Water that does not taste good
The most common reason people put one in, and the one they notice every day.
Drinking water · Kitchen sink · Refrigerator
Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Systems in Rhode Island & Eastern Connecticut
Whole-home treatment and drinking water are two different jobs. Reverse osmosis is a far finer filtration step than anything you would run on the whole house, which is why it goes at the one tap you actually drink from.
- Under-sink install
- Feeds the fridge too
- Four faucet finishes
$1,195
installed — the kitchen drinking water system on its own
The price I give you on the phone is the price you pay.
Non-standard plumbing, electrical, drainage or permit work is identified and priced before any work begins.
What this solves
What reverse osmosis is for.
The kitchen tap, specifically — drinking, coffee, cooking and ice.
Buying bottled water
An RO system at the sink is the usual reason that stops.
Wanting a finer step than the whole house gives
RO filtration is on a different order from carbon. It belongs at one tap, not on the main line.
Sodium from a softener
The resin swaps hardness for a small amount of sodium. RO at the kitchen tap removes most of it.
How it works
How it works.
Water passes through sediment and carbon stages, then across a semi-permeable membrane under pressure. What gets through goes to your tap; what does not goes to drain.
After the membrane the water runs through more carbon and an alkaline remineralizing stage, which puts back minerals that affect taste.
Everything fits in the cabinet under the sink. You get a dedicated faucet at the sink, and the line can feed your refrigerator as well.
The equipment
What we install.
Two versions. The difference that matters is whether there is an outlet under your sink.
HW800 AlkaPro — tankless
Seven stages, no storage tank, so it takes up much less room under the sink and there is no stored water sitting between uses. Needs a standard outlet.
- 5 micron sediment → 2 carbon block → 800 GPD membrane → GAC → alkaline → GAC
- 0.53 GPM · 2:1 drain ratio
- Requires an outlet under the sink
- Compact — no storage tank
Five-stage with storage tank
A storage tank in the cabinet, and no power needed at all. The steadier choice if you are feeding a refrigerator, and the only choice if there is no outlet under the sink.
- Five stages · steel shell tank with butyl bladder
- No electricity required
- Steadier flow to a refrigerator
- Takes more cabinet space
Faucet finishes
The dedicated RO faucet comes in four finishes, so it can match what is already at your sink.
- Chrome
- Brushed nickel
- Matte black
- Oil-rubbed bronze
Specifications are the manufacturer’s published figures. We don’t claim a system removes a specific contaminant from your water unless its published specifications support that and a test has shown the contaminant is present.
The install
What the install involves.
A couple of hours
Usually done alongside a whole-home install on the same visit.
A hole at the sink
For the dedicated faucet, in the finish you pick. Most sinks already have a spare opening.
A drain connection
Tied into the sink drain under the cabinet.
An outlet, for the tankless unit only
The tank-style system needs no power.
Worth knowing
Feeding your refrigerator.
You can skip the separate faucet entirely and feed the refrigerator only, or do both. Most people do both.
One practical note: a tankless system’s pump cycles on and off when it is feeding a fridge, because the fridge draws slowly. A small pressure tank smooths that out, or you use the tank-style system, which feeds a fridge more steadily and needs no outlet.
Once the fridge is running on RO water, its own internal filter gets bypassed or removed — there is nothing left for it to do. If you replace the fridge later, the line reconnects to the new one.
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
How often do the filters need changing?
Check it every three to six months and change it when it looks dirty or you notice flow dropping. For most two-person households that works out to about once a year on the filters, with the membrane every two to three years.
Does reverse osmosis waste water?
Some goes to drain — that is how the membrane stays clean. The tankless HW800 runs at about a 2:1 ratio, which is considerably better than older systems. It is worth knowing about rather than being surprised by.
Do I need an outlet under my sink?
For the tankless HW800, yes. The five-stage system with a storage tank needs no power at all, which is why it is the answer when there is no outlet in the cabinet and you do not want an electrician involved.
Will it remove the sodium a water softener adds?
Most of it, yes, which is why the two are usually installed together. The softener gives you soft water through the house; the RO gives you drinking water at the kitchen tap.
Can I get just the drinking water system, without the whole-home system?
Yes, and plenty of people start there. It is the smallest sensible step if drinking water is your only concern, and the whole-home system can be added later.
Is the system certified to remove specific contaminants?
We are careful here. The components we use carry NSF certifications as components, which is not the same as a certified system performance claim, and we will not present it as one. If you need certified reduction of a specific contaminant, tell us which one and we will show you the actual listing or tell you we cannot support the claim.
Will it fit under my sink with the garbage disposal?
The tankless unit is noticeably smaller because there is no storage tank, so it is usually the answer in a crowded cabinet. We look at the cabinet before deciding.
What about the water that comes out of the fridge door?
If the fridge is fed from the RO line, that is RO water. The fridge’s own filter is bypassed or removed, so you stop buying those too.
Free water consultation
Better water starts with knowing what’s in it.
Tell us what you’re noticing. We’ll look at your water, explain what’s going on, and give you a straight recommendation and a real price — installation included.
- No pressureNo high-pressure sales pitch — we’ll explain what we recommend, what it costs, and let you make the call.
- If you don’t need it, we’ll say soWe’d rather tell you that than sell you equipment your water doesn’t call for.
- Clear pricing before any workStandard installation is in the package price, not added at the end.