APEC Water Systems 10" High Purity PH+ Calcium Carbonate Alkaline Filters (1/4 Inch)

My pets and I have been drinking RO water for the 20 years ..lt heloed whiten and get rid of the tear stains on my 3 little Bichon Frise at the time … I now have a new family of 8 standard poodles and 2 Bichon ,,,, dogs are healthy but I have always wanted to re-mineralize the water and re-incorporate the good minerals… dogs are 6 on averages and figured May as well get to it … thought it was going to be harder to do, which is why I procrastinate …WELL IT IS DONE … took all of 5 minutes to make my APEC. 5 filter system to a 6… dogs went thru a few days days of soft poo (Not diarrhea) but now they are all back to normal … I know this will be better for all, including me … Personally, and after the fact, all RO system should include the mineral filter … water tastes better and is much better for appliances like the coffee maker and fridge as water is less acidic! … the taste was good before but 100 times better now … dogs literally line up to drink when i add fresh water to their bowls …!!! THIS Apec filter is worth every Penny!

Using them for over 15 years

For reference, I'm using this with APEC's counter top unit (RO-CTOP). You have the option of either replacing the 4th stage carbon filter with this remineralizer module, in which case you don't need any extra tubing; otherwise, you can add it as a 5th stage AFTER the last carbon filter, in which case you'll need an extra length of tubing to connect the output of the carbon filter to the input of the remineralizer. Before installing the remineralizer, the RO unit was producing water with TDS of 12ppm (straight tap was 330ppm) with a pH of 6.4-6.6. After installing the remineralizer, TDS reading was 35-40ppm, with a pH of 7.0-7.2. This was using API aquarium water test kits (with the droppers). So, it definitely helped make the water neutral to slightly alkaline, giving it a much "smoother" feel to the water when drinking it. For kicks, I also tested for GH/KH and got 3-4 degrees hardness for both tests, which makes sense since this remineralizer should only be adding calcium. Interesting note: I had initially tried to be clever and installed this before the last carbon filter, hoping to producing mineralized water that was then carbon-filtered. This seemed to work (TDS went up to 35-40ppm), but the water still tested as acidic. I had a carbon block Culligan filter (that this RO unit replaced) and it never seemed to affect pH, so I'm not sure why this made a difference. Long story short, yes this mineralizer works, but you have to install it as the LAST stage in your system.

Don't recommend, no change in PH and no packaging.

This filter comes with no packaging and the seals at the end are not the same as when they arrived with the original system. This does not look legit but more like a second hand item or refurbished. Not sure if that’s what it is. Given, that prior reviewers have expressed leaking issues. I do not feel confident installing this into my system. As I come to write this review, I see that other people have complained about the same issue. I will also attempt to return and see if I get something different like the original product or this subpar item. Everything about the system has been great up till now, but this is an issue that will make me want to go back and put a proper review on the entire system if we are to be given low quality replacement parts for its filters. I bought this to ensure that I had good quality water in my home, now I question what it is we’re actually drinking if they’re trying to provide such low quality product. What could it possibly cost to wrap this item in basic packaging, to seal the tips with some quality end tips like the original. Again, buyer beware would not recommend.