Review: APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral 6-Stage RO System

Written by: // Expert Fact-Checking: // Last Updated: Jan 10, 2024

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In this review, we are going to check out the APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral 6-Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System.

As the name suggests, the system features 6 stages of filtration and promises to deliver clean alkaline drinking water right to your kitchen tap. So, should you buy? Find out below!

Contents show
APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral 6-Stage RO System

APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral 6-Stage RO System
Price: $$
Filter Stages: 6
Water Flow: Not Specified
NSF Certifications: 58, 372
Annual Cost: ~$65-130

Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.

Check Current Price

APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral 6-Stage RO System – All Specs

  • Model: ROES-PH75
  • Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$65-130
  • Filter Media/Process: Sediment Filtration, Activated Carbon, RO, Remineralization
  • Filter Stages: 6
  • Membrane Rating: 75 gpd
  • Recovery Rate: 25%
  • Filtering Capacity: 6 Months to 4 Years
  • WxHxD: 16.0″x17.5″x5.25″
  • Tank: 11″x15″x11″, 4 gal
  • Water Temperature: 40-100 °F
  • Water Pressure: 40-85 psi
  • Water pH: 2-11
  • Fitting: 3/8”-1/2″
  • NSF Certifications: Standard 58, 372
  • Warranty: 1-Year Limited

APEC ROES-PH75 – Key Features

Most importantly, the APEC ROES-PH75 features 6 stages of filtration:

  1. At Stage 1, a 5-micron PP (polypropylene) sediment pre-filter traps larger particles like sand and rust that would otherwise accumulate in the system and cause clogging.
  2. Stages 2 and 3 make use of coconut based activated carbon block filters adsorbing chlorine, VOCs, and other organic chemicals, and also improving the taste and smell of your water.
  3. At the heart of the system is a semipermeable thin-film composite RO membrane that filters out up to 99% of all remaining contaminants – think arsenic, fluoride, radium and a bunch of heavy metals among others. Now we are left with almost pure H2
  4. The second to last stage applies another activated carbon filter, but this time it’s granular carbon to give the water a finishing touch removing any residual tastes/odors from the storage tank.
  5. And finally, a calcite filter enriches the water with calcium carbonate. This rounds up water taste and increases alkalinity/pH.

All in all, the APEC ROES-PH75 is identical to the APEC ROES-50 with the only differences being the higher output RO membrane and the additional remineralization stage. In other words, you can expect solid filtration and most contaminants removed from your water.

In addition, we have a 4-gallon water storage tank. This is needed because RO filtration without a booster pump is extremely slow – the tank stores water for later use so you never run dry.

Also, filtered to wastewater ratio is 1:3, so at least 3 gallons go down the drain for each gallon purified. This is far from ideal but pretty normal for a system of this type (more on this below).

Filter life: 6 months to 4 years.

APEC Water Systems ROES PH-75 Pros

The APEC Water Systems ROES-PH75 is suited for treating both tap and properly disinfected well water.

Furthermore, the filter cartridges are standard-sized. In other words, it’s easy to find cheap aftermarket replacements to make additional savings. The calcium used is 100% U.S. made.

On top of that, you get a 1-year limited warranty for peace of mind.

And not to forget: Replacement filters are affordable, just like the entire system is quite affordable to buy in the first place.

System installation and maintenance are not overly difficult.

Optional Upgrades:

  • If you want you can upgrade the ROES-PH75 with a UV light stage that kills microbial pathogens like bacteria, viruses, and cysts in water. FYI: The UV light won’t add nor remove anything from your water. It simply destroys microorganisms by taking their ability to reproduce.

What Contaminants Are Being Removed?

The contaminants you can address with this system include:

  • Sediments like sand and rust
  • Chlorine
  • VOCs and other organic chemicals
  • Bad taste and odor
  • Arsenic
  • Fluoride
  • Radium
  • Heavy metals

APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral 6-Stage RO System

The APEC ROES-PH75 – learn more on Amazon.com

Installation

Installing the APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral is not very complicated thanks to the color-coded tubing and the quick connect fittings. And except for tools, everything you need is included in the package.

From our experience, if you are handy around the house and just follow the step-by-step instructions you should get the unit up and running within a few hours.

Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.

Before you begin, make sure you have the following tools and supplies:

  • Variable speed drill
  • Drill bits – 1/4″, 1/8”, 1/2″
  • Adjustable wrench
  • Pliers
  • Screwdriver
  • Utility knife
  • Teflon tape

Once you’ve gathered those, you can proceed to the installation steps:

  1. Insert the first 3 filter stages into their housings. Arrange the housings in their appropriate slots:
    1. The Essence sediment filter (FI-ES-SED10) goes into the 1st stage housing.
    2. The Essence carbon filters (FI-ES-CAB10) go into 2nd and 3rd
  2. Twist each housing into the main system counterclockwise, starting with the leftmost one (3rd stage).
  3. Use a wrench to additionally tighten the housings.
  4. Turn off the cold water supply under your kitchen sink.
  5. Connect the feed water adapter, following the instructions in the manual that correspond to your specific situation: needle valve, 1/2″ connection, 3/8” connection.
  6. If you have a flex line riser, loosen the nut and separate the cold water riser tube from the shutoff valve. Bend the tube so it fits onto the shutoff valve, then connect the riser tube, feed water adapter, and shut off valve all together and tighten them.
  7. Screw the needle valve onto the adapter as tight as you can, and use Teflon tape for a tight connection.
  8. Slide the metal compression nut, followed by the plastic sleeve, and push the plastic insert into the red tubing.
  9. Push the red tubing into the needle valve connection, until you feel a click.
  10. Push the plastic sleeve up to the needle valve connection.
  11. Screw the metal compression nut with the red tubing pushed into the needle valve, and use a wrench to tighten it.
  12. Find a place to install the drain saddle. It should be above the trap, and on the vertical/horizontal tailpiece.
  13. Find a location for the hole on the drain pipe, and drill a 1/4″ hole through it.
  14. Place the self-adhesive black sponge around the hole.
  15. Align the drain saddle clip with the tubing connection port and install it.
  16. Push the 1/4″ black drain tubing into the quick connect fitting on the saddle.
  17. Drill a hole for your reverse osmosis faucet, or find one that you can reuse.
  18. Mount the faucet.
  19. Hook up the clear faucet tubing to the system output.
  20. Find a location for the storage tank – it should be less than 20 feet from the RO system for optimal results.
  21. Connect all remaining tubing – check the manual for your specific configuration.
  22. Turn on the cold water.
  23. Open the ball valve on the tank.
  24. Wait for the tank to fill completely – shouldn’t take more than 2-3 hours.
  25. Drain the tank entirely, and discard that batch of water.
  26. Check for leaks.
  27. You’re ready!

The Package (Parts)

  • RO module with filter and membrane housings
  • Pre/post-filter set
  • TFC membrane (0.0001 micron)
  • Calcite filter
  • Drain saddle
  • Water storage tank (4 gallons, white)
  • Tank stand
  • Tank ball valve
  • 360° rotatable lead-free brushed nickel faucet with washers and nuts
  • Color-coded tubing
  • Feed water adapter (½″ and ⅜″)
  • Feed water valve
  • Faucet adapter
  • Filter and membrane housing wrenches
  • Teflon tape and other accessory parts
  • Instructions

Maintenance

This is how often you will need to replace filters:

  • Sediment pre-filter: Every 6 to 12 months
  • Carbon block pre-filters: Every 6 to 12 months
  • RO membrane: Every 2 to 3 years for city water, 2 years on well water
  • Carbon post-filter: Every 2 to 3 years
  • Calcite post-filter: Every 6 to 12 months

As you can see, maintenance requirements are fairly low. Of course, these are only general guidelines. How long each component will last in your specific case greatly depends on how much water you use and also the condition and quality of the feed water.

The good news is that the costs are reasonable (~$65-130). The biggest cost factor is the calcite filter which you might find a suitable and more affordable replacement for.

If you need to replace the first 3 stages, follow these steps:

  1. Shut off the cold water supply.
  2. Turn off the ball valve on the tank.
  3. Turn on the RO faucet for a little while to allow the system to depressurize.
  4. Open the housing, keeping it upright and screwing clockwise.
  5. Remove the 3 used filters and throw them away.
  6. Wash the housings using mild soapy water, and rinse thoroughly.
  7. Install new filters into their housings.
  8. Close the housings, ensuring each one has a black O-ring in the threaded groves.
  9. Keeping the tank ball valve closed, turn on the cold water supply and the RO faucet lever.
  10. Let water run for 10-15 minutes to relieve pressure in the system.
  11. Shut off the RO faucet lever.
  12. Turn on the ball valve on the tank.
  13. Check for leaks.

For the reverse osmosis membrane:

  1. Turn off the cold water supply.
  2. Turn off the tank ball valve.
  3. Turn on the RO faucet lever to relieve pressure, then turn it back off.
  4. Remove the white tubing from the cap of the membrane housing.
  5. Remove the cap and pull out the old membrane.
  6. Tilt the system slightly to drain out any remaining water.
  7. Insert new membrane into the housing – try not to touch it with bare hands!
  8. Close the cap on the housing.
  9. Reconnect the white tubing.
  10. Turn on the cold water supply.
  11. Turn on the tank ball valve.
  12. Keep the system running until the tank is full – this should take 2-3 hours.
  13. Check for leaks.
  14. Drain the first tank of filtered water and discard it.

For the carbon post-filter:

  1. Remove the old filter – you need to unclip it from the membrane housing.
  2. Discard the old filter.
  3. Clean the housing with a mild bleach solution, focusing especially on the 2 plastic ports of the Tee fitting, and the open port of the new filter.
  4. Connect the new filter.
  5. Check for leaks.

And finally, if you need to replace the pH mineral filter:

  1. Turn off the cold water supply.
  2. Turn off the tank ball valve.
  3. Turn on the RO faucet briefly to depressurize the system.
  4. Take out clear outlet tubing from the filter.
  5. The new pH filter has 2 end plugs – remove those before connecting the tubing.
  6. Push the tubing into the quick connect fitting at both points to secure it.
  7. Turn on cold water supply.
  8. Turn on tank ball valve.
  9. Fill a tank of water completely, and discard it.

Manual

Here is a link to the official manual:

https://www.freedrinkingwater.com/manual/ro/ROES-PH75-Manual.pdf

NSF and Other Certifications

The APEC ROES 75PH comes with two WQA (NSF) certifications:

  • WQA 58: for material and parts safety, structural integrity, as well as contaminant rejection for TDS.
  • WQA 372: for construction using lead-free materials.

Earlier Product Versions

We couldn’t find any earlier product versions.

APEC 6-Stage Cons

  • We couldn’t find any information on contaminant reduction rates.
  • We also only have 1 NSF certification for contaminant reduction and that is for TDS only. We would have liked more specific testing/certification.
  • Being one of the older style RO systems, the APEC doesn’t use a pump, so expect slow operation.
  • For the same reason, the system wastes a lot of water – around 75% of the input water.
  • Not a very optimized design in terms of space utilization.
  • The remineralization stage has caused disappointment, since it does not necessarily make the filtered water alkaline, but only increase its alkalinity. RO purified water is known to be slightly acidic. The calcium carbonate can balance pH levels to some extent.
  • Difficult to maintain when there’s an issue.

APEC ROES-PH75 Review: Our Verdict + Best for

The bottom line is, the APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral 6-Stage is an affordable system, both in terms of the upfront purchase price and long-term maintenance.

What we miss, however, are specific contaminant reduction rates and additional NSF standards. On top of that, we lack features such as a pressure pump boosting filtration speed and lowering wastewater. Still, if you’re a fan of the brand, that’s a good system to pick if you insist on alkaline water. Overall, we give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Our Rating in Detail:

  • Filtration Performance: 4.0/5.0
  • Filter Capacity (Life): 5.0/5.0
  • Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
  • Annual Cost: 5.0/5.0
  • Overall: 4.0/5.0
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Comparison to Other Reverse Osmosis Systems

If you don’t insist on alkaline water or you are fine with remineralizing your RO water manually, we recommend checking the Waterdrop G3 and AquaTru as potential alternatives to the APEC ROES-PH75.

Waterdrop G3 Reverse Osmosis System (G3P600)

Waterdrop G3
Price: $$$
Filter Stages: 4
Flow Rate: 0.42 gpm
NSF: 58, 372
Annually: ~$145

Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.

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AquaTru Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System

AquaTru
Price: $$$
Filter Stages: 4
Water: 1 Gallon in 10-15 Minutes
NSF: 42, 53, 58, 401, P473
Annually: ~$100-120

Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.

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APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral 6-Stage RO System

APEC ROES-PH75
Price: $$
Filter Stages: 6
Flow Rate: Not Specified
NSF: 58, 372
Annually: ~$65-130

Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.

Check Current Price

The AquaTru (click to read the full review) is a great countertop model, and probably our favorite reverse osmosis system in general. It comes with a lot of extensive testing, certified against NSF/ANSI standards 42, 53, 58, 401, and P473. That’s one of the most impressive sets of certificates that we’ve seen on the market so far. You can use the system to deal with the following contaminants (and many others):

  • Chlorine: 96.6%
  • VOCs: 95% – 99%
  • Chromium-6: 97.2%
  • TDS: 87.1%
  • Cyst: 99.99%
  • Fluoride: 93.5%
  • Lead: 99.1%
  • Radium 226/228: 96.4%
  • BPA: 99%
  • Pharmaceuticals and pesticides: 86.7% – 96.6%
  • PFOA, PFOS: 97.5%

The design is very compact and optimized, and the system takes very little effort to set up. Filtration is extremely fast, and the AquaTru has a great recovery rate too – 80% (much better than the APEC) – thanks to the internal pump, and is made of BPA and BPS-free Tritan plastic. However, it may rarely leak or stop working prematurely, although that doesn’t seem to happen often (it never happened to us). You will spend around $100-120 a year maintaining it.

The Waterdrop G3 is a neat and tankless under sink system which filters on demand and takes up very little space. It comes with 4 filtration stages, and is tested and partially certified against NSF standards 42, 53, 58, and 401. This makes it capable of reducing and/or removing the following contaminants, among others:

  • Chlorine: 99%
  • VOCs: 99%
  • Nitrate: 98%
  • Fluoride: 99%
  • Arsenic: 99%
  • Chromium-6: 99%
  • Lead: 99%
  • PFOA/PFOS: 99%

The system also comes with an internal pump which regulates pressure and ensures a constant, fast flow rate of 0.42 gallons per minute, which should be more than enough for most people as it lets you fill a cup of water in just 8 seconds. On top of that, the system only wastes around 33% of the input water, again better than the APEC. It’s pretty simple to install, and has a bunch of convenient features to let you know when it’s time to replace different filter elements, as well as how well the system is currently performing. On that note, filters last for between 550 and 2200 gallons of water, which is around 6 to 24 months of use. Replacing them is pretty easy too, and you can do it without even turning off the water or using any special tools.

On the downside, the G3 system can be a bit annoying in terms of the noise it produces, and it’s more expensive to buy and maintain (expect to spend around $145 per year).

All in all, we favor the AquaTru in many regards, especially when it comes to filtration strength, certificates, installation, and wastewater. The Waterdrop G3 is a second solid choice with its tankless design and fast operation. You should only get the APEC if you either insist on having alkaline water, or are on a tight budget – but keep in mind that you’ll have much more wastewater and much slower filtration.

More Reviews:
More APEC Reviews:

This completes our review of the APEC ROES-PH75 Essence Alkaline Mineral 6-Stage RO System. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

About the Author Alexandra Uta

Alex is a content writer with an affinity for research and a methodical attention to detail. Since 2020, she has fully immersed herself into the home water treatment industry only to become an expert herself. Alex has been using water filters and similar products for years which has gained her lots of hands-on experience.
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