Air Water Ice vs Bulk Reef Supply

I have an Air Water Ice Typhoon 5 stage RODI unit, and it has come to the time to replace my filters. The filter pack that Air water ice offers for this unit costs like $51 (shipped, and with a coupon) comes with these 10" filters:

• 10 micron sediment filter
• 5 micron Coconut Carbon Black
• one micron Coconut Carbon Black
• Full size vertical color changing DI Cartridge

Now my question is, can I replace the Air Water Ice with the Bulk Reef Supply 5 stage standard filter replacement kit, which costs about $38 shipped and comes with these filters:

• 5 Micron Purtrex sediment filter
• 1-MATRIKX + CTO®/2 Carbon Block (5 micron)
• 1-MATRIKX® +1 Carbon Block (1 micron)
• Color changing DI Resin refill

The BRS one seems better anyway.. Does anyone know if these filters are 10" as well?

 

bump!!!

 

The BRS filters are 10". I also have a typhoon with the BRS filters inside...spectrapure membrane and silica buster DI.

 

Does that mean go for it?

 

yeah I dont understand

 

I answered your question of the 10" cartridge. I would buy BRS.

 

I'd buy the 1 Micron Purtrex sediment filter, 1-MATRIKX® +1 Carbon Block (1 micron), and DI resin. I'd leave the middle chamber (5 micron carbon block) empty as you only need one good sediment filter and one good carbon block. The extra carbon block is absolutely unnecessary. I guarantee you will get better results with this set up and it will cost less.

 

Hm I haven't heard this before. What do you mean by better results? Can you give me a description of why this is better? I would think the more filters the better.

Can anyone else vouch for this?

 

Less cost yes. Not much. But I don't see how you would get better performance.

 

More filters is not better. Better filters is better. The micron ratings of the filters is more important than the number of filters. A 1 micron sediment filter is way better than a 5 micron one. The 1 micron sediment filter will get out the particulates that would have otherwise passed on to the carbon blocks. Using a 5 micron sediment filter will cause your carbon blocks to act as sediment filters (as they will now have to remove particulates from 1-5 microns that the sediment filter didn't), quickly losing their ability to do what they were meant to do (remove VOCs and chlorine). Once that happens, you better change them out prematurely (less than 6 months) or it's bye bye RO membrane. Get a real sediment filter (1 micron rated or less), and you will not have to worry as you will be able to change it out every 6-12 months (6 months recommended) before a noticeable pressure drop occurs.