Zero waste R/O retrofit

[Pescador]

Has anyone tried one of these? It's supposed to put the waste R/O back into the hot water system.
http://www.wattspremier.com/watts/showdetl.cfm?&DID=15&Product_ID=121&CATID=1
Costco is selling their systems.

[macky]

I thought about getting one but changed my mind after talking to someone at Watts. The waste gets pushed back into the hot water line. So, when you want hot water, what do you do? Turn on the tap and wait for it to get hot. There goes the water you saved. Also, when you aren't using the hot water eventually the water gets pushed all the way to your hot water tank and beyond. There goes the hot water you just paid to heat. You're not really saving any water in the end and in the long run you will lose money in heating water that is pushed back out of the water heater.

[Pescador]

Thanks! I was wondering what happened to the water when you weren't using the hot.

[banditpowdercoat]

The system only pushes waste water when the Hot water tap is ON. When the hot tap is off, no water can flow, the whole system is at an equal pressure. It can not flow Back to the hot water tank. This system needs a RO reservoir, because it only makes water when the hot tap is being used. Stop the flow of hot/waste water, and the RO unit shuts off.
Now, a real benifit of this is if you plumbed the waste water into the COLD water inlet into your hot water tank. And, had a large enough Res to suit your needs. Then, Any time the Hot is being used, the waste goes into the Hot water tank, and gets heated, Thus not wasting any water you just heated.

[macky]

The explanation that I was given by a Watts representative was that this system would force water back into the house's hot water line. I bought the "wasting" 4 stage system from Costco after the conversation. It makes more sense that it couldn't actually force the water in the hot water line and that it would only work when the hot water is on. I guess the people that work for Watts might not fully know how the system works.

[banditpowdercoat]

The explanation that I was given by a Watts representative was that this system would force water back into the house's hot water line. I bought the "wasting" 4 stage system from Costco after the conversation. It makes more sense that it couldn't actually force the water in the hot water line and that it would only work when the hot water is on. I guess the people that work for Watts might not fully know how the system works.

Well, In reality, for just a drinking water |RO system. You probibally would never know the difference. every time yo run hot water, the ROwould work. Thus replenishing the drinking water reservoir. Now, making 20g of RO, thats a different story