Portable RO.DI from BRS - which model for us?

SauceyReef · Nov 8, 2023

Hello! I am pretty new to RO.DI setups. I rent and move around every 1-3 years, so I need something pretty portable. I only have small tanks so I do not need a lot of water made. Probably 20-25 gallons total of tanks!

Anyone have a recommendation on a good unit from BRS given these conditions, or will any work fine? Just looking for something simple that will work nothing crazy top-line is needed.

brclark82 · Nov 8, 2023

They all just mount to the wall with 2 screws, some bigger setups with more than 4 stages will have 2 brackets to mount but they’re plenty portable..

Just pick the one that best fits your needs and you’ll be fine

brclark82 · Nov 8, 2023

FYI they just had a huge pre Black Friday sale on these for 35% off so I would wait and see if they run it again later this minrth

These units at 35% off are by far the best value and performance you will find in a RODI unit no matter which model you decide on

SauceyReef · Nov 8, 2023

brclark82 said:
FYI they just had a huge pre Black Friday sale on these for 35% off so I would wait and see if they run it again later this minrth

These units at 35% off are by far the best value and performance you will find in a RODI unit no matter which model you decide on

Thank you for the heads up - much appreciated.

snorklr · Nov 8, 2023

i run a 75 gpd for my 40B...makes about 5 gallons an hour...mine is a 5 stage premium plus (or whatever they called it when i bought it)...its the one that came with the pressure gauge and TDS meter (which you definately want)...since you move around the parameters of your water supply are most likely going to change from place to place so you may be able to get by with a 4 stage at one location but need a 6 at another...looks like the 4 and 5 are the same price anyway atm...everything installs with 1/4 push loc connectors and is easily installed or taken apart,there is a fitting that can go on a supply line under a sink that can be installed and removed easily that requires no "plumber work"...or one for a hose bib where you could unhook a washing machine hose to use it...depending on the water pressure at each location you may need a booster pump...i found the same one BRS sold on amazon for like 50 bucks less

SauceyReef · Nov 8, 2023

@brclark82 is the 4 stage the smallest one available?

@snorklr I appreciate your reply! I thought the added stages after 4 for the RO side would just help with larger water supplies needed for bigger aquarium systems. I understand how the tap water levels would greatly influence the amount of times you have to change the 'membrane' (is that the right word?) and possibly influence which stage amount one purchases.

I was just thinking with such a small water amount needed for my tanks I would be fine getting away with a 4 stage unit. Do you think that is not the case? I actually have another cartridge from an old BRS unit laying around also. I have heard from others I can use this one still for newer models, but I don't see how any of the units would have any room for an extra cartridge. Sorry if I sound dumb in some of my jargon or how I am wording this. I am pretty new to this entirely.

brclark82 · Nov 8, 2023

4 stage- sediment, carbon, RO, mixed bed DI
5 stage adds an additional carbon block which can be good for certain water sources especially for better chloramine removal
6 stage- adds a second mixed bed DI canister which will allow you to completely exhaust your first di before replacing it…can be handy to save some if you use a lot of DI resin or if you don’t check it or want to replace it very often
7 stage- replaces one mixed bed DI canister with 2, a separate cation and an anion before the final mixed bed…again this is to help decrease DI resin waste as generally one or the other (anion usually) will be used up faster and you don’t have to waste the other resin like you would in a mixed bed

Each option will also have a “water saver” option that is just a second RO membrane which will produce water twice as fast with less waste water

Some stages also come with options for TDS monitors and pressure gauges And some stages include them automatically

snorklr · Nov 8, 2023

my point from before was that even though you might be able to get away with a 4 stage unit, once you get the one with the gauge and meter its the same price as the 5 stage, so why bother...the cheaper 4 stage ones lack the gauge and TDS meter...so you really arent saving anything...the extra carbon stage will just last longer...the extra cannister you have could be added as a 2nd DI stage if you burn through resin or want to seperate it into anion and cation resins if you wind up using more of one than the other

alton · Nov 8, 2023

If you have chlorine no big deal, any one of their setups works. If you have chloramines you need to use media that removes it otherwise you will burn through carbon and RO filters very quickly

SauceyReef · Nov 8, 2023

Here is the water analysis for my city water - Akron, Ohio. Looks like we have around average of 0.00156 miligrams per liter of Chromium, but no chloramines that I can see.

https://cms2.revize.com/revize/akronoh/Documents/Departments/Service/Water%20Supply%20Bureau/Reports/allwatertests2021.pdf

SauceyReef · Nov 8, 2023

snorklr said:
my point from before was that even though you might be able to get away with a 4 stage unit, once you get the one with the gauge and meter its the same price as the 5 stage, so why bother...the cheaper 4 stage ones lack the gauge and TDS meter...so you really arent saving anything...the extra carbon stage will just last longer...the extra cannister you have could be added as a 2nd DI stage if you burn through resin or want to seperate it into anion and cation resins if you wind up using more of one than the other

There is a $200 4 stage, but the cheapest 5 stage is $300. Just trying to save $100 and some bulk if possible, but I dont want to waste my time and energy doing that if it is going to cause problems down the line.

brclark82 · Nov 8, 2023

The $200 stage 4 is perfectly fine, it was $130 2 days ago so fingers crossed for you they run that again for Black Friday

snorklr · Nov 8, 2023

the reason the 4 stage(part#210772) is $100 less is that it does not come with a TDS meter (without that you have no idea what's coming out and will have no way to know when the filters or resins need to be changed)...there's no pressure gauge( the system needs a minimum pressure to work efficiently and gauge readings can also indicate if filters are clogged...do you know what the water pressure is where you rent? how will you know if you need a booster pump?) and there's no backflush valve (allows you to purge deposits that build up behind the r/o membrane, hopefully extending its life...the 4 stage (part #210773) that has these features is also 299.99....the same price as the 5 stage (part #211491b)

Bacon and Eggs · Nov 8, 2023

Let me also pick your minds. I have a TDS of ~440. H2O from NE FL. 169 net gallon tank. Maybe Ill average 30% water change over the course of the month, we will see.

5 or 6 stage? I mean it’s not like there aren’t other sources of dissolved solids that won’t make it in there anyway. per descriptions above it does sound like the 6 stage adds some convenient redundanc. These weren’t always so expensive or I don’t remember!

SauceyReef · Nov 14, 2023

snorklr said:
the reason the 4 stage(part#210772) is $100 less is that it does not come with a TDS meter (without that you have no idea what's coming out and will have no way to know when the filters or resins need to be changed)...there's no pressure gauge( the system needs a minimum pressure to work efficiently and gauge readings can also indicate if filters are clogged...do you know what the water pressure is where you rent? how will you know if you need a booster pump?) and there's no backflush valve (allows you to purge deposits that build up behind the r/o membrane, hopefully extending its life...the 4 stage (part #210773) that has these features is also 299.99....the same price as the 5 stage (part #211491b)

Thank you for noting that! I actually have an old cartridge and TDS meter from my old unit 10-15 years ago! Not sure where the other parts went. I asked earlier with a photo and apparently they can still be used.

So it seems a 4 stage is my best bet. Now to wait for the end of November! I've waited 3 years so it cant be that difficult

SauceyReef · Nov 29, 2023

The 4 stage unit came in today! Did I mess up not getting a pressure gauge?

SauceyReef · Nov 30, 2023

mues · Nov 30, 2023

I live in an apartment so same type of issue. I run the one in the link with a booster pump. my TDS from tap is 3-400. I get 0 after running. Seems to be working well so far. Highly recommend their booster pump though. huge increase in output efficiency for me.

Robot or human?

SauceyReef · Nov 30, 2023

mues said:
I live in an apartment so same type of issue. I run the one in the link with a booster pump. my TDS from tap is 3-400. I get 0 after running. Seems to be working well so far. Highly recommend their booster pump though. huge increase in output efficiency for me.

Robot or human?

Thank you for chiming in! I actually already bought the BRS 4 stage unit. I just stuck with a company I know has worked well for me in the past. Plus their units had a big sale for black friday.