I have a standard BRS RO/DI unit and its time to change everything except the RO membrane. i know im gonna get the color changing DI resin but i need help choosing the first two filters. the sediment filter and the carbon block, if i need a carbon block, assuming i do even though im on well water not city water.
Get FILTKIT-2PK-0.5CFSF 0.5 micron absolute rated sediment and 0.5 micron 20,000 gallon carbon block for $25 and DI-SB-10HC Super SilicaBuster for $24. Forget the color indicating resins, most are inaccurate and its too late by the time it turns colors. A handheld TDS meter is the only accurate method for reef keeping.
Much better filters than you will find elsewhere and the DI will last many times longer
The reason I recommend those particular filters is they do a better job of protecting your expensive RO membrane so it will work better and last longer. You may not know you can see 40 microns with the unaided human eye so a 5.0 nominal micron sediment filter is very coarse compared to a 0.5 absolute micron sediment filter. The smaller micron size and the fact it is absolute rated means it protects the carbon block which not only removes chlorine bu talso organics and volatiles present even in groundwater. Of course the more efficient and clean the membrane is the longer the DI will last so it all adds up to less money per gallon produced over time.
Last edited by AZDesertRat; 03-18-2013 at 02:40 PM.
I agree that SpectraPure is a great company with quality products. However, I ordered very similar sediment and carbon filters from Premium Aquatics. PA-RO-DELUXE Premium Aquatics - PA-RO-DELUXE Aquarium Supplies I just couldn't justify paying more than twice the price for SpectraPure filters (which are replaced every 6 months). I also picked up DI resin from them too. Premium Aquatics is also a CR sponsor.
Not the same and only $5 less. Where does theirs say it is an absolute rated filter and do they have a test facility where they can actually put them through their paces before selling them? Also the carbon is 0.6 microns vs 0.5 which in itself may not be a huge deal but again Spectrapure has a tes tfacility where they test everything for thousands of hours before offering it to their customers.
The resin is the biggest difference. I have personaly tried every resin imaginable from wholesalers like Resin Depot and others to retailers and none compares. The difference is as much as 6 times longer life and true 18.2 megaohm resistivity using a lab quality Thornton benchtop resistivity/conductivity meter.
There really is a difference and their 27+ years in business and all the research and development and patents and trademarks are real.
I'm not dogging SpectraPure in the least. They are a great company and have taken good care of me in the past. In fact, I will never run any other brand membrane on my RO unit, period.
However, your math on the filters is 100% wrong... Premium Aquatics is selling the 0.5 sediment AND 0.6 carbon filters for $19.98 TOTAL (not each). Based on the prices quoted in your earlier post, getting them both from SpectraPure would cost $49.00. That's not a $5 dollar difference... more like $20 (or as I see it 50% less). And based on what Premium Aquatics told me, all sediment filters are coming from the same place (see email quote below). That could be BS, but seems reasonable to me. I highly doubt that SpectraPure is testing every single sediment filter they sell. I could be wrong though.
Hi Tom,
These are an OEM house brand that we have. Pretty much an RO filter you have is going to be this way. There are only a couple of manufacturers of these worldwide, so whether you're buying a Spectrapure, Premium Aquatics, AquaFx brand, etc., they're coming from the same source.
Thats funny, I replied to your post but it appears here that my post is #5 and yours #6 . How did that happen? Anyway the pair of filters at Spectrapure is $25, not each. And it is an absolute rated filter and 0.5 not 0.6 micron carbon of a little different composition, not much difference but it adds up.
I just switched to air,water and ice. Great products and prices and sponsor also. I am still useing silca buster DI but do like the array of filters they offer. Going to try their DI when I need to restock also. Here's a link!
I switched from AWI to Spectrapure. I was extremely dissatisfied with the AWI Typhoon III and could only get 150 gallons of treated RO/DI before the DI was exhausted no matter what I tried. I even purchased a brand new 75 GPD membrane and had Watts Premier bench test it for me since they were right around the corner from my home. Still no luck. With the AWI the best RO only TDS I could achieve was 13-15, with the MaxCap it is between 2 and 3 on the same tap water source. With the AWI the longest I could get a RO membrane to last was 23 months, with the MaxCap I am over 5 years and the rejection rate is still at 99.4%. With the AWI DI lasted 150 gallons no matter what I did, the very first MaxCap cartridge lasted 830 documented gallons, and it been over 1000 gallon each ever since. There really is a difference and I can share much more from my log books and personal testing.
First, think about the fact you can see 40 microns with the unaided human eye. Now notice they provide a very coarse 10 micron nominal rated sediment filter which lets much pass through and clog the billions of tiny microscopic pores in the carbon block rendering it useless for chlorine removal and causing a head loss to the membane so reducing its rejection rate. To somewhat make up for this they tack on a second carbon block which adds additional expense and additional head loss but its still only a 1.0 micron not a 0.5 micron. Their RO membranes are dry, untreated and untested off the shelf units so you get what you get with no guarantees.
There really is a difference and you need to research before buying. I went down tha troad many years ago as the Typhoon III was heavily promoted but it does not hold a candle to the MaxCap I replaced it with. I have honestly tried many brands and models, owning 6 different systems myself personally and keeping records and log books on all of them. In addition I have worked with most all brands in my water profession and helped friends and fellow reef hobbyists upgrade their units over the last 15+ years.
Last edited by AZDesertRat; 03-19-2013 at 03:49 PM.
I have not had that experience with the AWI array. You are correct,spectra pure makes a great product. Yet I have been getting 0 TDS indications with inline and hand held meters. I do use a spectra pure membrane and their DI and also use two add on DI's so most likely I would see the same results regardless of the brands of filters. IMO only
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Help With New RO/DI Filters
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