This collaborative space allows users to contribute additional information, tips, and insights to enhance the original deal post. Feel free to share your knowledge and help fellow shoppers make informed decisions.
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems remove nearly all dissolved minerals from water, including beneficial ones like calcium and magnesium. This results in water that is very pure but often tastes flat or bland due to the lack of minerals. Additionally, the absence of minerals can make the water slightly acidic, with a pH typically between 5.0 and 6.5.
To improve taste and balance pH, an alkaline filter is added as a final stage in some RO systems. This filter reintroduces essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium into the water. Doing so raises the pH to a more neutral or slightly alkaline level (typically 7.0–8.5), enhances flavor, and gives the water a smoother mouthfeel.
In short, the alkaline filter prevents flat water by restoring minerals removed during RO filtration, making the water more pleasant to drink and less acidic.
Reverse osmosis tips. Only use dow filmtec membranes. Everything else is worse and not worth savinga few bucks. Amazon sells the film tecs for 30.00. Ispring is a decent starter brand for kits. Tank and the autoshut off valve are the weakest link. Might switch them out ASAP. Bulk Reef Supply is your best friend for RO. They dont sell garbage. Pumps are silly IMO. I get 98-99% rejection without it. If you do get a pump, this one is crap. Get a flowtec or shurflo. The pressure tank, is most likely the first thing that breaks though, and it's very hard to get an American tank. USA Water Systems used to sell American tanks, but now it seems you have to buy the whole 500.00 us system to get the us tank. Pretty solid warranty though.
Kind of a waste. Just contact your town water dept. Ask for the results of testing the town water. BUY a system specifically for what's in the water. No need to have a bunch of useless filters to waste money on.
It's ok that you don't have a use for this. Others do. For myself, I use an RO filter for water I use in humidifiers, a steam mop, a baby bottle washer, and for my carnivorous plants. Other people may just prefer the taste of their water with an RO filter compared to without it. Remember that not everything exists for you, specifically.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank firelikeiya
Quote
from pn88
:
Deal is for tank options. Tankless is better, specially if placing under sink
Another opinion - Tank systems are better... especially systems that do not use proprietary filters. There's no need to buy into the hype to end up only paying higher maintenance costs and having a hard time finding replacement parts.
For those into coffee, RO water is pretty much a must if you live in an area with bad municipal water. Bad water RUINS the taste of coffee, especially if you are using good quality beans like Gesha variety or anaerobic processed beans.I add some trace amounts of magnesium and epsom salt to RO water in order to improve the taste of the pourover coffee. For drinking and cooking, we prefer the RO water with no minerals added back. Usually our ppm reader will read ~40-45 with the recipe we use.For my espresso machine, we add a little bit more minerals as the manufacturer recommends not using pure, distilled or RO water without remineralization (voids the warranty). Usually the ppm reader will read ~100-125 with the recipe we use for espresso water.We have an APEC system with the high flow (model# RO-HI) and love it. Fills up our glass or coffee machine tank super fast. We bought it for $167+tax in July 2024, however it seems the prices are now north of $250 (thanks to tariffs?).The system has the standard 10" housing so you can use any generic cheaper filter from iSpring, EspressWater or other companies. The push-to-connect couplings make it very easy to self-install.
I had an APEC system at my last residence. was very happy with it - as much clean water as we needed, on demand.
"Upgraded" to a Waterdrop G2 tankless - which turned out to be a downgrade.
Super slow water flow, and not as effective as the APEC.
1
1
Like
Helpful
Funny
Not helpful
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Scientifically stated, the human body does not handle a steady (drinking) diet of nearly pure dihydrogen monoxide. Aka distilled or reverse osmisis filtered water. It is not the "alkaline" property which is beneficial. That is BS. However, the necessary elements and components added to produce a drinkable water solution just happen to increase the PH.
I have an RO filter (not this brand) but it's a game changer for Texas water. The water doesn't have many "contaminants" but a substantial amount of sodium (500ppm). Great for appliances, not great for taste.Why do none of these advertise hooking up to a refrigerator? I did with mine, and drilled a small hole in the wall to get to the bathroom sink for the waste drain. Much more useful than an extra faucet for your sink.
I have a tankless unit attached to my refrigerator simply as I always drink from its chilled water dispenser and almost never from the faucet.
Can vouch for Expresswater kit. Mine's been running great since 2017. The basic one costs $210 and should last for 1 year with jncluded filters.
You can buy 3 year supply of filters for $90 from their website. If your municipal water is not too bad, you can multiply filter life by 2. https://www.expresswater.com/prod...t?variant=
You may be able to find it a little cheaper at home depot.
I can easily go 2 years on a membrane and as long as I change the prefilters once a year im still under 10ppm.
The $90 3-year kit will last me 6 years easily.
This is a generic kit using off the shelf parts. If you look up "reverse osmosis filter" you will find many results by different brands that all look the same, and you can expect them to work pretty much the same. In most cases the replacement filter kits are interchangeable too, but your mileage may vary.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank TPMJB
Quote
from fieldcar
:
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems remove nearly all dissolved minerals from water, including beneficial ones like calcium and magnesium. This results in water that is very pure but often tastes flat or bland due to the lack of minerals. Additionally, the absence of minerals can make the water slightly acidic, with a pH typically between 5.0 and 6.5.
To improve taste and balance pH, an alkaline filter is added as a final stage in some RO systems. This filter reintroduces essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium into the water. Doing so raises the pH to a more neutral or slightly alkaline level (typically 7.0–8.5), enhances flavor, and gives the water a smoother mouthfeel.
In short, the alkaline filter prevents flat water by restoring minerals removed during RO filtration, making the water more pleasant to drink and less acidic.
Absolutely bunk. I had my water tested in a lab. Zero calcium or magnesium, meaning my water is very very soft. Nobody has died from drinking the water here because (shocker) you get the overwhelming majority of your minerals from food.
My water just has about 580 ppm of sodium in it. And an almost equal amount of bicarbonate. It tastes like saline. No way to filter out sodium without RO as sodium is typically used on the ion exchange surface of a water softener. Calcium and magnesium wreak havoc on plumbing so you wouldn't want to add it to take the sodium out with a water...uhh..."hardener".
If taste is your thing, sure. Spend the extra money on the alkaline marketing BS. But it gets neutralized as soon as it enters your stomach, from a tiny drop of gastric acid. "Alkaline water" and the "essential minerals" scam needs to end.
Quote
from riffdex
:
We see marketing claims that alkaline water will neutralize the overall body, and it's often purported as a way of neutralizing stomach acid. These claims are pseudoscience, and promote the false idea that the acidic environment of the stomach that is so vital to digestion need to be eliminated - claims that often sound logical enough to convince some end-consumers.
But you can't look at instances of erroneous claims as evidence that the underlying product itself has no application. Not everybody who is utilizing alkaline water is doing so because they believe it can "alkalize the entire body". It is a very effective as a targeted tool to treat conditions like LPR that results in a build up of pepsin in the upper esophageal tract, serving to neutralize the acids that should not be there, but are, and are causing damage to tissue in the region - with the implication that you are also taking concrete steps to address the underlying dysfunction itself.
The cool thing about Alkaline water is it's strictly speaking a generic term that refers to a water with alkaline properties, which no company (and their erroneous marketing campaigns) has a monopoly on. I produce my own Alkaline water in house at a fraction of the cost of any marketable product, and my utilization of the product is based on my understanding of the underlying chemical science, not any marketing team trying to convince me nonsense about the health benefits they claim their product can offer.
Placebo effect if they're using alkaline water to treat reflux. The amount of hydroxide ions in "alkaline water" are so few that it won't even begin to outpace the acid in your throat.
Quote
from dkd711
:
Cooking with clean water tastes so much better vs tap
Of course! All my cooking is done with RO water. I have an 8 gallon tank. Been using RO water for the last decade, though Texas is the only place I probably absolutely need it. Sucking on a hospital IV bag would probably quench my thirst better than tapwater here. At least it's so soft that a 30 year old water heater with zero maintenance is the norm.
Last edited by TPMJB January 9, 2026 at 11:07 PM.
3
1
1
Like
Helpful
Funny
Not helpful
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Top Comments
To improve taste and balance pH, an alkaline filter is added as a final stage in some RO systems. This filter reintroduces essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium into the water. Doing so raises the pH to a more neutral or slightly alkaline level (typically 7.0–8.5), enhances flavor, and gives the water a smoother mouthfeel.
In short, the alkaline filter prevents flat water by restoring minerals removed during RO filtration, making the water more pleasant to drink and less acidic.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!
182 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Its all pseudo science
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank firelikeiya
"Upgraded" to a Waterdrop G2 tankless - which turned out to be a downgrade.
Super slow water flow, and not as effective as the APEC.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
You can buy 3 year supply of filters for $90 from their website. If your municipal water is not too bad, you can multiply filter life by 2.
https://www.expresswate
You may be able to find it a little cheaper at home depot.
I can easily go 2 years on a membrane and as long as I change the prefilters once a year im still under 10ppm.
The $90 3-year kit will last me 6 years easily.
This is a generic kit using off the shelf parts. If you look up "reverse osmosis filter" you will find many results by different brands that all look the same, and you can expect them to work pretty much the same. In most cases the replacement filter kits are interchangeable too, but your mileage may vary.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank TPMJB
To improve taste and balance pH, an alkaline filter is added as a final stage in some RO systems. This filter reintroduces essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium into the water. Doing so raises the pH to a more neutral or slightly alkaline level (typically 7.0–8.5), enhances flavor, and gives the water a smoother mouthfeel.
In short, the alkaline filter prevents flat water by restoring minerals removed during RO filtration, making the water more pleasant to drink and less acidic.
My water just has about 580 ppm of sodium in it. And an almost equal amount of bicarbonate. It tastes like saline. No way to filter out sodium without RO as sodium is typically used on the ion exchange surface of a water softener. Calcium and magnesium wreak havoc on plumbing so you wouldn't want to add it to take the sodium out with a water...uhh..."hardener".
If taste is your thing, sure. Spend the extra money on the alkaline marketing BS. But it gets neutralized as soon as it enters your stomach, from a tiny drop of gastric acid. "Alkaline water" and the "essential minerals" scam needs to end.
But you can't look at instances of erroneous claims as evidence that the underlying product itself has no application. Not everybody who is utilizing alkaline water is doing so because they believe it can "alkalize the entire body". It is a very effective as a targeted tool to treat conditions like LPR that results in a build up of pepsin in the upper esophageal tract, serving to neutralize the acids that should not be there, but are, and are causing damage to tissue in the region - with the implication that you are also taking concrete steps to address the underlying dysfunction itself.
The cool thing about Alkaline water is it's strictly speaking a generic term that refers to a water with alkaline properties, which no company (and their erroneous marketing campaigns) has a monopoly on. I produce my own Alkaline water in house at a fraction of the cost of any marketable product, and my utilization of the product is based on my understanding of the underlying chemical science, not any marketing team trying to convince me nonsense about the health benefits they claim their product can offer.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!