Frequently Asked Questions
Product Description
Q. What is reverse osmosis (RO)?
A hyper filtration process that reverses the natural tendencies of water and salt movement and forces clean water to flow through a semi-permeable membrane ( 0.0001 micron) by overcoming the osmonic pressure. Reverse osmosis (RO) systems remove substantial amounts of inorganic chemicals (such as salts, metals and minerals), organic chemicals and most microorganisms. Membranes are housed in vessels. Pressure is applied to the feed stream to force water molecules through the membrane while salts are retained in the feed and drained away.
A reverse Osmosis System (e.g., ERO-550) is a drinking water system that has reverse osmosis membrane as one stage in the filtration process.
Q. How does an RO System differ from a sediment/carbon filters?
Sediment water filters use a porous medium to separate only suspended particles (e.g., dirt) from water. Carbon block filters/cartridges or granular activated carbon filters/cartridges will adsorb some chemicals (e.g., organic compounds, chlorine) and will also serve as sediment filters if sediment filters are not on the flow line ahead of the carbon filters. Reverse osmosis system employs a semipermeable membrane that removes not only particles but also an extremely high percentage of dissolved salts from tap water.
Q. How is RO water compared to bottled water?
Bottling plants use the same technology, reverse osmosis (RO) filtration to purify water. Some bottling plants add selected minerals for taste. RO water is better for making coffee and tea. That is why Starbucks use only RO water in their coffee. Having an RO system is cost effective. No more running out of water or buying expensive and heavy bottles of water.
Q. What are some of the applications or benefits of water produced using reverse osmosis?
-Delicious and flavorful coffee, tea, juice, soup and boiled vegetables.
-Great for low sodium diets, weight loss program, baby formula, plants and pets.
-Clear ice cubes.
-Better water for fish aquarium
-Prolong the life of your humidifier, auto batteries or steam iron
Q. Is it easy to install the RO System or another filtration system?
If you read English and can follow instructions, you will be able to follow the user installation manual that comes with the product. Your local plumber or handyman should not charge you more than 1.5 hours of work ($100 is fair).
Q. Will an RO system remove the salt from the softened water?
Yes, it will remove 95%+ of the salt from the water. That is another reason to install RO system for drinking purposes when you have a softener at the entry of your house.
Q. How does an RO system know when to produce water?
A standard RO System (e.g., ERO-550) has a hydraulic on/off pressure valve or auto shut off valve (e.g., ,ASV-4000Q) which controlls water flow to the membrane. When water pressure in the storage tank builds up to 66% of the incoming line pressure, the standard hydraulic on/off pressure valve shuts off the flow of water to the system, stopping water production. When you open the RO faucet, system pressure drops as treated water exits the tank. The standard hydraulic on/off pressure valve turns on when the tank pressure is less than 66% of the source water pressure and treated water is produced through the RO system. The cycle repeats itself.
Q. Is it easy to change filter cartridges and membranes? What is the maintenance schedule?
Yes it is easy. Just order the needed filter cartridges with the filter housing wrench (e.g., ERO-RPL-KIT). Use the wrench to swap out filters. This way, you maintain the system yourself without depending on others to change the cartridges and you will feel confident about your drinking water. Our systems come with filters that can process about 4,000-5,000 gallons of pure water. We calculate that if you use 10 gallons of pure water per day, this would last you more than one year. Even if you do not use that much water per day, we strongly recommend replacing the filters every 12 months. We recommend replacing the RO membrane and sanitizing the system once every two years.
The cost of replacement is very reasonable. You have the choice to order these from us or buy them at home improvement stores (e.g., Home Depot). Our prices are much cheaper than local stores and we deliver them to your doors free of charge!
Q. What factors affect the performance of an RO system?
Permeate flux and salt rejection are the key performance parameters of the reverse osmosis process. They are mainly influenced by variable parameters such as: pressure, temperature and feed water salt concentration.
(1) Increased feed water pressure will increase permeate flux and decrease the permeate TDS. With excessive pressure the membrane may become deformed or compacted and a decrease in product flow will result.
(2)Increased temperature will increase permeate flux, which increases salt passage. It is also important to note that every unit is rated for a product flow temperature of 77°F (25°C). With a temperature decrease, the product flow will decrease. On average the membranes lose about 2% production for every degree below 77°F.
(3)Feed water Concentration: increased TDS or salt concentrations will decrease permeate flux and increase salt passage. This can also lead to surface coating or fouling of cartriges and membrane by the salt.
Q. If I move, can I remove the filtration system to take with me?
Our systems are easy to uninstall. There is no need to completely uninstall; just take off the water inlet tubing, close our water inlet needle shut off, and take off the whole system in 5 minutes. You can order a moving-kit from us and you will have a new shut off tap to install in your new residence.
Q. What is Ion Exchange and how a Water softener works?
A Water Softner is a Point of Entry equipment that works by ion exchange, a process where an ion (e.g., calcium, magnesium, iron) is removed from water and another ion (e.g., sodium, potasium) is released from the softener resin surface to the water entering the house. A softner often softens hard water by removing the minerals causing hardness. A soft water is more desirable for laundering, bathing, and dishwashing. A water softener is considered a whole house solution for water hardness. A water softener is not a water filter so if water has sediments it make sense to install a sediment filter (e.g., H-10BB) before the softener to remove dirt.
Hardness minerals may interfere with the cleaning action of soaps and detergents and cause scale buildup in hot water pipes, water heaters and fixtures. The benefits of using a softener include keeping all fixtures from scaling or corrosion, using less detergents in the washing machine and keeping clothes soft and bright, eliminating steaks and spots on glassware and dishes, prolonging the life of the water heater and the refrigerator ice maker by preventing any calcium and magnesium carbonate deposits.
Our softeners automatically recharge the tank by flushing the resin with a solution of sodium chloride when an electronic sensor detects that the resin needs to be recharged. With automatic recharge you only need to keep the sodium storage container filled. It will cost less than $5 in electricity for the whole year.
Q. Why does the water softener have to add salt to the water?
The softener works by passing the hard water through resin beads, which have soft sodium/potassium ions attached to them. While the water is in contact with the resin beads an ion exchange takes place with the hard mineral ions (typically calcium and/or magnesium) trading places with the soft sodium/potassium ions. After a period of use the sodium ions are depleted being replaced by calcium and magnesium. The resin then needs to be regenerated with the sodium ions so the resin will again be able to exchange the hard for the soft. Regeneration depends on the amount of water used. If you are using 100 gallons per day and the hardness of your water is 171 mg/l as CaCO3 (10 GPG) and you have 60,000 grain capacity softener, then the softener should regenerate every 60 days (60,000/(100x10)).
Q. Can you please advise us on how to properly dispose of the used filtration cartridges after replacing them? Can they be recycled somehow? Are they toxic after removing all that stuff out of the water?
These used cartridges may have some bacteria, organic chemicals and other contaminants. They should be disposed in the trash can. These cartridges cannot be recycled for the same purpose.
Q. I would like to be an associate and sell Eden Filters. Can I earn money by doing so?
Yes you will earn 10% of every order placed on www.Eden Filters.com. Joining our affiliate program is as easy as it gets and is absolutely free. Click here to join our Affiliate Program.
A hyper filtration process that reverses the natural tendencies of water and salt movement and forces clean water to flow through a semi-permeable membrane ( 0.0001 micron) by overcoming the osmonic pressure. Reverse osmosis (RO) systems remove substantial amounts of inorganic chemicals (such as salts, metals and minerals), organic chemicals and most microorganisms. Membranes are housed in vessels. Pressure is applied to the feed stream to force water molecules through the membrane while salts are retained in the feed and drained away.
A reverse Osmosis System (e.g., ERO-550) is a drinking water system that has reverse osmosis membrane as one stage in the filtration process.
Q. How does an RO System differ from a sediment/carbon filters?
Sediment water filters use a porous medium to separate only suspended particles (e.g., dirt) from water. Carbon block filters/cartridges or granular activated carbon filters/cartridges will adsorb some chemicals (e.g., organic compounds, chlorine) and will also serve as sediment filters if sediment filters are not on the flow line ahead of the carbon filters. Reverse osmosis system employs a semipermeable membrane that removes not only particles but also an extremely high percentage of dissolved salts from tap water.
Q. How is RO water compared to bottled water?
Bottling plants use the same technology, reverse osmosis (RO) filtration to purify water. Some bottling plants add selected minerals for taste. RO water is better for making coffee and tea. That is why Starbucks use only RO water in their coffee. Having an RO system is cost effective. No more running out of water or buying expensive and heavy bottles of water.
Q. What are some of the applications or benefits of water produced using reverse osmosis?
-Delicious and flavorful coffee, tea, juice, soup and boiled vegetables.
-Great for low sodium diets, weight loss program, baby formula, plants and pets.
-Clear ice cubes.
-Better water for fish aquarium
-Prolong the life of your humidifier, auto batteries or steam iron
Q. Is it easy to install the RO System or another filtration system?
If you read English and can follow instructions, you will be able to follow the user installation manual that comes with the product. Your local plumber or handyman should not charge you more than 1.5 hours of work ($100 is fair).
Q. Will an RO system remove the salt from the softened water?
Yes, it will remove 95%+ of the salt from the water. That is another reason to install RO system for drinking purposes when you have a softener at the entry of your house.
Q. How does an RO system know when to produce water?
A standard RO System (e.g., ERO-550) has a hydraulic on/off pressure valve or auto shut off valve (e.g., ,ASV-4000Q) which controlls water flow to the membrane. When water pressure in the storage tank builds up to 66% of the incoming line pressure, the standard hydraulic on/off pressure valve shuts off the flow of water to the system, stopping water production. When you open the RO faucet, system pressure drops as treated water exits the tank. The standard hydraulic on/off pressure valve turns on when the tank pressure is less than 66% of the source water pressure and treated water is produced through the RO system. The cycle repeats itself.
Q. Is it easy to change filter cartridges and membranes? What is the maintenance schedule?
Yes it is easy. Just order the needed filter cartridges with the filter housing wrench (e.g., ERO-RPL-KIT). Use the wrench to swap out filters. This way, you maintain the system yourself without depending on others to change the cartridges and you will feel confident about your drinking water. Our systems come with filters that can process about 4,000-5,000 gallons of pure water. We calculate that if you use 10 gallons of pure water per day, this would last you more than one year. Even if you do not use that much water per day, we strongly recommend replacing the filters every 12 months. We recommend replacing the RO membrane and sanitizing the system once every two years.
The cost of replacement is very reasonable. You have the choice to order these from us or buy them at home improvement stores (e.g., Home Depot). Our prices are much cheaper than local stores and we deliver them to your doors free of charge!
Q. What factors affect the performance of an RO system?
Permeate flux and salt rejection are the key performance parameters of the reverse osmosis process. They are mainly influenced by variable parameters such as: pressure, temperature and feed water salt concentration.
(1) Increased feed water pressure will increase permeate flux and decrease the permeate TDS. With excessive pressure the membrane may become deformed or compacted and a decrease in product flow will result.
(2)Increased temperature will increase permeate flux, which increases salt passage. It is also important to note that every unit is rated for a product flow temperature of 77°F (25°C). With a temperature decrease, the product flow will decrease. On average the membranes lose about 2% production for every degree below 77°F.
(3)Feed water Concentration: increased TDS or salt concentrations will decrease permeate flux and increase salt passage. This can also lead to surface coating or fouling of cartriges and membrane by the salt.
Q. If I move, can I remove the filtration system to take with me?
Our systems are easy to uninstall. There is no need to completely uninstall; just take off the water inlet tubing, close our water inlet needle shut off, and take off the whole system in 5 minutes. You can order a moving-kit from us and you will have a new shut off tap to install in your new residence.
Q. What is Ion Exchange and how a Water softener works?
A Water Softner is a Point of Entry equipment that works by ion exchange, a process where an ion (e.g., calcium, magnesium, iron) is removed from water and another ion (e.g., sodium, potasium) is released from the softener resin surface to the water entering the house. A softner often softens hard water by removing the minerals causing hardness. A soft water is more desirable for laundering, bathing, and dishwashing. A water softener is considered a whole house solution for water hardness. A water softener is not a water filter so if water has sediments it make sense to install a sediment filter (e.g., H-10BB) before the softener to remove dirt.
Hardness minerals may interfere with the cleaning action of soaps and detergents and cause scale buildup in hot water pipes, water heaters and fixtures. The benefits of using a softener include keeping all fixtures from scaling or corrosion, using less detergents in the washing machine and keeping clothes soft and bright, eliminating steaks and spots on glassware and dishes, prolonging the life of the water heater and the refrigerator ice maker by preventing any calcium and magnesium carbonate deposits.
Our softeners automatically recharge the tank by flushing the resin with a solution of sodium chloride when an electronic sensor detects that the resin needs to be recharged. With automatic recharge you only need to keep the sodium storage container filled. It will cost less than $5 in electricity for the whole year.
Q. Why does the water softener have to add salt to the water?
The softener works by passing the hard water through resin beads, which have soft sodium/potassium ions attached to them. While the water is in contact with the resin beads an ion exchange takes place with the hard mineral ions (typically calcium and/or magnesium) trading places with the soft sodium/potassium ions. After a period of use the sodium ions are depleted being replaced by calcium and magnesium. The resin then needs to be regenerated with the sodium ions so the resin will again be able to exchange the hard for the soft. Regeneration depends on the amount of water used. If you are using 100 gallons per day and the hardness of your water is 171 mg/l as CaCO3 (10 GPG) and you have 60,000 grain capacity softener, then the softener should regenerate every 60 days (60,000/(100x10)).
Q. Can you please advise us on how to properly dispose of the used filtration cartridges after replacing them? Can they be recycled somehow? Are they toxic after removing all that stuff out of the water?
These used cartridges may have some bacteria, organic chemicals and other contaminants. They should be disposed in the trash can. These cartridges cannot be recycled for the same purpose.
Q. I would like to be an associate and sell Eden Filters. Can I earn money by doing so?
Yes you will earn 10% of every order placed on www.Eden Filters.com. Joining our affiliate program is as easy as it gets and is absolutely free. Click here to join our Affiliate Program.
