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The Truth About Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water

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Is your tap water safe for drinking? Well, a wide range of pollutants can drag on both the healthiness and even aesthetic of your water, including toxic contaminants and disease, as well as minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Although the city water treatment facilities are required by both state and federal law to maintain your water to a safe enough drinking standard, they are not required in the same way to reduce the hardness of your water (significant presence of minerals), and they cannot easily account for potential irregular increases in contaminants due to stormy weather runoff into municipal water canals, for instance.

This may sound discouraging, but don’t worry. This is where water filtration and softening systems come in to protect you and your home!

Reverse osmosis drinking water: Fact and Fiction 

Reverse Osmosis systems further filter your water by passing it through a semipermeable membrane dedicated to removing contaminants from your water, including chlorine, fluoride, and lead. They are also especially effective against proteins produced by bacteria. 

The taste, look, and smell of your water only improve when these types of pollutants are removed from your water. Who doesn’t want that?

RO systems are typically easy to maintain as they are conveniently accessible and normally require a simple filter change. Essentially, there’s a ton of benefits for your family and your home, with very little effort involved.

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Is drinking reverse osmosis water bad for you?

There is no evidence to suggest that water from an RO system is in any way harmful to anyone who drinks it. However, if your particular health needs require you to have higher pH in your drinking water, then there are optional filters that compensate by reintroducing the good minerals and electrolytes to your water during the filtration process in your RO system.

Is drinking reverse osmosis water good for you?

On the other side, when you drink water from a reverse osmosis system, you’ll be hydrated and just fine, with no harm done to you. And given the effectiveness of RO systems against bacteria, plenty of homeowners even attribute the improvement of their gut health to RO!

Does RO Waste Water?

RO systems typically use 4 gallons of water for every 1 gallon of purified water you receive, depending on the quality and pressure of your municipal water supply. 

However, the rest of the water isn’t “wasted”, but is actually recycled back into your system or circulated into the hot water line.

As soon as you start using your faucet, RO systems typically will initiate the filtration process and replace the water you used, filtering an average of about 50 gallons a day.

Keeping up with your RO’s filter replacement and maintenance will keep your “water waste” from rising. And depending on your system, there are upgrades offered to reduce wasted water during the filtration process, thus maximizing your ready supply of purified water and reducing wear and tear on your filters.

Reverse Osmosis Vs. Bottled Water

Many people looking for a clean drinking water solution turn to bottled water. However, there are some considerations that might make you rethink that choice and choose an RO system instead.

Contaminants

Simply because water is bottled and labeled “fresh,” doesn’t mean it’s purified. Some may even have the same contaminants you already have in your tap water – if not more. That’s a scary thought!

The NY Times reported that “bottled water manufacturers are not required to disclose as much information as municipal water utilities.” This means you’re taking a risk by drinking less regulated water from a company as opposed to the highly regulated water of your local government.

Cost

Business Insider reported that Americans spend an average of $1.22 per gallon of bottled water – 300 times the cost of tap water per gallon!

Although it costs a little bit upfront, you’ll end up saving a lot more money installing and maintaining an RO system to purify your tap. If you need water on the go, consider buying a refillable water bottle and using your RO system to fill it up!

Plastic

The very plastic encasing your bottled water can be toxic itself, releasing BPA into your water, especially when sitting in hotter temperatures. And living in Phoenix, you know this isn’t a rarity!

Plus, there’s obviously an environmental impact when you choose a single use plastic bottle over a reusable one that you refill time and time again.

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How to Install a Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System 

Instead of a whole-home RO system, there are under-counter units available that can be installed by yourself! 

Here is the basic process for installing one of these under-counter units in your home:

  1. Plan
  2. Prep RO Unit
  3. Install Sink Spigot
  4. Prep & Position RO Tank
  5. Mount Filter Assembly
  6. Connect Water Line
  7. Connect Other Tubes
  8. Connect Drain
  9. Perform Water Pressure Test

 

  1. Plan 

Make sure you buy an RO system that fits in your kitchen cabinet space underneath your sink! This is the most common area where it will be installed, given it’s where most households consume water.

  1. Prep your RO Unit

Test fitting all your unit’s components in and around the area you’ll be installing it. This will help you identify any adjustments that might need to be made to your drain or water supply pipes (if adjustments are needed, you’ll want to call a plumber).

  1. Install the Sink Spigot

It’ll be easier if you get your spigot lines down under the counter before things get crowded when you install the unit under the sink. Mount your RO spigot upon your sink or countertop according to the hardware you’ve been given.

Before putting your spigot into place, feed the waterline down through the opening where you are installing your spigot and connect the red tube (air gap) into your faucet.

  1. Prep and Position the RO Tank

Install the tank connector. Put some plumbers tape on the threads of the tank nipple and screw together the spigot connector to the tank (hand-tighten only).

Place the tank under your sink, ideally directly below your sink spigot.

  1. Mount the Filter Assembly

Screw the hanger washers for the filter assembly so that it hangs at least 15 ½ inches from the floor (this makes it easier to change filters in the future).

Place the assembly on the hangers.

  1. Connect the Water Line

Turn off your water supply. Typically, you’ll connect your RO’s ¼-inch water line to your sink faucet by using a ½-inch adapter for a ½-inch flex line in your sink faucet.

If your sink uses a different size flex tube, then you’ll have to use an adapter tee.

  1. Connect All Other Tubes

Each tank – or stage – of your RO unit has tubes for running the water supply through the unit. The tube configuration varies depending on your unit, so make sure to follow the directions supplied by your manufacturer with your unit.

  1. Connect Your Drain

If you’ve got a whirlpool RO system, then a drain tee is included. You’ll have to cut into the existing drain pipe using a hacksaw so that the tee will fit tightly into it.

Connect the drain tee fitting onto the drainpipe using any washers and nuts provided by the manufacturer.

Finally, push the black drain tube from the filter into the adapter tee attached to the drain pipe.

  1. Now Perform a Water Pressure Test

Turn your water supply back on and open the cold water valve on your sink to get rid of the excess air in your pipes. You’ll have to wait a couple of hours before your system reaches full pressure again. After your system becomes fully pressurized, check and tighten any fittings that seem loose or are leaking.

Before drinking the water, drain your RO system completely for 24 hours by leaving your spigot on. Continue testing for any leaks during this time.

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Reverse Osmosis Systems in Phoenix AZ

At Deer Valley Plumbing, we offer plenty of options when it comes to RO systems, and our professional plumbers will help you find which one works best for your budget and your home.

Some of the most popular RO systems include:

  • Waterdrop G3 System
  • iSpring Water Filtration System
  • APEC 4 Stage Water Filter Systems
  • PureDrop 5 Stage System
  • Home Master Artesian Water Filtration System

Don’t wait any longer for fresh, purified water at your tap – call us today!

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