Redi-Twist 3-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filtration System

Horrible set up. Every connection leaks. The connection piece in the picture, that goes to your water hose is not a common household size, it's larger. You end up going to the store again to find a piece that will work and fit to replace it. In the end I went back to the store multiple times to try and replace the faulty parts, and finally gave up with frustration and returned the filter. Not worth the hassle, flood damage possibilities, or the money. I read the reviews and still bought this system, that was a bad decision . Should have listened and saved myself the time. I ended up going to lowes for their system which worked with no problems. No leaks, no parts that didn't fit.

This Brita RO system is the fourth reverse osmosis system with which I have experience. The previous RO systems were: a Pentek 4-stage system that was already installed in the home I bought; an expensive Culligan 3-Stage system that was installed in a condo we purchased; and a Watts Premier 4-Stage RO system that I bought back in 2007 to install in my motorhome. The difference between a 3-Stage and a 4-Stage RO system is that a 4-Stage system includes a sediment pre-filter in addition to the carbon pre and post filters and the RO membrane. I ordered this Brita Redi-Twist 3-Stage Reverse Osmosis System to install in a house we are remodeling. My first impression of this system is that it is cheaply made for the relatively high cost of the system: everything is made of plastic except the faucet spout, the storage tank, and a few screws. Unlike all the other systems mentioned, the storage tank connection does not include a built-in ball valve to shut off the water at the tank when necessary. Since the tank is pressurized, this means that if you disconnect the line that goes to the tank, water can squirt out of the top of the tank connection. The second indication of this system's poor quality came on page 3 of the USS-335 Installation Instructions booklet which says "Replace system every 5 years." Even though the system has a 3 year limited warranty, having to replace the entire system every five years seems excessive. If you are replacing the filters every 6 – 12 months as recommended there is no reason the entire system should fail after only five years unless the system was designed for obsolescence. My Pentek system is over 20 years old and the only major part I've had to replace is the storage tank and it is still the only RO system that doesn't gurgle for hours after filling up my Brita water pitcher. One of the drawbacks of this Brita 3-Stage RO system is the lack of a sediment pre-filter which leaves the sediment filtration to the carbon pre-filter. As noted on page 22 of the Installation Instructions, "You may need to replace these filters more often (than every 6 months) … with a high level of incoming sediment. This will protect the RO membrane from being destroyed by chlorine and plugging with sediments." Of course, you can always install a separate sediment pre-filter anywhere in the cold water supply line before it reaches the RO system. The design of the Redi-Twist filter cartridges with two separate small O-ring sealed connections increases the likelihood of leaks. In contrast, the Kwik-change connection of the Watts filter cartridges features a single larger diameter O-ring sealed connection point at the top of the filter. A further concern is that the Redi-Twist RO membrane cartridge has the drain port coming out of the bottom of the cartridge. In order to replace the RO membrane cartridge, you have to disconnect the drain tubing from the drain port. Most other systems include the membrane drain port in the header where the filter cartridges attach. Installation of the Redi-Twist RO system is pretty similar to most other RO systems: you install the drain saddle connector to the sink drain, mount the filter system assembly somewhere close to the faucet and tank in the sink cabinet, find a place for the storage tank under the sink, install the RO faucet in your sink deck, install a tee (adapter) in your cold water line under the sink, then connect everything together with a combination of ¼-inch and 3/8-inch plastic tubing. Although the plastic tubing for this system is colored red and white to simplify making the necessary connections, the Watts system goes a step further by color coding their tubing in red, black, green and blue. Finally, you must sanitize the whole system by running a small amount (3 ml) of bleach through it and letting the RO faucet run for 24 hours. (This seems a bit excessive. Most systems only require emptying the tank twice before using the system.) Do not forget to install the flow restrictor in the membrane end of the red tubing that goes from the drain port of the RO membrane to the RO faucet. What I like about this RO system is the convenience of being able to replace filter cartridges by simply twisting them 90 degrees and pulling them out. However, this convenience comes at the higher cost of the filter cartridges versus filters that fit into a reusable container where you are only replacing the filter media.

BACKGROUND: This is our 4th Reverse Osmosis unit in the last 20 years or so. Britta is a reputable brand so we decided to replace our old filter with this one. FIT AND FINISH: The filter, fittings, and tank have a nice, smooth finish. - PRO: It was nice to see that some of the tubing was PEX. - CON: The faucet was not as durable feeling as previous units from other manufacturers. It isn't something you would notice after installation. INSTALLATION: - PRO: The installation was fairly standard. - PRO: The instructions were easy to follow and the drawings were helpful. - CON: The printing in the installation manual was too small to read easily. - PRO: Push to connect fittings were used almost exclusively. - CON: Needs 90 degree connectors. In my particular installation the Faucet and tank outlets ended up close to the cabinet door. Previous filters included some 90 degree supports to allow bending the tubing without the risk of kinking. Even better would have been 90 degree connectors. I was able to bend the tubing enough to get the door to close but fittings would have made it much better. - CON: The quality/design of the push to connect fittings was not good. I have used push to connect fittings MANY places including some hard to reach locations and this was the first time I had a problem. The "O" ring for the output to the water tank on the filter housing pushed back into the connector such that is prevented the tubing from sealing. Although the tubing was locked into place it wasn't sealed. When I removed the tubing I could see the o-ring twisted inside the fitting. Fortunately, I was able to hook the o-ring and pull it back into position. The water inlet fitting into the filter housing also failed to seal. Luckily, when I removed and reinserted the tubing it sealed. OPERATION: There was nothing unusual or remarkable about the operation. - PRO: The quick release cartridges are nice, even if that is the current standard for these units. SUMMARY: Nothing outstanding, nothing terrible. If you are shopping for an RO unit this is worth considering. Just triple check the tubing after assembly and be ready to kill the water quickly.

Brita Reverse Osmoses system. This system is a price point DYI RO unit. If you have basic skills with standard tools it can be installed in most applications. Some problems can arise for the novices . You might need to drill your sink or granite , stone counter for the faucet . No supplies are in this System package. Tapping into the sink drain and water supply could also be a hindrance. If you read the instructions and have some basic DYI skills you can be successful and this product will work as prescribes. Again this is a DYI price point system made by a third party manufacture with the Brita name. This is low consumer grade and designed for just that DYI consumer. Mounting brackets a lighter then a more expensive commercial grade system along with filter sizes . The faucet is mostly plastic that has Crome finish. But again Price point system you get what you pay for. If improperly installed you can do damage to your home by flooding so be sure your comfortable working with water it's basic stuff but you need to keep your eye on detail. Reading lots of complaints on this product , I really haven't seen much of them surface on the performance side. This system cleans the water to a high level standard. The Components are low end consumer level along with the faucet quality , but again price point purchase. For my application I purchased a high end faucet for this product . Most complaints beyond quality is about the expense of operation, yes any RO system is expensive and wasteful. Filters don't last forever as in any water system, RO or not . If you are replacing them they are doing what you bought them for to remove impurities out of your drinking water. More expensive system work on the same principal other than they my have larger filters and some up to 5 filters again expensive. Most RO systems have about a 5 to 20 percent efficiency . That means for every Gallon of water treated you will get only up to a quart of water.Thats allot of water going down the drain. The Brita system claims 19 percent. Of course the percentage is quantified by the water it is treating . For this reason RO systems have a tank to hold treated water so it can supply constant water. The Brita has a small tank but supplies a flow rate like most other units , it fills a glass of water at an decent rate. Most important for the Brita or any RO system, is to have your water tested and see if you need this level of water treatment , are you looking for just better water taste or actually trying to remove harmful chemicals, bacteria etc. from your drinking water. This product does come with a PH test strip, but you really need a higher level of test to see what chemicals are in your water supply. Many city municipalities post water supply tests or can supply you with a report , but this is only for supplied water sources , if your is on a well you'll still need a more comprehensive test. You also should consider just a test at your faucet location if you have a soft water system or whole house filter . Knowing what's your trying to remove will determine if you really need this level of treatment. The Brita system does the Job it's intended for at a DYI price point. It's easy enough to install if you read and follow the instructions along with some basic Plumbing skills. Faucet is low quality, filters are expensive and need routine changing but as with any system .

I bought that water filter they have only two peace on stock and they both was defective

It’s super noisy! We can’t practically use it. With guests it’s an embarrassment because we can’t hold a conversation it is so loud. After dispensing three glasses of water, it gurgles for at least an hour.

Cracked where the filters are attached and leaks at the faucet. A total fail. Do not buy this!

Difficult to obtain install assistance and troubleshooting

A little problem installing it

This is a decent product with good features (RO, redi-twist) I returned it. The drain hole on RO membrane meets the ¼ inch red pipe outlet (with plastic restrictor, bushing, O-ring insert and air-gap) at the elbow. These mini parts must be installed and adjusted at first attempt, not repetitive tries. The instructions overly simplifies in illustrating steps connecting this element. Worse yet, there is no place to find a replacement part, very few vendors are selling like-kind filters. Suggest Brita to either recall or discontinue this model.