Glacier water store vs LFS Top Off Water

[ChamorroSD]

Just looking for an easy way to keep top off water on hand until I purchase a RO system.

I have a glacier refill station outside my local grocery store and it says they use reverse osmosis but just not sure which one to trust more.

Should I buy a gallon of glacier water and test it, if so what should I look for?

Any opinions are appreciated.

 

[Mandrew]

Maybe you could get some of each and test for TDS (total dissolved solids) That would be my only guess. I used to buy my water from Walmart at their RO water filter machine until I got sick of filling 20 1 gallon jugs every week... LOL an RO/DI unit is way worth the cost!

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

+1 to the above of buying a TDS meter. They are readily available on Amazon and fairly inexpensive insurance on what's going into your tank. The RO station should also have a service date sticker on it telling when the filters were last changed.

 

[ReeferMaddness843]

I did the Wally World thing for a bit as well to no ill effects. But definitely worth a test

 

[ChamorroSD]

Thanks for taking the time to provide some direction. It's appreciated.

 

[Kershaw]

The only difference is those machines don't use di resin. So total tds should be low but not zero. I think they might use uv in addition to 4 or 5 stages of filtration. If you look on some of the machines they explain there filtration process.

 

[cmcoker]

Both can be hit or miss and a TDS meter will tell you how pure it is. A TDS meter won't pick up things like ammonia or chlorine, important if the source water uses chloramine for disinfection. And just cause it tests good today doesn't mean it will next week, I have got tds of 5 to 200 from lfs water..

 

[ChamorroSD]

That's makes sense ..thanks for the insight .

 

[fishbox]

Personally I feel the main problem with public machines is that you have no idea when those filters were truly changed and I emphasize on truly changed. Just cuz the sticker says whatever date doesn't mean s***

 

[erinmegan85]

I used to use the machine at Walmart and then a machine at our local grocery store for top off for my Biocube for months without any ill effects. Don't think it's going to hurt until you get your RODI system. I know for me it was much cheaper to do it that way and I also didn't trust that my LFS changed out their filters on their RODI system with any regularity.