Which do you think is better?

Alright, I went with the Spectrapure one, I like to do business with 3reef sponsors if possible. Plus like MoJoe said, I will upgrade later so I think I'll be happier with the higher gpd in the end.

2in10, thanks for the coil and heater tip, didn't think about doing that.

 

You'll love the unit, I thought I'd be a bit confused using it at first but it was a breeze. When you get it just make sure to measure the waste to pure ratio, which is optimal at 4 to 1, I had about 5 to 1 which they said was fine for the winter months.

Here's a great thread on how to trim the flow restrictor valve if you are not getting a good ratio: http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-aq...your-new-ro-filter-flow-restrictor-82812.html

Also, a tiny tip I learned. After you have used it & have disconnected it, if you're doing a "carry & connect" like I am, let the unit sit and drain for a good hour or more as water will continue to seep out of the pure/waste tubing even after you might think it's all done draining. It's completely normal but just a little thing I learned. The chambers usually end up about half full when it's completely done.

Don't hesitate to contact SpectraPure via the board PM, I did and they answered all and every question I had super quick.

let us know how you like your unit when you get it.

 

I am a little late seeing this thread but there really is no comparison between the Purewaterclub and Spectrapure units, its almost and apples and oranges comparison. That goes for the Filter Guys units too although they are an improvement over the Pure water units.
1. For starters lets look at the RO membrane itself.
The Spectrapure uses a Dow Filmtec membrane which has been been treated with a proprietary process to improve both its GPD output and its treated water quality then subjected to rigorous batch testing to ensure it meets their standards. They are shipped in a wetted state.
The Purewater units do not tell you the membrane manufacturer which is a big red flag in my mind meaning "buyer beware". If they don't tell you what it is it could be an imported knock off and you are stuck with it. The Filter Guys use an off the shelf dry untested 75 GPD Dow but they do tell you the manufacturer.

2. The Spectrapure units use 20 oz of custom blended DI resin they mix in their own facility in Tempe AZ which is designed specifically for reef use. It is installed in an industry standard 10" vertical canister with a refillable cartridge and has a true engineered bottom up flow so all resin and water come into contact with each other with no channelling or short circuiting. It has been shown to last about 33% longer than normal mixed bed nuclear grade DI resins. It is packed in a vacuum sealed foil bag to preserve its freshness
Pure water does not tell you what they use or how many ounces it contains, it is also in a very inefficient horizontal configuration which encourages water to take the path of least resistance and flow along the bottom or short circuit. They also state the DI is to remove hard water rminerals? Does this mean they are using water softener resins? I would certainly hope not but you never know.
Filter Guys use an off the shelf preblended mixed bed nuclear grade resin which will last approximately 60% as long as the Spectrapure SilicaBuster so requires more frequent replacement and thus higher operating cost.

3. Prefilters, Spectrapure uses a 1 micron almost absolute prefilter which does an excellent job of protecting the downstream carbon block which relies on its billions of tiny microscopic pores to work.
Pure water uses a 5 micron polypropylene prefilter as does Filter Guys. The 5 micron does not do near the job of protecting the more expensive and important carbon block which in turn reduces the life of everything downstream.

4. The Spectrapure uses a single 1 micron carbon block which is very effective at both chlorine and chloramines as well as VOC removal. Single carbons are preferred since they do not contribute to unnecessary pressure drop in front of the membrane which leads to lower production and lower water quality. Pure water includes a granular carbon cartridge which has absolutely no place in an RO/DI system. It has a useful life of about 300 total gallons so that means after 60 gallons of RO/DI and the associated 240 gallons of waste the carbon is spent and releasing contaminants plus is grinding away and creating dust which plugs the second carbon and its billions of tiny pores rendering it useless. Very inefficient and leads to premature membrane failure once the chlorine hits it. Plus the fact the second carbon is only a 5 micron so lasts about 3000 total gallons if in peak condition, thats only 600 gallons or RO/DI so is not the right choice.
Filter Guys still use the old antiquated dual carbons making the first carbon act as a secondary prefilter which is old school and not necessary. At least they do use good carbons though and not granular but it still leads to unnecessary pressure drop and replacements when a single high quality carbon works better. Way back years ago when carbon technology was not where it is today this was the norm but not any more.

5. Spectrapure includes both an inline pressure gauge and dual inline TDS meter to enable you to monitor and troubleshoot your system. Pure water includes neither and Filter guys do on some more expensive $199 and up systems.

6. Spectrapure uses the much better capillary tube type flow restrictors which neither of the others provide. The capillary tube can be trimmed by you for your exact water condition so you optimize your system to your specific needs. Others consider their unit to be a one size fits all and we know that is never the case.

I could go on and on but the point is there really is a difference and you get what you pay for. Do your research and shop wisely no matter what you buy. Look at not only the initial cost but also the long term operating cost and final water quality. If you are like me you plan to be in this hobby for the long haul so consider your purchase to be a fine tool which will last for years and years.

 

Aside from the "proprietary treatment" of the filmtec membranes, spectrapure isn't any different than any of the other good units.

I guarantee that someone will argue against it, but look at the components. They all come from the same vendors.

 

I beg to differ. Name other vendors who bench and field test all their resins and mix them in house? Name another vendor who wet tests their RO membranes then offers a written guarantee like on the Select series. Name any other vendor who uses absolute rated prefilters rather than nominal rated prefilters. Name any othe vendor besides Spectrapure and Buckeye who supplies capillary tube flow restrictors? Name any other vendor besides Spectrapure and AWI who have been in the RO business for 25 years or more and who have the reputation to back their products.
I can go on but its up to the buyer to research before buying and if they do so they speak for themselves.

Outwardly they may appear the same but under the hood they are worlds different and thats what makes the cost of ownership what it is.

 

Thats all good until you buy replacement parts that aren't from them. RO/DI setups really aren't that much $ difference between one another so I don't know why people cheap out on them.

 

AZ and vdub. I am not talking about ebay cheap units.

I am talking about AWI, BFS, Filterguys, and spectrapure.

They all do things a little differently, but pretty much are the same.

 

"Pretty much" is not the same. They do not do things the same. Many still adhere to the ancient practice of multiple carbons or high micron rating down to low. Countless thousands of hours of bench and field beta testing has shown this can be detrimental. Coming from a wate rtreatment plant background myself I know where this comes from but it is outdated and most vendors don't have the lab or bench facilities to test this so they stick with old technology.
In a conventional treatment plant you start out with roughing filters to remove the big stuff, bar screens and such. Next the filter a little finer, in a plant this involves chemical addition, flocculation and sedimentation. Lastly it hits the final filters, it could be sands and gravels or membranes. In some cases it can also go through carbon.

In an RO/DI this has proven to be not as efficient and here is why. Say you start with a 10 or even 5 micron nominal prefilter, you pass everything smaller than and including 5 microns and in the case of a nominal rated prefilter may things larger than 5 microns since it only has to trap a percentage if nominal, on to the next filter in line. here lies the problem since carbon relies on the billions of tiny microscopic pores to adsorb not absorb the chlorine and organics. if the pores become blocked or fouled the carbon only acts as a secondary sediment or particulate filter. Here many insert a second carbon to make up for the plugged carbon in front of it but this filter also has an associated presure drop which lower the units efficiency. This has been documented in studies, I am not making it up.

The newer scientific way of thinking says if it does not get to the carbon or membrane it does not have to be removed, does less damage and makes the components work better and last longer. This leads to a lower long term operating cost. So install a 1 micron or less prefilter which is still relatively inexpensive, and it protects the more expensive carbon block so it can function as it was intended at removing chlorine and VOCs. It will last longer as it is not getting fouled with particulates and colloidal materials which are a major headache. By both the prefilter and carbon working better you only need the single carbon, have less pressure drop, longer membrane life and better performance. This could allow a lower waste ratio in many cases but companies like Spectrapure stay conservative and stick with 4:1 which is safe since they are guaranteeing their products.

Fewer filters, better filters, better performance and lower long term cost of operation. Its fact not fiction. My DI life with a Typhoon III was 150 gallons per 20 oz refill before I started seeing TDS in the treated water. I tried resins from Buckeye, Resin Depot, AWI, PurelyH2o, Watts, the old ARS and many more and it made no difference.
I switched to a MaxCap and my very first MaxCap cartridge went 830 documented and logged gallons. The second one went well over 900 gallons and the third was over 1000 gallons still at 0 TDS with a COM-100 meter and the original SilicaBuster cartridge was still in the unit. Thats around 3000 gallons of treated RO/DI on 3 or 4 cartridges versus the 20 or so it took with the old system. Big cost savings and an improvement in water quality too at a true 18.2 megaohms resistivity. Not to metion the landfill savings between 3 or 4 cartridges and 20 cartridges.
Others assemble off the shelf parts. Spectrapure holds patents, copyrights and trademarks as they innovate and design their systems from the ground up. I have been an end user of their products for about 6 years now and I would not go back to the others.
There is a difference.

 

I have not had any issues with AWI or filterguys products. MY Filterguys RODI has been performing flawlessly for like 3+ years with regular maintenance. That is fine for me.

When I just got my new filters, I wanted to try spectrapure, and get a RO membrane from them too. Their 4 day wait convinced me not to use them this time.

 

I found from experience its hard to judge the difference without having them side by side. I ran several units at the same time and kept logbooks. I installed a pressure gauge on the intake plus the one at the membrane to monitor pressure drop plus installed sample points pre membrane, post membrane and post each DI so I could use the more accurate COM-100 handheld meter. I also installed a 1" flowmeter to record actual water consumption then filled 5 gallon jugs with the RO/DI to monitor output. I did this for 18 months with 4 different systems, a Typhoon III, a modified Watts Premier, a 90 GPD MaxCap and a dual membrane 240 GPD MaxCap.
I monitored incoming temperature, TDS, post pre and carbon TDS, RO only TDS, chlorine breakthru, waste ratio and the TDS after each DI in the case of multiple DI's. Everything was documented in writing and the MaxCap was the clear winner in either the single or dual membrane model. It more than paid for the difference in cost in less than 1 year and returned my investment in the second year.