Customer Reviews With Photos

I ordered the full set of 5 filters. The pre-filter and 2 big carbon filters were in a box, great. The membrane came in a heavy duty sealed bag, no box. Still OK. The FINAL in-line carbon filter was delivered as pictured. No bag, NOTHING! I thought it was a used customer return or something, but looks like others have experienced the same. The only thing to keep contaminants from getting into this in-line filter are the little soft rubber plugs. Hugely disappointed at the lack of cleanliness in this product's delivery. APEC can definitely do better here. At least with the membrane filter, I know its new and clean.

This system is great! It saves me money and hassle from having to exchange 5 gallon water jugs, and it makes top-grade ice. I opted not to have it under my sink, considering how much of a hassle it would be to change the filters. I mounted my system right next to the water softener in the basement(which made it easier to connect to my fridge anyway). The issue I have with what came in the box is the inlet adapter that comes with the system is straight thread, not NPT, so the sucker kept wanting to leak! Luckily I was trying to hookup to an old washing machine line, so I found an adapter at my local hardware store. I also needed to 3D print a drain saddle to fit the 2" line I was tapping into for my waste water. All-in-all, this system is well worth it.

Yes, it is easy to install--or better said designed to be easy. Plumbing, ya know, is often where men's good language fades. Not the fault of APEC. Beware the two hoses included with the kit are 30 inch 3/8 fiber-reinforced plastic lines. They should work if the 3/8-inch female fittings fit your plumbing. Here on the West Coast, including Arizona, Nevada, etc., most under-sink plumb fittings are 1/2 inch. So, you're possibly looking at least one trip to the hardware store. I had to buy two 30-inch lines with 1/2 inch female on one end and 3/8 inch female on the other end. Beware that if you turn off the water valve on an old water valve, the hardened cone washer inside will start to leak--and you could have bigger problems. If you're not up to fixing these potential problems . . . . . . Yes, the water coming from the APEC filter tastes very good but an osmosis filtering system produces better-tasting water. Ya get what you pay for. I wanted a one-filter system, and as a bonus, the canister is a simple twist-off, twist-on replaceble canister without disturbing any else. I'm very happy with this.

I have purchased and installed two of these RO-HI systems now. GOOD: I chose APEC because they also sell commercial systems, which makes them seem more knowledgeable and trustworthy than the many, many scammy RO companies that just rebrand systems and exaggerate the necessity for RO. APEC claims, though without giving any supporting evidence, that their RO membrane only needs to be replaced every 3-5 years, where all other RO companies say 1-2 years. This should save money in the long term. I wish they shared some details explaining why their schedule is somehow different than everyone else's. The faucet is really nice (but only has a 1/4" inlet). BAD: The 3 filter housings arrived dirty, like the factory worker had just finished mulching their garden and put their dirty hands inside the housings, leaving small and large pieces of dirt and stuff in them. Definitely not sterile nor sanitary. The filters themselves came in bags, but 2 of the 3 bags had holes in them. Even though this is advertised as a 3/8" system for high flow, the faucet is the same 1/4" one that all the other RO systems come with. You'll notice the kit includes a 1/4" to 3/8" adapter for that purpose. APEC claims connecting a 3/8 tube to a 1/4" faucet still improves flow, but it's obvious to everyone that they are intentionally misleading customers and ought to be absolutely clear about that up front. Why not just include a true 3/8" faucet? Their customer support is not going to impress - I emailed them some simple questions several days ago and haven't heard back. They have partner companies that sell rebranded APEC systems under a different name. Their systems and their website are obvious duplicates. Those companies claim the usual 1-2 year RO replacement schedule, which is odd since the systems look identical and APEC claims 3-5 years. The manual repeats itself in some places, and claims the input line connection comes with metal pieces, but the pieces I actually received are plastic. PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS: I recommend you buy an extra 1/4" quarter-turn shut-off valve and install it on your red input tube. That lets you turn off the water much quicker than their included needle valve, which requires many turns to close. I also recommend considering adding a permeate pump, which increases the outgoing water pressure, which increases the amount of water that gets stored in the tank. It also reduces the amount of waste water produced. The main downside to the permeate pump is that it makes thump noises until the tank is full, so not ideal for a quiet environment. Buy and install the little blue locking clips to every connection. They definitely help prevent leaks, though not 100%, so I think it's pretty poor that APEC doesn't include those automatically. You should get a battery powered leak alarm, which beeps loudly when it gets wet. Put one under your RO system because there are so many connections that can pop off or leak. I've seen several leaks on my first one, including one that happened 12 months later when I replaced the filters and a random tube started squirting because the new air bubbles caused bucking in the lines. You can also get an automatic, battery-free, leak shut-off valve that goes inline on your 1/4" input tubing. When it gets wet, it slams its built-in valve closed like a mouse trap, stopping your leak before it causes more damage.

I needed to move the drain line and wanted to get a brand new saddle because I don't 100% trust the connector anymore after pulling it out several times. I used the old one while getting the replacement. (So far it's holding up lol.) Anyway, the new saddle is smaller so it doesn't sit flush on the drain pipe. The port is too big for the black 3/8 line. It doesn't work for Apec Essence.

Our tap water is alkaline. After we run it through this filter, and YES, we do have a mineral filter too, the one that adds back the minerals, - the water becomes acidic (nasty green color on the test) and it taste bad.

Strictly a review of packaging, not installed yet For something that weighs ~100 lbs APEC could do a better job reinforcing the bottom of the box for shipping. You can see where UPS dragged the box wearing through to the tank support. I literally watched the driver wrestle this off the truck and drag it up the walkway. A couple more layers of cardboard, reinforcing the corners or a square of cheap OSB on the bottom would go a long way. The salt tank comes in a separate box which was adequately packaged with the electronic valve inside it.

We formally purchased another line of filters for a different under-sink RO system and would spend $200 every 3 months and it required us shutting down our system and purging it for 24 hours. This system can be used within 15 minutes of installing/replacing filters. The water quality is even better. Although the filters do create waste once you dispose, it isn't in comparison to the hundreds of plastic bottles that create even more waste and hazards. We live in a town where water filtration is subpar and very hard. The drinks you make with our water vs. this filter can't compare in clarity alone. I only gave it 4 stars for installation due to the fact that most under-sink units aren't easily accessible and require some maneuvering on floor level, but overall straightforward. We date and mark each filter with the corresponding order of installation to ensure we properly install them and change them out timely. In the pictures you will see a glass of tea, with the same tea concentration, with the same steeping times, same brand. The difference is one on the left is from the tap source no filtration and the one on the right is filtered with APEC. The smell alone was a stark contrast before the clarity and taste was addressed. We used a flashlight to show the murkiness of the one on the left (a) vs. the one on the right (B) in two of the pictures. Just an overall great investment.

If you’re looking for a replacement for the older cartridge canister style this isn’t for you even though the picture on the website shows the older style. I was told that this style was discontinued. Contact the manufacturer for help.

We love our water filter. Changed the filter after one year. Attached the photo of old and new filters. Nyc waters.

Easy installation I love the unit makes very clean and softening water for up to 3 to 6 bathroom all of the recommend this product

EDIT- I was finally contacted by APEC, and not only did they help troubleshoot my issue, but they sent me a few replacement filters, free of charge. This is bittersweet… Yay for problem solved, but what a headache to get in touch with someone who knows what they are talking about at APEC. I have changed my rating from ONE star to FOUR, and if the solution APEC proposed works, I will amend my review accordingly. ************************************************ Original Review- I’m on city water, (10+ years) and traditionally filters are changed with consistency according to manufacturer’s specifications. In the past, NEVER have I had a filter plug up prior to the recommended change interval. I switched to APEC when my last filter bit the dust, and changed at the recommended one year mark. The replacement filters lasted 2.5 months before they completely plugged. When I pulled the replacement filters, they actually looked BETTER than the original filters- minimal sediment accumulation/rust visible. I contacted APEC, in part to troubleshoot, in part because changing the filters every 2-3 months was not acceptable, esp given the history of my water, knowing that the original APEC filters made it an entire year. Now COULD something have happened, something that hadn’t happened in the past 10+ years, where the City water all of a sudden flushed a bunch of invisible contaminants into my RO system? YES! Not likely, but YES. This is why I just wanted to discuss with APEC, and get to the bottom of the issue. To date, I have not been able to connect with an APEC representative that can give me a straight answer about ANY of the products that they sell. I suspected I had a faulty 4th stage, reverse osmosis membrane, but to be honest, I really don’t understand all things Reverse Osmosis. The waste water that’s created as part of the RO membrane can be puzzling. For instance- APEC sells a ROES100 Reverse Osmosis system that is the ONLY system they sell that has an advertised “1:1 drain ratio that reduces waste water up to 300%”. If that is the case, I would assume that on the ROES100, the first three stages would last up to 3x longer, as they need to filter up to 3x less than the ROES50, which has a 3:1 drain ratio? APEC replied that the ROES50 and ROES100 water usage was the same, but the ROES100 merely wastes less. I’m sorry, but this answer makes no sense. Until I can get a straight answer from APEC, I will assume that the product I received was as awesome as the customer service I received.

Simple instructions on the package & all parts needed to extended the RO to the fridge. Now my ice is pretty clear & clean.

This faucet is of much better quality than our old one. Our new sink is made of brushed stainless steel and the finish on this faucet is a perfect match. The valve works smoothly and you do not need to hold it open manually while dispensing water. It comes with everything you need to connect 1/4 inch tubing which is available at any hardware or home improvement box store.

I will update this review if i get something decent. The faucet arrived with the apecwateroutlet.com box pefectly intact but the box on the inside with scratches and oil stains on it. When i opened it i saw it was a different finish than i wanted. As the pictures show i ordered and the box says brushed nickel but it’s clearly in a chrome finish. I have always had great experiences with APEC so I’m frustrated.