Jim,
We want to get a drinking water system for our home. We like the idea of Reverse Osmosis, but don’t want something that wastes a lot of water. We looked at some other systems, and want to know how your options compare.
Thanks,
Nancy
We get questions like that all the time. People want better drinking water. But they don’t like how much water most Reverse Osmosis systems waste.
So how do our options compare? Lets take a look!
A Study on Reverse Osmosis Waste
Van Newenhizen & Associates is an independent consulting and testing firm for the water treatment industry.
They tested 3 different Reverse Osmosis Systems and the LINX Evolution. Testing was done to simulate normal household use. They would fill a glass. Wait a few minutes. Fill a coffee pot. Wait an hour, etc.
Every Reverse Osmosis System is affected by water temperature, pressure, and the level of Total Dissolved Solids. The lower the temperature, the more waste. The lower the pressure, the more waste. The higher the Dissolved Solids, the more waste.
The tanks that store pure water also affect performance. As tanks fill up, they create back pressure. Essentially the tank pushes back against the RO. It gets harder for pure water to enter the tank, and easier for waste water to go down the drain. That’s a problem.
A standard Reverse Osmosis is only 6% efficient – meaning 100 gallons come into your home, 6 you drink, 94 you waste
There are several products on the market that use special “water on water” tanks. These tanks are supposed to help solve the efficiency problems with “normal RO systems”.
“Water on Water” Reverse Osmosis System
Normal RO tanks use small air bladders to maintain pressure. Water on water tanks use incoming water pressure instead.
The Van Newenhizen study used a system by Next-RO. This system uses a TFC membrane like other Reverse Osmosis systems, but has a “water on water” instead of the standard “air on water” tank.
Here are the results:
| Water on Water Reverse Osmosis Waste (% Efficiency) based on Pressure and Temperature | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20psi | 40psi | 60psi | 80psi | |
| 77F | 27% | 32% | 40% | 36% |
| 70F | 24% | 29% | 37% | 33% |
| 64F | 22% | 26% | 34% | 30% |
| 60F | 20% | 25% | 32% | 28% |
| 54F | 18% | 22% | 28% | 25% |
| 48F | 15% | 19% | 25% | 22% |
| 40F | 12% | 15% | 20% | 17% |
Notice how water temperature has a huge effect on efficiency.
Many RO sstems are certified at 77F (some even higher) – performance will be much lower with 50F Illinois water
LINX Evolution – Great Taste with Less Waste
The LINX Evolution doesn’t use membranes like an RO. It uses “TDS Reduction Cartridges”.
These cartridges use capacitive electrodeionization (EDI) to capture contaminants (not separate them like RO). Once the cartridge is full of captured contaminants, an electrical charge is used with a small flush of water to clean the system out.
Here are the test results for the LINX Evolution:
| LINX Evolution % Efficiency based on Pressure and Temperature | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20psi | 40psi | 60psi | 80psi | |
| 77F | 72% | 72% | 71% | 71% |
| 70F | 72% | 72% | 71% | 71% |
| 64F | 72% | 72% | 71% | 71% |
| 60F | 72% | 72% | 71% | 71% |
| 54F | 72% | 72% | 71% | 71% |
| 48F | 72% | 72% | 71% | 71% |
| 40F | 72% | 72% | 71% | 71% |
The LINX Evolution almost sounds too good to be true. The science is there. The manufacturer is reputable. But we still had to install it in our own homes FIRST to make sure it really delivers. And it really does.
How Much Water Can the LINX Save You?
Drinking water systems are used for more than just drinking water. In most homes, they are also used for ice, coffee, tea, cooking, and even humidifiers.
A household with lighter consumption may use only 1 gallon per day.
A family of athletes, or health enthusiasts, may use 3 gallons or more per day.
Here’s what a home that uses 2 gallons of pure drinking water a day can expect:
| Water on Water Reverse Osmosis | LINX Evolution | |
|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | 25% | 71% |
| Water Consumed per Year | 730 gallons | 730 gallons |
| Water Wasted per Year | 2,190 gallons | 298 gallons |
The Next-RO system, and other “water on water reverse osmosis” systems are superior to “standard” RO systems. But compared to the Next-RO, the LINX Evolution can save almost 2,000 gallons per year. But whether an RO system uses “air on water” or a “water on water” tank, you can see that the EDI technology used in the LINX is far more efficient!
About Garrelts Water
Garrelts Water is based in McHenry, IL. We have been installing and servicing Reverse Osmosis Systems for Commercial and Residential customers for decades. We love RO systems. But we’re always on the lookout for better technology. The LINX Evolution is exactly what we wanted for our customers. Give us a call at (815) 344-8186 to see how we can help you!
*Next-RO is a trademark of Next-RO, Inc, and Kinetico K5 is a trademark of Kinetico, and in no way are affiliated with Garrelts Water