[mike31154]

Most RODI units marketed for our use consist of pretty much generic components as far as the hardware goes. After that it comes down to extra features such as booster pumps, TDS meters & pressure gauges included or not and the quality of the filters supplied with the system. Clear acrylic housings are nice for the pre filter stages to provide a visual cue of when the sediment stage might need service. Vertically mounted DI stage is considered more efficient than a horizontal mount.

50 & 75 gpd membranes are preferable since they are more efficient at bringing TDS down than a 100 gpd membrane. This is good if you don't like replacing costly DI media too often, since the TDS out of your RO stage will be lower.... at the cost of longer time to produce water. If you're patient & plan ahead, I'd say that's more cost effective than producing water a fraction faster.

So bottom line to me is, brand name doesn't mean that much. Knowing what your tap water consists of by getting a water report & what the TDS is using a handheld TDS meter before you buy will better enable you to choose the best system for your needs without getting into a brand contest.

From what I gather, you lucky folks on the west coast have very low TDS tap water to start with, so you may not need the most costly, elaborate set up to produce pure water for your tank.