As I have chronicled the original Reverse Osmosis system I installed at my home died. Some research later, I bought a more robust replacement, and a rather pain-free installation, and I have outstanding water.
Just how outstanding? Well, the measure of quality is the concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS), and there are a variety of means to measure it. Since I had consumed one of my Flowlok pellets (I had a slight leak), I needed to order more. Alas, the shipping was more than the cost of the “pellets” so I just padded my order, adding a TDS meter.
Once it arrived, I tested the three sources of water in our house. The tap, the refrigerator dispenser (that has a filter), and the RO system. As I mentioned previously, our water is delivered via Great Oaks Water, and it is predominantly well water, and very hard.
The tap water measured at 376PPM TDS. That is not out of tolerance, but it is very hard water, and the mineral buildup on our fixtures are a testament to how hard the water is. It also has a noticeable taste that isn’t enjoyable.
The refrigerator – an LG – has an in-door dispenser of filtered water and ice. There is a cartridge filter and we keep it replaced as per their recommendations. It measured at 303PPM TDS. Better, but still not great. The water out of the refrigerator does taste better than tap, but it does have a noticeable flavor to it.
Out of the Reverse Osmosis system, it was 33ppm. Right in the ballpark for what is expected. The taste of the water is indistinguishable from the bottled water that you pay big $$$ for. Mission accomplished.
While the meter was a bit of a splurge (and less than $20) it will be useful when we change the pre-filters every year, and the membrane after 3 years to verify that all is well.
Today, my task is to hookup the system to the refrigerator.
