Reverse Osmosis vs Carbon Filter

[ElephantEgo]

I am considering how to reduce my well water from 150 PPM (TDS) to under 50. I was hoping to avoid Reverse Osmosis by getting a whole house Carbon Filter only. Does this sound like a good idea?

[Muhendis]

What filters do you have at the moment?

150ppm is very low. Is your well a bore hole?

[rwill]

I mistakenly bought a whole house RO system.  I used it for less than a month.  To fill one tank of water you had to throw about 7 tanks of water down the drain.

[The Theory]

20 hours ago, ElephantEgo said:

I was hoping to avoid Reverse Osmosis by getting a whole house Carbon Filter only.

3+1 stage filter before tank. And a reverse osmosis for drinking water after tank. 
I have the same even though I use city water, no well. Replaced (a new filter) paper filter  becomes brown after one month (for 2 people). 

[CanadaSam]

IMO Reverse Osmosis is overkill for well water, unless you are planning on drinking it out of the tap!

 

Carbon is more than enough for the well, and then, if you want drinkable water, RO + of-course, UV.

[JBChiangRai]

You don't need RO & UV.

 

RO alone will remove all the bacteria that UV would kill (providing the RO membrane is in good condition).  Additionally, RO will reduce the dissolved minerals by 95%.

 

UV will also remove bacteria by killing it (providing the light source hasn't failed, and they often fail with no way of knowing).

[Sydebolle]

21 hours ago, ElephantEgo said:

I am considering how to reduce my well water from 150 PPM (TDS) to under 50. I was hoping to avoid Reverse Osmosis by getting a whole house Carbon Filter only. Does this sound like a good idea?

Depends on the RO system apparently. What certainly helps is a filtering system BEFORE the RO system. The carbon filter is not good enough, get a resin, manganese and carbon filter in manageable size and then carry on with an RO system.

We keep the "waste" water from the RO in separate tanks and use it for the garden; no waste there. Of course in rainy season you might have an overflow of "waste" water, which we pipe into a on-property pond for some fish and ducks enjoying life there. No fish ever died and the ducks return to their habitat upon finishing their excursions on land ........ 

This has resulted in drinkable water all over the house, pristine clean valves, water taps, water heaters, shower heads ... the works; all looks brand new after years. Depends on your infrastructure and needs though. Apply common sense and then see the filter guys; otherwise they'll install a system which will allow you to filter the entire Mekong ........ 8-) 

[HarrySeaman]

To remove solids and organics from water you use a particle filter, typically in the form of a pleated polycarbonate filter or a wound filter cartridge followed by an activated carbon filter.  To remove organics you use an activated carbon filter.  Note that soil particles can sometimes be found in water but are not listed below - they would be removed by the particle filter.

 

Particles and Organic substances:

• Algae
• Bacteria
• Disinfectants
• Hair
• Herbicides
• Pesticides

To reduce the TDS you can use ion exchange, which replaces dissolved metal and other ions with sodium so it can't be recommended, especially if you have a heart health concerns.  Using reverse osmosis, which removes dissolved ions without replacing them with sodium, is a healthier alternative.

 

At 300 ppm TDS your water is perfectly drinkable.

 

What level of TDS does the WHO recommends?

TDS level parts per million (ppm)	Remarks
Less than 300	Excellent
Between 300-600	Good
Between 600-900	Fair
Between 900-1200	Poor

 

Non-organic substances:  Aluminum Ammonium Arsenic  Bicarbonate Barium Calcium Chloride Chromium Copper Cyanide Fluoride Lead Magnesium Manganese Nitrates Phosphate Silver Selenium Silicate Sodium Sulfate

[khunPer]

23 hours ago, ElephantEgo said:

I am considering how to reduce my well water from 150 PPM (TDS) to under 50. I was hoping to avoid Reverse Osmosis by getting a whole house Carbon Filter only. Does this sound like a good idea?

A carbon filter takes away bad smell and taste, it don't clean the water; preferably you need a post carbon filter also.

 

RO-filter cleans the water quite completely, and also takes out any minerals. In your case I would suggest a RO-filter.

 

Don't forget that all water filters need to be maintained/changed to work.

[Mavideol]

live in a condo building getting water from a well, sometimes the water it's all redish, the shower wall and floor tiles also show that redish dirt, such dirt is all over the sink as well, do have individual pipe going to the unit would like to install water filter to remove all that redish dirt, what type of filter should I use

 

[recom273]

7 hours ago, rwill said:

I mistakenly bought a whole house RO system.  I used it for less than a month.  To fill one tank of water you had to throw about 7 tanks of water down the drain.

I believe that's an over exaggeration, I thought it was about a ratio of 1.5-2 to 1, even that is wasteful enough. I really need a whole house RO system, our only water solution is very saline and expect problems within a year, so am interested in hearing your comment.

 

What did you do with the waste water, you could fill tanks and use it to water the lawn?

 

Also, could I ask the price? How about the service, were you not warned that its a very wasteful process and perhaps you wouldn't need it? (this is the issue I'm having, just dropping into random water purifier shop "yes, sir, you need a RO system - how much? and the specs? - yes, very expensive sir" - like no facts. These are the same kind of shops that have sold particle filters to locals, there's very little in the water in the way of suspended solids and extra chemicals, the problem is the salinity.

Edited September 8, 2023 by recom273

[connda]

I'd use a carbon filter for most of the house and RO for a tap that provides drinking water.

[norbra]

7 hours ago, rwill said:

I mistakenly bought a whole house RO system.  I used it for less than a month.  To fill one tank of water you had to throw about 7 tanks of water down the drain.

I would check flush valve for membrane is closed,that much waste water is not normal

[sometimewoodworker]

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

 

8 hours ago, rwill said:

I mistakenly bought a whole house RO system.  I used it for less than a month.  To fill one tank of water you had to throw about 7 tanks of water down the drain.

Expand  

I believe that's an over exaggeration, I thought it was about a ratio of 1.5-2 to 1,

 

Yes a 7 -> 1 is unusual, no the usual is not “a ratio of 1.5-2 to 1” it is usually around 4 to 1

 

Quote

a poorly-maintained or low-efficiency reverse osmosis system can waste a lot of water. However, that’s a product of a poorly-designed system, not the RO process itself.

low water pressure will increase the water used.
 

https://waterdefense.org/water-filter/reverse-osmosis/waste-water/

Edited September 8, 2023 by sometimewoodworker

[fvw53]

On 9/7/2023 at 1:32 PM, ElephantEgo said:

I am considering how to reduce my well water from 150 PPM (TDS) to under 50. I was hoping to avoid Reverse Osmosis by getting a whole house Carbon Filter only. Does this sound like a good idea?

When I lived in India 40 years ago we had to pass the tap water through an old fashioned water filter (a stone cylinder) and we still had to boil the outcoming water but we had no health problems during the 4 years I lived there / if I could find this old fashioned filter I would certainly use it again rather than drinking the RO water I am buying now.

[xylophone]

Pleased that I found this topic as it is a subject near and dear to my heart, having just bought a countertop water purifier, after being sick of lugging bottles of water up the steps to my apartment.

 

It is made by Toray (model no: SW9-8000E) and has some impressive specs, and as I only want it for drinking and cooking water, it seems ideal for those and is not intrusive on the countertop. The filter needs to be changed every 8 to 12 months, and I will probably do so after eight months, as the water here from both the government and the well, doesn't seem to be that clean.

 

Not worried about water for washing and showering, so if anyone has any feedback on this type of water purifier, I'd be pleased to hear it. Suffice it to say that if information comes back that they are absolutely useless, then I will have no problem in ditching it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, xylophone said:

Pleased that I found this topic as it is a subject near and dear to my heart, having just bought a countertop water purifier, after being sick of lugging bottles of water up the steps to my apartment.

 

It is made by Toray (model no: SW9-8000E) and has some impressive specs, and as I only want it for drinking and cooking water, it seems ideal for those and is not intrusive on the countertop. The filter needs to be changed every 8 to 12 months, and I will probably do so after eight months, as the water here from both the government and the well, doesn't seem to be that clean.

 

Not worried about water for washing and showering, so if anyone has any feedback on this type of water purifier, I'd be pleased to hear it. Suffice it to say that if information comes back that they are absolutely useless, then I will have no problem in ditching it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

where did u bought it, Lazada? other shop? how much? appreciate a link, thanks

 

sorry but previous post was misleading, understood u got it on Mazuma,

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by Mavideol

[xylophone]

19 hours ago, Mavideol said:

where did u bought it, Lazada? other shop? how much? appreciate a link, thanks

 

sorry but previous post was misleading, understood u got it on Mazuma,

 

Available from Lazada and Home Pro......I actually bought mine from HomePro and now with a little discount. Link:-

 

https://www.homepro.co.th/p/1185518?lang=th&gclid=CjwKCAjwjOunBhB4EiwA94JWsDQlcgGhsNbo1Q6BInyrZm_poGROr11PFYk6k2WFuOW_lT-ag-orixoCvG8QAvD_BwE