Best bang 4 the buck RO/DI unit?

purewaterclub.com they got some good stuff i have a 6 stage unit from them got it for 105.99 works great check it out

 

Spectrapure often builds custom units for promotions such as the Pro Plus in Customer Appreciation sale. Thats one big advantage of building your own units from scratch instead or buying a boat load preassembled in China like the Ebay vendors. The Pro Plus falls between the MPDI and the deluxe CSPDI as far as quality, you get moer than one and a little less than the other but note the price on both at $259.99 and $359.99 and its only $149.99 so its $110 less than the MPDI and gives you much more!

Compare every unit you are considering feature for feature and none will come even close to the Pro Plus or especially the MaxCap. That means look at the prefilter, carbon block, membrane and DI resins as well as the features like TDS meters, inline pressure gauges, capillary tube type flow restrictors etc. Add it all up and they are a heck of a value at $100 off retail.

Again every one starts jumping in with "5 stages", "6 stages" etc. "Stages" doesn't mean a thing, its what those stages contain that is important. Tow carbons do not always outperform a single good carbon, in fact it can be detrimental at times. Two little horizontal hollow tubes with some resin bobbing around do not compare to a single 10", 20 oz vertical DI with the proper bottom up flow. Pay attention to the quality of the components not how many there are.

 

I don't really recommend purewater club. I just got my 7 stage 100gpd unit last week from them and I'm getting 8TDS and it leaks. I took off all the factory teflon tape and re-taped it. Even had to superglue a few parts. It doesn't leak under operation any more but once my tub is filled up and the auto shutoff valve kicks in, the unit still leaks under pressure. Cheap unit both price and parts. My next unit will be from a reliable dealer like air water ice. The extra money is worth it to me to save the headaches and to know that you have a quality product. Some things you can't put a price on. Just my $.02

 

I appreciate the feedback I am getting from AZDR re: the MaxCap
it's just so hard to turn my back on the Typhoon Extreme with all those nifty little included gadgets, for which the MaxCap does not come with a single one
the MaxCap excels with better pre-filters, membranes and DI cartridges; but can't all the Spectrapure filters be used in the Typhoons housing when it's time to replace filters ?

I've written to both Spectrapure and AWI seeking to get comparison of each others units. they have both been pretty helpful and full of info until I asked them to stack up against others

 

Some of those gadgets may not be needed, for instance the catalytic carbon which does nothing if you don't have chloramines, and really is not needed even if you do have chloramines at normal 1 to 2 mg/L residuals. Or the flush valve which has no scientific or bench testing to show it does anything at all. Not one study has found them to be of any benefit, its the 4:1 waste ratio that flushes the membrane constantly.

I do know Spectrapure tried the 150 GPD membranes a few years ago but discontinued them. They could not get a sufficient number to pass their bench testing so could not guarantee their perfromance as they do with their other membranes.

All replacement filters in both are standard size so can be swapped.

 

im pretty sure im going with the SpectraPure® ProPLUS System for 149ish

anyone have anything negative to say about it?

 

I have also looking at purchasing a RO/DI unit this weekend. I have 2 that I am considering. The Spectrapure Maxcap and the air,water,and ice typhoon 3 or the typhoon 3 extreme.

I really like the Maxcap but I don't like that it doesn't have a auto shut off feature. I want my system to be hooked up to a auto top off. Unless I missed something and there is a way to hook up a auto shut off on the maxcap

 

Sorry you feel that way,maybe yours is just a lemon..I`ve had mine for 2 yrs no probs(knock on wood)..0 TDS all the time..

 

An autoshutoff valve is an $8-$12 item and maybe 5 minutes to install if you have never done it before. If you plan to automate your system such as filling a topoff reservoir thats the way to go. Spectrapure has always told me they have no idea how the individual users plan to use their RO/DI so they don't include a bunch of stuff that may not get used. They can plumb it any way you want since they are built one at a time pretty much the day you order it.

jkat21 I think you are the exception and not the rule when it comes to those units, most people report problems and end up upgrading or replacing them. I have personally helped a half dozen fellow reefers upgrade theirs to work better in the last year or so. They are just not the same quality as the Spectrapure, AWI, Buckeye, BRS, FG and PurelyH2o units.

Any RO/DI should produce 0 TDS, at least for a little while. The proof is in how long it maintains 0 TDS, ie how well the filters all work together as a unit, which equates to long term cost of ownership savings.

 

Well if thats the case im going to get a lotto ticket ;D...I know this sounds crazy and will prob start some flack but after what is just shy of 2 yrs with this unit im now just showing 2 TDS(going to order new filters soon)....and I test the water for phos and its 0..tanks seems to be doing well..believe me I do agree with you guys...you really do hear 50/50 with this company..