Q. HOW MUCH WATER DOES AN R.O. SYSTEM USE?

A. The average system with the automatic shut-off valves uses approximately 7 gallons per day, i.e., 2 gallons of product water and 5 gallons of water to the drain. However, the actual water flow is so slow that most water meters cannot measure the flow.

Q. DOES YOUR SYSTEM PRODUCE MORE WASTE WATER THAN OTHER SYSTEMS?

A. The purpose of the water that becomes waste water is to rinse the outside of the membrane so that it does not become clogged. Up to a certain point, the more waste water which is produced, the longer the membrane will last. Most R.O. systems have a ratio of waste water to drinking water of between 2:1 to 6:1. If a system has too low of a ratio, for example 1:1, you will probably need to replace the membrane frequently -- and often at an extremely high price. With some systems, you have to change the membrane every six months! On the other hand, with our system, we recommend that you change the FilmTec membrane only after six years -- at a cost of $55. So you see, R.O. systems are like cars -- the cost of having one is not just the initial purchase price, but the cost of maintaining it over several years. With our system, we give you both a reasonable purchase price and low maintenance costs.

Also, please check your water bill to find out exactly how much you're paying per gallon of water. In a two month period, we paid $19.26 for 36 HCF (hundred cubic feet) of water. Since an HCF is 748 gallons, we used 26,928 gallons of water. If you divide $19.26 by 26,928, you get $0.0007 per gallon. In other words, 14 gallons of water costs us 1 cent. If we use two gallons of drinking water per day, and waste 5 more to produce that two, our system costs us about 1 cent every two days to operate. Nevertheless, I still don't like wasting water, so I use my waste water for watering my plants.

Q. DOES THE SYSTEM NEED TO RUN 24 HOURS A DAY?

No, under certain circumstances an Automatic Shut-Off Valve can be used. It shuts off all the water coming into the system as soon as the tank is 90% full. Then when the tank is half empty, the valve also turns the inlet water back on. This means the prefilters will have an extended life of three years instead of one. However, there are circumstances where a continuous flushing of the membrane is necessary. Consult your dealer to advise you on this option.

Q. CAN YOUR SYSTEM HANDLE HARD WATER?

Yes, if your water is 20 grains of hardness or less, we call this moderately hard water. With this level of hardness, it can go right into the R.O. system without a problem. However, if you have harder water, it might be a good idea to have a water softener because it removes calcium, magnesium, and iron which can impair an R.O. membrane. The negative side to running softened water through the R.O. system, is that a water softener normally adds salt to the water, and a regular R.O. membrane normally removes only 85% to 92% of the salt. Thus, if you are on a low sodium diet, it would be better not to add salt to your water before sending it through your R.O. system. The only downside to not softening really hard water is that you may just have to change the membrane more often.