Watts WP5-50 Premier Five-Stage Manifold Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System Save 23% Off

• 5-stage manifold reverse osmosis water treatment system offers a continuous supply of water for the whole family
• Manifold design provides seamless water path, effectively eliminating 17 connections
• Nitrate reduction
• NSF tested and certified
• 3-year limited warranty

For an aspiring indoor hydroponic vegetable gardener like Your Humble Narrator, a source of clean water is essential. Here in suburban Salt Lake City, we are blessed with some of the dirtiest water in the country. Using this meter: pH-EC-TDS Meter my tap water clocks in with a pH of 8.2-8.4 and TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) reading of 300-350 ppm (parts per million). This review specifically addresses the suitability of the Watts WP5-50 reverse osmosis system to the task of providing a water supply for the home hydroponic gardener.

I''ve used other filtration devices, like straight carbon filters, and have been disappointed. Yes, they do remove sediment and some contaminants, however the drinking water never genuinely tasted "clean". Moreover, taking the testing meter to this water, and the TDS reading never went below 280 ppm which is unacceptable for hydroponic growing. After doing some research, I concluded that the only option was reverse osmosis.

Package Inspection

Out of the box everything looked okay with the exception of the faucet, which, as other reviewers have noted, is a cheaper version of the displayed product.

Installation

Installation was straightforward. The instructions, while not written by an English professor were sufficient albeit vague in a few critical places. I had the unit installed within two hours.

Waste Water, Output Water Quality and Quantity

My three biggest concerns with this product are output water quality, output water quantity and waste water production. Bear in mind that all of these are dependent upon the quality and pressure of your incoming water supply, which can change from season to season as well as from one time of day to another. Take a certain degree of comfort in knowing that my incoming water is probably worse than yours.

I have not yet connected the waste water tube to the sink''s drain. Rather, the waste water tube is currently draining into an 18-gallon bucket so I can take measurements for the purposes of this review. To leave this setup in this manner is a code violation. I suggest that you connect your unit properly.

The amount of waste water this unit produces is staggering. For each gallon of clean water, I produce an additional 6.5 gallons of waste water. I have come to understand that I will experience a similar ratio regardless of the reverse osmosis unit I use. This phenomenon is a consequence of RO technology in general rather than a peculiarity of this particular unit. As I''ve suggested, the amount of waste water produced is proportional to how contaminated your incoming water supply is.

The output water quality is excellent. TDS (total dissolved solids) are 15-20 ppm, which is ideal for hydroponic growing. Any purer than that brings you into the realm of distilled water, which would need to be supplemented with minerals to be suitable for hydroponic use. Output water quantity is sufficient although disappointing. It produces one gallon in about 90 minutes. Higher water pressure and cleaner incoming water will decrease this time. The storage tank, although it has a physical capacity of three gallons, drains to empty after drawing two gallons. I consider this is a consequence of the technology, not a case of misleading advertising.

Summary

The Watts WP5-50 reverse osmosis water treatment system is well suited to the task of providing contaminant-reduced water for the purposes of hydroponic growing. It produces clean water in sufficient quantity for the purposes of a home hydroponic garden. Insofar as the waste water is concerned, for the time being, I''m leaving the waste tube in that eighteen gallon bucket. I''m using that water for my lawn.

June 20, 2009 Important Update

Several weeks ago, our city''s water changed for the worse. I''m assuming that it''s because of a switchover to summertime procedures where water consumption is considerably heavier. Incoming water is now 800-900 ppm of Total Dissolved Solids. The unit''s output water quality is 80-100 ppm which is still in the "good" range. It now produces roughly twelve gallons of waste water for each gallon of clean water is generates. The lesson here is that water quality can dramatically change from one season to another, as well as from one time of day to another.

Buy Watts WP5-50 Premier Five-Stage Manifold Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System Now

I have one of these that is about 10 years old now and it still works great. Of course I change the filters as recommended. We have a well with sulfur and iron in the water but the water out of this unit is perfect. We use the RO water in our coffee maker and we don''t get any scale buildup. I have no problem getting replacement filters as these are standard 10" size. Watts Premier also has a great website and will even remind you when it is time to change the filters.

I just read an article about trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in the water supplies in many states. The article said that normal filtration does not remove the pharmaceuticals, but RO filtration does.

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I wasn''t looking to buy a new R/O system but couldn''t find the filters for our old one so instead of wasting more time searching for them I opted for this entirely new Watts unit. There was a very long delay in shipping and I''d felt the order had been lost but before all hope had evaporated the boxes arrived and I got into the swing of installing everything. Give or take an hour or two, for someone as plumbing challenged as I am, everything was up and producing water. Following the manufacturers advice two tanks were run through before we started using the water and I have to say it works wonderfully and tastes absolutely great. It produces more than enough for our family of six for cooking and drinking and is very well built. Very pleased and will order another for my new house.

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The only major problem is that the faucet is cheapo chromed plastic. I bought a nice brushed nickle one at Lowes.

Filter price is nice. $40 on amazon for a 7 filter pack good for one year. They are standard filters too so you don''t have to buy Watts replacements. You will have to spend $65 more every 2-5 years for the membrane.

Not too hard to hook up if you don''t have to cut a hole in your sink. Lots of connections to make. Make sure you only use teflon tape where the instructions specify it.

Fast water flow. Tank takes hours to fill. Unless you need more than a bucket full within a few hours you wont run out of fast clean water.

Tank is a little shy of 12" x 16". It fits behind the drain pipes of my sink, but I had to remove the bottem of the cabinet (which was warped and water damaged anyway so due for replacement) to get it past the pipes. Would have fit in front, but didn''t want to loose the space.

Wattspremier web site has a FAQ if you need more info:

RO wastes water, but I used to waste water by running the water for a bit before filling my glass.

Iron is bad for a RO membrane. You can buy a TDS water tester on ebay for about $20 to monitor how well the membrane is doing.

Water pressure should be 40-85 psi. Pump or pressure relief valve may be required otherwise.

You should sanitize an RO system yearly with a little bleach.

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I was using a 5-stage Genesis V system from Havapure for years. It was quiet, and produced good water. I just moved and bought this system. It has an "air gap facuet" which means that it hisses when it''s filtering. It sounds like a mini garden hose, and lasts for about 20 minutes for each glass of water. It''s beyond irritating to have in the house. It was professionally installed, but it''s going back to Amazon *tomorrow*. I can''t believe people listen to this after each drink of water. I wish I could give it 0 stars...