How To Install A Reverse Osmosis Water Filter

You’re right to be concerned: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of toxic, human-made chemicals that are hazardous to ingest. One of the best ways to remove these contaminants from drinking water is with a point-of-use, reverse-osmosis (RO) filtration system. Some units, like the GE one shown above (homedepot.com), are compact enough to fit under a kitchen sink. (I don’t recommend whole-house RO systems because of their size, expense, and maintenance requirements.)

Reverse Osmosis Water Filter Components

Reverse osmosis has three stages of filtration. A prefilter (A) traps sediment that can make water cloudy and odorous. Activated charcoal (B) takes out most of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals like lead and cadmium, PFAS, and other chemical contaminants. A third filter (C) contains layers of semipermeable membranes that trap whatever gets past the charcoal, so only purified H2O comes through. Because it takes time for water to make its way through all these filters, the system shown here has a small holding tank (D) to keep some liquid ready for use. RO filtration also removes beneficial minerals, which give water its taste. But those can be added back with a remineralizing cartridge (E), which restores water’s flavor before it reaches your glass.

How to Install a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter

Resources

Richard installs a water filter (OptimH2O® Reverse Osmosis + Claryum®) under a sink. After turning off the cold water by turning the valve under the sink, he disconnects the cold-water line with a wrench. Richard then installs the brass “T” by hand screwing it to the cold-water line. The system comes with white ¼” and ⅜” tubing to connect the filtration cartridges and water tank to the water supply. Using a hand drill, Richard makes holes on the manifold to add mounting screws. Richard removes an old sprayer hose from the sink to install a dedicated system faucet. He uses the ⅜” and ¼” red tubing to connect to the cartridges and the water tank. Richard positions the connector above the trap and drills a 7/32” hole into the drainpipe. He checks that all tubes are fully pushed in before turning the cold water supply back on. Click here to watch the install video from Aquesana.