Watts Premier Ro-Pure Plus Filters
Concerns about water quality are more prominent in recent years. You may have heard of contaminants such as Arsenic, Chromium, Cryptosporidium, or Giardia. There may also be some issues stemming from the high levels of Lead and Copper found in local water sources.
Ro Pure Plus
The design of the Watts Premier Ro-Pure Plus Filters treatment system is to provide you with great tasting water for years to come. The following is a brief overview of the system.
System Overview
Ro Pure Plus Reverse Osmosis system uses osmosis which is the process of water passing through a semi-permeable membrane to balance the concentration of contaminants on each side of the membrane. A semi-permeable membrane is a barrier that will pass only certain particles like clean drinking water but not other particles like arsenic and lead.
Reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane; yet, by applying pressure across the membrane, it concentrates contaminants (like a strainer) on one side of the membrane, producing crystal clear water on the other.
The RO systems produce both clean drinking water and rinse water. This reverse osmosis system also utilizes carbon block filtration technology and can, therefore, provide a higher quality drinking water than carbon filtration systems alone.
Your system is a four-stage RO which is based upon separate treatment segments within the one complete water filtration system. These stages are:
- Sediment Filter
The first stage of your RO system is a five-micron sediment filter that traps sediment and other particulate matter like dirt, silt, and rust which affect the taste and appearance of your water. We recommend you change this filter after six months of usage.
- Carbon Filter
The second stage contains a 5-micron carbon block filter. This helps ensure that chlorine and other materials that cause bad taste and odor are greatly reduced.
- Membrane
Stage three is the heart of the reverse osmosis system, the 50GPD (Gallons Per Day) RO membrane.
This semi-permeable membrane will effectively remove TDS, Sodium, and a wide range of contaminants such as Chromium, Arsenic, Copper, Lead as well as Cysts, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Because the process of extracting this high-quality drinking water takes time, your RO water treatment system has a storage tank.
- VOC Block filter
The system conforms to NSF/ANSI 58 for VOC reduction. Through the specialty formulated VOC post filter, your system is capable of reducing harmful Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOC) like MTBE’s, Atrazine, Benzene, 2,4-D, Lindane, and others from your drinking water.
The estimation is that VOCs are present in one-fifth of the nation’s water supplies. These water contaminants can enter groundwater from a variety of sources, including localized use of herbicides and pesticides, gasoline or oil spills, leaking underground fuel tanks, septic system cleaners, and chemicals used in the dry-cleaning industry.
How long do the filters last on average?
- Stage 1: 6 months
- Stage 2: 6 months
- Stage 4: 1 year
- Membrane: 2 to 5 years
Design and maintenance
One of the biggest concerns with any RO system is the ease of changing filters. The Watts Premier Pro is a modular system where you don’t need to remove everything to change just one filter.
All the filters are connected so that there is very little external piping, which makes the whole unit look immaculate and tidy.
Changing a filter is very easy. The entire filter unit pulls away from the system with the push of a button on the manifold that houses all the filter stages.
Once you have removed the filter stage, click the new one in place, and you’re good to go. The LED indicator light does not detect the presence of a new filter, so you’ll have to override it by removing its battery and putting it back in.
The Watts Premier 4 Stage RO System is straightforward on the eyes, as it comes fitted with a high-end chrome designer air gap faucet. Not only does this make it more functional but also very aesthetically pleasing.
There is an LED indicator that will let you know when to change the filters. LED indicators are beneficial reminders as we can sometimes become quite preoccupied and forget to change the filter!
Unless the system has a built-in indicator, the only reliable way to know the integrity of the filter is to use a TDS meter and measure the filtered water.
Maintenance
Filter and membrane replacements are straightforward and fast, as they don’t require you to turn off the water supply and wait for the system to depressurize, thanks to the extra valves built into each filter head.
All you have to do is push a button – don’t worry, easily accessible – to release inside pressure, pull out the old filter or membrane and replace it with a new one, which will easily snap in place. No mess due to water spilling everywhere!
By the way, the fact that you dispose of the whole housing when changing filters makes cleaning the system so much easier.
What are the average lifetimes of the filters/membrane?
- Sediment pre-filter: About every six months
- Carbon pre-filter: About every six months
- RO membrane: Every 2 to 5 years
- Carbon post-filter: About every 12 months
Of course, how long each component will last also depends on your water usage and the quality of the feed water. Overly hard water or high amounts of TDS will likely require you to change them more frequently (especially the pre-filters).
Annual replacement costs are within the normal range.
Install and Maintain
This under-sink reverse osmosis system is easier to install than many other similar systems. Watts Premier did a great job by color-coding all tubing and parts, so you always know where pipe or filter will connect to.
The written instructions are also a big help if this is the first RO system you install—lots of images and clear instructions.
If you already have a hole for the RO faucet, then you can probably install this easily. If not, some DIY skills are necessary to drill it. Maybe you get help for this part, especially if you want to drill a hole in a granite countertop.
Wrap Up
If you are looking for a budget reverse osmosis filter, this system is a good choice. Especially if you have limited space under your sink. The removal rates are good, and regular filter maintenance is easier than with other systems.
It will provide you with safe drinking water free from all or at least the majority of harmful contaminants and eliminate heavy water bottles’ inconvenience. Filter/membrane replacements take 30 seconds max without spills, and maintenance costs are reasonable, which will help you to save money in the long run.
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