Aquasafe RO/DI?
 

Hi, I am about to buy a decent RO/DI unit, I have a 34 gallon tank and I usually do 5 gallon water change every 2 week. I am checking the aquasafe's website and they seem to have a pretty decent price for a 7 stage ro/di unit.
http://www.aquasafecanada.com/aquariumsystem.html

Has any one tried it? is it any good? what is the TDS reading(I am new to water chemistry,is tds the only standard for filtered water)?
The shipping is about 16 dollars to Vancouver, and their unit is on sale for 129.20(do I need to buy anything else except the unit itself?). What do you guys think?

I have an aquasafe unit i bought off ebay about 7 years ago, best investment I ever made. I continue to buy replacement filters from them as well as they're the best deal I've found so far :biggrin:

Do you know if the price($129) including the filter media? how long can the orginal media last?

I believe they say at a usage rate of 2-3 gal per day the filters last about a year.

I have one and it's pretty good, the fittings are an adventure to set up to not leak, use lots of Teflon. The unit itself works great though, easy to get cartriges as well. As for the price, when i got mine there was 2 options, one came with all the needed media, the other came with a bunch extra for a few changes.

Using a Aquasafe for about 5 years. Removed the post carbon filter, replaced my membrane once, try to replace my pre-filters about every 6 months and DI lasts about a year. Other maintenance is replaced the ASOV a couple of times and one check valve.

Not including water changes due evap use about 2 gpd. No leaks and I'm happy with it.

Our TDS is pretty low so the RO membrane can last 2+ years (currently mine is working on 4 years because I'm lazy and the TDS still reads at 0 or close enough for me). DI will probably last you close to a year and the filters about 9 months or so. You need to keep on top of the filters as the carbon filter removes chlorine/chloramine which can harm the membrane.

Like was mentioned, use a buttload of teflon tape on the fittings.
I snapped 2 fittings in the process because I tried to skimp on the tape, and my only issue with the fittings is they use metric fittings, wich aren't so readily available at your local hardware store.

Other than the fact that I am only using 2 DI stages because I snapped those fittings, I have been reading 0 TDS for 3 months now since I installed it.

I ended up buying a couple 1/8x1/4 hose fittings because i broke a couple over tightening(by hand...). They are expencive, was about $5 a fitting, but none of those ones leak, probably because they are metal and just tapped a new hole into the plastic.

I picked them up at fastenal, there's cheaper places around though, it's a 1/8 NPT with a 1/4" pressfit hose fitting. They worked, but a pain to find.

I've been using one for 5 years now, cant complain. TDS reading before the DI is zero.

I finally made the decision and bought the unit, took me 30 mins to install it(I only installed 2 DI units and I hook it up with kitchen faucet), the thing is it leaks everywhere, I tried very hard to screw and it still leaks, I wonder if it happens to you all? I plan buy buy some white plumbing tapes to see if that helps, am I able to do that?

where's it leaking?

almost half of those U shape connection leaks
http://i56.tinypic.com/1q65tu.jpg

Is the tubing pushed all the way into the fitting ? You must use teflon on all threaded joints.

Tubes are pushed all the way down, I now use teflon on all threaded joints, no more leaks, exception I broke one the elbow connector by turning it too hard:redface:

Don't feel too bad!

It is a ok unit the number of gph or gallons per hour is depended on the model number just know what you are. Buying because some don't take out the chlorine , also don't p,an on using the water u are getting within the day to fill a bucket it can take up to 5 hr, besides that stuff it is a bang for your buck that I coolant say no too hope I've been a help

I'm not a plumber, but I did most of the plumbing in my house when we built it, and have done several underground sprinkler systems. Never installed a RO/DI unit, but I can tell you for threaded joints, don't use that white tape.

Use the the yellow gasfitter's tape, it comes on the same type and size of roll as the white stuff, but it is much thicker and works so much better. You end up using way less of it too, when wrapping the thread, just make it one tape thick.

You can buy it at pretty much all plumbing supply places.

I'm not a plumber either but I'm curious, is this "Yellow gasfitters tape" potable safe?

Lol, I hope so. A plumber friend of mine says it is, but truly I don't know. Most plumbers I have talked to (I would talk to alot of them while waiting in line at the plumbing wholesale supply place, me being the only non-plumber) only use the yellow, they all said the white is garbage.

In my opinion though there is a big difference between what can be used on a thread under water and what can be used in a "dry" thread.