I live in a super hard water region. So hard in fact that it destroys every appliance despite regular descaling. I’ve remineralized 5l jugs of demineralized water for years but I feel it’s not very sustainable in the long term. Plus demineralized water is not supposed to be safe for human consumption.
I’m looking for an affordable RO system that removes most if not all TDS so I can remineralize it using my favorite recipe.
Do you use any? What are your thoughts? Thanks !
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The RO system is dependent on the membrane. Theres a level of standardization for membranes and pre-filters. This is an example: https://www.freshwatersystems.com/products/axeon-5-stage-ro-system-50-75-gpd Conversely, there’s a lot of branded systems that require special format filters and membranes (https://www.premierh2o.com/ro-pure-plus-voc-system), which can naturally only be sourced from the manufacturer. A good 4-stage system can be sourced for about $200 give or take.
RO was developed to desalinate water. Therefore, if you use a salt-based ion exchange water softener (the standard water softener) and then run that through an RO, it’ll be a pretty straightforward process. The more pressure you can provide up front (within the specs of the system), the more efficient the system will be. (Actually, it’s the pressure differential that really makes a difference, so if you’re pulling out one cup at a time, it’s less efficient than pulling out a litre). If your water is very hard, there will be more brine produced. There are ways to minimize that waste (effectively by injecting it into the hot water supply), if that’s important to you.
A distiller will have the same problems any boiler will have.
I’ve got a softener and a RO. It comes in between 450 and 550ppm and leaves around 30-70ppm. You typically want to see a >90% reduction; less than that and the membrane needs replacing or you may have pressure issues.
Why is"demineralized" water not safe? How is it demineralized?
Have you thought about getting a water filter for your water supply? Reverse osmosis or ion exchange.
ELI5: Your body runs on slightly salty water, aka saline. By drinking “pure” /demineralized water, you reduce the concentration. If you only drink distilled water with no other mineral intake, you will start bursting/killing your cells due to osmosis. However, most everyone has plenty of salt/minerals in their diet anyways from food, so it’s not a problem for most people. TLDR: don’t go on an all distilled water diet, and you’ll be fine.
Not specifically RO, but even better IMO: https://www.megahomedistiller.com/
Also, it’s Made in Taiwan, so not supporting China.
I’ve been using this one for over ten years and it’s amazing. Don’t need to buy any filters at all, it’s very simple and has just one button. Distilling is supposed to be even better than RO, too.
I’ve been drinking mainly distilled water the whole time and I’m totally fine. The stuff about it being bad for you is nonsense.
$400 for a kettle with a condensation coil? No thanks. Wastes a ton of electricity boiling the water too, so the long term costs are way higher as well.
