This is our review of the APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis System.
We have considerable experience in the water filtration systems topic, and we researched the best Reverse Osmosis systems to help you out. In this article, we will give an in-depth look at the APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis system to support your decision if this is the right Ro system for you and your family.
We found out that the APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis is the portable RO system available and it is connected directly to the faucet in a few minutes and can be disconnected easily and transported to a different location.
Add this RO system removes more than 1.000 contaminants from the water, reducing the TDS by up to 99%.
In this comprehensive APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis review we will analyze the filtration capabilities, the system design features, its performance, its capacity, the installation & maintenance process, discuss customer reviews, and potential alternatives for this Reverse Osmosis system.
Let’s get started!
APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis System Overview
The APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis is a point-of-use (POU) system capable of reducing up to 99% of TDS (total dissolved solids) and removing more than 1.000 harmful contaminants from the water, that is connected directly to your kitchen faucet, sitting directly in your countertop.
There is no need to complex and permanent installation, you can do the setup in just a few minutes. The system is highly portable so you can quickly disconnect it from your kitchen faucet and bring it with you to another location, allowing you to get filtered water in several places like an RV, motorhome, or another household.
The APEC RO-CTOP Reverse Osmosis system can filter up to 75 gallons of water per day, or around 3 gallons per hour, giving enough clean water to an average household.
APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis Filtration Capabilities
The APEC RO-CTOP Portable RO system can remove more than 1.000 contaminants from the water, such as sediments, sand, rust, chloramine, chlorine, heavy metals, limescale, fluoride, asbestos, benzene, arsenic, barium, lead, herbicides, PFOA, PFOS, bad taste & odors, etc. ensuring that you and your family will have clean water to drink and cook.
This system includes the following 4-stages of filtration to ensure the removal of more than 99% of the contaminants:
- Stage #1: The initial stage contains a sediment pre-filter with 5-micron removes larger particles from the water like dust, rust, and sediments, protecting and extending the lifespan of the RO membrane
- Stage #2: The second stage contains a coconut shell activated carbon filter that removes cloudiness, chlorine, VOCs, chemicals, and bad taste & odors
- Stage #3: The most important stage of the filtration process, in which a Reverse Osmosis membrane (FILMTEC Dow Chemical model) removes up to 99% of contaminants, including nasty contaminants like lead, arsenic, or radium
- Stage #4: The final stage ensures the removal of bad tastes & odors giving a final polish to the water through a coconut shell activated carbon filter
The APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis system does not include a remineralization stage, like other RO systems, in which an alkaline filter adds back to the water some healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium that were removed in earlier stages of the RO water filtration process, increasing the water alkalinity and improving its taste.
But if this remineralization stage is important to you, you can always buy an additional pH+ alkaline calcium carbonate filter and add it to this system, or select a similar RO system, the APEC RO-CTOP-PHc Alkaline Mineral Portable Reverse Osmosis system which has a remineralization filter on the 4th stage instead of the coconut shell activated carbon filter.
APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis Design Features
The APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis system has several design features that differentiate this system from the typical RO system.
First, is portable & lightweight, which is not common at all for a Reverse Osmosis device. You can quickly connect and disconnect it, and bring it with you to another location. This feature makes the APEC-RO-CTOP the ideal choice for use in condominiums, RVs, mobile homes, offices, college dormitories, etc.
This is also a tankless system, that, unlike other RO systems in which you install undersink (having to drill the countertop), you connect directly to the faucet making the installation super easy and non-permanent.
The drawback is that the tubes that connect the APEC-RO-CTOP Reverse Osmosis system to the faucet are visible what can be unaesthetic to some people. But if this is an issue for you, you can buy the same model with an aluminum case, the APEC RO-CTOP-C Portable Reverse Osmosis, which fixes this.
This system comes with durable and easy-to-change filters that use quick-connect fitting that allow the plug and unplug the tubes from the filters just by pressing. With this system design, you can replace the filters in a few seconds without having to use any tools.
APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis Performance
APEC RO-CTOP Reverse Osmosis performance is on average with RO systems, as it generates 3 gallons of waste water to produce one gallon of filtered water, meaning it has a waste water performance ratio of 1:3.
There are much more efficient systems with a 1:1 or 1.5:1 waste water ratio that will generate much less waste water, being more cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
Take into consideration that you can always reuse the waste water for other activities that don’t require filtered water, such as watering your plants.
APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis Capacity
The APEC RO-CTOP Countertop Reverse Osmosis system can filter up to 75 gallons of water in a day (GPD), or 3 gallons per hour.
Because this system doesn’t have a RO storage tank it will filter the water at the moment, so if you need large quantities of filtered water it may take some time.
Typically this capacity is enough for most families, but if you have a large family or need larger amounts of filtered water this might not be the right system for you, as you will need to wait for 20 minutes to filter one gallon of water.
APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis Installation & Maintenance
The APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis installation is really simple, as you don’t have to install it under the sink, connect to the water main line and drill your kitchen countertop like other RO systems.
This system is placed on the countertop near your faucet and connected directly to it, using adapters that come with the system. You should be able to install the APEC RO-CTOP in a few minutes without hassle.
After the initial installation, you just need to flush the filters for 15 minutes before using them for the first time, and then you will be ready to start using the system.
The maintenance of the APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis is also easy because this system comes with easy-to-change filters that can be replaced in a few seconds. You just need to pull to disconnect the old filter from the tubing, and then push the tubing into the new filter cartridge.
The sediment pre-filter and the activated carbon filter should be replaced every 6 to 8 months, while the RO membrane lasts longer, and should be replaced every 2 to 3 years.
APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis System Reviews
On Amazon, this product has an average rating superior to 4.6 stars, with around 500 reviews. And more than 90% of the reviews are 4 or 5 stars.
On the manufacturer’s site, this product has an average rating of 4.9 stars, but with fewer reviews, around 30.
This is a clear indication that customers are happy with the APEC-RO-CTOP Reverse Osmosis system and would recommend it.
After looking at the reviews, we noticed that several customers mentioned the easy setup of the system as a positive point.
APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis Alternatives
If the APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis system isn’t the ideal solution for your household, there are other alternatives that you can consider.
Waterdrop G3P800 Reverse Osmosis System
A great alternative is the Waterdrop G3P800 Reverse Osmosis system.
This is one of the best Reverse Osmosis systems in the market, as this tankless NSF-certified system removes up to 99.9% of the water contaminants, comes packed with several smart features like a TDS meter or a filter life indicator in-built on a designer faucet, has one of the best waste water ratio performances of 3:1, and it’s easy to install.
AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis System
If you prefer a countertop Reverse Osmosis system to save you space under the sink, this is the right choice.
The AquaTru Countertop Reverse Osmosis System is a well-designed modern RO system that fits well in every kitchen, does not require installation, has a really low waste water ratio, and removes several contaminants through a 6-stage filtration process.
Frizzlife PD600-TAM3 Reverse Osmosis System
Another great alternative is the Frizzlife PD600-TAM3 Reverse Osmosis system.
This Reverse Osmosis can reduce 99.9% of the contaminants in the water, and includes a remineralization filter that adds back beneficial minerals which raise the water pH to more than 7.5 making it more alkaline and improving its taste.
This system has an amazing performance as its waste water ratio is one of the best in the market at 1.5:1.
Our Verdict
We believe that the APEC RO-CTOP Portable Reverse Osmosis is a good choice if you are looking for a portable and easy-to-install RO system. We elected this system as the best portable RO for the best Reverse Osmosis systems.
The APEC-RO-CTOP Reverse Osmosis removes more than 1.000 harmful contaminants, does not require installation, is highly portable, and can filter 3 gallons of water per hour.