Anyone got a reverse osmosis system installed?

[delzep]

Some questions

1. How much space does it take up?

2. Does it require power?

3. What's the flow like compared to your sink tap?

4. How does the system actually work (nor the filtration part) - does it filter a certain amount of water automatically and store this water for when you want to use it, then when  this container is empty it will automatically refill with ro water?

5. Is the whole unit usually under the sink? Tap as well?

Ta

[LordEoin]

1. How much space does it take up? not much, you'll fit it tucked in under the fridge

2. Does it require power? you can buy ones wither way

3. What's the flow like compared to your sink tap? slooooooow

4. How does the system actually work (nor the filtration part) - does it filter a certain amount of water automatically and store this water for when you want to use it, then when  this container is empty it will automatically refill with ro water?
Water goes through a filter, then through the RO membrane, then into the tank.
Any water that doesn't make it through the membrane goes down the drain (a lot of waste water)

5. Is the whole unit usually under the sink? Tap as well?
All under the sink, a tap is supplied to attach up above.

[DEMPSEY]

This is the system I got from Brenmurph.

[LordEoin]

that's the same system I had.
I returned it.

[DEMPSEY]

The tap you drill the sink and fit it. Under the sink you fit a 3 gallon tank which you cannot see here because it is behind the 3 filters with the RO system sitting on top of them. Some systems can have a pump but mine does not. The water pressure pushed the water through the filters and the RO unit. The waste water is drained into your undersink waste outlet and the RO water goes into a bladder that is inside the 3 gallon tank. As the bladder fills the pressure builds up in the tank so when you open your tap this pressure pushes the RO water out until you have emptied the bladder. It is slow but this system is really set up for household needs (at least that's what I told my wife when I bought it ).

[LordEoin]

i kept the tap, i'm probably going to attach a basic filter to it.
we were told the RO water is no good for kids
It will also affect the PH of your water after stripping all the minerals from it.

[Ciderhead]

What's the crack with RO and kids?

[delzep]

So how much mains water is needed to make say 10 litres of ro water?

Also, does the system wait until the tank is empty before refilling or does it refill if you take say 3 litres from it?

[DEMPSEY]

The system continually fills the bladder in the 3 gallon holding tank. But you can run off the water from the tank faster than it fills. Not sure of the numbers but  there is waste water for every liter of RO.

[johnrm]

It is incredibly wasteful, unless you talk to a sales person.
4:1 waste:RO ?

[DEMPSEY]

The thing is you have a blank canvass regarding water as all the minerals as well as the gunk are removed and you are left with pure H2o so you can build whatever water profile you want. After that you have to do everything else right and then you can call yourself a brewer. or you can go out and spend €100,000 by buying a brewery and assume that makes you a brewer :

[Ciderhead]

It is incredibly wasteful, unless you talk to a sales person.
4:1 waste:RO ?

Nice if your on a water meter then

[johnrm]

It could be higher!
LE has the stats on this but yes it's higher than you think.
There was a discussion on this previously and we reckoned you need to keep the waste water rather than run it down rhe drain as it has been heavily filtered and is not that bad.

[johnrm]

Rainwater from a roof and gutters?

[DEMPSEY]

Using the Rain water would be a good way to go as its just water and you are then filtering it. But how are you going to explain that to the wife that you did not do this just for your brewing alone and to stop complaining everytime she has to go out to the water butt to fill the kettle I mean really .