iSpring RCC7AK-UV 7-Stage Reverse Osmosis System Review

This excellent RO water filtration system has the capacity to remove the majority of the typical chemicals, debris, bacteria and microorganisms from your water source. It is relatively easy to install and can fit into a regular kitchen counter cabinet.

Price Consideration:

Coming in at about $150 less than its closest competitor, this is going to be a bit more budget-friendly. CLICK HERE to check the price on Amazon!

Features 

The features of this RO system include:

• The system provides exceptional purification that eliminates up to 98 percent of contaminants like chemicals, sediment and heavy metals.
• It delivers more than 90 percent total dissolved solids (TDS) rejection rate.
• The alkaline filter puts back healthy minerals, including magnesium, ionized calcium, potassium and sodium. Additionally, it adds between 0.5 and 0.8 in pH to assist in offsetting the pH misplaced during the RO process.
• The easy DIY installation process includes setting up wall-mountable bracket and making quick-fitting connections.
• The typical filtered water to waste water ratio is 1:1.
• Its powerful 11-watt ultraviolet light has a Flow Sensor Switch that the flow of water turns on and off.
• Metal 3.2g pressurized storage tank with high-grade butyl diaphragm that can either be positioned horizontally or vertically.
• It purifies as much as 75 gallons of water each day. It can be used with well-water sources and heavily-chlorinated water.
• The system comes complete and ready for use. All filters are included along with luxury goose neck faucet.
• Its solid construction and reliable design will deliver years of top-quality production.

Benefits 

Some of the benefits of this RO system are highlighted below:

• Excellent Energy Efficiency

To enhance efficiency, there is a flow sensor switch that uses water flow to automatically turn the UV unit on and off. This saves power and lengthens the lifespan of the UV lamp. This functionality eliminates the risk of spillage as well.

• Effectively Eliminates Impurities

The iSpring RCC7AK RO system eliminates up to 98 percent of impurities from the water and has an impressive rejection rate of TDS.

What's Included?

The package includes the system, filters, housings, tubing, mounting bracket and faucet. 

Pros and Cons 

Pros

• A special filter is used in this RO system to alkalize and re-mineralize the water. This is designed to improve the taste of the water and it makes it healthier to consume as well.
• The UV filter is quite effective at destroying viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms typically found in drinking water. This provides a remarkable method of filtering the water, particularly if there are children living in your household.
• The customer service experts who are a part of the iSpring team are extremely knowledgeable about their products. They are willing and ready to make valuable recommendations if you get stuck during the installation process.
• The automatic shutdown process lowers the use of power and water wastage.
• The longer process results in high-quality filtration.

Cons

• Some people have found the installation instructions to be quite confusing, down to the grammar used in the guidelines. Most individuals will experience some issues following the instructions. Luckily, the video tutorials online will help during the installation process. There is also the option of getting help from customer service experts.
• The lifespan of the filter is shorter than other comparable systems.
• 2 gallons of wasted water for each gallon of pure water is not as good as other competitors.
• The product is delicate and if mishandled, it is susceptible to breakage.

iSPring RCC7AK-UV vs Home Master TMHP HydroPerfection

[Quick Note: We're only comparing these two models, and not the Home Master TMULTRA-ERP, because the TMULTRA-ERP does NOT include the Re-mineralizing filter stage.]

Overall, the iSpring and the Home Master are both tried and trusted brands and models. Looking strictly at Amazon user ratings, they are very close in customer satisfaction (at the time of this writing, May 2019). We'll show you the highlights next. Note that we are always interested in learning what consumers have to say about the products - both the positives and negatives - and so in the interest of total transparency, we dug into the small number of negative reviews for both products.

The iSpring RCC7AK-UV

UPDATED for 2024!! The iSpring has REALLY grown in popularity since 2019! It currently gets an overall 4.7 star rating (now from over 20,300 reviews - vs 421 reviews a few years back!), which break down as follows:
5-star  = 84%
4-star = 9%
3-star = 2%
2-star = 1%
1-star = 4%

The 5-star and 4-star reviews are pretty much all echoing the same thing: Great quality, excellent tasting water, terrific customer service, ease of installation.

In one 1-star review (dated March 7, 2019), the customer complained that the filter bowl had developed a leak after 2 years and 4 months (the reviewer also commented on the fact that the iSpring has a 1-Year warranty). To iSpring's credit, they were very responsive and stated that the most common cause for something like this would be excessive water pressure. They did ask the customer to contact them so that they could address the situation.

Another 1-star rating was from a non-verified user; it is therefore impossible to tell whether or not they actually purchased the product or simply had some type of ax to grind. iSpring responded and asked the reviewer to contact them so that they could attempt to better understand the issue. 

The typical concern for these types of systems appear to be installation-related. None of the lesser reviews could persuade me against the iSpring. It is a solid unit and the company backs it up. Of course you will want to have a look at the reviews when you visit the product page.

Home Master TMHP HydroPerfection

The Home Master gets an overall 4.8 star rating (from 318 reviews), which break down as follows:
5-star = 89%
4-star = 8%
3-star = 1%
2-star = 1%
1-star = 1%

Looking at the good 5-star and 4-star reviews, one of the most recent 5-star ratings (May 9, 2019) mentioned that the water reminded the user of Fiji Water (a brand named bottled water available at most convenience and grocery stores). The pH tested at 8.4, which is a bonus for consumers looking for a more alkaline water. Another common sentiment appears to be the excellent water pressure.

As we did with the iSpring, it's only fair to have a look at the 1-star reviews to see what's up. As is the case with the iSpring, one of the more common complaints appear to be installation-related, that there is some difficulty in installing. There are a couple of issues with missing parts or a malfunctioning unit. For nearly every complaint, the manufacturer was very responsive.

Primary Similarities and Differences

Both models include a stage to add back healthy minerals (calcium and magnesium that were removed during the RO process).

In addition, both models are a 7-stage system, which includes a UV sterilization stage on each. 

On both listings at Amazon, you can view and download the user and installation manuals before you buy - something that we really like about both options.

As far as price goes, this is a bit of a difference: The Home Master is currently listing at about $150 more than the iSpring, making the iSpring a potential winner for consumers on a budget but for whom reverse osmosis is their system of choice. 

Here's a small comparison chart:

Recommendation

We feel confident that the iSpring would be a good product given what we have seen from the customer service responses, overall reviews, affordability, and also the filter life. 

In addition, the company's instruction and user guides are well-designed and well-illustrated. We are convinced that the manufacturer has done an excellent job of creating an excellent solution for most residential purposes.