2019-05-03
I want to start by saying kudos to iSpring for excellent documentation. This product could be considered somewhat difficult to install if it wasn’t for the detailed step by step directions. I also recommend the youtube video.Why did we purchase this product?Fish were dying. LOL. Yes that correct our aquarium fish were dying and we wanted to know why. In the process of troubleshooting the aquarium issue, we found out the KH Hardness (Carbonate hardness) of our well water was off the chart. Over 214 ppm. My wife researched the effects of consuming water with high Carbonate hardness levels. You don’t want to know. Or perhaps you do. OK so the fish were acting like the canary in the coal mine. So yes we purchased a $350 filter so we can get clean water for our fish. Just kidding. It was obvious after my wife’s research that we needed to do something for our health. In fact we were concerned that we consumed this water for years without this filter.Why we chose to purchase the pump optionIn my research, I learned that the model that included a pump (for use with low water pressure areas) would create less wastewater during the filter process. This was a concern because we have a septic system so we went for the extra $40. It turns out that with or without the pump the amount of wastewater produced is equal to about 1 – 2 toilette flushes but with the pump, it’s less. How much less? Good question. Sorry, I don’t know the answer.The InstallBecause we purchased the model with the pump and UV light I needed to run electric into the cabinet (next to the sink). This was 50% of my install time. It was n’t too bad. I have an understanding of electric but if you don’t you will need to hire an electrician. Read the install manual and watch the youtube video. When you open the box it is somewhat intimidating. Lots of hoses. Thanks to iSpring they are all a different color. The install is indeed quite easy as long as you follow the steps. Because we still use the cabinet for pots and pans, I did decide to build a removable wood box around the filter to protect. My fear was a hose would get pulled out while grabbing a pan. To be honest I’m worrying for no good reason. The quick connect feature of the hoses are rock solid.The waterWOW. OK now we can reap the reward. The water does indeed taste better. What should water taste like? Well not like it has been for all the years without a filter. We also noticed a difference with the coffee. We purchased a connect kit for the refrigerator ($20 from iSpring) so the same filtered water is used for ice. (We didn’t know that ice could be so clear) Not to mention we will now save $$$ because we no longer need the GE refrigerator water filter.ProsI think I mentioned most of the pros above. After the cost of the filter, I can expect to pay less than $100 per a year for maintenance. I list this as a pro because it seems reasonable. Several filters are included in a 12-month kit. Install was on the easy side. Quality materials used for the product. Can fill the 3.2-gallon tank in just about 40 minutes.ConsA lot of hoses. OK OK they are all needed but still a lot of hoses. One con is with RO filters in general. You can run out of the filtered water. As mentioned above, the 3.2-gallon tank can be filled in about 40 minutes but the fact that you can run out is a con. Perhaps a 5-gallon tank would be better. I guess I could upgrade the tank if this is a big issue.Bottom line is I would recommend this product. It’s well worth the money and now my fish are happy. Oh I should mention that the Carbonate hardness level of the filtered water is zero. I thought the test kit was broken. I expected the level to be lower but not zero.