Reverse Osmosis Systems

Reverse osmosis: a dedicated drinking water tap for your Aubrey kitchen

A reverse osmosis system, or RO, treats the water you drink and cook with at one tap, usually in the kitchen. It does not treat the whole house. Vor-Tex Plumbing Co. installs under-sink RO systems for homes in Aubrey and Denton County. Call (469) 552-2881 and we will help you decide whether it fits.

How reverse osmosis works

Water from your cold line passes through a sediment filter and a carbon filter. Then it is pushed against a membrane with openings so small that most dissolved solids cannot get through. The treated water collects in a small storage tank under the sink and comes out of its own faucet. The solids the membrane rejects are carried to the drain in a stream of rinse water, and often a final carbon stage polishes the taste before the faucet.

Reasons people add RO

• Drinking water tastes flat, salty, or of chlorine.
• Ice cubes are cloudy or leave residue in glasses.
• Coffee, tea, or cooking water tastes different from bottled water.
• You are tired of buying and hauling bottled water.
• A water test or utility report shows total dissolved solids that you want to bring down at the tap.

What to expect from RO

RO is known for reducing total dissolved solids. How much it reduces any one thing depends on the system, the membrane, the age of the filters, and your water. We do not promise specific results. If a particular substance matters to you, look for NSF/ANSI certification for that claim. NSF/ANSI 58 is the standard covering RO drinking water systems. A water test before and after tells you what the system is doing at your tap.

Trade-offs are worth knowing before you buy:

• It sends water to the drain. Part of the water that enters the system leaves with the rejected solids. Ask about the ratio on the model you are considering.
• It is slow. The tank fills gradually, so the faucet gives you a stored supply, not a full-flow stream.
• It needs upkeep. Filters are changed on a schedule, and the membrane is replaced less often.
• It treats one tap. Showers and laundry stay on untreated water unless you add other equipment.

What we do

We mount the system under the sink, tie into the cold supply, and set up the drain connection with an air gap so rinse water cannot flow back. We install the RO faucet, which usually means using a spare sink hole or discussing options if there is not one, and place the storage tank. We can also run a line to a refrigerator ice maker or water dispenser. Before we finish, we flush the system and check every connection for leaks. If your water pressure is low, we will tell you, because RO performance depends on pressure.

RO, softener, or both

RO and a softener do different jobs. A softener handles hardness in the whole house, and RO polishes drinking water at one tap. If your water is hard, you may want both. If it is already soft, RO may be the only piece you need, and a softener would add nothing. See water softener installation for how to tell.

When to call

Call us if an existing RO system leaks under the sink, produces a slow trickle, or tastes different after a filter change. If water is dripping from the air gap faucet, shut the supply valve to the RO unit and call.

What an RO install visit looks like

1. You call, and tell us the sink, the water source, and whether you want an ice maker line.
2. We check the cabinet space, pressure, and drain, and quote on site. The $79 dispatch fee covers the visit and is credited toward the work if you approve it.
3. We install it and show you where the shutoff is and when to change the filters.
4. Warranty. Parts and labor carry a 5-year warranty when we supply the parts.

Soft water with plenty left in it

Aubrey’s water is a good example of why dissolved solids and hardness are separate questions. The City’s 2024 water quality report lists hardness at 5 ppm, which is soft, but total dissolved solids at 500 ppm and sodium at 219 ppm. The water is easy on fixtures but not low in dissolved solids, which can show up as spotting and a slick feel. A softener has nothing to do on that water, and a kitchen RO is the equipment aimed at dissolved solids.

Related

For whole-house treatment, see water filtration and treatment and whole-home PFAS filtration. For kitchen work, see kitchen plumbing. Everything is listed under water quality and filtration.