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Water is a necessary part of life that we must have access to. Those of us fortunate enough to have clean water from the tap should be grateful but we are often unsure of what that water actually contains. Our municipal water systems put various additives into the water including chlorine and fluoride that many would rather not consume.
I want to know that my water is void of as many contaminants or additives as possible. It gives me peace of mind knowing that I am ingesting the purest form of water possible. Sure, we will never get rid of all impurities in our water but doing all you can do is a great investment in your long-term health.
Reverse osmosis is known to be one of the best ways to remove these impurities from the water and give yourself fresh, clean drinking water. However, these systems are often challenging and expensive to install. You can install them yourself but hiring a professional is usually the best approach.
The AquaTru takes all the installation guesswork out of the equation and provides you with a reverse osmosis (RO) system that sits on your countertop.
It gives a similar result that an installed system would.
Having owned the AquaTru now for over four years at the time of this review, I would like to share the good and bad that I have discovered along the way from daily use.
Why Choose Aquatru?
Convenience
As mentioned above, the AquaTrue gives you a fully-functional reverse osmosis system that sits on top of your counter. There is nothing to install and everything is already done for you. The only thing you are required to do is maintain the unit and replace three filters occasionally, which is also easy to do. This provides a very convenient system for those who want clean drinking water without the hassle of a more involved system.
Healthier Filtered Water
Many people choose to drink straight from the tap which is probably fine in most cases. However, many others like me are cautious about the water we drink since we never know what is in it. Ensuring that you have healthy drinking water that has all contaminants removed is a great way to look out for your health since water is the most consumed drink that we put into our bodies. It’s important to make sure that water is healthy and uncontaminated.
Cost Savings vs Bottled Water
If you don’t drink tap water, you may opt for bottled water or jugs that you buy from your local supermarket. This gives you clean water to drink but has a cost associated with it that is going to be more expensive in the long run than what the AquaTru can provide. Anytime you can have your own system that utilizes your own water, it’s going to be a cheaper solution.
Bottled water can cost upwards of $9.60 per gallon which is quite a difference when compared to the 19 cents per gallon offered by the AquaTru.
The only costs associated with the AquaTru are the filters. Since you are already paying for your municipal water source, you already have an unlimited supply of water just waiting to be filtered.
Besides the cost, eliminating bottled water means less plastic trash!
Easy Filter Change
Filters are extremely easy to change on the AquaTru. You simply remove the filter cover and then unscrew the filters that need to be replaced. Once removed, you can simply screw the new filter back on, replace the filter cover and you are back in business. These do require replacement occasionally but any water filtration system will require filter changes. It’s just the way it works.
You will get a lot of gallons of water between filter changes.
| Filter | Lifespan |
|---|---|
| Pre/Carbon Filter | 6 Months |
| Carbon VOC Filter | 1 Year OR 600 Gallons |
| Reverse Osmosis Filter | 2 Years OR 1200 Gallons |
These numbers will all depend on the amount of water you use.
When it is time to change the filters, the job is quick and easy. No specialized knowledge or tools are required.
Reasons NOT To Buy The AquaTru
It’s an Eyesore on Your Countertop
The unit sits on top of your counter and while handy that it’s an all-in-one system, it’s quite big and bulky for something that is always sitting there. It’s also only available in white at the time of this writing so if you are picky about your decor, you are stuck with a big, bulky white machine on your countertop at all times.
If you have space, you may be able to sit it somewhere else. A walk-in pantry would be perfect for it if you have space along with an electrical outlet to plug it into. The kitchen countertop is the only logical place I have to keep mine and it is an unsightly eyesore that takes up valuable room on the countertop. However, I let this con slide because it does do a great job at giving me clean water when I need it.
The Purified Water Tank is small
The purified water tank is only about 3/4 gallons (3 liters) which is quite small if you are only going to filter enough water to have in this container. To get around this, you can easily filter water and then transfer it to a larger container to make it easier to use.
We transfer ours to a 2.5-gallon container with a spigot that is stored in our refrigerator. This gives us cold, filtered water at all times and when it begins to run low, we filter more and dump it into it. We only need to do this a couple of times per week.
We also keep the purified water tank filled at all times in case we want to use water that isn’t cold. Since the size of the reservoir is small, it requires some time to fill our 2.5-gallon container.
Filter Costs
While the filters are simple to change on this machine, they can be expensive, especially if you purchase the entire set. They can be purchased online through the company or other online retailers.
This two-year pack contains all the filters you need for two years. It is an initial expense but when you spread that price over two years, it’s a minimal cost to have the convenience of reverse osmosis available at all times.
If you are used to other types of water filters such as a pitcher filter or those that attach to your faucet, you may be in for a surprise with the filter price increase. However, these filters are doing a much better job so require more of a cost.
Using The AquaTru
I have had mine for many years now and it has provided my family and me with lots of clean, filtered water. Using the AquaTru is easy peasy! You simply run water from the tap into the large unfiltered water container. Place it on the machine and make sure both tanks are seated.
After this, simply turn the machine on and it will begin the filtering process. If it’s already turned on, it will begin the process as soon as you seat the tap water container onto the unit. It will move water from the tap water tank to the filtered water tank through the 4-stage filter system.
Using a TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter, I check how well the system performs occasionally just to know that it is actually working. As you can see from the pictures, the AquaTru works well in decreasing total dissolved solids in the water. The tap water starts out with a 135 PPM reading and the AquaTru filtered water measures 006 PPM.
Of course, this is no scientific test but does give a good idea of what the filter system is actually doing. You would need to send a water sample to a laboratory for further testing to see the exact makeup of the water.
For comparison, before owning the AquaTru, we filled up two 5-gallon containers every two weeks at our local nutrition center. We would take our containers to this place and let the large fancy machine fill them up with filtered water.
Testing the TDS amount on this water yielded approximately 23 TDS. With the AquaTrue water coming in at 5, it seems to filter the water better than the commercially available water purchased at our local nutrition store.
The AquaTru makes minimal noise while running. You can hear it running but it isn’t bothersome or overly loud.
It’s a subtle sound that chugs along while it does a little light dance on the front screen.
The only work required is the maintenance which includes filter changes and the occasional cleaning of the machine and containers.
Maintenance
Filter Changes
Changing the filters is an easy job. They are located on the side of the machine behind a cover that must be removed. This cover pulls off very easily and once removed, the machine will no longer operate. This allows you to change the filters without the machine running.
Once you need to replace a filter, you simply remove the cover, unscrew the old filter. Sometimes this can be difficult if the filter is seated tightly. It may require the use of channel locks or another tool to help grab ahold of it tightly. I recommend using a towel or rubber gloves to help get a better grip on it if needed.
Once you have removed the filter, you will do the opposite with the new filter. Turn it into the machine clockwise until it will no longer turn.
Be sure to hand tighten the filter and refrain from using a tool or you may over-tighten it or even damage the filter. It should be easy enough to install with your hand. I have never had an issue using only my hand. They have always seated easily, although sometimes more difficult than others.
Once a filter has been replaced, you’ll need to run a few courses of water through the machine in order to prime the filter and remove any debris from the filter. If you have replaced all filters at one time or the machine is brand new, you will notice lots of cloudiness and bubbles in the tap water tank as the machine is priming the filters. A few times of running water through it and you’ll be good to go.
Other than the filter replacements, the only other maintenance that I have done on my machine is occasional cleaning. If you don’t do this, the tanks may end up with hard water buildup which can affect the functionality of the machine. You may also get mold underneath the tanks so it’s important to clean this area regularly.
Cleaning
The tanks will need to be cleaned regularly. I do this weekly and use white vinegar and water. I fill each canister up with about 1/4 white vinegar and the rest with tap water. Let them sit overnight or for about 8 hours, rinse them out, clean them with some soap and water and they will be like new. This will remove the hard water and funky smells that may be manifesting.
You can also use vinegar or other cleaning solution to clean the area where the tanks seat. I don’t do this every time but I do it occasionally as needed.
You can purchase a descaling solution from AquaTru if you prefer that rather than using white vinegar. I’ve always used white vinegar and have never had any issues.
Bottom Line
The AquaTru is perfect for the DIY person who doesn’t want the challenge of installing a more complex system. This unit is perfect for the average family’s need for water. Between 3 souls living in our house, it is more than enough to provide us with water regularly without constantly filling it up.
The water is pure and tasteless as reverse osmosis water should be. Since this process removes almost everything from the water, it’s a good idea to add healthy trace minerals back to the water before consuming it. We prefer Concentrace to do this and we generally add 1 tsp into our 2.5-gallon container after filling it up fresh from the machine.
Overall, this has been a great system and after four years of use, it is still providing us with good clean water, and hope it will for years to come. We have not had any problems with it other than one issue with the machine becoming clogged up with hard water residue. This was an oversight on our part as we neglected maintenance and allowed the hard water to clog up the filters.
Again, we ran a little white vinegar through the system which cleared it up and we were back in business. We did have to run about 10 tanks of water through the machine to get rid of the vinegar taste but at least it fixed the machine and it taught us a lesson.
If you are in the market for a reverse osmosis system but don’t want to go through the trouble of actually installing one, the AquaTru will do the trick. It will give you the same quality of water with much less work on your part. It’s all in one convenient package, ready to use out of the box.