Aquastudent February 8, 2021 Share February 8, 2021 I'm a bit afraid this is going to start a firestorm. Didn't see anything in the forums on this topic in the past few years. I'm looking at RO/DI units and am getting a bit overwhelmed with all the options. I want to convince myself to spend an ok amount for reliability and functionality but it feels hard to spend $200 when there a unit for half that. What RO/DI unit do you use and do you like it? I've been comparing units like AquaFX Barracuda $180 Aquatic Life 75gpd $90 Ton of BRS ones ~$200 I have a 110G system. I think I want more than 50 gpd but I don't need something uber fancy. Would like something that will be well altered with getting replacement cartridges. What would you all recommend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyInVa February 8, 2021 Share February 8, 2021 I have The Typhoon II by Air, Water, Ice.com. I am very pleased with it. Just look at what fits your needs. The membrane is what restricts your GPD. So you could always change later. 50gpd is not bad.Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime February 8, 2021 Share February 8, 2021 I have The Typhoon II by Air, Water, Ice.com. I am very pleased with it. Just look at what fits your needs. The membrane is what restricts your GPD. So you could always change later. 50gpd is not bad.Sent from my SM-N975U using Tapatalk+1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcrazyjoker81 February 8, 2021 Share February 8, 2021 Typhoon III from Air Water and Ice here and love it. That said many of them are all the same. Just make sure it fits your needs for your city/well water input levels. Also I would stay with one that has the standard 10 inch filters instead as they are easily found and available. The GPD membrane is up to you. How fast do you want water made and how much waste water are you willing to sacrifice? These are questions that help determine what you want. I personally did a water saver kit so I am at a 200GPD setup and added a Booster pump to get 70-90psi. I have about a 1 to 1 ratio for waste and good now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howaboutme February 8, 2021 Share February 8, 2021 (edited) All good responses above and I'd 2nd them. The initial costs will always be more because you're buying all of the filters and the bracket, canisters, fittings, tubing, etc. Once you're done w/ that, the filters are all interchangeable if you stick w/ the 10" as stated above. You can buy them anywhere. I don't believe any of the good ones come below 75 gpd and that's what you should be shooting for at the lease. You also don't need to spend $200 on it. You just have to look at the not so obvious places. Of course I 2nd AWI because they are a sponsor but I use Purely H2O. Another good place is Buckey Hydro. Russ, one of the guys there used to participate on WAMAS back in the day. Spectrapure is one of the gold standards but their costs will be up in the $200 range. The biggest decision will also be how you connect to your water source. Good luck! Edited February 8, 2021 by howaboutme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquastudent February 8, 2021 Author Share February 8, 2021 Haha! Yeah... finding the best spot to mount it is going to be an interesting one. I didn't think about the 10" interchangeability. That's a great point! I'm all for supporting club sponsors. I wasn't expecting multiple responses for the same brand that quickly. I have read good things about Fire, water, and ice elsewhere too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linkfalcon February 8, 2021 Share February 8, 2021 If you start with 50gpd u can always upgrade it and add a booster pump if needed or a second di chamber or a second membraneSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn.reef.nerd February 8, 2021 Share February 8, 2021 I do not know the "best" but for me it's convenience and customer service. I have the BRS one. So far I love how easy it is to set up and the ease to buy replacement parts. Their customer service is the main reason I have stuck with them. I used to have their 4-stage and was getting good quality (0 tds). Since I have upgraded to a 7-stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitewillsmiff February 8, 2021 Share February 8, 2021 I'm using the aquatic life 4-stage with the RO buddy booster pump. Had terrible low pressure at the house 20-30psi, would take me 2-2.5 hours to make 5 gallons of RO water. With the RO buddy it now takes about an hour per 5 gallons. Filters cost me about $50-$60 I believe to replace all 4. Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquastudent February 9, 2021 Author Share February 9, 2021 Just put in my order for an AWI. Happy to support a club sponsor. It's good to know that the units are relatively the same and it's the interchangeable filters that will be the big difference. Looking forward to making some clean water so I can get the new tank salted! Thanks all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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