Reverse Osmosis Water filters.........Anyone using them here in DR?

davetuna

Bronze
Jun 19, 2012
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Cabarete, Dominican Republic
Would like to hear peoples experience with R/O water filtration systems here in DR. Whole house or Under sink systems. I see they are now very inexpensive to buy in US.

Which ones are recommended?

Problems?

cost per year?

are you happy with your system?
 

donluis99

Bronze
Jul 12, 2004
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under sink, bought from almacenes unidos, 50 gpd, RD$10K, 4 filters plus R.O. then U.V.

yes great eliminates bottles

just change filters every 3 months instead of 6 to be extra safe, cost per year RD$2,000.00

keep an eye on the U.V. supposedly last a good while, but that's the last pass that kills any bugs that get that far.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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The problem with RO filters is you need good water pressure to make them work. Because of the filtration system they slow down the pressure past it.

An electric pump would work. I doubt the head pressure of a tinaco would unless it's mounted really high and the downstream pipes are fairly large.
 

pelaut

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Aug 5, 2007
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CB: last one I owned had a standard 800psi prefilter pressure for salt water.
Dunno for sure, but to scrub out most large contanimates and bacteria from fresh water, something in the range of 400 will be needed. And the super fine filters are needed; that's why the high pressure.

Google it (do hard research) before you think you're safer with 20-60psi system ambient pushing through a sponge.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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CB: last one I owned had a standard 800psi prefilter pressure for salt water.
Dunno for sure, but to scrub out most large contanimates and bacteria from fresh water, something in the range of 400 will be needed. And the super fine filters are needed; that's why the high pressure.

Google it (do hard research) before you think you're safer with 20-60psi system ambient pushing through a sponge.
True, but getting basic contaminates out of water requires a lot less pressure that desalination.

I had an under-sink RO filter for a separate water outlet on the sink. It worked well, but the pressure..I had decent street pressure...was really low. Took 15+ seconds to fill a 20 oz. glass.

The local RO plant has standard 220v pumps-like many houses have here-to push through their RO system and fill 5gal. water jugs. Nothing mega high pressure.
 

donluis99

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Jul 12, 2004
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The under sink job I explained has on board pump, it is a little slow on its own, but it fills a small pressure tank, bout 2 1/2 - 3 gallons. The tank come factory charge at 6 psi, but you can up the charge to up the pressure if need be.

We were using a flow jet for the ice maker and add on sink faucet for drinking water, just disconnected the flo-jet and connected this, better pressure than the flow jet even.

And Maria can wash veggies with clean water without worrying about the cost of bottled water.

We are family of 5, and bottled water use had exceeded 7 bottles per week, more than 1 per day, so this system pays for itself in less than 6 months and no more hassle ringing in 8 - 9 full bottles and the same in empties every weekend.

No more cleaning the bottle neck and changing out the empty everyday, some times 2 times in the day.

Well worth it.
 

donluis99

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Jul 12, 2004
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The problem with RO filters is you need good water pressure to make them work. Because of the filtration system they slow down the pressure past it.

An electric pump would work. I doubt the head pressure of a tinaco would unless it's mounted really high and the downstream pipes are fairly large.


With tinaco I would suggest a flow booster, its an inline pump which activates with low flow, like when you open the faucet, and then turns on....seen at almacenes unidos for about RD2,200.00. You can install right at the salida of the tinaco and have boosted pressure in the whole hose as well.
 

cobraboy

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Jul 24, 2004
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With tinaco I would suggest a flow booster, its an inline pump which activates with low flow, like when you open the faucet, and then turns on....seen at almacenes unidos for about RD2,200.00. You can install right at the salida of the tinaco and have boosted pressure in the whole hose as well.
Most houses have one, as well as a pressure tank. You have to get the water to the tinaco somehow...

But as an electric motor they do use a lot of power.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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I drank "Tap Water" here for 5 years
I figured that with where my mouth went, tap water was the least of my worries.
I now have a rack, like you see in front of Colmados", with 20 five gallon bottles.
When 10 are "MT", I call the water company nearby, they come to my house, collect the 10 "MT" bottles, and replace them in the rack.
They charge me 20 pesos per bottle.
Works for me.
No filters, no pumps,no problems.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
 

Jenny429

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Oct 10, 2005
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I have the same as Criss.. Except sometimes I have to go to the colmado for water because the darn truck didn't come to refill the rack.. that happened when I was in the campo more.. No problem here in San Fran though..