I need to replace the filters in my spectrapure maxcap - can i use other brands of filters

[epleeds]

I priced it on spectrapure at its $100 for the four filters with shipping. Does anyone else have this system that uses another brand of replacement filters that don't cost as much?

 

How do the other filters compare with spectrapure?

 

thanks

[wade]

All RO/DI units I have ever seen use standard filter sizes for the screw on chambers that hang underneath. For anything above the unit, almost all are JG fittings and will work, although the specific holders that come with one or another might be a different size.

 

I usually use generics in mine.

Edited May 20, 2013 by wade

[sachabballi reef]

I always use AWI and they are great and get WAMAS disc

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

 

[Origami]

As Wade said, most all RO/DI setups use standard 10" filters that you can buy from many sources (airwaterice.com is one source and they're a club sponsor). Most of the time, the RO membrane is a fixed size, too. Unless you're getting a model that has integrated housings and filter modules, where you have to replace the housing and the filter together (unlikely that this is what you're considering), you're replacement filters should be available from multiple sources.

[corsi1330]

Buy bulk with spectrapure. A 10L max cap makes 12 max cap cartridges and runs $120 plus shipping. Also consider buying the non color changing resin as the life of the cartridge is about 10% More. Run you TDS at the discharge of the max cap to determine when to change. Obviously you would have to change the media but a huge savings over individual cartridges.

[epleeds]

nice..found that....now the question is.  Can someone tell me if its worth getting the .5 micron carbon/sediment filters for $25/pair from spectrapure or if the $12/pair from AWI with 10 micron/5 micron is worth the savings....

[corsi1330]

They also sell a 5L which will do 6 cartridges for $65. There shipping is a bit pricey but still you will save a lot of $$ going this direction

[wade]

FWIW you can also recharge old DI resin.  There are plenty of instructions online.  Its a hassle and requires some careful attention to detail, but it can be done. At one point, I collected used cylinders from people, broke them open and collected nearly 5 gallons of resin to recharge.

[thewire]

Yes, you can use the carbon filter or presidiment from whoever as long it's same size, i think 10"

[Origami]

FWIW you can also recharge old DI resin.  There are plenty of instructions online.  Its a hassle and requires some careful attention to detail, but it can be done. At one point, I collected used cylinders from people, broke them open and collected nearly 5 gallons of resin to recharge.

Recharging requires either having separated cation and anion resins, or separation of mixed bed resins to obtain the two. Most of what we get today from Bulk Reef Supply, Air Water Ice, the Filter Guys, Buckeye Field Supply, etc. is mixed bed.

 

Separation requires a fairly dense solution as the anion resin will float in a solution of high specific gravity while the cation resin will sink.

 

After separation, it's really just a process of ion displacement which can be done using strong acid (HCl) and lye (NaOH) solutions to recharge the cation and anion resins, respectively.

 

On and off for the last 6 months or so, I've been working on a process to do this in bulk and economically. Using this guide as a starting point, which I feel makes the separation process just a little bit more expensive than it needs to be, I've separated mixed bed resins using a dense solution obtained by adding enough lye added to a saturated salt (NaCl) solution to raise the density of the solution to a point where the two resins reliably separate. Salt (for a water softener) is a lot less expensive than crystalline lye but, even at saturation, is not dense enough to separate the two resins. Hence, the need to raise the density further by adding lye.

 

One word of caution if you try this. Please be mindful that the chemicals used are dangerous. Also, not all plastics are compatible with lye. So, while the guide shows the use of an old soda bottle as part of a separation apparatus, don't leave the lye in there overnight because the bottle will eventually weaken and split, spilling caustic lye and all those nice resin beads all over. (Ask me how I know this. Luckily, it was over concrete when it happened.)

[epleeds]

yea....no way i will be trying that....little to involved for me.  I will just buy in bulk to save where i can....

[Origami]

Once separated, though, recharging can drop the price of replacing your DI resin down to $4 per change.

[thewire]

Buy the filters 5 micron @ bulk reef supply. Get the DI there too