Table of Contents
Looking for an APEC water filter system?
In this article, we are taking the top 3 under sink APEC reverse osmosis systems to review.
| PRODUCT DESCRIPTION | PRICE |
|---|---|
 1. APEC Water Systems ROES-50 |  |
 2. APEC Water Systems ROES-PH75 | |
 3. APEC Water Systems RO-90 | |
But before the review, we take some time to analyze the types of water people drink every day. We think that is very important as well.
Types of water
In today’s world, we have a lot of choices. From simple decisions, like the clothes we wear, or the cars we drive, to more critical choices like the career paths that can help us reach our goals.
One of the most critical choices will also impact all of the big and small decisions along the way. And those are the choices we make regarding our health and well being.
Doing all we can to safeguard our health will enable us to reach our other goals in life.
Just as water is essential to daily life, and the choice we make regarding the type of water we ingest can help support our continued well being.
In recent years we have all learned how pollution is detrimental to our health.
We have also been witness to oil spills and chemical disasters that have contaminated the air we breathe and the water we drink.
Rather than subscribing to the theory that “the sky is falling,” we should be aware of the possible hazards we face and minimize their impact when we can.
That is why a reverse osmosis system makes absolute sense. Our bodies need clean and pure water to be able to thrive.
Is the water coming from our tap safe? Are the governmental authorities we depend on making choices that are in our best interests?
An RO system takes out the guesswork and gives us the peace of mind we long for. This will help us get back to the business of living our best lives.
There are three basic options for the water we drink daily. We either get it from a tap, from a bottle or from a faucet that has a filter attached.
We will look at all three ways below:
Tap Water
Here in the United States, the average American uses about 90 gallons of water a day at home.
Statistics
The majority of that water is for flushing toilets and taking baths and showers. But of course, there are people who use it for drinking and cooking.
Only about 20% of Americans get their water from a well, as most are on a municipal water system.
While water-borne diseases have been greatly reduced by the availability of freshwater, providing that clean water via a tap is not without its difficulties. Thus, more people are looking to buy under sink reverse osmosis systems.
Who’s responsible?
Municipalities that provide tap water to the populations employ a complex system for collection, storage, treatment, and distribution.
The responsibility of this process is most commonly a government agency. But while they take some chemicals out of tap water, they add others.
Two of these chemicals are always added to tap water: chlorine and fluoride. There are still some people that feel fluoridation of the water as being harmful. Unfortunately, it is a common practice in the United States.
Despite the best efforts of governmental agencies, tap water is still susceptible to both biological and chemical contamination.
If there is the contamination of the water supply that the governmental agency deems is harmful to public health, the agency will usually advise residents to boil their water before consuming it.
If it is chemical contamination, residents will be advised to refrain (even if it is boiled) from using tap water. The agency will be responsible to get the contamination under control, test the water and make it safely available for the public.
Good example
We have seen in recent years (Flint, Michigan 2014) that officials who swore to uphold the health of their citizens choose to use inferior sources of water to save costs.
This choice led to an outbreak of Legionnaires disease in the city and caused 12 deaths.
We know that Flint (fortunately) is the exception, not the rule. However, the possibility of human error or infrastructural breakdown is ever-present.
Installing an RO system is taking steps to ensure we are getting the purest water we can. Proactively, we are taking control of our own choices and safeguarding our health.
Bottled Water
Statistics
The largest bottled water consumer market in the world is The United States. By 2017, sales came to almost 14 million gallons of bottled water that year. Crazy right?
There are a variety of reasons why people have turned to bottled water. People are don’t trust the government and any agency for taking care of their water.
With some of the past instances of tainted tap water (Flint, Michigan in particular), we can’t blame anybody.
But there are some people who still prefer the taste of tap water. Others will cite the convenience of having a bottle at the ready. Others feel strongly that bottled water is cleaner and, therefore, safer overall.
About 25% of U.S. bottled water sold is purified municipal water according to a four-year study by the Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC). This means that it comes from a tap.
Is bottled water the answer?
Certain bottled water manufacturers will describe their water, but the meaning of those terms might be different from what a person would think.
And this can be a bit confusing for ordinary people, although these manufactures are using identify standards set by the EPA.
There are two identifying standards. The first one refers to the geological source of the water. The second one refers to the methods used to treat the water before being bottled.
An example is the term “spring water.” This can have as well two meanings. Firstly, it can mean that the water has flowed naturally to the earth’s surface. Secondly, that comes from a borehole that has been drilled to an underground source.
“Mountain” or “glacier” water are not regulated terms of identity. Thus, these terms do not indicate that the water comes from areas people associate with purity.
That being said, bottled water must be tested, and it must meet regulatory standards before selling.
There is no doubt about the popularity of bottled water, but it does have some drawbacks.
The plastic that is used for the majority of bottles contain chemicals that are called endocrine disruptors. Better known as BPA, these chemicals impact the way the human body makes and uses hormones.
BPA’s can harm a person’s health.
Bottle & Environment
The manufacturing of one-time-use water bottles uses a lot of petroleum. This has raised environmental concerns in recent years as the bottles turn up everywhere.
Only about three out of every ten water bottles get recycled. The others cause a “negative environmental impact.”
It takes about 700 years for one plastic bottle to biodegrade. With estimates of over 60 million water bottles thrown away every day, it is easy to understand that there is a significant problem.
Throwing away the plastic bottles hurt the environment by giving off chemicals as it degrades.
These chemicals get into our air and water and can make both us and animals sick in the process.
The environmental impact is also felt in the transporting of bottled water, and the fossil fuels burned to get the product manufactured and to market.
While bottled water is a convenience used by many, there is a price that the planet pays for our ease of use.
Filtered Water
Overview:
Filtered water is simply water filtered. These filters are relatively inexpensive, and installation is easy.
The filters themselves are small and compact. The water from the faucet is routed through a filter to remove sediment.
Sediment removal is the first step in the process of filtering water from a tap. This is usually accomplished by a screen wrapped around a cartridge. Its peculiarity is to catch particles, such as rust, dirt, and sand.
The water then moves through a cartridge through activated carbon. The carbon is porous and will catch some contaminants that are present in the water.
Activated carbon is good at removing chlorine from water, but is less effective at eliminating other chemicals.
The filter will miss heavy metals and other contaminants.
After running a certain number of gallons of water through the filter, the carbon block will fill with the rust and dirt and will need to be replaced.
A clogged filter is worse than no filter, as carbon can support bacterial growth. This bacteria is tasteless and odorless.
An average family of three that uses the tap for drinking and cooking will need to replace the filter about once a month.
Filters vs Purifiers
The critical thing to remember about a filter system installed on the faucet is that they are filters, not purifiers.
Often the words “filter” and “purifier” are used interchangeably, but it is important to know that they mean two different things.
There is an important distinction between the two words. A Chihuahua is a dog, and so is a Great Dane.
While they are both dogs, there is a vast difference between the two. So, too, there is a vast difference between a filter and a purifier.
A water filter has a porous substance that will remove sediment and unwanted substances.
A water purifier is a system that eliminates over 98% of all contaminants in the water. That is a significant difference.
Reverse Osmosis Systems
Overview:
A reverse osmosis system is a water purification process. The system uses a permeable membrane to remove chemicals, bacteria, large particles, ions, and unwanted molecules from the water.
When pressure is applied, the unfiltered water remains on the pressurized side, and the pure water passes to the other side.
Water will next be directed to a dedicated faucet at your sink. Therefore, you can have the peace of mind drinking clean, pure water.
Certifications:
NSF International, the Public Health and Safety Organization is a group whose mission is to protect and improve people’s health around the world.
They are an independent, accredited organization. Their mission is to facilitate standards. They are responsible for service groups test and certify products and systems.
NSF has endorsed listed reverse osmosis systems as being able to remove harmful chemicals.
Top 3 Under Sink APEC Reverse Osmosis Systems
Listed below, we have reviewed three RO systems from APEC.
The APEC reverse osmosis systems are designed, engineered, and assembled in the City of Industry (California). APEC has been in operation for over 20 years. The systems are WQA Gold Seal certified systems as well.
The Water Quality Association (WQA) is a not-for-profit organization that represents the residential, commercial, and industrial water treatment industry.
APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis System (ESSENCE ROES-50)
With 803 customer reviews, the APEC Reverse Osmosis Systems has garnered a high rating of 4.8 stars out of 5 stars on Amazon.
Customers reported that they were able to install the unit themselves, which is a bonus.
You will receive a detailed installation guide, and visual learners will be able to access step by step online installation videos. Even if you will need to call in the pros, having clean water is well worth it.
APEC has over 20 years of experience of delivering safe water through their RO system. They use top rated filter brands to eliminate contaminants from your water source.
The system will come with all the items that you need to install the system under your sink.
It will take a moderate level of homeowner skills to complete the installation.
The 5-stage system will deliver better-tasting water than a 3-stage system. Will remove heavy metals, bacteria, arsenic, chlorine, and lead from your water. Ice cubes made from RO water will be crystal clear.
Designed, engineered, and assembled in the United States, this RO system will remove harmful contaminants out of the water you drink and cook with. Compact size to fit easily under your sink.
You will be able to use the APEC-5 stage system if you are on a private well or if you have a municipal water source.
An in-house water softener will always impact a RO system. It is better to have both. A water softener will expand the RO systems filter’s life.
APEC Alkaline Mineral pH+ 75 Reverse Osmosis System
This six-stage system removes up to 99% of bacteria, viruses, and chemicals. As we know about RO systems, they also remove both certain minerals from the water.
One of the minerals removed is calcium. With this APEC system, stage six does the re-mineralizing by adding calcium carbonate to increase water alkalinity.
This re-mineralization produces natural tasting mineral water.
Like the other APEC Reverse Osmosis Systems, the RO pH75 uses a set of three pre-filters that remove impurities and chemicals.
This system can produce enough pure water for the average size family. Their high-quality filters last, on average, 6-12 months.
For most users of the ROES-PH75, you only need to replace the filters once per year. The membrane on the unit will last for years.
APEC RO-90 Ultimate Series System
Another APEC reverse osmosis system, they consider this unit to be their workhorse.
They tested and certified this system to remove up to 99% of contaminants. This includes arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, fluoride, copper, lead, radium, and more.
What is nice about this unit is the large capacity total contamination removal (TCR) filters that will require fewer changes.
Fill up your container at home, rather than purchasing bottled water. In this way, you control the quality of the water.
If you are in the habit of adding flavors to your water, they will taste even better than before.
Comes with 100% lead-free designer faucet, plus FDA Certified JG Food grade tubing to provide safe, contamination-free pure water.
The Water Quality Association’s (WQA) Gold Seal is the international “Mark of Product Quality” and has become one of the most recognized drinking water treatment certification programs in the world.
Not all water treatment systems have the “Gold Seal.” The WQA awards this certification to the most reliable and trusted producers of quality drinking water systems.
Has a two-year manufacturer’s warranty and lifetime support. The APEC Water Systems RO-90 is made in the United States.
In Conclusion
As we had said earlier, there are times when despite the best efforts of public servants, substances other than water can enter our water systems.
Some people would consider themselves lucky if their faucets ran red as they did for residents of Castelvetro, Italy on March 4th, 2020.
For about three hours, wine poured out of the faucets in sinks and showerheads.
A malfunction at a local winery caused over 1,000 liters of wine to leak into the water pipes. This will not go to happen if you use APEC Reverse Osmosis Systems but it is worth trying.
Wine pours out of taps for lucky village residents in Italy
Unfortunately, we can’t guarantee that any of the reverse osmosis systems we have reviewed will turn water into wine, but we can say that they will deliver pure, clean water that is safe.
Having clean water at your sink gives you peace of mind that the water you are ingesting is good for both you and the environment.
You’ll just have to make your own wine!
