motor.
I would try this. No guarantees, but it has a charge that traps the particles. There is no way to know how long it will last. It could be a long time or not!
I would put a 5 and 1 micron filter ahead of it, like these:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-big-blue-4-5-x-20-dual-filtration-system.html
Yes, we do. Here are the tests we recommend:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-lab-water-test.html
If you have sulfur, it must be oxidized before a reverse osmosis system. Once we have the water test, we can tell you exactly what to do and guarantee the results.
You should be able to treat your water for less than a third of that! If you need whole house RO, then we have systems that waste 1 gallon for every 4 gallons they make. However, it may be possible to remove it without RO.
I would need to see a detailed water test first. If you dont have one, then this is what you need: https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-lab-water-test.html
Ted,
Here are the US WAter American Revolution RO systems:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/systems/reverse-osmosis/whole-house-reverse-osmosis-systems
Kinetico systems are sold through dealers who pay commissioned sales people 20-30% to sell them. We sell direct, and cut-out the middlemen and offer a system with a lot more features at a lower price:
in LongevityStainless Steel Membrane Housings
Stainless Steel RO Pumps
Uses 40% to 50% Less Energy
3-Year System Warranty
Made in the USA
Legendary Technical Support
I can estimate such a system only if I know exactly what is in the water and at what levels. Thi si Step 1 to a successful water treatment system:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-lab-water-test.html
Step 1: Get a detailed water test from a US EPA approved lab. Then we can talk.
You wont find a better test at half this price:
https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-lab-water-test.html
Once we know what is in the water, we can tell you how to fix it for certain.