RO Water Filter Installation with pictures

I recently purchased a Reverse Osmosis water purifier/filtration system. Finally I’ll be using RO water and no longer be forced to use GH 3-part with the hard water micro. Woo-hoo!

While connecting and using the filter was very easy, I thought I would do a quick step-by-step to show folks just how easy and hopefully encourage folks reticent to use RO because they aren’t sure how to hook it up.

The product I will be using in the demonstration is the SpectraPure MPRO-90 Eliminator Reverse Osmosis. It features a single sediment filter, a single carbon block pre-filter (for chlorine removal), and a single RO membrane filter. Better and more expensive units have additional filters. This unit retails for about $190 US dollars. Replacement filters are priced as follows (all in US dollars) - carbon filter: $16.95, sediment filter: $12.95, and the membrane filter is $99.95.

The unit arrived undamaged and fully assembled. The package contained the unit, a filter wrench and instructions.

Installing and operating the unit is very simple. All hoses were already attached and all filters in place. I place the whole unit into a bucket to make it easier to move around. You can also permanently attach it to a wall or something too.

There are three hoses coming from the unit. The first hose is the black “source” hose that has a garden hose adaptor on the end. This attaches directly to a faucet. The second hose is the yellow “waste” hose. I place this hose in the drain so all the run-off goes to the sewer. The third and final blue hose is the treated water. It is easy to remember where the hoses go since only one fits on the faucet and the waste hose is yellow-colored like pee!

I run the blue hose (RO water) into my highly sophisticated and special back-up reservoir. It may appear to be a 25-gallon trash bin but don’t let that fool you! It is specially treated, aerated, reverse osmosis Dihydrogen Monoxide back up storage area. OK – it is a garbage can with a couple of air hoses but it works great!

And an alternative back-up reservoir….

Almost forgot to mention that you can see the filters so if you note any visible debris then you know to change the filter but you also just check PPM (once it goes above 030 or so it might be time to change the filter). But the best way is to watch this gauge – if it goes over 80 PSI, then too much tap water is getting through the filter so it is time to change it.

If you are curious, my tap water was around 250 – 300 PPM and after coming out of the RO filter is 002-005. The unit puts out about 2.5 gallons per hour.

I’m obviously no expert on RO water or the filters that creates it but there are other filters out there that work differently. But for a small garden that you want to keep mobile, this RO filter works just fine.

bout time!!!! im reading!

Nice...where did you get it?

hom36rown said:

Nice...where did you get it?

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Best price i found was here:
Eliminator Reverse Osmosis by SpectraPure from 4 hydroponics.com by Growco Indoor Garden Supply

forgive me & the stoner memory loss stereotype im about to claim.

refresh my memory (the rest of RIU might want to know as well)

but how much does a system like this waste? gallon water wise? do you think its enough to worry about?

secondly, what is the difference in the more expensive ones? or the step up from the one you got? especially if the unit you have is giving you 02-05 ppm? i guess 0ppm huh?

third, how long do these filters last ya think? 3 months? more?

LoudBlunts said:

forgive me & the stoner memory loss stereotype im about to claim.

refresh my memory (the rest of RIU might want to know as well)

but how much does a system like this waste? gallon water wise? do you think its enough to worry about?

secondly, what is the difference in the more expensive ones? or the step up from the one you got? especially if the unit you have is giving you 02-05 ppm? i guess 0ppm huh?

third, how long do these filters last ya think? 3 months? more?

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I don't know how much it wastes - but if i remember i will put the drain hose in a bucket and let you know. But I will say the drain water seems to come out a bit faster than the final product. I think the percentage of waste is about 80%.

I think the more expensive units produce more water per hour and because they have additional filters, the filters need replaced less often. The directions for this unit recommends replacing the filters at least every six months.

And the PPM was 002-005 (if it was 020-050 i would have sent it back). But I think the 002 came from some leftover nutes in my res.

So is something you would consider using for personal consumption as well?

mexiblunt said:

So is something you would consider using for personal consumption as well?

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No - maybe LoudBlunts will post the link that says RO-only water is actually bad for your health!

LB - you have that link handy? i'll look for it too.

I think this is it...
RO Water May Be Unhealthy! | Filter Water Direct

mexiblunt said:

So is something you would consider using for personal consumption as well?

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no....some doctors recommend NEVER drinking too much purified, distilled, RO water. they recommend spring water over anything (especially if you know the spring its coming from)

they say pure or almost pure water (000-0010 i think) is like a solvent? some shit...it flushes you out of minerals...

this is something me and email was talking about.....

email468 said:

No - maybe LoudBlunts will post the link that says RO-only water is actually bad for your health!

LB - you have that link handy? i'll look for it too.

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cot damnit!

either your cable is kicking my networks ass or you typing faster than me!

LoudBlunts said:

cot damnit!

either your cable is kicking my networks ass or you typing faster than me!

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FIOS baby

email468 said:

FIOS baby

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so all this time, your punk ass know im in networking and you didnt tell me about fios.

asshole! thanks! well you can take your 15-30 mbps speeds and shove it

i wish i could have that speed. i have a friend up north who pays like 30 give or take for 15 megs per second....



are you fucking kidding me??? you all can kiss my ass! mean while im paying 50 bucks for 8megs and that is max 8 megs!

i cant wait til WiMax comes around. its gonna be over. we all will be equal around this bitch!

cool, that's something I didn't know but can understand the mineral part.
yeah I swear e-mail connection soooo fast it's almost like mind reading.

I'm up north. how do I find out what my mbs is?