Carbon block should be used as a prefilter because it is a physical filter element - ie it removes particulates
I'm using 3, prefilters to the membrane.
From left, 0.5 micron sediment prefiltre (already showing sediment colour), 1 micron carbon block, 0.5 micron carbon block
then it goes through the membrane. It is quite common to utilize a post carbon block after the membrane
to remove any residual undesirable tastes. So with 3 prefilters, membrane and one post filter, I'm using a 5
stage filter system. I take calcium and magnesium orally, and the rest of my diet should make up for the
demineralization that occurs. I do not drink deionized water anymore at 0 ppm as with my reef tank.
I'm currently teetering between 1 and 2 ppm water out of the membrane. I have tested "distilled" water
to be as high as 20 ppm TDS while reef keeping in the day. Pretty bad when you can't trust either the water company
nor the producers of supposedly distilled water. Me, I can trust. When we had the MCHM leak into the Elk River
above the WV American Water intake, they brought tanker semis in with "safe drinking water" which also had MCHM in it.
MCHM smells like licorice and burns the skin in the amounts we had in our water. Not just paranoid, but have learned who I can trust
when it comes to my drinking water...nobody but myself. We often hear the boil water advisory has been lifted, but do not get the
advisory to begin with, LOL. So if I run my RO during those times, I am fouling my sediment filter prematurely.
Just remember anybody using RO, when you replace the cartridges, bypass the membrane and flush at least 5 gallons
through each consecutive cartridge (starting with # 1 then add each consecutive filter and flush again), before hooking
the membrane back up. Otherwise you're prematurely fouling the membrane and downstream filters with fines.
RO manufacturers fail to tell you this, as it will decrease filter effectiveness more quickly, and you need a new membrane sooner.
