Choosing a between a countertop or a single/ twin / triple undersink system.

Countertop Systems.

Countertop systems are economically priced and easy to install and have the advantage of being portable. These systems are best suited to those persons that may be renting and or have some bench space available in the kitchen for the system to sit. These systems require a cartridge that meets your needs but because it operates without a sediment pre-filter the carbon cartridge needs to be sediment tolerant otherwise the cartridge may have a shorter life. We use the Ametek housing for countertop systems as it is reliable and attractive. Our countertop systems use chrome compression fittings as these are not prone to breaking as the plastic ones are and due to the compression fittings the tubes will not blow off. The countertop housing can be converted to an undersink system at any time. See below for cartridge selection advice.

Single Undersink Systems.

Single undersink systems are best suited for those persons that have limited bench/sink space as the cartridge is hidden away under the sink and the water is obtained from a dedicated mini faucet ( special tap for the filtered water) attached through the sink or bench. The dedicated faucet is easy to operate and the delivery spout swings out of the way  when not in use. These systems require a cartridge that meets your needs but because it operates without a sediment pre-filter the carbon cartridge needs to be sediment tolerant otherwise the cartridge may have a shorter life. If the system will be subject to heavy use or your water has sediment present at times then a twin or triple system may be better suited to meet your needs. A single undersink system can be easily converted to a twin later if needed for around $60.00 including postage. See below for cartridge selection advice.

Twin Undersink Systems.

Twin undersink systems are suitable for heaver use or larger households or for those persons looking to maximize the life of the carbon cartridge as these systems have a sediment pre-filter, they are also best suited to areas that have sediment present or at times discolored water. The twin systems is hidden away under the sink and the water is obtained from a dedicated mini faucet attached through the sink or bench. The dedicated faucet is easy to operate and the delivery spout swings out of the way  when not in use. They also have the advantage of being able to have two carbon cartridges fitted which will produce water of exceptional quality. See below for cartridge selection advice.

Triple Undersink Systems.

Triple undersink systems are for those persons that want the best as these systems produce water of exceptional quality. These systems extend the life of the cartridges as the systems have a sediment prefilter and generally two carbon cartridges that treat the water is slightly different ways which results in the water being treated at a level only surpassed by a reverse osmosis system. If you want and expect the best then the triple system is for you. The triple systems is hidden away under the sink and the water is obtained from a dedicated mini faucet attached through the sink or bench.  See below for cartridge selection advice.

Choosing a cartridge for a countertop system.

The list of cartridges that we have is extensive and diverse and this can cause selection problems for people, but we believe in giving you freedom of choice to select a cartridge that best suits your needs rather than a supplier pushing what they want you to buy.  All carbon cartridges easily remove chlorine and other nasties but the better quality ones treat at a higher rate for longer, all of the cartridges listed below will easily remove chlorine.   A countertop system cartridge has a dual role as it must operate as a sediment and chemical removal  filter.  The first thing to consider is apart from chlorine what else do you need it to do.  If you are looking to remove chlorine only the Fiberdyne 234 and the Matrikx Coconut is all that you need with the Matrikx Coconut producing a better taste.  If you are looking to treat for Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts then the choices are, US Filters CBC-10 and Matrikx CR1, all these cartridges are of high quality and will produce excellent tasting water and are sediment tolerant, there are also cartridges that treat for lead as well Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts, it is important to remove lead if you have young children the cartridges to do this are the US Filters CBR2-10R and the Matrikx Pb1.  If you live in an area that receives  boil your water warnings or you are concerned about bacteria presence in your water then you should seriously consider a bacteria rated cartridge.  These are the Matrikx Ceramikx or the Doulton Ultracarb with the Doulton having the advantage of also treating for heavy metals.  The Matrikx CRI is the most tollerant of sediment and has the highest treatment of any cartridge on the market.

Choosing a cartridge for an undersink system.

The list of cartridges that we have is extensive and diverse and this can cause selection problems for people, but we believe in giving you freedom of choice to select a cartridge that best suits your needs rather than a supplier pushing what they want you to buy.  All carbon cartridges easily remove chlorine and other nasties but the better quality ones treat at a higher rate for longer, all of the cartridges listed below will easily remove chlorine.  The first thing to consider is apart from chlorine what else do you need it to do.  If you are looking to remove chlorine only the Fiberdyne 234 and the Matrikx Coconut is all that you need with the Matrikx Coconut producing a better taste.  If you are looking to treat for Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts then the choices are, Omnipure coconut, US Filters CBC-10 and Matrikx CR1, all these cartridges are of high quality and will produce excellent tasting water and are sediment tolerant, there are also cartridges that treat for lead as well Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts, it is important to remove lead if you have young children the cartridges to do this are the US Filters CBR2-10R and the Matrikx Pb1.  If you live in an area that receives  boil your water warnings or you are concerned about bacteria presence in your water then you should seriously consider a bacteria rated cartridge.  These are the Matrikx Ceramikx or the Doulton Ultracarb with the Doulton having the advantage of also treating for heavy metals. 

Choosing a Reverse Osmosis Wall Mount System.  The greatest tasting water you will ever have.

Reverse osmosis units produce very pure water slowly with the membrane rated to produce pure RO water over a 24 hour period at 50 psi (350 kpa) however many sellers of RO's rate the membrane at 100 psi (700 kpa) to make their units appear to produce more than their competition. We state the correct method rating which is at 50 psi but the fact is that most households have greater pressure than 50 psi so the units usually produce water at higher rates than those stated. The production rate for RO's is also affected by the temperature of the water as the higher the water temperature the viscosity of the water changes and production of pure RO water increases however this doesn't mean that you use water from your hot tap as this would damage the membrane. Our systems have a patented flow restrictor and as a result will create around 1/2 litre less waste water for each litre of pure RO water the unit produces this not only saves water but also your filters as less water has passed through them extending their life and saving you money. The average ratio of waste water to pure for our systems is around 1.25 litres of waste to 1 litre of RO pure with our competition at best 3 to 1. The patented flow restrictor will also extend the life of the membrane as it is also a membrane flushing valve saving the need to have the membrane back flushed by a professional every 12 months, again saving you money. A four stage laundry (wall mount) with a carbon post filter is offered as an industry standard feature but a carbon post filter after the membrane is a complete waste of money as the water has passed through a sediment filter, then a carbon filter, then a membrane filtering at 1/2 a millionth of a millimetre, what ever is left a carbon filter will not treat for but it will increase the operating costs.  The carbon post filter in an undersink model is recommended as the water can sometimes pick-up a slight rubber taste from the tank bladder and the post carbon filter will remove this.

The mini RO systems that we sell will produce water quality equal to the larger units but are designed to be for the person looking for around 6 litres per day or less, they will produce water at the same rate as the larger units but if you use the RO at a greater rate than it was designed for it starts to be less economical to run as it will consume cartridges too quickly.  The full sized units are very economical to run as they have the standard size cartridges (9.75 inches or 250 mm) and you can buy these cartridges just about anywhere but we hope you will return to purchase them from us.  The wall mounted (laundry) systems are designed to operate in the laundry and are connected to the washing machine cold tap with a special fitting which allows the washing machine to operate unaffected, the fitting has a small ball valve fitted teeing off and whenever you wish to draw some RO water you simply turn the small ball valve and collect as much as you need. Many customers put the waste tube into the washing machine to make use if this water or they buy some extra tube and run it outside into a dripper system to water plants and by doing so waste is eliminated. We use and recommend the use of the Fibredyne 240SL carbon cartridge as a carbon pre-filter for an RO, this cartridge is silver impregnated and is a hostile environment for bacteria with bacteria being the worst enemy for a membrane. We pay more for the Fibredyne cartridges than some of the others but we and the industry know this cartridge type will protect the membrane extending its life, on average we sell several replacement membranes per day to some of our competitors clients as a result of shortened membrane life caused by cutting costs and failing to use silver impregnated cartridges. It gets worse, some of the major manufacturers of reverse osmosis systems fail at all to place a carbon filter before a TFC membrane and by doing so know the membrane will not last more than 18 months, this is done to promote sales of membrane.

Choosing an Undersink Reverse Osmosis System.

The undersink reverse osmosis system has the convenience of delivering water quickly as they have a storage tank and an auto shut-off system that turns the system off  when the tank is full. We use the 600 kpa pressure limiting valve as the higher the pressure the purer the RO water will be, if we were to use say a 500 kpa pressure limiting valve this would produce water of lesser purity. Our storage tanks are 316 stainless steel where ever the water can contact the tank and as a result are the only tank type that meets drinking water guidelines, the standard steel storage tank sold by many of our competitors doesn't meet the drinking water health guidelines and is prone to rusting. The steel tanks cost around $30.00 less to buy than the stainless steel ones and as a result we are not always able to match their prices but is price the only consideration or is quality also important. 

Reverse osmosis units produce very pure water slowly with the membrane rated to produce pure RO water over a 24 hour period at 50 psi (350 kpa) however many sellers of RO's rate the membrane at 100 psi (700 kpa) to make their units appear to produce more than their competition. We state the correct method rating which is at 50 psi but the fact is that most households have greater pressure than 50 psi so the units usually produce water at higher rates than those stated. The production rate for RO's is also affected by the temperature of the water as the higher the water temperature the viscosity of the water changes and production of pure RO water increases however this doesn't mean that you use water from your hot tap as this would damage the membrane. Our systems have a patented flow restrictor and as a result will create around 1/2 litre less waste water for each litre of pure RO water the unit produces this not only saves water but also your filters as less water has passed through them extending their life and saving you money. The average ratio of waste water to pure for our systems is around 1 to 1.25 litres of waste to 1 litre of RO pure with our competition at best 3 to 1. The patented flow restrictor will also extend the life of the membrane as it is also a membrane flushing valve saving the need to have the membrane back flushed by a professional every 12 months, again saving you money. We use and recommend the use of the Fibredyne 240SL carbon cartridge as a carbon pre-filter for an RO, this cartridge is silver impregnated and is a hostile environment for bacteria with bacteria being the worst enemy for a membrane. We pay more for the Fibredyne cartridges than some of the others but we and the industry know this cartridge type will protect the membrane extending its life, on average we sell several replacement membranes per day to some of our competitors clients as a result of shortened membrane life caused by cutting costs and failing to use silver impregnated cartridges. It gets worse, some of the major manufacturers of reverse osmosis systems fail at all to place a carbon filter before a TFC membrane and by doing so know the membrane will not last more than 18 months, this is done to promote sales of membrane.