R.O water

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Or purchase an RO system for your home. Since I keep large saltwater aquariums, I already have one. The only difference is I skip the "d-ionization" step for beer water, since I do still want some light levels of metals in the water. Check out bulkreefsupply.com for a filter, they can be had for under $100

HTH
Jordan
 
Take your own jugs to a store (I go to Walmart) and refill them. Don't buy new ones each time off the shelf. Refills are .39 cents a gallon for me.
 
Take your own jugs to a store (I go to Walmart) and refill them. Don't buy new ones each time off the shelf. Refills are .39 cents a gallon for me.

...so that's ten gallons for just under four pennies? :cross:

Seriously, though... Do you know that the water is RO? I have a number of places (independent storefronts) near me that sell different waters, and I've been buying the distilled (as opposed to the RO). I get it for about the same cost...

I still plan on sending it out to Ward Labs for testing, to ensure that it is what they say it is.
 
Or purchase an RO system for your home. Since I keep large saltwater aquariums, I already have one. The only difference is I skip the "d-ionization" step for beer water, since I do still want some light levels of metals in the water. Check out bulkreefsupply.com for a filter, they can be had for under $100

HTH
Jordan


+1
I have a system from the same company for the saltwater tank, and for drinking water. One of the best investments I have ever made and the replacement filters for their systems are fairly cheep.
 
Store bought is probably the easiest, I happen to have a 5-stage in house system that I use for my brewing water. If you brew 5 gallon batches every other week for a year you would spend about 8 gallons X .40 X 26 batches = $83.20. An RO system is going to cost you about $200 when all is said an done so the breakeven is about 63 batches or 315 gallons of product.
 
Store bought is probably the easiest, I happen to have a 5-stage in house system that I use for my brewing water. If you brew 5 gallon batches every other week for a year you would spend about 8 gallons X .40 X 26 batches = $83.20. An RO system is going to cost you about $200 when all is said an done so the breakeven is about 63 batches or 315 gallons of product.

How frequently do you have to replace the membranes/filters/etc. for the RO system? It's probably not that often, but it would still be another variable to compare costs.

I would love to have an RO system, even if it costs a little more, but I have nowhere to put one.
 
How frequently do you have to replace the membranes/filters/etc. for the RO system? It's probably not that often, but it would still be another variable to compare costs.

I would love to have an RO system, even if it costs a little more, but I have nowhere to put one.

I change mine about twice a year. Thats just the 5 Micron Sediment Filter, 5 Micron Carbon Block and 0.6 Micron Carbon Block. With the system from Bulk reef supply all three are $21 plus shipping. The RO membrane will last for several years as long as you remember to flush it out every now and then. Size is not a huge issue in most cases. The whole drinking water system will fit under the kitchen sink, or if you just want it for brewing just bolt it to the wall in your brew area and run a supply line and drain line. The waste water is good for the garden FYI. I reccomend you check out their website, most of the systems I have seen at the home improvement stores may be a bit cheaper up front, but dont work as good and have a higher replacement filter cost.

My system ran about $500 by the time I was said and done, but I added the upgrade kit to go from 75 GPD (gallons per day) to 150 GPD and had to get a booster pump since my water pressure was to low to run the system properly. If your not wanting the 3 gal storage tank for drinking water, and have at least 50 psi comming out of your water lines a basic 4 stage system will run you 123.99. Hope this helps.
 
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Seriously, though... Do you know that the water is RO? I have a number of places (independent storefronts) near me that sell different waters, and I've been buying the distilled (as opposed to the RO). I get it for about the same cost...

I still plan on sending it out to Ward Labs for testing, to ensure that it is what they say it is.

I sent a sample of the walmart water into ward labs and it came back as expected - essentially nothing in it.
 
$0.25 per gallon from machines at the grocery stores near me. I typically only use 2-3 gallons per 5 gallon batch and just can't justify the cost of an in-house system.
 
I have no idea what conditions/costs are in Ontario.. but, where I live, water isn't exactly scarce.. but... I bought an RO system for my RV when traveling in Mexico.. Probably not quite as efficient as a house system.. but, I'll bet I blew thru 10 gallons of water for every gallon I put in the tank. Now, where I live, the cost of water IS going up.. Not only that, the sewer rates are going up. Water usage is closely tied to my sewer rates.

RO water from the stores coming from the big machines is really pretty cheap.. $0.35-.39/gallon. It has many steps and one of them is ultraviolet light.. kills any bad stuff.. I've had only good success with it.
 
I'll bet I blew thru 10 gallons of water for every gallon I put in the tank. Now, where I live, the cost of water IS going up.. Not only that, the sewer rates are going up. Water usage is closely tied to my sewer rates.

Water is getting more difficult and more expensive to get, especially in places like California. An RO system wastes 4-8 times as much water (down the drain!) as the water you get out of it. I could totally justify it if there was hexavalent chromium in my water, or if I were drinking well water, but in CA it's just not justifiable from my point of view. Buy it from the store.
 
Yep.. you could save the effluent and put it on the lawn/trees, etc.. but, that's a pain.. It would get old for me in an NewYork second. No matter how you cut it.. whether you buy it at the store or make it at home.. there is a lot of waste. For me, it's lower water sewer bills.. and I don't have to maintain an RO system.
 
HbgBill said:
Yep.. you could save the effluent and put it on the lawn/trees, etc.. but, that's a pain.. It would get old for me in an NewYork second. No matter how you cut it.. whether you buy it at the store or make it at home.. there is a lot of waste. For me, it's lower water sewer bills.. and I don't have to maintain an RO system.

That's exactly what I do. My "waste" water is either collected into a side barrel for the plants/garden/lawn. Or I put it directly into my washing machine. My main problem where I live (for both brewing and my saltwater tank) was high chlorine AND also the addition of chloromine. There is also fluoride added to our city water. Thus, being a renter, and not having a water bill, an RO system installed in my basement with three 35 gallon water tubs was much easier for my situation and cheaper in the long run
 
I have no idea what conditions/costs are in Ontario.. but, where I live, water isn't exactly scarce.. but... I bought an RO system for my RV when traveling in Mexico.. Probably not quite as efficient as a house system.. but, I'll bet I blew thru 10 gallons of water for every gallon I put in the tank. Now, where I live, the cost of water IS going up.. Not only that, the sewer rates are going up. Water usage is closely tied to my sewer rates.

RO water from the stores coming from the big machines is really pretty cheap.. $0.35-.39/gallon. It has many steps and one of them is ultraviolet light.. kills any bad stuff.. I've had only good success with it.

My sewer bills are out of control too. We have these small standalone "Water Shed" stands around where I live (NW Ohio). The water undergoes a 9 step process including RO, UV, filtration, you name it. I get mega clean water for 25 cents a gallon or 5 gallons for a buck. Can't beat it! :rockin:
 
Another thing to consider is.. when you are making RO water at home.. the effluent.. the stuff you don't want has a much higher concentration of minerals than your normal tap water. Probably a better use for it then watering plants is to use it for laundry. If you have somewhat hard water to begin with and you concentrate that hardness in making the RO water that product gets harder. If your house water is like mine, after a while of watering house plants, you will see a white crust developing on the pot and the potting soil. This can actually burn the roots.. which is why the experts suggest running water thru the pot every so often to put that mineral content back into solution and flush it from the plant ball. I'd guess spreading it around the drip line of a tree, which I did, doesn't concentrate the minerals on one spot too much.. till the next rain.. which dilutes it. All this stuff that is getting washed from the household water to make the RO are considered "salts" for lack of a better term.. maybe not table salt.. but, can have the same effect on plant life.
 

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