Water Quality:   How is RO water compared to bottled water?

Just as good or even better. We use the same technology, reverse osmosis (RO), as other major bottling plants use to filter water. Our drinking water has a sweet taste with a touch of minerals —not like the flat taste of distilled or bottled water. The five-stage system is the most stable and complete RO process. The best part is that you maintain your system and ensure your family's health yourself. [ Go To Top ]

RO Filtration:   How effective is Reverse Osmosis filtration compared to other methods ?

RO is the most convenient and effective method of water filtration. It filters water by squeezing water through a semi-permeable membrane, which is rated at 0.0001 micron (equals to 0.00000004 inch!). This is the technology used to make bottled water, it is also the only technology capable of desalinating sea water, making it into drinking water.

Non-RO water filters are much less effective, and the pore size on these filter media are much bigger, generally 0.5 - 10 micron. They can filter out coarse particles, sediments and elements only up to their micron rating. Anything finer and most dissolved substances cannot be filtered out. As a result, water is far less clean and safe compare to reverse osmosis filtration. [ Go To Top ]

Compare APEC RO to others:   How are APEC RO systems compared to other ROs in the market?

1) We are Genuinely Made in U.S.A. using NSF/FDA approved U.S. parts: APEC RO systems are made right here in California, using top quality components that are U.S. made and NSF/ FDA approved. Most other systems in the water industry nowadays use lower quality parts (foreign cloned) that break easily, clog up the system in a few months, and have a much shorter life-span.

2) Strong & longer lasting filters: Our pre-filters are patented extruded solid carbon blocks. "Extruded block" means uniformly solid construction which prevents channeling (bypassing of contaminants.) These filters' superior material and construction offer much greater absorptive and dirt holding capacity than other carbon blocks or G.A.C. (granular activated carbon) filters. Most importantly, our carbon blocks do not release any carbon fines to clog up systems.

We use two Extruded Carbon Block filters in sequence to give the longest filter service life. While most ROs in the market can treat only 1500-2000 gallons of pure water, our systems can treat 4000-5000 gallons of "pure water". This means their filters have to be changed twice as often as ours. When other vendors claim that their systems can treat up to 5,000 gallons of "water", it means they can deliver only 1,000 gallons of "pure water". Remember, all RO systems need to generate brine water in order to produce pure, drinkable water! You have to divide their claimed total gallons by 5. Once you understand this, you will not be misled by any number games.

3) Purer water and long lasting RO membrane- Our High Rejection RO Membranes give the highest contaminant removal rate in the industry: 98-99%, they last 4-7 years easily. Most other membranes give only 80-95% rejection, and lasting only 1-2 years. We are so confident that we give you a nice digital water tester for free, so you can test and see exactly how much pollutants our systems remove.

4) APEC systems are lab-tested for 12 hours- Every system is thoroughly tested (by water and pressure) for 12 hours before shipping to guarantee their high performance and water purity. During our comprehensive testing we are able to eliminate even the slightest imperfect parts, such as insensitive auto-shut-off valves, defective housings that seep brine water into pure water stream (this causes impure water), etc. While most suppliers don't test their systems, we guarantee a high quality and trouble-free system at your door!

5) Professional grade RO for demanding water qualities- Our Ultra ROs are specially designed to treat all types of water (tap and well water) while other ROs can treat only certain types of water. Our systems have high allowances for variations in pH (2-11), in water pressure (0 to 100 psi), in sediments and maximum dissolved solids (up to 2000 ppm), in output (45-270 gpd) etc. Meanwhile, the average ROs in the market are limited and could only treat decent water sources. This means if your input water happens to be harder, more acidic, or heavier in dirt than the usual standard water sources, these lesser RO systems will break down gradually, and without knowing, you would be drinking bad water -- your investment will be wasted.

6) Expert support directly from manufacturer- We are the original manufacturer, not just a 3rd party website/dealer. We have been making RO systems for over 18 years, and have developed a strong (and caring) technical support team that is dedicated in serving consumers just like you. We have all the replacement parts and technology to support you for as long as you own our system. [ Go To Top ]

Choosing & sizing system:  What system should I choose, you have so many models!

Many RO suppliers do not always provide enough technical information/ models to help customers choose the right system for their homes. As a result, these customers are often surprised by problems like:

As you can see, it is important to choose the right RO system to match your water situation. This will keep your system running at top shape and your water tasting great for years. [ Go To Top ]

Not Needed features:   Are membrane-flushing and built-in TDS meters really necessary? 

No, they are not necessary. They are useless features added mainly to help sell the products. Membrane flushing is an old technology used only for commercial RO membranes these days. Most residential RO membranes now utilize new technologies that require no flushing. The most dangerous is the "auto flush" type, because it actually "reduces" the life of your small home membrane by flushing it constantly, even when there is no need to do so. Some suppliers claim that flushing is needed for their membranes to last 2-4 years. Yet our advanced membranes, without the hassle of flushing, can last up to 4-7 years if you just change your pre-filters regularly.

The built-in TDS meter on the RO system is also not a good idea. It actually misleads customers because the TDS meter does not indicate when it's time to change the filters. It lights up only when your TDS is very high —after your membrane is damaged! Those simple built-in meters do not show the actual TDS reading, they only show "good" or "bad" without any details. So you can't tell what percentage (%) of contaminants has been removed. If the meter is on the system, you will tend to wait for the red light before you change the pre-filters. But then it is too late. The membrane is dead already when you see the light. So this function actually helps kill the membrane rather than preserve it. We tell customers to just change the pre-filters every year and their membranes will be protected. We give you a high quality digital handheld TDS meter for free, so you can test your water anytime. With this meter, you'll know the exact TDS level before and after the RO. You can use it to test water anywhere you go. We believe this is a much better solution. [ Go To Top ]

Gallons per day:   APEC's smallest system makes 36/45 gal/day, but we don't need that much drinking water!

Yes, we know nobody uses 36 or 90 gallons of drinking water a day. But you have to see this as the "speed" with which the RO system makes the drinking water. For example, a typical RO makes 15 GPD. This means it only produces about 0.6 gallons of water per hour at the standard pressure 60 psi and at the at standard temperature 77 °F. So you need to wait at least 5-7 hours for a 3 gallon tank to fill! Not to mention, if your pressure is on the low side, and if it is winter time (average winter U.S. water temperature is only 35°F), then easily you can wait around for up to half a day (12 hours) just for the tank to be filled again! Now you see why a higher quality system needs to take speed into account. Let's take a look at our 36/45 GPD Ultra RO System: it is going to only take about 1.7–3 hours for it to fill your tank*. What a difference! Now you think 36/45 GPD is a good speed for a system, right! 
* actual result depends on your input water pressure and temperature.


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Shipping Schedule:   If I order your system today, when do you ship?

We usually ship the next business day, because we have most items in stock. Depending on your location, you'll receive the shipment in 2-5 days by UPS ground service. Faster service and international shipping are also available. [ Go To Top ]

Location of System:   Typically where can I put this system? In the kitchen? How about the basement?

Typically our systems are installed in the cabinet under the kitchen sink. Our systems are quite slim so they can usually fit inside any cabinet, even if you have a garbage disposal. The storage tank can be laid on its sideways to save space. You can also install our systems in the basement, garage, or anywhere there is water supply. If you have good water pressure in your home, then you can even run long lines(20-30 ft) from the water supply to the system or from the tank to the faucet. You can order additional tubing cut to your specs here. Please note that our systems come with 4 ft lines for a standard installation. [ Go To Top ]

Easy Installation:   Can I install this myself?  What if I am unable to?

Our systems come with extra detailed instructions and are easy to install. Most of our customers have successfully installed our systems themselves without any professional help. However, if you really can not or are just afraid to do the job, not a problem; just call on any plumber in your yellow pages and they can install it for you for a small fee. [ Go To Top ]

Simple Maintenance:   What is the maintenance schedule and cost?

Our systems come with filters that can process about 4,000-5,000 gallons of filtered water. We calculate that if you use 10 gallons of pure water per day, this would last you more than one year. Even if you do not use that much water per day, we still encourage you to change the three pre-filters about once a year. This is for your own good health, because after all, the replacement filters do not cost too much (annual cost is $39 for all 3 filters) and you should not wait for the filters to totally deplete before you replace them. The 4th stage reverse osmosis membrane and the 5th stage filter can last up to 4-7 years so you do not need to worry about them for a while. [ Go To Top ]

Simple Maintenance:   What is the maintenance schedule and cost?

Our systems come with filters that can process about 4,000-5,000 gallons of filtered water. We calculate that if you use 10 gallons of pure water per day, this would last you more than one year. Even if you do not use that much water per day, we still encourage you to change the three pre-filters about once a year. This is for your own good health, because after all, the replacement filters do not cost too much (annual cost is $39 for all 3 filters) and you should not wait for the filters to totally deplete before you replace them. The 4th stage reverse osmosis membrane and the 5th stage filter can last up to 4-7 years so you do not need to worry about them for a while. [ Go To Top ]

Filter Change:   Is it easy to change filters?

Very easy. Just order the needed filters from us and use the filter housing wrench that came with your system to swap out filters. This way you maintain the system yourself without depending on others and you will feel confident about your drinking water. [ Go To Top ]

Buying Filters:   Do I have to buy replacement filters only from APEC?

We do recommend that you buy replacement filters from us, because we offer the original, top quality filters that were designed to help our systems to be trouble-free and lasting. We sell them at lower prices than most other places.

We use industry-standard size 10" filters, and you can find "similar ones" at most home improvement stores. Even though these similar filters do not perform up to our original specifications, they are still usable by an APEC system. So if you are worried that for some reason you could not find us in the future, your system will be just fine. [ Go To Top ]

Moving system:  If I move, can I remove the system to bring with me?

This system is very easy to uninstall. There is no need to completely uninstall; just take off the water inlet tubing, close our water inlet needle shut off, and take off the whole system in 5 minutes. You can order a moving-kit from us and you will have a new shut off tap to install in your new residence.[ Go To Top ]