Buying a rodi unit need help?

chris124 · Jul 4, 2014

I need some help buying my first rodi unit. Like what do you think is the best. Right now i;m getting my water from Bjs and its getting old. When I started my tank a year ago I used tap water and killed my shrimp because of nitrates in the water. I started using ro water and the nitrate problem went away. My water company is aqua nc and its well water. So about how long do you think the filters would last. I was looking at the BRS value system 4 stage 75gpd what do you think? Thanks.

ETORRES477 · Jul 4, 2014

That BRS value system works great. The best unit depends on what your looking for, if your looking for value that BRS you mentioned is perfect, if your looking for bells and whistles like built in TDS meters and other add-ons there are many to choose from. Water making efficiency is also better on higher end units if your concerned with your water bill. The end result your looking for is pure water with a TDS reading of zero.

AZDesertRat · Jul 4, 2014

No other vendor compares to Spectrapure and you can get their 90 GPD system for $140 on sale. They are the only vendor to specially treat all their membranes wich is shown to improve the performance and to custom blend all their DI resins for specific uses like reef tanks which both add up to a lower cost of ownership for you the end user.

chris124 · Jul 4, 2014

ETORRES477 said:
That BRS value system works great. The best unit depends on what your looking for, if your looking for value that BRS you mentioned is perfect, if your looking for bells and whistles like built in TDS meters and other add-ons there are many to choose from. Water making efficiency is also better on higher end units if your concerned with your water bill. The end result your looking for is pure water with a TDS reading of zero.

Thanks. I will probably get the BRS. About how long do the filters last?

feh · Jul 4, 2014

chris124 said:
Thanks. I will probably get the BRS. About how long do the filters last?

Depends on the water in your area. When they are visually dirty, change them out to help make the membrane last longer.

chris124 · Jul 4, 2014

feh said:
Depends on the water in your area. When they are visually dirty, change them out to help make the membrane last longer.

Thanks.

AZDesertRat · Jul 4, 2014

Visually dirty is not an indicator of filter condition.

Sediment and carbon block filters are normally changed every 6 months like clockwork regardless of amount of water made. If you use quality low micron filters, not BRS sediment filters since they are way too coarse to protect the pores in the carbon block, the RO membrane should last 3-5 years or more. I am at about 7 years on my membrane now and expect to go past 10 years but I use good replacements in the proper micron sizes.
The DI resin can last as little as 150 gallons or less or as long as 1000 gallons or more with better systems.

Research thoroughly before you buy, the BRS economy system is not all that great, you can do much better and for about the same or less money.

00ninja00 · Jul 6, 2014

Usually for the average hobbyist, the BRS systems are plenty. Seems like most advance guys use spectra pure. I have both and in the past, I've had an aquasafe canada and an AWI typhoon and they're all basically the same exact thing on the outside. You can change out the BRS membranes later, when it's time to change, to the spectra pure stuff and now you have a "spectra pure!"

AZDesertRat · Jul 6, 2014

They are not all the same on the inside or outside even though they may look similar. You get what you pay for.
Spectrapure and Buckeye Hydro are two of the only vendors to use the much more accurate capillary tube flow restrictors which you the end user can trim or adjust for an exact waste ratio, the others mentioned used fixed restrictors that may or may not be close to the manufacturers recommended waste ratio. There are many canister and housing manufacturers on the market, some good some not so good and are prone to hairline cracks in the lids which lead to failures.

Research your purchase. It will be money in your pocket when you purchase the correct system the first time and no upgrades or modifications are necessary. Sure Spectrapures better filters, membranes and DI resins will fit in and improve any of the above but why not start with the best to begin with? Doesn't make sense not to.

Dalmatia · Jul 7, 2014

Just make sure you have a TDS meter on it for your water out! I have one for in and out. Just so you know when to change filters
It's a 5 stage, 80gpd spectrapure

Dalmatia · Jul 7, 2014

You can always buy TDS meters separately. Hand held or ones that hook up to your ro/di

AZDesertRat · Jul 7, 2014

A good handheld TDS meter is 10x more versatile and accurate as inlines which lack temperature compensation. You can also test much more with the handheld such as your tap water, RO only, RO/DI, your ATO storage, bottled water, LFS water, vending machine water, your buddies water etc. The inline cannot be used portable since it depends on flow in the tee past the probe so is limited . I have two dual inline meters and never even turn them on anymore, they never agree with any of my handhelds which all seem to be very close.

Dalmatia · Jul 8, 2014

I guess I'll be getting one this weekend, thank for the tip

backdraft310 · Jul 8, 2014

The BRS systems are great i have one and love it

AZDesertRat · Jul 8, 2014

You can do much better than BRS for RO/DI. They are average at best in both price and quality. Sediment filters are way too coarse, membranes are dry, untreated and untested off the shelf, DI is standard bulk stuff not custom blended for reef use nor tested for quality and flow restrictors are fixed type that may or may not be accurate for your conditions. I love their chemicals but they need to do better on RO/DI.

Dalmatia · Jul 10, 2014

AZDesertRat said:
You can do much better than BRS for RO/DI. They are average at best in both price and quality. Sediment filters are way too coarse, membranes are dry, untreated and untested off the shelf, DI is standard bulk stuff not custom blended for reef use nor tested for quality and flow restrictors are fixed type that may or may not be accurate for your conditions. I love their chemicals but they need to do better on RO/DI.

Which handheld TDS meter is the best you think?