Whole House Filter Before the RO Unit?

[Rcpilot]

For a fish tank, we have particularly poor water at the tap. I always use an RO unit for the tanks. Our tap water is okay for people and pets when filtered through a countertop Britta or through the refrigerator.

I'm considering investing in a whole house water filter (2-stage) and piping it into the system prior to the RO unit. My hope is it will help lower my final TDS and contribute to longer life of my RO unit.

We've discussed it and decided we DON'T want to have this whole house filter actually filter ALL the water into the house. We have a small business that uses a lot of water and we would be replacing the filters far too often if we were to run the whole house through it. It's going to be dedicated to the aquariums.

Has anyone else done this? I'm handy and can solder pipe. Any "gotchas" to consider before I do this?

 

[hoffmeyerz]

If it will be dedicated to your ro/di unit for your tanks you don't necessarily need to solder in a whole home filter. You can get individual stages from bulk reef supply and add it in front of your current ro/di system. Depending on what you're looking to achieve you could place an additional sediment filter which would extend the life of your current sediment filter and possibly lower your outgoing TDS.
Good luck and happy reefing!

 

[BeanAnimal]

I filter the water to the refrigerator and RO unit with 2 large sediment filters and a carbon block.

 

[GARRIGA]

Whole House filters nothing fancier than larger sediment and carbon blocks unless adding a softener. Perhaps getting a larger 600 gpd RODI might be more cost effective assuming those filters are cheaper in the long run along with adding a second membrane and booster pump to reduce waste water. Speaking specifically to where the only reason for Whole House is to prefilter the tank RODI.

 

[JayM]

The cleaner the water is going to your RODI, the better.

 

[VintageReefer]

I use a whole house filter, it’s sediment and carbon block, then softened. I use this instead of rodi.

 

[Rcpilot]

If it will be dedicated to your ro/di unit for your tanks you don't necessarily need to solder in a whole home filter. You can get individual stages from bulk reef supply and add it in front of your current ro/di system. Depending on what you're looking to achieve you could place an additional sediment filter which would extend the life of your current sediment filter and possibly lower your outgoing TDS.
Good luck and happy reefing!

I found sediment housings with 1/4" push connectors. I'm going to simplify my installation with that.

 

[Rcpilot]

I filter the water to the refrigerator and RO unit with 2 large sediment filters and a carbon block.

Not needed. The refrigerator already has a filter. Any tap water goes through a Britta before we drink it.

 

[Rcpilot]

Whole House filters nothing fancier than larger sediment and carbon blocks unless adding a softener. Perhaps getting a larger 600 gpd RODI might be more cost effective assuming those filters are cheaper in the long run along with adding a second membrane and booster pump to reduce waste water. Speaking specifically to where the only reason for Whole House is to prefilter the tank RODI.

Totally not happening. Yes, I k.ow what a whole house filter is. I'm the one that started the thread.

I already have the 100gpd RO unit and booster pump. Your suggestion to purchase another RO unit makes no sense in this scenario.

I'm just wanting to add a sediment and possibly a carbon prefilled for my RO unit. Not looking to spend hundreds on a new RO unit when this one works fine.

 

[Rcpilot]

I use a whole house filter, it’s sediment and carbon block, then softened. I use this instead of rodi.

I'm glad that works for you. If you read my original posting closer, you will understand that's not an option here.

 

[twentyleagues]

I guess this all depends on whats up with your source water. I am guessing that if a refrigerator filter and a britta make your "particularly poor tap water" drinkable then the tap water really isnt all that bad and an extra sediment filter and carbon block before the ro unit will be more than enough.

 

[Sump Crab]

We just bought a under sink reverse osmosis system. All in about $200 from iSpring on Amazon. Comes with everything you need and super easy to install. Now our water tastes like bottled water PLUS no more harmful crap in it.

 

[VintageReefer]

I'm glad that works for you. If you read my original posting closer, you will understand that's not an option here.

Sorry for that, I meant to say more but must have become distracted, come back later, and posted what I had

I don’t have very high tds, but I will say a whole house filter with sediment + scuba tank size carbon filter + softener had little impact on my tds.

Will it take 400 down to 50? Who knows.

I forgot my values but it only had a reduction of about 20 ppm

If you get an ATI ICP, they will test your tank water + your rodi water at no extra cost. Instead of sending them rodi, I sent the two water that comes out of my home filter. You could always get an ati icp to have your source water tested to see if anything concerning is in it

 

[BeanAnimal]

Not needed. The refrigerator already has a filter. Any tap water goes through a Britta before we drink it.

The replacement cartridges cost a fortune, both Britta and fridge. I bypass the internal in the fridge and don’t deal with the britta tap or pitcher nonsense.

 

[twentyleagues]

The replacement cartridges cost a fortune, both Britta and fridge. I bypass the internal in the fridge and don’t deal with the britta tap or pitcher nonsense.

That and they are pretty much worthless carbon blocks. If you actually have a real issue they will do little to nothing for fixing the issue.

 

[Rcpilot]

Some of you guys are kinda nasty in your wording. Just sayin.

It's a whole house water softener.

The Britta takes out the chlorine/chloramine

The refrigerator does the same thing.

 

[VintageReefer]

Some of you guys are kinda nasty in your wording. Just sayin.

It's a whole house water softener.

The Britta takes out the chlorine/chloramine

The refrigerator does the same thing.

I have a hybrid whole house filter + softener in one. It’s a water softener but inside is also a large scuba tank of carbon media. It has sediment filter, massive carbon filter (over 3 ft) then it softens.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Some of you guys are kinda nasty in your wording. Just sayin.

We must be using different dictionaries. Nobody has been ‘nasty’ here by any stretch of the imagination.

Ironically, you have been a bit terse and combative with people simply trying to kindly help.

It's a whole house water softener.

The Britta takes out the chlorine/chloramine

The refrigerator does the same thing.

What is a whole house water softener?

Yes, the Britta and refrigerator filters certainly work for chlorine. Chloramine? More than likely not very well.

Before buying anything, understanding your TDS, amount of sediment and if there is in-fact chloramine present is important of your goal is improving RODI element lifetime.

Large 20” housings and filter blocks are exponentially more cost effective and efficient than the built in refrigerator filter, Britta, and possibly your RO/DI pre filters.

So the question here is, what is your actual goal and what are your actual water parameters?

 

[twentyleagues]

Some of you guys are kinda nasty in your wording. Just sayin.

It's a whole house water softener.

The Britta takes out the chlorine/chloramine

The refrigerator does the same thing.

Wow is it opposite day or something. Like @BeanAnimal pointed out you are the one being kinda nasty in your wording. Everyone here is just trying to help with the info you gave. You may know what all the filters do and what your source water parameters are we do not so you will get a lot of ideas that others have done to address their own particular idea of what you said "particularly poor water at the tap". I have a well and my gh is 14 kh is 16 and ph is 9.5 with about 400 tds out of my tap I have particularly poor water quality. What I need to do to make it not poor is much different than what others may need. You cant read malice into what people are typing. Just because I think fridge and britta carbon blocks are pretty much worthless its because in my scenario they are, but possibly in a low tds city water with just some chlorine added then it may be just fine.

 

[Buckeye Hydro Verified Sponsor]

OP said: I'm considering investing in a whole house water filter (2-stage) and piping it into the system prior to the RO unit. My hope is it will help lower my final TDS and contribute to longer life of my RO unit.

If you put a sediment filter and a carbon block in the whole house filter it will not reduce the TDS reaching the RO system. Whole house sediment filters are typically 20, or 50 micron, so it will remove sediment larger than that, and it may make your RODI sediment filter last a bit longer. If you have city water my guess is that the whole house sediment filter will capture very little.

The whole house carbon block, if sized correctly for the gpm flow you want to push through it, can be configured to address chlorine and chloramine. The devil is in the details. That will make your RODI carbon block last longer. Will it lower TDS? Nope.

Russ