I'm looking at upgrading my carbon filter system under my sink to a RO system. I was wondering who has what systems and if they are on demand or not. It looks like they all have tanks for treated water storage, so do I have to pull 5 gallons, wait until the res is full, and pull another? Any help would, as always, be appreciated.
I don't have one, but the reject water rate can become expenive if you are on a municipal system. Some units reject 8 to 10 gallons for each gallon of RO.
With replacement membranes costing about half of a whole system, I'm thinking 37 cents/gal at the store is not that bad of a deal.
http://theapthomebrewer.com/2015/08...countertop-ro-filtration-system-part-1-intro/ This countertop system is really catching my eye. I don't have RO water available locally cheap so I spend a little less than 1$ per gallon for distilled. It works but getting rid of the empty bottles/boxes is a PITA
I cobbled together my own 5-stage system. The component parts are readily available. If you know what you're looking for, ebay can be a good source for generic parts. There are also good prices from many online retailers who are happy to answer your questions. Some also have a tutorial on RO. Most pre-configured systems come with a 3.2 gal tank that you really can't get 3.2 gallons out of. So figure on 2-3 days to collect 5 gallons. I use a 14 gal tank, so 5 gallons is not a problem. My municipal water is about $.003/gal. So, at a 10:1 waste ratio (probably a high estimate), my marginal cost is about 3 cents per gallon. I change the carbon and sediment filters once a year for about $15. I replace the the membrane once every 3-4 years for around $35. I use the water for lots of things besides brewing, so cost is really not an issue. Presumably, your're using malt extract. RO is not good for all grain unless you add minerals. Nothing wrong with that, since it adds a whole new level of flexibility.
@mikehartigan I am brewing all grain and want to start building my water from scratch. I cant find a water report from my city that goes into minerals and salts, so why not start from scratch? It is starting to sound like a P.I.T.A. though.
I can do about 12 batches of beer with $42 of store bought RO. Instead, I'm springing for the Ward Water Test. Hopefully there'll be some good news in the report.
Check this company out http://www.reverseosmosisrevolution.com/home.php Reasonable price. Good performance. Tankless.
Mine is 3+ times that per gallon, so it might add up. I need to look at RO in the house again, it might be doable. The reduced hassle of getting it from the store and burning less gas has some value too. The local brewery has a nano filtration set up, cheaper filters and less back flush. They get down to 20-30 ppm with 650-700 ppm tap water. Next time I am in there I might ask about where they sourced it.
i'll throw this vendor in the ring as well...zero experience, but was looking at them recently. I've been wanting to get one...but found just a few miles from my house, water goes from like 270ppm to like 40ppm. I'm pretty sure i'd give up on making coffee via drip system to say the least...
You will want a RO/DI system if you want to start with nothing in your water. Check out airwaterice.com and bulkreefsupply.com. Rejection rates are best on 75 GPD systems. Waste water is about 4:1 but you can cut that by adding a second membrane and a pressure pump. I have a dual membrane system with pump from airwaterice.com that I use for a saltwater reef tank and store the water in a 60 gal plastic tank. I use this for all my brewing and build my water to the style I am making. Water is relatively inexpensive where I live so depending on where you are it could be an additional cost. As far as changing out membranes every couple of years, I have had the same 2 membranes for 10 years and still get 0 TDS out of it. The key is flushing the membranes every time you use it and making larger batches in one shot. The pre-filters need to be changed out every 6 to 12 months depending on how much crap is in your water.
I use the following system.. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-4-stage-ro-only-system-75gpd-2.html Sometimes that system goes on sale for as low as $119.00 but it's currently $149.00 I just use a faucet adapter to hook it up to the kitchen sink when I need to make water, then I tuck it away until needed again. I don't use any tank to hold the water. Instead I use 5 gallon poland spring water cooler bottles and/or a 14 gallon hdpe storage bucket I have. I change the carbon filter out about 1x per year and the RO member about every 4 years. Simple, effective, and cheap. P.S. You can always send samples of your tap water to ward labs and pay them to do the analysis that will give you all of the info you need for brewing water. https://producers.wardlab.com/BrewersKitOrder.php
