Is it cheaper to make your own RODI water or buy 5G at the LFS?

[Brad_95]

I wanted to try and figure it out. I know not everyone is going to agree on the math. If the cost of tap is really on average $0.0015 per gallon, this math probably pans out correctly. Again, if true, making your own is less that half the cost of buying.

That’s pretty much right on point with my expenses on everything. It truly is irrelevant when it comes to the water bill.

 

[Zeal]

I wanted to try and figure it out. I know not everyone is going to agree on the math. If the cost of tap is really on average $0.0015 per gallon, this math probably pans out correctly. Again, if true, making your own is less that half the cost of buying.

seems about right... Might be cheaper in the end

 

[JR Bodyman]

Get you own RODI. Works for me. No more having to plan trips for water. Also peace of mind just in case something happens where you have to do a quick water change. You never know and it’ll always happen when the store is closed.
just my 2 cents.

 

[FortyFour44]

How much is your time worth? Those trips to the LFS add up.

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

Title.

Recently purchased my first property (yay) and now I have to pay for water...

So the question is... what's cheaper? My wife says its cheaper to buy it but I don't think it is...

I live in South Florida (Davie) not sure if that matters

Homework, homework, homework, do your homework. It's cheaper to do you're own RO water at home, but you really got to choose the right ro filtration. Also you remind me the first time I bought my own property we set up a water softener system and that prolongs your plumbing fixtures and piping and especially your ro filtration and you don't have to buy the membrane so often, once every 5 years at least.

On the RO filter if you buy a $60 to $100 system even some of the more expensive ones, your savings goes out the window because to make one good gallon of water it can take up to 4 to 7 gallons of waste water. No savings there, so I did my homework and picked up an expensive no waste ro filtration system and added DI resin canisters with resin, big savings after that no wasting water. Not cheap the system I mention but you buy one time and don't have to worry about money thrown out the window.

 

[Zeal]

Connected my RODI, it makes water much much faster at my new place then my old place

 

[Signalhead]

Im in SW Florida and I use County Utility Water. For me is cheaper to make my own. My monthly bill is $ 52.00 and I make about 200 gallons a month. I have to "buy" the county water in 1000 gallons and I'm lucky that the water consumption is with in the range. Even with doing 100 gallons of water changes a month it was on the same range

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Can I do anything with the waste water? I live in a condo so sadly I don't have any plants

Send it down the drain. Brine (what we reefers incorrectly call waste water) accounts for a fraction of a percent of your water bill in all but the most unusual circumstances.

Most RO systems are set up with a 2 : 1 brine to permeate (waste to product) ratio. You've mentioned you need 20g of RO water monthly. That means you need a total of 60 gallons of tap water to run your RO filter. Tap water costs about a penny per 5 gallons in the US on average. That means your RO filter will use about $0.12 per month in tap water. If your water is 10x more expensive than average, you're still only paying a dollar a month for your RO water.

Regardless of what tap water costs, your RO filter isn't going to be what runs up your water bill. The average US family uses 300 gallons of water every single day. That's 9,000 gallons a month. Using 60 gallons to run your RO filter will increase your water bill by less than 1 percent.

 

[mijan]

I don't know about the water in Broward County but here in Palm Beach County they put chloramine in the water most parts of the year. So check with the county and if you need to make sure you have the KDF 85 Catalytic GAC Cartridge for your RO Buddy since the stock unit doesn't remove chloramine.

 

[Opus]

I don't know about the water in Broward County but here in Palm Beach County they put chloramine in the water most parts of the year. So check with the county and if you need to make sure you have the KDF 85 Catalytic GAC Cartridge for your RO Buddy since the stock unit doesn't remove chloramine.

The DI will remove them, though that isn't the most cost effective way to do it.

 

[mijan]

The DI will remove them, though that isn't the most cost effective way to do it.

The stock DI will not remove chloramines. The instructions that come with the unit even tells you it is not capable of removing chloramines.

 

[Pistondog]

Can I do anything with the waste water? I live in a condo so sadly I don't have any plants

Ran the waste water tube out the bathroom window into a garden hose, to the tomatoes. All downhill, so duct tape for fittings.

 

[Letterkenny]

I have no clue how much it costs but my opportunity costs of going to the LFS or equivalent to buy water is $$$$ more expensive than just pressing a button and making however much I need at home.

 

[Opus]

The stock DI will not remove chloramines. The instructions that come with the unit even tells you it is not capable of removing chloramines.

Unless there are other instructions, the ones on their website state the RO Buddie will not remove chloramines, it doesn't say the RO Buddie +DI doesn't remove them. If they really don't remove them then I would question the quality of their DI resin because they should remove chloramines. Of course they also mention the DI removing chlorine. If you are removing chlorine with your DI, then you have issues. I also like how they say to change the membrane every 12 to 24 months. A good membrane should last 5 to 7 years. They either use really low quality stuff or they are just on a money grab.

 

[Zeal]

Connected it. Wife doesn't care!

We good homies thanks for the info

 

[Reef.]

If you want to use it to save money, the saving will be unnoticeable, bills are mostly made up of set amounts that don’t change no matter how little water you use, so the cost of the actual water is cheaper than you think, the hassle of storing the waste water etc will be hardly worth the effort but if you would want to use it for environmental reasons, then I wouldn’t use it for drinking as reef rodi systems are not drinking systems, but you could use it for washing dishes, some even use the waste in the washing machine, flushing the toilet p, things of that sort.

 

[Billldg]

The biggest raise to my water bill that I have noticed it 5 bucks monthly. In reality it isn't more than 2 bucks monthly normally. Now, how much would it cost in gas and such to get the water at the LFS? Also, it feels so good knowing that, if needed, I can make as much RO/DI water as needed in case I have a big issue and need to do a big water change. To me that's priceless.

 

[Dsanchez1221]

Title.

Recently purchased my first property (yay) and now I have to pay for water...

So the question is... what's cheaper? My wife says its cheaper to buy it but I don't think it is...

I live in South Florida (Davie) not sure if that matters

Of course it's going to depend on what your municipality charges for water and also how many TDS is in the water that needs to be filtered out which leads to more waste water. I used to make my own for years and when I found out that my LFS only charges $1 a gallon for repeat customers, i started buying it there. It's already mixed with Red Sea salt and has a perfect SG. I don't miss filtering and going through all the work of making my own. It's for sure more convenient for me now that I dont have to buy salt all the time too. The LFS is only about 8 miles from my house too. I keep several 5g jugs of mixed and a couple fresh in a dark closet under my stairs so I only have to go get water every couple months.
Personally, buying it works best for me.

 

[mitch91175]

Title.

Recently purchased my first property (yay) and now I have to pay for water...

So the question is... what's cheaper? My wife says its cheaper to buy it but I don't think it is...

I live in South Florida (Davie) not sure if that matters

Not sure to look at it cost wise solely for one of the most important aspects of your tank, water. But yes it should be less expensive and more convenient.

Also listen to your wife when she gives you permission to spend money,

 

[Zeal]

Not sure to look at it cost wise solely for one of the most important aspects of your tank, water. But yes it should be less expensive and more convenient.

Also listen to your wife when she gives you permission to spend money,

Newly wed here.

Happy wife happy life is the key to happiness