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FastUno

Senior Member
Location
Marlboro, NJ
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Thanks. I will look at those sites.

Do you guys do the 10 micron sediment, 5 micron carbon, 1 mic sediment or carbon?

I have done 1/1/1 & find that the carbon filters last longer & filtered water tastes better longer. I was able to get a good 8-9 months of just drinking/cooking water in that way.

I bought my filters at airwaterice & this is what they have to say about the order. Wha do you think?




"Recommended Filter Array

The idea behind an array of filters is to provide for optimum pressure and a long filter life. The pre-filter micron rating required to optimize the life of a reverse osmosis membrane is five micron. No manufacturer asks for more protection than that and nothing is gained by smaller micron filters. In fact, you only hurt the overall performance of the system by using smaller micron filters. How do you hurt it? By causing excessive pressure drop.

Never install a one half (0.5) micron filter as a pre-filter. A filter array is designed so that each filter does the work required of it and protects the next filter in line. It would make no sense to dump big particles of dirt on a fine filter. You would clog it up immediately causing a great deal of pressure loss.

What I now recommend is: Get a ten micron sediment filter for your first stage, no smaller! Then obtain a good quality five micron carbon block, acid washed filter for the second stage. The ten micron filter has removed all of the dirt and sediment over ten microns from the water which protects the five micron filter. Now, all the five micron filter has to remove is sediment between 5 and 10 micron. In the third stage get a quality one micron carbon filter or a sediment filter if you have well water. You have now accomplished filtration down to one micron, five times the manufactures requirements. You have not lost a great deal of pressure and the filter can now provide you full service. So to recap; the ten protects the five, the five protects the one, and the one micron exceeds the requirement to protect the membrane by a factor of five, so your membrane sees only one micron sediment... one fifth the requirement.

Protected by a 10-to-1 micron array, the membrane is free to go about the task of removing bacteria, virus, salt, ions and dissolved metals (TDS). The filters alone have no impact on the TDS and should never be relied on to remove bacteria. Ions and bacteria are best left to the membrane. After the work done by the pre-filters and membrane, your water is very pure. The final stage is DI -- A typical mixed bed DI cartridge is capable of reducing the TDS to zero (0).

It kills me to see anyone recommend a one micron filter for the first stage!

The H2O Guru's at Air Water & Ice "
 

FastUno

Senior Member
Location
Marlboro, NJ
Rating - 100%
79   0   0
If I was a filter salesman I would recommend the 10-5-1. If I was a thrifty reefer I would say 1-1-1 & change out the cheaper sediment filter more often.

When I look at my filters I notice that the sediment filter has finally started to get brown after months & the other 2x 1 micron filters are still clear. How can this not be a good & cheaper method?

I admit, that there was once where my water column could not handle 1-1-1. The water must have been stirred (perhaps they were working on the street pipes) & was very brown. It clogged the 1U in a matter of 3-4 weeks.
 

edd

Advanced Reefer
Location
nj
Rating - 100%
96   0   0
10-5-1 Great confirmation.
Need to change mine in my AWI Typhoon and wondering whether to go with theirs or look for my own.

i just bought a set last week from awi, they were giving quarterly special $10.00 discount plus 10% mr discount. set of 4 came to $40 delivered, i couldn't find cheaper and i knew they would fit.
 

Imbarrie

PADI Dive Inst
Location
New York
Rating - 100%
61   0   0
If I was a filter salesman I would recommend the 10-5-1. If I was a thrifty reefer I would say 1-1-1 & change out the cheaper sediment filter more often.

When I look at my filters I notice that the sediment filter has finally started to get brown after months & the other 2x 1 micron filters are still clear. How can this not be a good & cheaper method?

I admit, that there was once where my water column could not handle 1-1-1. The water must have been stirred (perhaps they were working on the street pipes) & was very brown. It clogged the 1U in a matter of 3-4 weeks.

Buy using a 1 micron element for your first filter you will have a significant psi drop which will affect the RO process and the unit will not operate efficiently.
Filter out larger particles to smaller ones. It will prolong the life of all the filters and you will be spending the same amount.
If you want to extend the life of these you could get a whole house high flow filter. In this case it could act as a 10 micron and you could get away with a 5 then 1. But going direct from city to 1 micron is asking for problems.
 

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