Whole home reverse osmosis systems usually range from $12,000 - $18,000 as an installed price. The cost depends on a number of factors but is most closely linked to the amount of water that needs to be generated per day. The amount of pre-filtration equipment required is another factor. The more water demand, the larger the system required, and the higher the price. Whole home reverse osmosis systems are best suited to rural water situations that have multiple challenges such as high hardness + high salinity (TDS). They are also well suited to urban residents who simply want the highest quality water available from every tap in their home.
The total cost of ownership of the RO system is also tied to the frequency of membrane and pre-filter replacements. Most whole home RO systems also send significant amounts of water to drain which can drive high water bills. Some systems on the market have minimal or zero waste such as as this system made by Crio Water.
The cost of a reverse osmosis system can be affected by a number of factors. Our estimates are rough—always add extra to your budget.
The price of reverse osmosis systems will vary depending on the size and type of the system. Countertop units can be just a few hundred dollars while under-sink units may run between $300 and $800. For $1,000 higher, you can install a whole-house system to treat all the water right where it enters your home on the mainline. Every faucet, showerhead and icemaker in your home can be supplied with filtered water using a whole-house system.
While all reverse osmosis systems use a semi-permeable membrane to filter microscopic contaminants from your water, some systems feature more intensive filters than others. The quality of the filtration system will often be reflected in the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) certification rating which guarantees the product filters out one or more specific contaminants.
The NSF standards for reverse osmosis filters which cover common contaminants and impurities present in and capable of filtration are: 42, 53, 58, 401 and P473.
Efficiency
Reverse osmosis is a simple, reliable and highly effective method to produce safe drinking water. When it works properly, it can remove virtually all the impurities in water, leaving only pure, fresh drinking water. Therefore, the efficiency of a reverse osmosis system is a measurement of how quickly the system can produce filtered water and how much water has been lost in the process. Most systems can produce over 2 gallons of filtered water per hour, but their efficiency depends on the RO membrane they use.
Brand
Let’s face it: filtering water is expensive. But the last thing you want is to go through the same headache of replacing your system every few years. Certain water filters on the market can last more than a decade before they need to be replaced, which is an investment worth making.
If you’re prepared to gamble on a newer product, you could save yourself a few hundred dollars—make sure the manufacturer has all the proper certifications and the system you choose has a good warranty.
Common add-ons include extra pumps to help boost pressure and increase both the efficiency and the flow rate of the system. These are especially common with tank systems that need to pump water back out of a tank at an appropriate pressure. Another common additional feature is a remineralization process which helps add important-for-humans minerals that the reverse osmosis process removes.
The remineralization also re-balances the pH of the water to the correct alkalinity which may reduce corrosion of your home’s pipes.
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