Reverse Osmosis kit recommendations

ozmo wrote: »

I looked into the diy install kits on amazon- very cheap- but what turned me off is the amount of waste water it produces to generate a small amount of drinkable water. (And the amount of filters you need replace every few months.)

It may prove expensive with the new water tax if you were to use it for anything but drinking.

The Aquaphor Morion (Ireland 100) model RO halves the water use that other standard RO systems use at around 10 to 1 water ratio in Ireland.

Ideal ratios as low as 5 to 1 for standard RO systems (2.5 to 1 for Aquaphor) depend on water temperature and pressure of 25 C and 60 psi, but in Ireland we have cooler water from 5 to 15 C and lower pressures all round from 30 to 50 psi.

RO water use is normally 2 litres of filtered water per person per day or up to 10 litres drawn from most family used RO systems per day, using 20 litres per person or up to 100 litres per day.

If you multiply 365 by 20 or 100 then you have 7,300 per person or 36,500 litres per year. Each 1000 litres is 1 cubic metre or metered water costs of €1 to €2 per m3 depending if you have a sceptic system, so €7 per person or €14 and up to €36 per family or up to €73 per year per family for standard chinese made RO systems.

For worst scenario cool water temperatures and lowish water pressures in Ireland. Better if water warmer or pressure higher, possibly halve the amounts.


Aquaphor halves the worst scenario to €3.50 to €7 per person per year drinking 700 litres per year costing 3.5 cubic metres per year in metered water use. Or €17.50 to €35 per family. (More of a Dublin City scenario where low water pressures exist.)

Aquaphor allows the best scenario to €1.75 to €3.50 per person per year drinking 700 litres per year costing 3.5 cubic metres per year in metered water use. Or €8.75 to €17.50 per family. (At warmer water temperatures and higher pressures - usually found in more rural areas to the West of Ireland.)


Finally Aquaphor was the first manufacturer to successfully develop the world's first none electric sub 30 psi RO model (other standard unpumped RO models require over 40 psi) allowing the savings of several hours per day of a 30 watt electric pump (found on most models of Chinese RO systems), about 5 cents a day or €15 to €20 per year in electric.

So adding up water and electric savings over a standard electric pumped RO per year, the Aquaphor Morion ranges from around €35 to €55 savings per year operating costs over chinese pumped models.


Then of course filter savings, the main cost savings ... Aquaphor RO systems use half the water of standard RO models so the filters get half the wear and tear and last for twice as long.

Doubling up on filter savings allows Aquaphor systems to run for up to 2 to 3 years for pre-filter changes. Also many Aquaphor models are sold with 5 years worth of free filters saving €50 to €165 per years on servicing costs over standard RO's whether DIY or callout serviced.

Ultimately saving another €200 to €660 every 5 years in filter cartridges. + €175 to €275 over 5 years in electric and water savings over standard pumped RO models.


So an Aquaphor Morion costing €299 with a 10 year initial life at €29.9 buying costs per year, and free filters for 5 years, cost only around €17.5 to €35 a year to run on metered water for the first 5 years, and then €50 to €100 filters to get through the next 2 to 5 years depending on water quality / water use.

Those without metering costs, say on a private well would have half those running costs.