Review: Pentair OMNIFilter QuickConnect Tankless Reverse Osmosis System
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Feb 2, 2024
This page may contain affiliate links. If you buy a product or service through such a link we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Today’s review features the Pentair OMNIFilter QuickConnect Tankless Reverse Osmosis System (model number: T600RO). As the name suggests, it’s a tankless unit that filters water on demand rather than storing it in a tank for later use. Let’s find out if this is a worthwhile concept!
Contents
show
Pentair OMNIFilter QuickConnect Tankless Reverse Osmosis System |
|
| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Stages: | 3 |
| Water Flow: | Not Specified |
| NSF Certifications: | 58 |
| Annual Cost: | ~$125 |
|
Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 ⓘ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.
|
|
Pentair OMNIFilter QuickConnect Tankless Reverse Osmosis System – All Specs
- Model: T600RO
- Annual Maintenance Cost: ~$125
- Filter Media/Process: Sediment and Carbon Composite Filter, Carbon Block, RO
- Filter Stages: 3
- Membrane Rating: 396.4 gpd
- Recovery Rate: 57.5%
- Filtering Capacity: 1-2 Years
- WxHxD: 6″x17.5″x18″
- Weight: 25.35 lb.
- Water Temperature: 40-100 °F
- Water Pressure: 10-60 psi
- Water pH: 3-11
- Fitting: 3/8”
- NSF Certifications: Standard 58
- Warranty: 1 Year
Pentair T600RO – Key Features
The Pentair T600RO operates based on a 3-stage filtration process, with the stages described by Pentair as follows:
- Composite filter: Pre-filters the water to improve it before it reaches the reverse osmosis membrane. Essentially, sediments and chlorine are being removed to protect the RO membrane from damage. This is also the stage where many organic chemicals are captured.
- Carbon filter: a standard carbon block filter reduces finer dirt particles, organics, and any leftover chlorine, improving the taste and smell of your water.
- Reverse osmosis membrane: this is where most of the filtration happens, as this stage is capable of removing the majority of dissolved solids among most other impurities.
The filtration process is pretty standard as a whole – nothing wrong with that. Also Pentair provides a reduction rate for TDS (total dissolved solids) of 96.8%. TDS reduction is also certified against NSF standard 58. As such, we can assume that the Pentair T600RO should be pretty effective.
What’s more? A convenient auto-flush feature keeps the reverse osmosis membrane fresh and prevents the buildup of hard water scale. This helps maintain system performance. We also have a built-in leak detector for peace of mind.
The Pentair T600RO also comes with a few extra features, like the system panel which indicates the TDS range of your water in real time (blue = below 100 ppm, purple = between 100 and 150 ppm, red = above 150 ppm), and indicator lights for the current status of your filters (blue = good, purple = requires attention, red = needs change). You also get a filter life indicator on the RO faucet.
Speaking of, filters are extremely simple to change. All that’s required is a simple twist, which is super DIY-friendly. The same goes for system installation.
Last but not least, Pentair provides a 1-year manufacturer warranty for your purchase.
Pentair Reverse Osmosis Pros
- Extremely sleek design!
- Time-proven 3-stage filtration process.
- Indicator lights to help you keep your system in check at a glance.
- Auto-flush feature.
- Leak detection.
- Easy to install and maintain.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
Unfortunately, no contaminant reduction rates are provided by Pentair, except for one:
- TDS: 96.8%
This is at least backed by an NSF certification, but we certainly would have appreciated more specific lab testing and reporting.
The Pentair T600RO – learn more on Amazon.com
Installation
As mentioned before, the Pentair OMNIFilter QuickConnect Tankless Reverse Osmosis System is as easy to install as it gets for this type of RO system. Pentair has provided a step-by-step installation video as well as a comprehensive user manual
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
Here is what you need to do to complete the setup:
- Shut off the cold water supply.
- Turn on the cold water faucet and let water drain completely from the system.
- Install feed adapter valve onto supply valve.
- Connect riser to feed adapter valve.
- Find a location for the faucet – you can reuse an existing hole or drill a new one.
- Mount the faucet.
- Find a location for the drain clamp – it must be attached to a vertical section of the pipe, around 6” above the trap.
- Install the drain clamp.
- Hook up the system to the drain.
- Find a place for the system under the sink.
- Install the system.
- Connect the faucet to the system.
- Connect the system to the water supply adapter.
- Connect the power adapter.
- Install the filter cartridges.
- Turn on cold water supply.
- Start the system.
- Leave the system flushing for 5 minutes.
- Open faucet and allow it to run for 30 minutes.
The Package (Parts)
- System Body
- Power Adapter
- Filter Elements
- Feed Water Adapter
- Smart Faucet
- Tubing
- 1/4″ Quick Connect Locking Clip
- 3/8″ Quick Connect Locking Clip
- 1/4″ Quick Connect Fitting
- Drain Saddle
- Front Cover
- Owner’s Manual
- Quick Reference Guide
Maintenance
As with most other water filtration systems, the main point of maintenance is replacing the filter elements on a regular basis. The lifespan of the different filters is:
- Composite filter: 12 months.
- Carbon block filter: 12 months.
- Reverse osmosis membrane: 24 months.
All in all, you can expect to spend around $125 per year on maintenance, which is okay. Replacing each filter is very simple, with a quick-connect feature that makes it trivial to swap them out without even having to shut off your water.
And remember, system panel and RO faucet help you determine when it’s time for a filter change!
- Blue light = Filters are good
- Purple light = Filters will require your attention soon
- Red light = Filters have Expired
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
NSF and Other Certifications
The Pentair T600RO comes with one NSF certification:
- NSF 58: for reduction of TDS.
Earlier Product Versions
There are no earlier product versions that we could find.
Pentair RO System Cons
- Costs quite a lot upfront for what you get.
- We miss additional contaminant reduction rates tested against NSF standards or even more ideal certified against NSF standards.
- Only 57.5% recovery rate, which means roughly 1 gallon of water wasted for each gallon purified – while this isn’t bad by itself, there are other RO systems out there with much better performance in this regard, including some that have a wastewater ratio of just 20%.
- The TDS light seems like a nice idea, but it’s not that useful in reality because it only provides you with a very rough range and no exact numbers.
Pentair T600RO Review: Our Verdict + Best for
This Pentair reverse osmosis system comes with a standard RO filtration process which means it likely is very effective, but we cannot tell with certainty because Pentair doesn’t provide specific contaminant reduction rates. There are no NSF certifications either except for TDS. We like some of the additional features although the TDS light indicator is a bit useless. Also, we find the upfront price too high. And the 1:1 drain ratio is good but not great. At least the annual maintenance costs are acceptable. All in all, there are better systems out there. 3.5 stars.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 4.0/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 4.0/5.0
- Purchase Price: 3.5/5.0
- Annual Cost: 5.0/5.0
- Overall: 3.5/5.0
Comparison to Other Reverse Osmosis Systems
There are various reverse osmosis systems on the market that offer better performance at this price level, as well as some which are more expensive but worth the additional investment. So if you’re interested in an alternative choice, we suggest checking out the Waterdrop G3 and the AquaTru.
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.
Get 10% Off! Use Code: |
|
AquaTru |
|
| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Stages: | 4 |
| Water: | 1 Gallon in 10-15 Minutes |
| NSF: | 42, 53, 58, 401, P473 |
| Annually: | ~$100-120 |
|
Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
Get 15% Off! Use Code: |
|
|
Pentair T600RO |
|
| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Stages: | 3 |
| Flow Rate: | Not Specified |
| NSF: | 58 |
| Annually: | ~$125 |
|
Overall Rating: 3.5/5.0 ⓘ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.
|
|
The AquaTru is a countertop reverse osmosis system which requires no installation at all. It comes with a 4-stage filtration process, tested and certified against multiple NSF/ANSI standards – 42, 53, 58, 401, and P473 – very impressive and it shows a lot of care from the manufacturer. The contaminants addressed by the system include:
- 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%
- Various trace pharmaceuticals and pesticides: 86.7-96.6%
- PFOA, PFOS: 97.5%
Thanks to the countertop design, the system is small and easy to find a place for. Setting it up takes less than 10 minutes, and maintenance is very simple as well. It filters water fast, and only wastes around 20% of the input water – much better than the Pentair.
The whole body is made of BPA and BPS-free Tritan plastic. Occasionally, users report minor leaks, but we personally haven’t experienced anything like that. The unit is cheaper than the Pentair, and costs around the same to maintain.
The Waterdrop G3 is more similar to the Pentair, being a tankless system. It, too, offers 4 filtration stages, with its performance backed by at least one NSF certification and extensive testing. You get a certificate for NSF standard 58, as well as testing for standards 42, 53, 58, and 401. This covers contaminants that include:
- VOCs: 99%
- Chlorine: 99%
- Nitrate: 98%
- Fluoride: 99%
- Arsenic: 99%
- Chromium-6: 99%
- Lead: 99%
- PFOA/PFOS: 99%
Flow rate from the RO faucet is 0.42 gallons per minute, so quite fast. We also have reduced amounts of wastewater – only around 33%, so better than the Pentair. Installation is simple and straightforward, just like with the Pentair, and you also get indicator lights that show you when it’s time to replace filters + a specific TDS reading for the output water, so not just a light that indicates the TDS range.
The whole system is made of BPA-free materials, and you get a money-back satisfaction guarantee for the first 30 days of your purchase, as well as a 1-year manufacturer warranty valid if you’re using the system with municipal water. All in all, a great system, even if it occasionally produces some minor unusual noises.
In the end, we strongly recommend the AquaTru due to its balance of price, affordability, NSF certificates, speed, and wastewater ratio. The Waterdrop G3 is pretty good too, all things considered – and we would only recommend the Pentair if you can’t get any of the other two options for whatever reason.
More Pentair Reviews:
This completes our review of the Pentair OMNIFilter QuickConnect Tankless Reverse Osmosis System. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
Information provided on BOS is for educational purposes only. The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances.
We adhere to strict editorial guidelines. Rest assured, the opinions expressed have not been provided, reviewed, or otherwise endorsed by our partners – they are unbiased, independent, and the author’s alone. Our licensed experts fact-check all content for accuracy. It is accurate as of the date posted and to the best of our knowledge.