Aquatec ERP-500 Permeate Pump for up to 50 GPD

It is not often I write a review, but after installing the ERP-500 on an APEC ROES-50 water filter I bought, I had to write this review.I know good equipment from junk; I am an RF engineer, aircraft pilot and aircraft A&P mechanic, so I know good equipment from junk. Unfortunately when buying mechanical things I am usually disappointed. Most things do not live up to their advertisement hype and are junk. That is not the case with this pump. I am not an RO water expert, but I spent over 10 hours researching RO water systems for my house before deciding to add the pump. This was for under the kitchen sink and to feed my refrigerator ice maker. It may not have been absolutely necessary to add the permeate pump to my new RO unit, but I wanted to make up for the low water pressure. I could have got a RO unit with the pump installed from the factory, but they are very easy to add it on later, just two hoses to reroute. After installing everything “it all worked” and worked well. And the permeate pump REALLY works and speeds up water production a lot. With only 45 PSI of water pressure into the permeate pump, with the RO faucet open and storage tank empty, my ROES-50 makes 32 oz of water every 7 minutes, that is 51 gallons a day. Now having the faucet open all day is not real life use, but you “could” make 51 gallons a day if you needed to. You can test this pump quickly if you have a valve on your RO storage tank). Just turn the tank valve off (to speed up the test), put the waste water tube into a bucket so you can watch it, then open the RO faucet and watch the RO water come out and watch the waste water start pulsing on and off (about every 5 seconds) into the bucket as the pump is pumping. Then turn the RO faucet off and if you have a auto shut off on the RO filter the waste water will stop coming out after about 30 seconds as it gets to full pressure. It is easy to test this way and see the pump work and check the auto shut off of the RO filter (if you have one). For an old MO boy that had to “see it to believe it”, this convinced me everything was working great. There is no sound from the pump, but if you put your ear on the pump and listen closely you can hear it pumping, very cool.I highly recommend getting a Permeate pump if you have less than 50 pounds of water pressure, or want to increase the efficiency of your system. I was impressed with it.David F BransonTucson, AZ

This works pretty well. It definitely saves money, saves excess waste water (we’re on septic so I’m extra conscientious about it), saves refilling times, and adds extra pressure to the RO faucets versus the slow wimpy streams I’m accustomed to.I don’t know how long it will last. I wish it had been cheaper. It does make a clicking noise but it’s not bad—mostly slightly noticeable if you’re in the kitchen. I have my RO system set up so that it’s not mounted to a wall so that probably reduces the noise. But this is one of those items that I think if it failed or I had to buy another RO system, I would definitely buy another one.

Let me start by saying I will NEVER have another RO system without a permeate pump again. Permeate pumps use the waste water that is expelled during the RO process to greatly increase water pressure at the RO faucet, minimize waste water and fill the tank in less time. They can be installed on nearly all standard RO systems aftermarket so there’s no need to buy a bundled RO system that includes the permeate pump (since most of those cost a lot more than buying the units separately).I was introduced to permeate pumps about 4 years ago. I purchased a Watts Premier RO system from Costco (when they still sold Watts Premier) and had it installed by a plumber (since I needed a hole drilled in my granite countertop). I consider myself pretty handy and although plumbing in general isn’t rocket science, I’m a large framed man that hates trying to squeeze under sinks to do pretty much anything plumbing related. After the RO was installed, I was getting smaller (and broken) pieces of ice at my refrigerator since my RO was feeding my ice maker through a longer 1/4” line from the kitchen island to the refrigerator. This a drawback of a lot of RO systems which feed ice makers that aren't in very close proximity. After researching I came across a permeate pump (sold through Watts Premiere) and made the purchase. The included instructions were specific for the RO unit I had and it was an easy install since the RO was already up and running. Immediately, you will notice several things with the permeate pump. 1) Permeate pumps make some noise. They generally click or “thump” every few seconds. This happens because the wastewater from the RO builds up pressure inside the pump that is then used to push fresh (permeate) water into the storage tank. When the pressure builds and releases, you get clicking or thumping until your tank is full. 2) Your RO faucet pressure increases dramatically. As a result of the increased permeate water being forced into the storage tank, the tank pressure within the tank bladder increases and you end up with water pressure comparable to your regular faucet. The line pressure at the refrigerator & ice maker (assuming you have them all hooked together) is also the beneficiary of the increased pressure and you get full sized ice cubes again.So, why wouldn’t everybody want one of these? Well, I think most people have never heard of them. If you have, then the results speak for themselves. HOWEVER, these do make noise...especially if your RO faucet has an air gap (that little hole in the back of the faucet that inevitably leaks water out of it when the drain line gets blocked with something). With an air gap, permeate pumps get VERY NOISY. The pump action not only clicks (or thumps) under the sink, but the air gap sound created from the pump gets much louder as well. The air gap noise on my Watts Premier Pure Plus unit was so loud I actually debated on getting another permeate pump in our new house. I ended up buying a highly reviewed non-air gap RO system from Amazon and had it installed for a month in my new house. As usual, the water taste and purity was perfect and I am pleased that my ice cubes were normal sized (since the builder installed a larger RO line from my island to the fridge). I just realized how much I was missing the RO tank pressure (which equates to faster filling of water jugs & cooking pots). I went back to Amazon and found this permeate pump which said it was the newer model that makes less noise. The unit arrived in about a week (no 2-day prime shipping available for it). I watched a YouTube video for installing it on a basic 5-stage RO and had it all hooked up in about 20 mins. I’m once again in RO bliss. The water pressure in the faucet just makes me smile...no more waiting a minute to fill a normal glass with water (OK it’s not literally a minute but felt that way to me). The noise is considerably less from the pump itself. I ended up buying some u-shaped plastic clamps that hold the permeate pump to one of the RO filters so the pump is not directly mounted to the cabinet wall (like it was at my previous house). Also, since I don’t have an air gap on this RO faucet, I have no additional noise from the faucet. If my house is silent, you still hear the pump cycling the water, but it’s minimal and it’s only until the tank is full. After that, it doesn’t cycle back on until water has been used from the tank. All in all, I missed the permeate pump benefits and will never have another RO system without one. I will also make sure I don’t get an RO with an air-gap faucet either.Hopefully this review helps people.

It is pretty easy to install once you follow the diagram but you can also take a look at the youtube videos for the permeate pump. After installation you will hear a thump when the water is refilling. About a month afterwards the sound becomes noticeably less. This is a great way to fill your tank faster and save water!