AQUATICLIFE RO Buddie Plus 4-Stage Reverse Osmosis & Deionization System - 50 Gallons Per Day

Christopher Hauck: bought this knowing it is intended for connection to a faucet and manual shutdown, but the problem with kits like this is that 1/4 OD tube is common everywhere for icemakers and drinking taps and this is cheapest, they should add a variant where they add a pre-made baggie/box that has an ASO instead of the faucet bits and a set of shut-off valves and TEE's that allow for an easy flushing
luckily I had a plan for this lack and bought an ASO kit as well as used some 1/4 OD fittings I bought once by accident
just remember this is intended to basically fill a jug at the rate of about 1 gallon every 30 minutes and not be connected to a buffer tank with ASO

United States on Sep 03, 2023

John HawkinsJohn Hawkins: If you buy this RO system I recommend you go to the Aqualife website and watch the YouTube video on setting it up. But basically run it for 5 minutes without the RO membrane filter to clear the carbon filter then run it for 30 minutes with the RO membrane installed before collecting water.

I've only used it twice so far but after the intial setup it is super easy to collect RO water. The speed is water dependent but I collected 10 gallons in a little over 100 minutes. I had my water tested a couple years ago professionally by Ward Labs and got another test just to baseline the filtered water out of the RO filter. The attached picture is of my two different water tests. My water while high in bicarbonate wasn't exactly horrible to begin with but I'm happy with the system's ability to get me down to 16 TDS.

I brew beer at home and while I had my water tested I had some issues with variability in the water and difficult adjusting my water pH with acid. So I figured going to RO filtered water was worth the cost at least to attempt to even out my water profile. I've only brewed once with RO water from this system but after calibrating my pH meter I can tell you I nailed...

United States on Sep 02, 2023

Meat HunterMeat Hunter: I could notice the taste difference, soooooo good. I usually dring spring water but gonna switchto this full time. I checked it with a ppm meter and it was at zero, nice. Watch the video by scanning the qr code on the packaging and in the manual.

United States on Sep 01, 2023

D. GlasgowD. Glasgow: I admit that I have the RO unit in a sunny room and have had algae growing in the sediment filter nearly the entire time I've owned it. Still works like a champ.

I use this RO unit for drinking water and for water changes in my planted aquarium.

When I first got it I was getting 1 PPM total solids. After months of heavy use PPM is only 11. Very happy with my purchase. I can highly recommend this R.O. unit. When it's time I will buy another RO unit from this company.

United States on Aug 13, 2023

Aaron: a pleasant surprise to see all the tools required and high quality parts. thanks for the great product! much easier than other systems i have used in the past.

Canada on May 03, 2023

wayne Mc Laughlin: It’s been exactly a year and the resin cartridge is still 3/4 of the original color so still no change needed! after filtering 20 gallons a month (which is 60 gallons going through) and tds is still 0. Highly recommended for aquarium water changes.
Only issue is that it leaks so I would be wary hanging it on a wall. It’s portable so I hook it up in the bath tub and fill containers for my water changes.

Canada on Apr 15, 2023

ProductReview: Came missing faucet adapter piece required to attach to sink and change size. Had to go buy a adapter piece from canadian tire for 7$ got unit running, ro water is tested much cleaner than tap yet to test the di filter water but I'm sure it's at 0ppm will work good for drinking and saltwater aquarium water. Other than the missing piece I'm happy, have it installed in the bathroom with waste going into the tub and a culligan collecting the clean, bit of a leak at the faucet connection plumber tape might fix.

Canada on Apr 14, 2023

MuskerhoundMuskerhound: I keep high-end tank-bred shrimp and invertebrates in planted aquariums and needed to upgrade to RO/DI water (then re-mineralize) in my tanks. The difference is night and day.
I live in an apartment, really glad to have found this. I attach it to my shower extension cord nozzle once a week to collect my top up and water change water. Its small enough to store and 100x easier (and cheaper) than going out to get distilled. I get 1 gallon every 18-30 mins dependant on pressure in my building that day, so leave and forget in a large container is easy. If you want to run from a shower hose, you will need an additional converter from a shower cord to the unit. Attached a pic if this applies to you.
You won't need to purchase and additional adapter if you are connecting directly to a sink tap, its included in the box.
Set up is easy if you watch the included video links. Super happy with this purchase. A+++

Canada on Mar 04, 2023

Shane: I'll start with the pro's first.

The RO Buddie is lightweight and easy to install, it came with everything I needed to get started. Most importantly the performance for removing solids is great! I live on a farm with well water and I went from 860ppm to 0ppm. Literally 0. I was shocked it got it that low.

Now onto the Cons.

Keep in mind that some of the Cons are inherent to all RO systems.

First off, you'll most likely get no where near 50 gallons per day. I'll be very very lucky to get 15 gallons in a 24 hr period. The way RO systems are rated for a certain GPD (in this case, 50gpd) is the input water has to have at least 60 psi and be at a temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit. (My guess is your initial TDS needs to be lower than 860ppm too.) I live in Canada and My water is about 9 Celsius (48F). That really impeads the performance. I think my water pressure in the house is around 55psi (although in my pumphouse it is reading 65psi) This impeads output as well.

Another big con (the biggest for me) is the waste water. The 3:1 ratio isn't even close. For every 2.5 gallons I'm filling up my washing machine with waste water. And it's 35 gallons or...

Canada on Mar 12, 2020

Alice WakefieldAlice Wakefield: I was attracted by the price, the small size, and ease of use of this system, and I'm more than happy with its performance. However, not much information is provided beyond how to hook it up and turn on the water which a third grader could do, so I'll attempt to answer some questions that people may have who are just considering one. If you're already familiar with RO systems here's my bottom line and you can skip the rest.

Finally, an affordable, tankless, three-stage system that produces 95%-99% pure water like the big boys. There's also an optional DI filter for those with reef tanks who want it 100% pure I use it primarily to mix with tap to soften and lower the ph in my freshwater tanks, so 20 gallons of RO per week is about average, which I usually produce in one sitting, so to speak. Easily 12 hours, but hidden in patio furniture and virtually silent, you will want to get a timer of some kind. Trust me.

It's sleek, light in weight, with a built-in mounting bracket. I have yet to replace any, but it takes a standard sized membrane filter, with the two disposable auxiliary filters around $10. ea. .

If you live in a perennially parched area like me where...

United States on Sep 21, 2016