Home Master TMAFC Artesian Full Contact Reverse Osmosis Under Counter Water Filtration System

[Zeta]

Hey gang,

 

My family wants to install a reverse osmosis filter. (Thanks, by the way, to Dean and Michael for encouragement on this, which via me led to the decision. See threads What Kind of Water Do You Drink? and Cool Tools for Practicing CR for some relevant discussion.)

 

They've settled on the Home Master TMAFC Artesian Full Contact Reverse Osmosis Under Counter Water Filtration System. More expensive than some (such as the Purinex), but it has some features they want.

 

I'm still pretty clueless here, but they've asked me for advice. Anyone see any non-obvious downsides to the Home Master they/we might have missed?

 

Thanks,

Zeta

[Dean Pomerleau]

Zeta,

 

I'm not expert on RO filters either, but it looks like from the reviews to be a great product. My two personal reservations, and the reason I went with a water distiller rather than a RO filtration system, is the size and complexity of the unit and its installation, as well as the recurring cost of replacing the filters (~ $80 / yr). But if you and your use a lot of water, this probably a better choice. I drink a modest amount of water / tea / coffee / brewed chocolate, and drink about 1/2 gallon of water per day, meaning I run my water distiller every other day. This relatively low output of a water distiller (and as Michael mentioned, the higher energy usage) could be prohibitive for more than two people.

 

--Dean

[Zeta]

Thanks, Dean. The money they can deal with, and size isn't a problem. Installation will be a pain, but it's a one-time thing.

 

Zeta

[Michael R]

I would not buy this company's procuct. You will notice that every time they mention NSF certification, they mention "components." The same is true, even more prominently, on their own website, where the phrase "Made with NSF Certified Components" is placed directly under the NSF seal. And when I search for the company on the NSF website, I see only certification of components, not systems — and of greater significance, each is given the caveat that it is "Certified for material [and structural in some cases] requirements only" — ie, not for performance. Moreover, the items listed are certified for "NSF/ANSI 42 Drinking Water Treatment Units - Aesthetic Effects" —  not for the core NSF/ANSI 58: Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Treatment System standard. Additionally, nowhere AFAICS do they provide the document (the usual term of art escapes me) equivalent to a CoA, showing which specific additional standards amongst the NSF standards it has met for performance (eg, which if either of the two performance standards for arsenic reduction does it meet?) and actual tested value, as more transparent products provide. And they don't appear to be members of the Water Quality Association, a reputable trade group: if they are, they're strangely silent about it, and their products don't come up on their product search page.
 
I would look for a system certified at minimum for NSF/ANSI 58, and preferably for additional contaminants of concern depending on your local water quality report or heightened personal concern (eg., Fe, As, or hexavalent Cr) — either directly by NSF, or by the Water Quality Association (as was explaied to me by an NSF representative,
 

There is no affiliation between NSF International, an independent certification organization, and the WQA, and industry trade group. Only those products that have been tested by NSF International personnel in our own accredited laboratories would qualify for a listing on the NSF website.

Because NSF/ANSI standards are American national standards, manufacturers and trade groups such as the WQA can purchase copies of these standards and conduct testing of their own or members' products. However, testing of a product by a company or trade group against an NSF standard would not make those products NSF Certified nor would it qualify those products for a listing on our website..

WQA is a reputable organization, however, and I would take its certification as being equally authoritative.
 
I wouldn't buy this product: I would look elsewhere.