Clean water is important to many people. Reverse osmosis is one of the best methods for removing contaminants from water. A list of contaminants can be found on our Types of Water Contamination page.

The APEC RO-90 has impressive user reviews on AMAZON and other consumer review sites. Below is a list of APEC RO-90 features, pros and cons and our thoughts on whether it is worth the money. Other RO filters are compared on our Best Reverse Osmosis Filter Systems page.

Criteria

As mentioned above, APEC RO-90 is a reverse osmosis water filter system. It is a five-stage reverse osmosis system that eliminates 99% of contaminants such as arsenic, chlorine, fluoride, lead, copper, and selenium. Removing such contaminants eliminates risks of health related complications, improves taste and removes odor.

A good RO system should :

The APEC RO-90 satisfies all these standards. The system is easy to install and the company provides support throughout the lifetime of the product.

Product Overview

APEC RO-90 produces bottled-water-quality water from your tap and in the largest quantities of any of the APEC RO Filters. The contaminant-free water can be used for drinking, cooking, making tea, coffee or ice cubes. The system has a very high rejection rate, making it highly efficient in the elimination of organic and inorganic contaminants.

Contaminants (Removes 97% or more)

5 Stage Filter System

The system has five filters. The first filter is the sediment filter that removes silt, dust, rust and other large particles. It is essential for the prolonged life of the other filters. The next two filters are carbon block filters that remove chlorine, bad taste, and unpleasant odor. These filters also remove other chemicals including VOCs. The fourth filter is a high-quality reverse osmosis filter responsible for the removal of 99% of contaminants. The final filter is a Coconut Shell Refining Carbon filter that polishes the water by removing odor and improving taste. You may need to change the water filters after 1,000 gallons of water pass through the system.

Capacity

APEC RO-90 has a capacity of 90 gallons per day. Its tank, which measures 11 × 11 × 15 inches, can hold 4 gallons at a time. The tank fills in about 2-3 hours, according to the manual. Any time the tank fills up the system ceases running. The water filtration system runs on water pressure alone, no power supply or fuel is needed.

Requirements

APEC RO-90 can handle water with a pH value between 2 and 11 and temperature between 40 and 100° Fahrenheit. For efficient filtration of water, the feed water should have pressure above 40psi. The system’s dimensions are 16 × 5.25 × 17.5 inches (w × d × h). The dimensions allow installation under the sink. The fittings are high quality, with no extra clipping needed. The fittings are leak free, eliminating any need for leak detectors.

Pros

Advantages of the APEC RO-90 include;

Cons

Even an excellent product has a few drawbacks; These drawbacks are common for all RO filter systems.

Conclusion

For less than $300, the APEC RO-90 delivers what the company promises. You will get quality and clean drinking water with this low maintenance water filter. We highly recommend this product.

Communities magically get their water from a faucet. People don’t stop to think about what is in their drinking water. People don’t know what safeguards bring safe drinking water to you and your neighbors.

A community generally pulls water from water wells or from a surface water source such as a lake or river.  This water may have bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and other sources of contaminants that need to be removed. For more detailed information on contaminants and the types of water filters that remove them, visit our Types of Water Contaminants Removed by Reverse Osmosis page.

Most water systems in the United States are very safe and are monitored for water quality. Each year, the community water system is inspected.  The community water supply is required to provide a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) about the quality of the drinking water provided. The CCR report is due on July 1st of each year and is usually mailed out to each water customer. People living in apartments or other types of rentals may need to contact the owner or management company for their rental. Also, you can request a CCR from the water utility directly.

How to Read a CCR Water Quality Report

The CCR includes important information about your water quality that you should be aware of. This article will hit the parts of the report that you should pay attention to.

Section 1 – Introduction

Date & Conformity​

The introduction includes the date and a brief introduction stating how the utility conformed to the EPA rules.

Precautions

Water Source

Where doe the water come from? Does the water that the utility decontaminates come from a river or from a lake? This section answers these questions.

Section 2 – Assessment, Contaminants and Monitoring

Source Water Assessment and Availability

This describes the testing performed on the water source.  As discussed above, the water source describes where the water sample came from (rivers, lakes, wells, etc). In some cases, this section tells you what types of contaminants could be in the water and where these contaminants come from.

Why Are There Contaminants In My Drinking Water

This section ​describes the contaminants in the drinking water. In many cases, this seems very alarming but keep in mind that they need to spell out all the possible sources of contamination.

Monitoring and Reporting of Compliance Data Violations

This is a very important section because it spells out violations where the water supply did not pass the EPA regulations. Examples may include a contaminate that is above the EPA acceptable level such as a higher level of lead in the water. This section should also show how to fix the problem or how the problem is being addressed.

Section 3 – Lead, Nitrate and Water Quality Data Table

Additional Information about lead

This section will give an overview about the dangers of lead. Although this is initially alarming, it is included in every report.   The information about lead section doesn’t necessarily mean you have lead in your water. See the data table below to verify.

Additional Information about Nitrates

Similar to the lead information section, this section provides info on nitrates if the level is above 5mg/L.

Water Quality Data Table

This table describes he contaminants found during testing. An example table is shown below;. (courtesy of the CDC website).

​See an example of Section 3 on the CDC site.

Section 4 – Action Levels, Violations and Exceedances

​See an example of section 4 on the CDC site.

Water Filtering

For further information, take a look at our Choosing a Water Filter Guide page.  Hopefully this article was helpful for learning what is in your drinking water.

While other articles on this site, focus on picking the best water softener with specific reviews, this article will answer the question “how does a water softener work?”

To understand the concept of water softening and its advantages, we must first learn about the types of water. Depending upon the amount of dissolved minerals in our water, we have two types of water: hard water and soft water.

Water picks up minerals such as magnesium and calcium when it passes through the soil and rock underground. The amount of minerals in the water determines the hardness of water. If there is a high concentration of minerals in a gallon of water, it will be called hard water compared to a gallon of water with only a few minerals.

Hard water is not harmful but it is undesirable because it can clog pipes and reduce water flow.

Hard water also causes problems when used in daily tasks around the home such as cleaning dishes, bathing or laundry. Hard water does not form enough lather and usually leaves a sticky scum when it comes in contact with soap. This makes washing off soil and bacteria difficult, and leaves the skin and hair feeling dry and dull

Washing laundry with hard water doesn’t completely clean the clothes and can damage clothes in the long run. It is preferable that household water doesn’t contain these minerals. The process of removing these minerals is known as softening of water.

The hardness of the water is due to minerals like calcium and magnesium saturating the water. The act of softening of water is removing these minerals.

(Click Infographic to Enlarge)

Water softeners work on the principle of ion exchange where the harmful minerals are replaced with another mineral. In the case of salt based water softeners, these minerals are replaced with sodium.

A water softener is a mechanical device that is attached to the household water supply system where the water enters the home. After exiting the water softener, the soft water is then sent to the different water faucets in the home.

A water softener consists of a softener tank which has thousands of tiny resin beads or zeolites, which are basically polystyrene beads. The resins are coated with sodium positive ions. The resin beads attract and bind the magnesium and calcium ions present in hard water.

Calcium and magnesium have a positive charge and they switch positions with the sodium ions on the resin bead as water is pumped through the beads. Water coming into the softener has calcium and magnesium minerals. Water exiting the water softener will have sodium ions..

After some time, the beads are saturated with calcium and magnesium and the water exiting the water softener is hard again. To remove the calcium and magnesium from the resin beads, a regeneration cycle is required.

A strong saltwater (brine) solution (created using common salt in a separate brine tank) is used to wash away the minerals collected by the beads. Calcium and magnesium ions are displaced by the high concentration of sodium ions in brine solution, and the resin gets coated with new sodium ions. The salty rinse water, and the minerals are flushed down the drain and a cycle has been completed. This is known as recharging of the resin, and the process is repeated every few days.

Trigger a Recharge Cycle

The process of recharging can be controlled in a variety of ways.

The most common method is the use of electric timers which automatically flush away the rinse water and minerals through the drain on a fixed scheduled time.

The second method is to use an electronic device or mechanical meter to measure the amount of water usage. The device starts the regeneration process once the set amount of water has passed through the mineral tank.

There are some arguments against salt-based water softeners.

The main argument is that minerals like magnesium and calcium are healthy and beneficial to us and they are being replaced by sodium. Sodium can be harmful to both our health as well as the environment.

Also, the cost of maintenance can be high, and the cost of buying salt must be factored into your budget.

Is A Salt-Less Water Softener Good?

Water softeners have been developed that don’t use salt at all. These are the salt-less water softeners. Technically they don’t soften the water because the hard minerals aren’t removed from the water. Instead they are crystallized so they don’t adhere to the surface of clothes or utensils.

The term “water conditioners” or “descalers” is used to describe these devices instead of water softeners. They use either magnets to “condition” the water.

Usually permanent magnets are fixed to either the inside or outside of water pipe. The magnetic field from the magnets crystallizes the minerals.

Another alternative is using an electromagnet – an electrical current carrying wire – around the water pipe which performs the same function as the magnets.

But Is a Salt-Less Water Softener Effective?

In a word, No.

Although salt-less water softeners are cheaper and easier to maintain than salt type water softeners, studies suggest they aren’t as effective.

Many people argue that the laundry is not as soft and the whites aren’t as white when salt-free water softeners are used.

The use of salt-less water softeners is limited. Salt based water softeners are much more popular than salt-less water softeners.

In many areas, water softeners are a necessity because of the issues caused by hard water if not treated properly.

We have discussed “how do water softeners work” with an overview of removing the problematic minerals magnesium and calcium that build up over time. This “scale” is what you’re trying to prevent.

These minerals don’t form lather easily and mess up the cleaning process.

More importantly, they cause buildup of scale in water pipes which if not treated at the earliest would become a huge issue in the long run. The replacement of pipes would result in huge costs and inconvenience.

It is important to invest in good water softening equipment and there are two main options available.

One uses salt such as sodium in the recharging cycle of resin beads.

The second is a salt-free water conditioner that is popular due to concerns related to sodium intake and is a cheaper alternative. It uses either magnetic or electric fields to neutralize the minerals. It also has a much simpler set-up and is less costly (no monthly salt purchases).

As is the case to every technology, there are pro and cons to every alternative.

Water softeners with salt are preferred because of their reliability and efficiency.

Ultimately it comes down to the preference of each individual but this article has given an overview of the different types of water softeners.  For a more detailed look at water softener options, look at our best water softeners reviews page.

Stage 1 – The Sediment Filter

Made of Melt Blown polypropylene, the sediment filter removes dirt, silt, rust and large sediments of up to 5 microns. This filter is crucial in removing sediments that would otherwise damage or plug up the more delicate filters that follow.

Stage 2 – The Carbon Filter

Chlorine, a common compound in water, will go through the sediment filter. More importantly, chlorine damages the reverse osmosis filter. So we need to filter that out before it gets to the RO membrane. That’s the job of the carbon filter which has slightly smaller holes than the sediment filter.

Chlorine also affects the taste and odor of water.  The carbon filter isolates chlorine, reduces the amount of lead and removes harmful bacteria such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium.

Stage 3 – The Reverse Osmosis Membrane

The Reverse Osmosis membrane handles the isolation of 99% of contaminants. This filter allows water to pass through and stops contaminants as small as 0.0001 microns.

Stage 4 – The Post Carbon Filter

The post carbon filter is the final stage of the water filter. This carbon filter will remove any remaining odor and improves the taste of the final drinking water.

What does Reverse Osmosis remove from water?

As mentioned earlier the process removes contaminants. These contaminants are both organic and inorganic impurities.

Common water contaminants include:

Reverse Osmosis systems also remove odor and bad taste.

Factors that will change the effectiveness of the RO system

Things to consider when purchasing a residential RO system

Reverse Osmosis systems differ so when buying such a system consider these factors:

Summary of RO system benefits

This article answers the question, how does Reverse Osmosis work? Now that you understand the inner workings behind these filters, consider going to our reverse osmosis systems reviews page to see RO Water filter comparisons and reviews.

Drinking contaminant-free water reduces the risk of water-borne diseases.  Water purified through an RO system is safe for whatever purpose, be it drinking, cooking or washing.

Priced at less than $1000 and in many cases below $500, RO systems are affordable and worthwhile investments.

Why you should replace Water Bottles with Water Filters

In 2015, US families bought over 50 billion water bottles because most people don’t think about using water filters. Many people spend money on water bottles instead of using water filters. Although water bottles seem cheap, in the long run using one of these types of water filters is more affordable. Using water filters also reduces the amount of plastics in our landfills.

Research has shown that some water bottles can still contain foreign contaminants (such as BPA) which can have a negative health effects.

Even more alarming – a staggering 25% of bottled water produced may not go through the full filtration process.

In this case, it is no better than tap water.

Most people have no clue where to start when buying water filters – there are so many different categories.

So we are going to discuss the best water filters. We start with the 5 types of Water Filtration that are available on the market and why you should stop using water bottles.

1 – Water Pitcher Filters

Water filter pitchers work by filling a small tank at the top of the pitcher with tap water. The water slowly drips into the bottom tank through a filter. Typical filters last around 2 months.

*Please note – no Water Pitcher Filters can remove fluoride. It is better to choose a reverse osmosis water filter if you are worried about fluoride.

We have an entire post with a detailed look at choices for the best water filter pitcher comparison.

2 – Faucet Filters

Faucet water filters attach to the water tap in the kitchen. They normally have a way to select whether the water coming out of the faucet is filtered or not. These filters last about 2 months as well.

*Please note – no Faucet Filters can remove fluoride. It is better to choose a reverse osmosis filter if you are worried about fluoride.

We have an entire post with a detailed look at choices for the best faucet water filter comparison.

3 – Carbon Filters

Carbon filters are generally found on the water line going to the ice maker in typical refrigerators. They are the best water filter if you are looking for small size and the ability to tuck it out-of-sight. Carbon filters are also the second stage of  an RO water filter assembly.

4 – Reverse Osmosis Water Filters

Reverse Osmosis (or RO filters) are extremely good at removing most impurities. RO systems usually are 3 or 4 stages with each stage a filter with smaller holes for catching impurities. The last stage is a RO filter. Since there are a number of stages, RO water filter systems are more expensive as a result.

We have an entire post with a detailed look at choices for the best reverse osmosis system comparison.

If you’d like to learn more about RO water filters, try looking at our “how does reverse osmosis work​” webpage.

5 – Distilled Water

Water distillers work by boiling the water, capturing the pure steam, and cooling and condensing it. The impurities are left behind while the steam condenses into purified water – like rain.

Our Recommendation

Out of all the types of water filters, we would recommend Reverse Osmosis water filter systems as the best water filter to invest in.

Not only are nearly 100% of customers happy but it also is a long-term investment. The product lasts a lot longer than other filters and is easy to maintain.

Reverse Osmosis Filters are popular due to the incredible filtering qualities. They have been proven to remove a lot more contaminants than any other water filter.

APEC’s purer, tastier filtered water will definitely save you money in the long run when compared to water bottles.

It is worth scrapping water bottles and investing in water filters.

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The percentages indicated above are generally accepted in the industry. However, an RO system could perform better or worse than the figures noted above because other factors could affect the filtration process. Such factors include the PH, temperature, pressure and chemicals in the water.  The above chart is handy for comparing the Consumer Confidence Report that details what’s in your water to potential pollutants.

The filtration process

Reverse Osmosis is primarily based on the physical process of filtration. Filtration occurs when matter (gas, liquid or solid), passes through the pores of a medium or an absorbent material. Where water contaminants are concerned, filtration is dependent on the size of contaminant, and where applicable, its charge. To increase the effectiveness of the RO filters, pretreatment of drinking water may be necessary. The pretreatment might involve adjusting the pH, adding coagulants in the water or altering the chlorine levels.

There are three types of filtration described by the CDC and understanding them will give you a clearer idea of how a good water filtration system works.

1. Microfiltration

Microfiltration filters have a pore size of about 0.1 microns. Some microfiltration filters have a pore size as small as 0.05 microns while others have a pore as big as 5 microns. Due to the pore size, microfiltration is effective in removing some contaminates as show below:

2. Ultrafiltration

Ultrafiltration filters have a pore size of about 0.003 microns with a range from 0.003 on the lower scale to 0.05 on the upper scale. The Molecular Weight Cut Off (MWCO) on these filters is between 13,000 and 200,000 Daltons. In the RO system, the ultrafiltration filter is the carbon filter.

3. Nanofiltration

Nanofiltration filters have even smaller pores with pore sizes between 0.001 microns and 0.01 micron. The MWCO of these filters is between 200 and 2,000 Daltons. Like the ultrafiltration filters, the effectiveness of nanofilters is affected by the size of particles, the weight, and the charge. Nanofilters aren’t typically used in a RO filter because the even smaller pores of the Reverse Osmosis membrane are used.

4. Reverse Osmosis Membrane

Reverse Osmosis membrane filters have the smallest pores at about 0.0001 micron or 0.1nm. These filters are best at filtering out ions and molecules that the other filters can’t.  In the RO system, the RO membrane filter is the last stage and filters out the smallest particles.

Conclusion​

RO systems are cheap and easy to install. Also, these systems do not require lots of maintenance but they do require filter changes are regular intervals – typically every 6 months to a year depending upon the amount of contaminants in the water.

Take a look at our Reverse Osmosis Filter Reviews page to see our top picks for RO Filter systems.​