APEC WATERSystems Ultimate RO-Hi Top Tier Supreme Certified High Output Fast Flow Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System

I was able to install the system in approximately (1) hour and this included drilling the hole for the water dispenser. System assemble was easy and the two top filters were already installed in the unit. I only needed to install the two bottom carbon filters and the bottom sediment filter.The system did take a few hours to fill the tank as noted in the instructions. I flushed the first tank and part of the second tank. The output is outstanding with this unit.My water source is from a well and is filtered by a carbon and sediment filter before entering the house so this is a second much finer filtering process. My drinking water is crystal clear and tasted great.The system is built well, is provided with good directions (although I did watch some videos before installation - recommended), easy to install, has a good storage tank capacity, and is U.S. made which I consider a plus.I have an Aquasana system at work which is in the same class as this system (price wise). The water output on the APEC is much better and the filters will last longer in the APEC that I purchased. The APEC does take a bit more space than the Aquasana. If I had to choose again then I would still go with the APEC hands down.I did run across one issue: The sleeve for the drain dispenser appears to be only for a (I believe) a one inch drain (I could be incorrect on the size) . My lower drain pipe is larger. I drilled the hole before I noticed that the sleeve did not fit. This was not a big deal as I covered the hole with pressure tape then drilled a hole into the smaller pipe.Recommend (Manufacturer) some type of universal sleeve.Recommend (Installer) -Test install the sleeve before you drill the hole.I highly recommend this unit, well worth the price. I am sure I will have this system for years.Still giving 5 stars even with the sleeve issue – I will take the hit on that.hope this helpsenjoy your system

Overall, I am very pleased with this system. After flushing 3 times, it reduced the reading on our TDS meter from 58 PPM to 1 PPM. I also noticed an improvement in taste compared to the refrigerator filter. It seems that there may be a very subtle difference in water texture...perhaps a little more slippery, but I haven't identified the exact difference.The engineers for Hydroviv actually recommended APEC as a preferred system, even though they are considered competitors.Customer service was excellent and timely.The speed of the flow was worth the extra cost to us. The flow rate is definitely faster than the refrigerator. It will make using filtered water for cooking a breeze. I have used reverse osmosis systems that seem to take forever to fill a cup of water. That is not the case at all with this system.Installation was not easy, but it is manageable if you have someone in the household with maintenance experience. The manual was OK, but could use some improvement (with concise wording in some sections, more detail in other sections, and improved grammar and wording for clarity). The color picture that showed an overview of the entire setup was very helpful. A hole needs to be drilled in a pipe under the sink for drainage in an ideal spot to prevent noise. Also, there would need to be a hole in the counter top or sink for the faucet. We had an existing hole with a diameter of 1.5 inches, which just barely worked for the faucet. Anything larger would not have worked without some sort of creative adapter and a larger washer to reduce the hole diameter. We also made the mistake of not tightening the filters enough (the manual said not to overtighten). This made a mess on the first trial. I cannot comment on ease of filter change yet since we are not due for one. Under a cabinet, it definitely seems like a tray would be needed to collect spilled water if it is mounted. Otherwise, in our case, there is enough give in the tubing to pull the system out for a filter change.The cost of filter changes at this time would be $40.95 to $52 annually for stages 1, 2, and 3. Water with high sediment may need to be changed more frequently. I was told that noticing the water flow slow down and seeing buildup in the filter would indicate a need for a filter change to prevent damage to the RO membrane. These are sediment and carbon block filters.Stage 4 replacement is $78.95 to $98.95 every 3 to 5 years. I was told that using a TDS meter to see if the water quality has changed would indicate a need for this filter change. This is the actual RO membrane that makes the system work by filtering larger particles than the tiny holes in the membrane. Stage 5 replacement is $20.95 to $26.99 every 3 to 5 years. This filter improves taste and reduces chlorine. Well water would need more frequent changes (2 to 4 years?) if the sediments are higher.Overall, I am extremely happy with this system so far. I hope this is helpful.