RO/DI vs Sparkletts Home Delivery
- Thread starter madison
- Start date
madison
Member
Sparkletts, Arrowhead mountain spring water...I don't think it's real RO/DI water...but their claim to fame is that they go thru a 30 step process to filter and heat treat and cold filter to make the "purest" drinking water possible. They propose a filter process to filter out 99% of inpurities...
I am new to the concept of RO/DI...isn't that kinda like the "membrane" idea of a RO/DI unit?
I am currently buying RO water from a LFS...$0.39/gallon. I am barely over 100lbs myself and really not that strong...getting 10 gallons a week is back breaking for me. Just looking for a way to provide the best for my tank.
I am willing to pay for home delivery if the drinking water is just as good as RO/DI...if not...AndrewT we might just need to talk
I am new to the concept of RO/DI...isn't that kinda like the "membrane" idea of a RO/DI unit?
I am currently buying RO water from a LFS...$0.39/gallon. I am barely over 100lbs myself and really not that strong...getting 10 gallons a week is back breaking for me. Just looking for a way to provide the best for my tank.
I am willing to pay for home delivery if the drinking water is just as good as RO/DI...if not...AndrewT we might just need to talk
madison
Member
Update on Sparkletts/Home delivery
I did a plant site visit at Sparkletts here in So Cal yesterday for work...I picked the plant engineer's brain for about 2 hours...
Come to find out that Sparkletts offers 4 lines of water...purified, distilled, floride and sodium free. All products starts from a natural source (not municipal wells with chlorine) and goes thru 5x's 50,000 gallon drums of RO and DI chambers. Since Sparkletts is regulated by the FDA it's mandatory that they change their filters/membrane every 30 days to ensure the micron pass thru calculations are consistant.
The next step is where the RO/DI waters are passed thru 3x's mechanical filters to filters out natural minerals such as sodium, chlorine, phospahte, iron, copper, zinc and other french words that escaped me.
Then the water is heat pasturized and cold filtered to elimate all tastes.
Depending on which product you order...it goes thru more process...
Floride ~ Floride and trace amounts of sodium are added to prevent tooth decay and for masking the flat taste
Purified ~ Carbon filtered and trace amounts of sodium added to mask the flat taste
Distilled ~ Really expensive...they only can produce 1 gallon for every 100 gallons they put thru the process. With nothing else added
Sodium Free ~ Carbon filtered
I was also advised that all over the counter RO/DI units (2-6 stages)are obsolete in about 50 gallons if the membrane are not replaced and at best it only get out about 20% of the impurities when the membranes are new...he included the Sparkletts brand in that catagory also
Since the home delivery products are regulated by the FDA they are upheld to the 99.9% purity standard.
Now with all that said...am I just taking this water quality too far? I know RO/DI water is the best for replacing vapor lost...but the value for the cost is really not the much...
What do all you expert think?
Please help out a very confused soul!!!
I did a plant site visit at Sparkletts here in So Cal yesterday for work...I picked the plant engineer's brain for about 2 hours...
Come to find out that Sparkletts offers 4 lines of water...purified, distilled, floride and sodium free. All products starts from a natural source (not municipal wells with chlorine) and goes thru 5x's 50,000 gallon drums of RO and DI chambers. Since Sparkletts is regulated by the FDA it's mandatory that they change their filters/membrane every 30 days to ensure the micron pass thru calculations are consistant.
The next step is where the RO/DI waters are passed thru 3x's mechanical filters to filters out natural minerals such as sodium, chlorine, phospahte, iron, copper, zinc and other french words that escaped me.
Then the water is heat pasturized and cold filtered to elimate all tastes.
Depending on which product you order...it goes thru more process...
Floride ~ Floride and trace amounts of sodium are added to prevent tooth decay and for masking the flat taste
Purified ~ Carbon filtered and trace amounts of sodium added to mask the flat taste
Distilled ~ Really expensive...they only can produce 1 gallon for every 100 gallons they put thru the process. With nothing else added
Sodium Free ~ Carbon filtered
I was also advised that all over the counter RO/DI units (2-6 stages)are obsolete in about 50 gallons if the membrane are not replaced and at best it only get out about 20% of the impurities when the membranes are new...he included the Sparkletts brand in that catagory also
Since the home delivery products are regulated by the FDA they are upheld to the 99.9% purity standard.
Now with all that said...am I just taking this water quality too far? I know RO/DI water is the best for replacing vapor lost...but the value for the cost is really not the much...
What do all you expert think?
Please help out a very confused soul!!!
nas19320
Active Member
Out of all those choices I would say distilled is the only one I go with, everything else appears to have something added. IMO I would just get a RO/DI unit with a quality membrane. You'll get the purest water possible, I don't see why the membrane would have to be changed every 50 gallons. Sure they may degrade with use over time, but the DI cleans it up to -0- TDS.
nikkoli110
Member
Originally posted by Andrewt
You rather use a RO/DI to save you money. and RO/DI will filter your water to around 3rrpm. tap water has around 300 rpm. IF you need a brand new RO/DI let me know
I need one!!
bang guy
Moderator
Originally posted by Madison
Any thoughts Master Bang Guy? and all other professors of the board?
The TDS meter does not lie.
RO membranes remove 97% of TDS but only 70% of Silicate and Phosphate. The Hi-S membranes will get a lot more of the Silicate & phosphate. DI will remove 99.8% of TDS.
If you place a TDS meter in RO/DI water you'll get 0 , 1 sometimes 2 ppm. If you place the same meter in home delivery water you'll get anywhere from 50 and I've seen more than 400.
RO is cheaper and better IMO but the lifespan of your RO and DI will depend on the TDS in your tap water.
greatfullreefer
Active Member
Originally posted by Madison
Floride ~ Floride and trace amounts of sodium are added to prevent tooth decay and for masking the flat taste
Off Topic but Flouride needs to be topically applied to be of any benefit, drinking it will not help your teeth.
greatfullreefer
Active Member
Originally posted by Bang Guy
Then just freeze it and chew on the ice cubes.
Smart arse
