APEC Water RO-Hi, 5-Stage Under Sink Reverse Osmosis System, 3/8" Output

I love this RO system. The HI version with the 3/8 upgrade is worth every penny when you are filling something large. I installed one of these in our last house and my wife made me buy a new one when we moved. Easy to install, fits under the sink and the water tastes amazing. No more garbage tap water with that hint of chlorine ever again.

Overall, I am very pleased with this system. After flushing 3 times, it reduced the reading on our TDS meter from 58 PPM to 1 PPM. I also noticed an improvement in taste compared to the refrigerator filter. It seems that there may be a very subtle difference in water texture...perhaps a little more slippery, but I haven't identified the exact difference. The engineers for Hydroviv actually recommended APEC as a preferred system, even though they are considered competitors. Customer service was excellent and timely. The speed of the flow was worth the extra cost to us. The flow rate is definitely faster than the refrigerator. It will make using filtered water for cooking a breeze. I have used reverse osmosis systems that seem to take forever to fill a cup of water. That is not the case at all with this system. Installation was not easy, but it is manageable if you have someone in the household with maintenance experience. The manual was OK, but could use some improvement (with concise wording in some sections, more detail in other sections, and improved grammar and wording for clarity). The color picture that showed an overview of the entire setup was very helpful. A hole needs to be drilled in a pipe under the sink for drainage in an ideal spot to prevent noise. Also, there would need to be a hole in the counter top or sink for the faucet. We had an existing hole with a diameter of 1.5 inches, which just barely worked for the faucet. Anything larger would not have worked without some sort of creative adapter and a larger washer to reduce the hole diameter. We also made the mistake of not tightening the filters enough (the manual said not to overtighten). This made a mess on the first trial. I cannot comment on ease of filter change yet since we are not due for one. Under a cabinet, it definitely seems like a tray would be needed to collect spilled water if it is mounted. Otherwise, in our case, there is enough give in the tubing to pull the system out for a filter change. The cost of filter changes at this time would be $40.95 to $52 annually for stages 1, 2, and 3. Water with high sediment may need to be changed more frequently. I was told that noticing the water flow slow down and seeing buildup in the filter would indicate a need for a filter change to prevent damage to the RO membrane. These are sediment and carbon block filters. Stage 4 replacement is $78.95 to $98.95 every 3 to 5 years. I was told that using a TDS meter to see if the water quality has changed would indicate a need for this filter change. This is the actual RO membrane that makes the system work by filtering larger particles than the tiny holes in the membrane. Stage 5 replacement is $20.95 to $26.99 every 3 to 5 years. This filter improves taste and reduces chlorine. Well water would need more frequent changes (2 to 4 years?) if the sediments are higher. Overall, I am extremely happy with this system so far. I hope this is helpful.

I am addicted to this APEC RO-HI filter system! Best tasting water ever, better than any bottled water I've tried. While viewing an installation video is probably a good idea for many, i simply refered to the very clear, concise instructions as needed. The installation was very easy, everything is common sense. I also installed a new Moen faucet for the kitchen sink at the same time so I could use the sprayer hole (4th countertop hole), working with new pipes and and fittings was a good idea. Do it all once, do it right. I have no practical plumbing experience so the entire installation of both the faucet and RO system took about 1 hour ,15 minutes after removing the old faucet. So far, I have had no leaks, either from the faucet or the RO system. There is virtually no discernable noise and it took up very little of my usable undersink space when I laid the tank on its side on the included stand, i was able to put everything else back under my sink. As the instructions stated, the first little bit of water came out black, that was expected. I filled the 3 more tanks of water and drained them completely. I gave it about 4 hours per tankful. From that point, i use the water for drinking and cooking and love it. I can actually taste the difference in salad veggies and steamed veggies. I even use this water in my countertop ice machine instead of the distilled water I've been using. So far, the speed, water pressure and quantity of water produced is perfect even though i use it constantly. 3 weeks later I tested the water, tap TDS is 157ppm, Ph is 7.14, RO TDS is 11ppm, Ph is 7.51. I recommend this RO-HI system for everyone including infants, its that good.

I am 100% pleased with this APEC Water Systems Ultimate RO-Hi Top Tier Supreme High Output Fast Flow. I think the hardest part was getting the hole drilled for the faucet in my granite counter tops. Since a hole had to be drilled, a 1 3/8" bit was used to drill out a soap dispenser, air switch for the garbage disposal, RO faucet, and instant hot water heater faucet. Figured I'd do these upgrades all at once when I bought the RO system. That one bit did all of those holes, same size hole/diamond bit. Next hardest was running a line out from the RO to the instant hot water heater (InSinkErator HOT150 Instant Hot Water Dispenser System) run under the house from the kitchen sink to the kitchen island sink. Those things aside, installing the RO system was fairly easy. The instructions were very well written along with a rendering showing what goes where. I have oil rubbed bronze finish on all my plumbing fixtures. There was no oil rubbed bronze finish faucet available to purchase at the time I bought this, so I had to sand and properly paint the faucet. It turned out really great and matches the other fixtures. Was not a big deal to paint and had that part done in about an hour, leaving it to dry over night. I was reading about TDS meters being virtually useless, but bought one nonetheless in the absence of any other testing device I thought I'd try at the time of purchasing the RO system. If you look at the picture, when I tested the water, these were the tests I did sorted from worst TDS reading to best. Tap water: 38 TDS Brita filter pitcher: 30 TDS Dasini bottled water: 22 TDS RO system to Water Heater: 4 TDS RO system: 3 TDS I let the above water samples reach room temperature, took those readings, let them sit for an hour, and ran them again. Every reading was spot on with the exception of 1 of them was 1 point off, so the meter seemed pretty accurate for what it does. I had 3 leaks after installing, but having done quite a bit of plumbing work over the years, I know to check for leaks after install, and even into the next day. The leaks were my fault for not tightening the filter housings tight enough (they are plastic so I didn't know how tight was too tight...better to not break/strip them by over tightening...and if it leaks from not being tight enough - just tighten them up, so that's what I did). Instructions tell you over and over to check for leaks as well. I have never owned an RO system before, so I have nothing to compare, but I am glad I bought the fast flow. That water comes out fast in high volume. I get my 32 ounce water bottle filled up in 13 seconds (I have 120 PSI to my house which may help a bit with that). I've done a bit of reading about adding back some minerals to the water in order to hydrate better, and will look into a cartridge to add Electrolytes back to the water now that most potential contaminants are removed by the RO system. All in all - I'm very happy with this system. I bought this glass bottle to use as my drink bottle instead of single use plastics (Kanrel Glass Water Bottle BPA Free & Eco Friendly with Purple Silicone Sleeve (32 Ounce) Reusable, Leak Proof, Dishwasher Safe, Easy Clean). I'm all set and good to go now. Will see how this RO system performs over the years and will update if anything goes wrong aside from routine maintenance. Buy this system with confidence!

After years of using a filtering water pitcher, I decided to install an RO system. My only reason for doing so was to have the convenience of basically unlimited filtered water without having to fill a pitcher several times a day. I really thought the quality of the pitcher-filtered water was good. Was I ever wrong! I didn't know what I was missing. The APEC RO-HI system produces the cleanest, best-tasting water I've ever had, hands-down. I decided on the top-of-the-line RO-HI model because it had excellent reviews and wasn't that much more expensive than the more basic models. The RO-HI consists of five filter units: 1) a sediment pre-filter, 2&3): carbon pre-filters, 4) the RO unit, and 5) a post-filter. There is also a pre-pressurized storage tank, which is nominally 5 gallons but its actual capacity will depend on your incoming water pressure. The instructions are extremely well-written and easy to follow. If you aren't at least moderately handy, though, consider hiring a plumber: this is a fairly complex system with a lot to consider when installing it. For example, the manufacturer suggests installing the unit under the kitchen sink, but if you do that, you won't have much (if any!) space left for storage. I installed my unit in the basement directly below the sink, and it works great. Maintenance is minimal: the instructions suggest changing the first three filter cartridges (sediment & carbon) every 6 months to 1 year and changing the other cartridges (RO filter and post-filter) and O-rings only every three years. There are a few things that could be improved, but in total they aren't even worth taking one star away: -- The amount of LLDPE plastic tubing provided with the unit was inadequate since the unit was mounted in the basement rather than under the kitchen sink. I was easily able to find LDPE tubing (the same tubing used for ice makers) in my local building supply store as well as the necessary John Guest press-in connectors. -- When I ordered this unit from the manufacturer, the only spigot option offered was chrome. Separately, I purchased a brushed copper spigot to match the rest of my kitchen hardware. -- I wish the filter system was contained in a case of some kind. The first three filters are held together by a metal plate that can be affixed to a wall, but that's it. The last two filters are simply attached to the top of the unit by heavy plastic clips. This is a fairly complex system with water lines running everywhere, and it seems like it would be easy enough to snag one of those lines and damage the unit. You might want to consider installing the system in a closet or even building a small cabinet around it. Overall, I am VERY happy with this system, the price, and especially that for the first time in 54 years I have virtually unlimited pure drinking water at the turn of a tap!

The APEC Ultimate RO-Hi filter functions well, giving plenty of good tasting water at a high flow rate. My only gripe is that I had some difficulty in installation. I believe I followed all the instructions well, and yet the system had leaks in a few places on the first try. It took some effort to detach the tubes at the point of leakage, so I could reseat the connections and try again. Reseating helped on all but 1 leak, where I could not solve the last leak on my own. Fortunately, APEC customer support was very prompt and helpful -- their AI-based support answered my emails on the weekend, and a human finished support on Monday, when they ordered me a replacement part. After some more difficulty with replacement (the cap/tube connections are still difficult to unseat ... probably because you shouldn't need to remove them, if everything works well), I eventually got everything together with no more leaks. I could imagine that my issues were a rare problem, and if installation goes well the first time, this is a good product and a great value. Pros: Filter works well Water tastes great Customer support was very helpful when I had a problem with leaks Cons: Tubes aren't always easy to remove, if the need arises One leaking part

Never in my life had I imagined what truly purified water would taste like! I was buying plastic bottled drinking water for decades, thinking it was as pure as it gets for the consumer. Boy was I wrong! With prices going up on everything and the topic of microplastics being discussed more and more, I decided to look into alternatives. I did extremely thorough research, looking into $1000+ units, and eventually all paths led here. I wanted something simple yet very effective at filtering, independently certified, something that doesn't run on electricity and is not an all-in-one unit where a single little defective component would bring the whole system down. I wanted something DIY serviceable in case of leaks or parts breaking. This RO-Hi system covered all of my needs and wants. It's very easy to install, and you can even find videos on YouTube if you have problems following the instructions. I bought a diamond 35mm drill bit, drilled a hole in my kitchen sink, bought a waterproof silicone under-sink mat, a loud battery-powered leak alarm, an APEC automatic leak detector with a valve shutoff, and spent a few hours in total installing the system, cutting the hoses to the proper length, handling the filters with gloves on to avoid contamination, and voila! The manufacturer recommends draining the first full tank to clear out any carbon deposits, which I did with the first two full tanks. By the third tank, I was able to actually compare the results. The difference between the PPM readings of tap water and RO water was astonishing! The TDS rejection rate was about 96%, which is excellent! I live in Las Vegas, and our water is very hard here, but combined with my whole-house water softener, this is the smoothest water I have ever tasted! The system is completely silent, and with my 85-90 PSI water pressure, the tank fills up very fast. Make sure to buy a water pressure tester, since this system is rated for 30-100 PSI.

A great system. High flow, quiet, and great water. After the first year, the filters were easy to change.

I bought two units, one for my family and the other for my daughters family. I had a GE smart water system for over 10 years and replaced it with APEC - RO-Hi Supreme system. It is working fine. It was installed few weeks ago. It is too early to rate accurately. So far working well. It is an obligation and responsibility to support a product which meets or exceed the expectations.

Great customer service. Comes with clear instructions. Had one issue with a leak but a quick phone call resolved the issue. Time will tell on how the system and filters hold up but pretty happy so far. Would recommend.

The RO system itself is quite good. Package arrived in good shape and the items were well packed. Unfortunately the tank it came with failed after about 3 weeks. The internal air bladder broke and it doesn’t hold air anymore. Also, beware that the included faucet has a 1/4 inch hose permanently attached to it. The system is advertised as 3/8 inch fast flow. This change appears to have been made recently as the installation manual shows a 3/8 connection. This was disappointing and I ended up ordering the same faucet separately from amazon that has the 3/8 connection.

Long story short, it is all hooked up and it works - but it came with a broken fitting and the company's solution is for me to take it all down, and send it back to amazon and order another one! I just found a compatible part and ordered it myself. We bought this as R.O. is the only feasible way to remove salt from water, and our well water is pretty salty (nearly 3%!). In taste tests, this water tastes better than the drinking water we've been buying at the store.