Spectrapure 2000 question

[Infinitereef]

The unit says that the pre-filter is 0.5um, wouldn't this will clog up the pre-filter pretty fast. My tds from the tap is around 350, and I am considering the Spectrapure 2000, but I am concern that I have to change the pre-filter very frequency.

[flyboydave]

So what would you prefer? That the contaminants DON'T get trapped? They either get trapped in the prefilter, or trapped in one of the later filters, or they pass completely through and make it into your product water. Is your ultimate goal to have filters that last longer than anyone else's, or is your goal to have the purest water possible?

I have the Spectrapure 2000 as well. My tap tds is always right at 202, and my original set of filters, DI cartridges, and RO membrane lasted almost 18 months before the purity meter that comes with the 2000 started indicating elevated TDS in the product water.

Since the prefilter is the least expensive, you really want everything to be trapped there instead of the much more expensive RO membrane anyways. I'd say go for the 2000, mine has been great. Also, I'd recommend getting one of the dual inline input/output electronic TDS meters as well. You can monitor exactly what the system is doing in real-time.

[Infinitereef]

So you only need to change the 0.5um pre-filter after 18 months? wow, this is pretty amazing.
My concern is that because the 0.5um is so effectively is containing the contaminants that it clog up and reduce the water pressure and make the whole system less effective.

[SpectraPure]

I'd like to jump in with several points here. The first is that different parts of the country have different levels of silt and turbidity. The second is that TDS doesn't really relate to the dirt, since the dirt is not dissolved. Third, we don't like to see carbon filters being used to trap dirt. If they are dirty, they can't remove the chorine.

We are constantly testing and evaluating new filter media (medii?) and have found this particular sediment filter to have a fairly large capacity, through its variable density strata, to hold a lot of dirt of various sizes. Again, its function is to keep the carbon filter clean enough to take chlorine out for as long as possible.

There are, of course, a small percentage of our clients that have a need for a "pre-pre" filter. This is a pleated 10" cartridge that goes in a separate housing plumbed in front of the RO system. It is cleanable and reusable. Get two cartridges and rotate them in and out of a pattern of 24 hour chlorox bath followed by a 6-day soak in fresh water while the other is in service.

Dave is both right and lucky. His tap water is pretty good to start with. Our systems are well-designed and have low-cost-of-ownership-over-time, but 18 months is an extraordinary period between cart changes. Your TDS is almost twice as much as Dave's. That will be reflected in the life of the DI carts.

Scott
SpectraPure, Inc.

[SpectraPure]

I got side-tracked but the short answer to your question is:

How long the pre-filter lasts depends upon how "dirty" your tap water is.

Scott
SpectraPure, Inc.

[flyboydave]

Originally posted by Infinitereef
So you only need to change the 0.5um pre-filter after 18 months? wow, this is pretty amazing.
My concern is that because the 0.5um is so effectively is containing the contaminants that it clog up and reduce the water pressure and make the whole system less effective.

Well, I probably SHOULD have changed it sooner, but the purity monitor light didn't start indicating red until then. The prefilter goes from pure white to a pretty nasty brown fairly quickly. But even the day I changed it, when it was at its worst, I never had any pressure drop that I could tell. The pressure here is about 63psi, and really never dropped at all.

Also, when the monitor started indicating red, my last DI cartridge had turned from blue to brown. Me being the cheapskate that I am, I first bought just that last DI cartridge. Still got the red light. So I then bought the other DI cartridge, the carbon filter, the pre-filter, and an RO flush kit. The light is still red, and my TDS meter says 6 ppm. So the only one left is the RO membrane. I'm going to order that one tonight, as well as the little gizmo that diverts all water out the drain for a few minutes when it first starts up. I need this because after I got my inline TDS meter, the product line is putting out 100ppm water, that gradually drops to 6 ppm as it runs, but that means most of my topoff water has been 100ppm. (I have a fully automated topoff system.)

[Infinitereef]

thanks for the answer.