It’s unfortunate in some areas that tap water can’t be made to taste better. Where I live the water has so many chemicals in it, it almost makes you thirstier. I decided to install the reverse osmosis system for both environment and health reasons. I was buying gallon jugs of water for the longest time. Half of them tasted like plastic which probably was leaching harmful chemicals into the water. Also I was sick of wasting gas and time driving to the store when you can get water out of your tap. Plus I have heard it takes 2 gallons of water to make a plastic jug. What a waste of water! Because of the initial cost and price of the replacement filters, it seamed like it would be hard to get any return on the investment but now after using it for 6 months it’s hard to believe we lived with out it. I purchased the unit for $155 on sale at Lowes. To make the current faucet work I had to order extra parts from kohler to change my faucet from a three hole into a single hole unit. Lowes also sells different finishes of drinking water faucets that work with this system so you don’t have to live with the chrome faucet. It doesn’t have a battery filter change reminder but you can sign up for email filter change notification to change your water filter every 6 months. Two of the filters ($45 for the two filters) need to be changed every 6 months while the reverse osmosis filter ($59) should be changed once a year. The biggest complain I have heard about these reverse osmosis systems is that it appears that a lot of waste water goes down the drain. When I initially installed the reverse osmosis system I ran the waste water drain directly into the sink drain. All night I could hear the water running and gurgling in the sink while it filled the tank. The next day I ran the waste drain into the basement so I wouldn’t have to listen to it drip all night. For about a week the water ran and ran. I ended up calling whirpool about the excessive water consumption and they had me take the system apart to look at the gaskets. It turns out my gaskets were not working properly so they sent me another whole unit. Once the new unit was installed everything worked great. I would bet there is about 3-5 gallons of waste water everyday but I believe as with any reverse osmosis filtered water there is a similar amount of waste water. I’m thinking about eventually running the waste water to a rain barrel outside. Since the water draining was noisy I would recommend running the waste water into a drain in the basement if possible, it may have just been my old plumbing but I didn’t like hearing the water trickle down the drain.
After using this system for the past 6 months I am extremely happy with it. The water tastes better than most bottled water and I never have to carry those water jugs again. I wish the filters were cheaper but the convenience of water from the tap is wonderful. Also I feel that even though there is waste water I’m probably wasting less natural resources than I was before. Also I drink much more water than I ever did before. Now I’m wondering if you can recycle the filter cartridges?
Hi, Where can I get a filter for my Whirlpool Model WHER25 RO system? I had it installed last February and it is calling for a filter change but I can’t find one, not even in Lowes where I purchased it. Love the machine. Had one up in New York and it’s the first thing I installed here in Florida.
You should be able to find them at lowes. If they don’t have it in stock ask them to order it for you. The RO filter will be by itself & the post and pre filter will be together. Otherwise you can order them on the lowes website at http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productList&N=0&Ntk=i_products&Ntt=wher25
You can also go to ecodyne.org/rof and that will take you to the Whirlpool site for this RO system. You should be able to find a filter there.
We bought our Whirlpool WHER25 system one year ago. While I agree, the taste of our water is vastly improved, I must say that the ongoing dripping of the waste water. Unfortunately, we are not able to run the line down to the basement and as a result I am constantly hearing the dripping water. Had I been aware of this ongoing problem prior to buying and installing this system I would not have purchased it.
Where can I get the Filters #WHERF and Membrane Cartridge #7264223 and
Diaphragm Kit #7250876 and Plunger & Spacer Ring Kit? I appreciate your help.
You can call whirlpool / ecodyne to get parts and filters. The number is 1-800-986-3223
I want to stock “one ahead” replacements for my RO 25 system. I cannot find date codes on the stock that Lowe’s has. Any idea of the ‘shelf life’ of these membranes? Thanks.
I have the WHER25 RO system. I have had it about 2 years. This time when I changed both filter the water flowed very slow, so I also change the Membrane. It still runs very slow. Any Ideas as to what I can do.
Make sure you have the little plastic flow control inserted into the drain tube. Also make sure your membrane isn’t deformed I have one that looked normal but never sealed correctly. Best of Luck.
I have one of the RO units from Lowe’s. It does what it is supposed to do, but if you let the water run all the time the filter is working all the time, night and day, and won’t last long. I have a lot of dissolved solids so that my membrane is only good for a month . I installed a shut-off valve. Jim G.
If the water runs all the time it could be possible the membrane inside the unit may be defective or your incoming water pressure may be to low for this unit. I like your solution to the problem though. If I get a glass of water the unit will drain the gray water for around 2-5 minutes.
Thanks!
I have a wher25 filter system.
It has started leaking severly out the side breather hole. I changed the filters, no luck!
I checked the drain, it’s not pluged!
What next?
I need an exploded view as to how this is put togeather.
I am an engineer but without guide lines I might damage the unit.
Is there a gasket kit? Help!!
Hi Robert, Try taking out the screws on the base unit & see if there is any blockage inside the unit. There aren’t a lot of parts inside, it’s mainly the gasket. If you need a new gasket or any other parts you can order parts at http://www.ecodyne.org/rof/index.asp?tab=4
I’ve had this problem. If you have very bad water(well) etc, the drain line might be plugged, and also check where the line comes in on the tap. This cleared my problem.
I just installed the WHER25 system and am extremely disappointed with the incredible waste of water it produces. It has been running for 36 hours straight, including the initial setup purge and sanitize cycles. Even though the tank felt full last night, this morning it was still running and dumping gallons and gallons down the drain.
I am not going to bother calling Whirlpool, because even if it isn’t working properly now, which I suspect is the case, I can not accept a system that runs for several minutes after pouring a glass of water as someone mentioned above. We use 2 gallons of filtered water per day! I know that just from this short experiment with the WHER25 we are going to see our water bill affected.
Back to Lowes it goes.
Myself included, it’s incredible that with these internet resources we don’t research our purchases better. I knew the unit wasn’t silent and wasted most of the water and didn’t like high solids. I didn’t know it won’t tolerate Iron in the water supply. After using them for 6-7 years I doubt if they are cost effective. Filter replacement=$175.00 p/yr.,(paid $200 for entire unit)so you better know how much you’d spend on bottled water p/yr… BEFORE you buy. As for convenience…it’s not that inconvenient to buy RO water at grocery store, ‘specially if you can’t buy filters conveniantly. Shipping costs need consideration. Sounds like the public could use drinking water
Somehow goofed my post. To continue: I wonder if the public would benefit having, say a mobile RO/drinking water service deliver into your bulk storage system? Convenience… and probably cheaper than in-home RO. Probably being done somewhere.
Type your comment here.
concerning the whirlpool wher25 reverse osmosis system; does the yellow blinking light mean it needs a filter change? a membrane change? We inherited this system and could use some help. thanks
Yes, the blinking light means you need a filter change. It is timed for 6 months of use so if it doesn’t get used much the filters may be still in good shape. Here is a link to the manual http://www.ecodyne.org/rof/index.asp?tab=4
I have this model. The flow will be strong for about 3 cups and then slow the about one half of a pencil size. Very annoying when you are trying to get a 12 cup coffee maker to fill. I changed the filters hoping that would cure the problem. I didn’t. I then purged the tank thinking it was water-logged. No improvement. What is my problem?
The pressure on your water storage tank may be wrong. You should be able to use a tire pressure gauge to check it. Call the manufacturer to find out what the tank should be at. Best of luck.
I have this unit as do a few friends and relatives, or similar units.
The gurgling is normal, and in most or all places it is code to run the drain up to the faucet, creating an air gap, then to the black tube to the drain to ensure a backup doesn’t get in your drinking water, making it even louder. Many ebay or DIY installs don’t use the 3 plug method, but a single pure water line to the faucet, and with no problems.
On filter replacement, I would not routinely change filters or membranes, but would monitor the TDS weekly or monthly. Some folks (well users) may need to change filters and membrane more often. Others with city water, may get a few extra months filter use. If your TDS is not any higher than when new (ours is about 3-9) I wouldn’t change filters until TDS started increasing to 12 or 15, and it was over 6 months. Again, talk to your local plumber about this, unless they make money on selling filters …
How do you measure the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids)? Do you have to use/buy a conductivity meter or are there small cheap kits that can be purchased say at a fish store?
When changing the pre and post filters, is it really necessary to ‘purge’ the system for 24hrs? I could understand running a couple gallons through, but 24hrs seems like a waste.
Hi, I have a Lowe’s Whirlpool Model WHER25 reverse osmosis system. The system is roughly a year old and it is leaking around the dispenser faucet at the sink. Where can I get a replacement?
Our WHER25 is about a year old and the electronic components in the base of the faucet are corroded so we will need a new faucet. The expense of purchasing a new faucet along with the cost of the new set of 3 filters almost equals the cost of a new unit.
The electronic faucet reminder is not really necessary. You can sign up with filter company for them to send you an email when it’s time to change the filters. I never used the faucet that came with the unit so it was never an issue for me. You might want to take the battery out and see if the email reminder works for you.
What faucet are you using if you are not using the one that comes with the unit?
I not certain but I believe it’s this one.
my tap used to leak also. the line that your water drains from might be plugged up, you can remove is easily and clean it out, also check right on the tap, make sure there is no sediment buildup inside the nozzle where this lines attaches. I have to clean mine every once in a while because of my well water. this fixed the leaking tap problem.
I have a WHER25 which works well but is noisy. There is a noise coming out of the air gap at the faucet. And the constant dripping while it is refilling. How do I get rid of the air gap noise?
The only way to get rid of the noise is to run the line to a basement drain that you won’t hear dripping. It is a very annoying sound.
Leaks from the airgap hole is probably because the black drain tube is connected BELOW the garbage disposal connection. The disposal is shooting gook into the WHER25 drain port and it plugs up fast. Solution is to move the drain port above the T connection to disposal if there is enough room. Otherwise, disconnect the drain port and clean out.
My drain tube runs constantly. I loose 1 gt of water an hour. Ive changed filters and everything but cant get it to quit. This doesnt seem right .Is It???????????? Any suggestions????
The diaphragm inside the unit may be worn, but call whirlpool or ecodyne first and ask them about it & they will probably send you out the parts for no charge.
I just installed the RO system 2 weeks ago. Today, the yellow light started blinking. It blinks twice and then pauses and then repeats. Clearly I am not in need of a new filter yet… is there a problem with the system sensor or could it be something else?
I didn’t use the stock faucet so I’m not sure what might be wrong. I would defiantly call the manufacturer and get some help. Best of luck!
Does anyone know if the storage tank for the WHER25 is lined with anything (BPA concerns) or is it bare aluminum (Alzheimer’s concern) or is it stainless (sigh of relief)
Great question I was wondering this myself! I just called the manufacturer and was told by a sales person that there is a bladder inside the tank that he believed it is made of polybutylene. I asked if there was a risk of BPA and was told no. I did’t ask about the rest of the unit such as the filter housing and tubing but considering the water mainly sits in that tank for long periods of time this would be the main area of concern. Any body know if there are concerns about the safety of polybutylene and drinking water?
we bought the wher25 ro system 2 weeks ago and had a plumber professionally install it. I purged it for 24 hours and then got ready to get great tasting water. but alas, no water. called the help desk at least 10 times. they finally sent me a new unit, hooked it up, purged it for 24 hours, and the same result, no r.o. water. what good be wrong?
When you purge it there should be water coming out of the faucet. If the tank isn’t filling up you may have low water pressure or the tank could be over pressurize. You can check the tank pressure with a tire gauge but you’ll have to call the manufacturer and ask what the pressure should be. Best of Luck!
There is water trickling from the r o faucet during purge, but after the purge no water is going into the r o tank. we checked the water pressure and it is sufficient, and the pressure in the tank is 6 psi. the instructions recommend between 5 – 7 psi.
Sorry I’m not sure what it could be. Try getting a hold of the manufacture’s technical help and not a sales person. They will probably know right away.
I bought a model # WHER=25 reverse osmosis from lowes about 5 months ago . My water bill went way up last month . I notice it runs like all the time and the amount of water it wastes is about 1000 to one . Is this the fault of the unit ? I did like the unit for the first 2 months but now I feel something is broke or faulty . Please tell me what to do !!!! Should I bring it back to Lowes ? I do see it is guarenteed for a year .
call the manufacture. They will probably send the parts you need right away. This reverse osmosis shouldn’t be running constantly. The water should only run for up to 10 minutes after you have used it.
I have one of these units, but I want to run it without the tank. I make aquarium water with it straight in to water jugs, and the tank takes up space. Is there some way to run this without the tank? Thank you!
I have the WHER25 filter system for about 5 years now.I just took the tank out and restore the pressure is working better then new the manufacture recommend 7lb of pressure, i did cheat a little be Got it to 10lb and is working supper.
All it takes is one simple manual pressure pump (bike air pump) and one pressure meter (the one we use to check pressure on car tires)
I figure if the tank is label to take up to 100 psi, 10 psi= SAFE
Roy,
How did you pressure the tank up? Thanks.
I have had my WHER25 RO systems for a year. I changed the filters out for the second time and when I did the water slowed down considerably. I have checked to see if the filters are tight and to make sure that they are installed correctly and they appear to be. What can I do to improve the flow of the water.
I have been on the phone many times with Whirlpool lately because of low flow problems with my system. Your problem sounds like it might be a air bubble in the tank from not putting the filters back on in the correct order. Apparently, when you replace the filters, you are supposed to put them on in a specific order in so you don’t get air in the tank???!! You are supposed to put on the post filter, the membrane, then the pre-filter, in that order. You might try taking the filters off and putting them back on in that order. Also, you might want to check the pressure in the tank. Should be about 6-7 lbs when it’s empty.
I paid my plumber twice to install and then troubleshoot the Whirlpoool WHER25 reverse osmosis drinking water system only to find out when I called the company (since we never got it working as it apparently got clogged up with the elements from New York City water in the first hours of use) that I would have to purchase and additionally install 1. a water softener and 2. a water pre-filter in order to have the iron, magnesium and calcium removed and the water properly treated prior to the water reaching the WHER25 system so it could do its work. There were no warnings about this where I bought it. And the men I spoke to on the phone at customer service in Minnesota passed me along from one to the next , ” I got another one here from New York, her unit’s plugged up and she wants us to take it back.” I was also asked if I use “city water or well water”. Apparently it might work with well water.
love my wher25 but need parts cannot get mfg. phone no.?
Here is the manufacturers number for parts
1-866-986-3223
I need to order a replacement tap for my system, but they don’t stock them at Lowe’s. Replacement taps that I’ve found online have different connections than the stock tap that came with the system.
If you know where I could find one, that would very appreciated.
I tried calling the number you posted, but it is one digit short.
This is the faucet I used.
It doesn’t have a filter change reminder, but you don’t really need it. Fixed the # Thanks. The number is 1-866-986-3223
My WHER25 has worked like a dream for the past 5 years. Now when it’s filtering water it leaks around the auto shut off. I saw a video on youtube on how to open it and look for defective diaphrams which I did but they appear to be fine. Both my pre and post filters are only 1 month old but I’ve not replaced the membrane yet. When I took it off, the water I poured out of it looked okay. Any suggestions?
I’d definitely contact technical support to get help from the manufacturer.
I have had the WHER25 for about 2 years. The tank of my WHER25 does not have water in it. How do we fix this problem? Does this mean the water is draining out? So confused about this.
Your water tank may have lost pressure. Definitely call tech support 1-866-986-3223.
What does it mean to “dispose of the filters in a proper manner”?
I would think this just means in the trash though I wish you could reuse the containers and just refill them.
NEWSFLASH: RO Systems only need to have any filter changed when an obvious difference in taste, color, or sometimes pressure becomes apparent. I started off changing them every six months as ‘recommended’ (and ridiculously expensive) until I researched on-line and also talked to friends with similar systems so I could confidently construct my first sentence above. Now over two years have passed since I changed any of the filters and everything is still working beautifully as long as keep the drain line clean.
In addition, I stored a reserve of five gallons of water after I installed my last set of new filters. I use it to compare current water taste and quality on a regular basis and found no noticeable difference in either after all of this time.
Please stop wasting your money and throwing these unrecyclable filters into the landfill earlier than necessary based solely on the company’s advice. This practice only gets you to…
-Open your wallet more often
-Waste water by having to purge system for ~24 hrs each time
-Only adds to the retailer’s and manufacturer’s bottom line… not the consumers.
Your taste buds will tell you when the water is getting funky at the slightest change, so trust your instinct s to help keep the money in your wallet and always question and test any manufacturer ‘recommendations’.
Hope this helps somebody somewhere :~)!
My whirlpool reverse osmosis unit just stopped producing water. There is no water in the tank. Changed filters and charged the bladder in the tank about 45 days ago and it was working fine.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Finally got the Whirlpool R-O system working after a major kitchen renovation during which our G.C.’s plumber quit working on the unit and gave us our money back. He had set up 75% of the system, but was annoyed that the manifold where the filters fit kept leaking and was especially frustrated having to work with plastic tubes and not the copper to which he is accustomed. Since I was at work while this was all going on and my wife never liked the idea of the system anyway (we live in the Chicagoland area and Lake Michigan tap water is already pretty good), I told the plumber I would finish it on my own sometime.
After many conversations with Jeff in Ecodyne customer service, and acquiring a few new parts to fix what the plumber did and hook up the system to our mixer/faucet, I pressurized the system and–the manifold leaked like a sinking ship. Thinking quikcly, I firmly grabbed the yellow and blue tubes and shoved them tightly into their collars. The leak stopped immediately. The plumber had never pushed them in tightly enough to lock.
Granted, pulling on the plastic tubes ast a sharp angle will open up enough of a gap to cause a leak, but as long as nobody messes around under the sink, I think the system should remain leak-free. Yes it’s noisy when refilling the tank and yes, the filters are expensive. But the water tastes cleaner and it gives us back the real estate we otherwise would have sacrificed if we’d bought a refrigerator with a dispenser on the outside door.
I wish I’d been home with the plumber when he gave up so I could have jammed the plastic tubes into place and saved the day. Although I guess I saved myself a few hundred bucks in the end.
I lived in downtown Chicago for awhile and a bath tub full of water was swimming pool blue and tasted like it too.
I have had the Reverse Osmosissystem or one similar for over 10 years. I have repaired it and modified it so it fits my system (spicket w/o light & Ice Maker) and heavy duty shut off valve not the simple piercing shut off, I also ran copper tubing. My problem is that this morning it is leaking (shut off water to it) opened up top to find what looks like a channel in the top of the (Cylender Head) just below the Head and gasket. Is this piece replacable or is it finally time for a new unit? I will run two containers in tandem if I do replace the system but I wont run new lines unless I have to as they are made a bit more perminent. Please let me know! Thanks, Gary
Which tube do i hook up to to provide filtered water to my refrigerator?