What Purely H20 unit to get?

[deputy1234]

I am looking to purchase a Purely H20 R/O DI unit from reefperfection but I was wondering which one to get. I am trying to decide between the Optima Automated edition or the the Optima Chloramine Advanced. I prefer to get the Optima Automated edition because of price. Is the extra Catalytic carbon filter needed for filtering London Tap Water?

One other question, I plan on using this unit as drinking water as well. Would I just need to T off the line in between the 75 gpd RO element and Deionization chamber for both units?


Also, I would like to know what R/O DI unit everyone is using in London.




Thanks
Dany

[kghowe]

I doubt I'm the water "guru" here by any means, but I can say that of all the municipalities, London water isn't the worst out there. I live in the south end of the city, in a house that's just about to turn 50, so all the pipes are at least copper and not lead. I have my Spectra-Pure unit hooked up to the laundry tub with an inline TDS meter. Leaving the tap, it's consistently between 107 and 117 ppm. My ro/di unit is rated for 75gpd, and has the sediment filter, the carbon block, Di cartridge and the membrane. It has performed flawlessly for me and my needs, and it too is just T-d off to get plain ole RO drinking water for the family when needed. It's pretty simple especially when using john guest fittings. As for the Spectrapure units, I prefer them personally over all other units in existence, and genuinely believe the membranes are of a higher quality and last longer, leading to great water at a lower long term cost. I also have a spectrapure RO unit at our cottage that I inherited. At least give them a look at their website and see if there's anything to compare. Not that there's anything wrong with the unit you're looking at. They're good as well from the things I have heard.

[kghowe]

Oh and hey, if on the off chance you've got a lot of cash to burn, or you're paying back the girlfriend/wife for that unexpected shopping trip she took with her friends, go and google the word "dialyseas" . It should be the first result that comes up. Now THAT is automated, and a water system for aquariums that you'd never regret purchasing lol :lolol:

[ajx22]

FYI - The best residential TFC membrane available is made by DOW Filmtec.

The 2 best RO/DI units I've found for marine aquatic life support would be either PurelyH2O or AquaFX units. This is all covered in the AP.ca RO/DI write-ups that can be read by clicking on >> RO/DI <<.

Cookie cutter RO/DI units simply don't work. Water is NOT the same in all areas; and there needs to be options to accommodate those variences (ie. Chloramine vs. Chlorine, well-water, various sediment / carbon block micron ratings, etc.). A trained CUSTOM RO/DI builder can accommodate this variences; and a cookie-cutter unit cannot.

Food for thought.

[kghowe]

Oh there are plenty of brands out there that would scare me. Just do a search on ebay and you'll find plenty of fly by night operations that are here today gone tomorrow willing to steal your cash on an inferior product in every way. Sadly, people see the rock bottom price and can't wait to buy it and install it in their homes for all kinds of different uses.

I'm wondering if you can link me to some data that show Spectrapure units can't cut it. I know several people in the MACL club have both units, the Purely H20, and the spectrapure. Until now I haven't encountered anyone that's unhappy with either company to be honest, but I'm certainly willing to replace my unit with a better one if there's actual data that's been independently evaluated on the two. I tried searching for that data but couldn't come up with anything but happy customers supporting both units. It appears though that you've done more research on the subject than I have given you've written a lot on ro/di in the past, and as I said I'm hardly the water Guru. If you could maybe post some of the links or data that's not anecdotal that would be great!

[ajx22]

Oh there are plenty of brands out there that would scare me. Just do a search on ebay and you'll find plenty of fly by night operations that are here today gone tomorrow willing to steal your cash on an inferior product in every way. Sadly, people see the rock bottom price and can't wait to buy it and install it in their homes for all kinds of different uses.

I'm wondering if you can link me to some data that show Spectrapure units can't cut it. I know several people in the MACL club have both units, the Purely H20, and the spectrapure. Until now I haven't encountered anyone that's unhappy with either company to be honest, but I'm certainly willing to replace my unit with a better one if there's actual data that's been independently evaluated on the two. I tried searching for that data but couldn't come up with anything but happy customers supporting both units. It appears though that you've done more research on the subject than I have given you've written a lot on ro/di in the past, and as I said I'm hardly the water Guru. If you could maybe post some of the links or data that's not anecdotal that would be great!
I never said they 'can't cut it'.

I simply stated that DOW Filmtec manufacturers the #1 TFC membrane available to the residential market; and that Spectrapure makes a one-filter-fits-all-applications unit. They do not offer built-to-situation filters, and as such, will never be perfect in all applications. There are many variables in water that need to be taken into consideration - ie. levels of TDS , levels of sediment, age of plumbing, Chloramine vs. Chlorine, water pressure, etc.

Hope this makes sense.

[kghowe]

That makes more sense yes. I thought the point being made was that the spectrapure was a poor choice, and if that was true, then I would certainly want to know that, and also talk to some of the club guys about that. Thanks for the clarification. I tend to like Spectrapure because I've had good success with the product in my situation(s). I like that their customer service is absolutely top shelf in an era where that's seriously on the decline for many companies, and I like that they've been around for 20 years now unlike some of the other junk you see out and floating about that's here today and gone tomorrow with no support when you call in a panic and they don't answer the phone. I've also liked how Spectrapure has a 100% guarantee on a 98% rejection rate which in theory makes for a lot more life from your membrane without having to replace it (I've read that the filmtec membranes contain small print that says you may get up to -20% off their rating depending on the circumstance and batch you purchased. Is that true or not? I haven't seen a box that one comes in personally to verify that) I also like that they are very open and receptive to people challenging their claims and guarantees about their products. That said, these things do nothing to take away from other companies and their efforts mind you. As I mentioned, there are a bunch of MACL'ers with H20 units that I know are just as happy with that product, and very much recommend it to anyone looking for a new unit. I just didn't want to come to find out that all the things I thought were quality in the unit I purchased were now untrue, or false when i have spent 1000's of dollars on my system (the last thing you want to be the culprit in wrecking your system is something as basic as the water you're using). I know ORG actively sells spectrapure, and I'm pretty sure Reefraft was selling them as well, and they seemed like pretty credible people to me.

Again I think it just comes down to buying a reputable brand that fits your situation. But one should definitely stay away from a 5 stage unit selling for less than 50 bucks on ebay lol ;)

[Dewey]

Good thread. I purchased a Purely H2O Automated system from Ian at Reefperfection. We discussed what my raw water parameters were and what I hoped to accomplish by the automated top up tank. The water provided so far has been great and it sure beats slugging water bottles every time I need to do a water change.
Up to this point I had been using an RO system only without a DI. Periodically I would suffer from red hair algae, but now I'm using DI water I haven't seen any. The proof truly is in the pudding.
I would discuss your water requirements with an experienced water pro that has a background in dealing with Marine aquarium requirements.
Heck... I work in London, but I couldn't tell you if they add chlorine or chloramine to their drinking water. How you respond to either will make a difference in your system.
Go see the pros. There are a few out there.
HTH
Dewey

[deputy1234]

I've done somemore reasearch and found out that London receives its treated water from both Lake Huron Water Supply System and the Elgin Area Water Supply System ( http://www.watersupply.london.ca/water_education.html ).
After somemore reading I found out Chlorine is added to the water suppy. Seems like the Optima Automated edition will be suficient. ALthough the the Optima Chloramine Advanced does have some more features.

[kghowe]

....and since you've done your due dilligence, it also wouldn't hurt to consider future needs in your scenario so that you future-proof your purchase... Good luck in whichever you choose, and like Dewey mentions, you can't go wrong by sitting down and talking about your goals and objectives with Ian or whoever it is you're going to make the purchase from. Try to consider now and what might be coming and you'll be fine! Good luck!