Reverse Osmosis Systems – Rent vs Buy
Written by: Alexandra Uta // Last Updated: Jun 1, 2023
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Renting equipment can frequently be a good alternative to buying it outright, depending on your circumstances.
This includes things like reverse osmosis systems, which many people generally buy for the long term.
You might assume that it doesn’t make sense to rent something like that, but is that really true?
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Key Takeaways
- Buying a reverse osmosis system usually makes more sense than renting one from a financial standpoint. Renting tends to be more expensive in the long run.
- You are also restricted in terms of customizing, maintaining, and repair a system.
- Advantages of renting are that you don’t need all the money upfront, and someone will service your system for you provided it’s part of the rental agreement which is ideal for laymen.
Reverse Osmosis Rent vs Buy – Which Is Better?
So, reverse osmosis rent vs buy – which is better?
In the short term, renting a reverse osmosis system is generally a cheaper option than buying one, but it does come with some long-term implications that are important to consider:
It’s a good idea if your budget is currently tight, but if you’re planning on using that RO system in the long run, you should keep in mind that it will certainly be more cost effective to just buy it directly.
And of course, there are certain implications like maintenance and repairs that differ between the two options. If you buy, you’re usually on your own here. Either you pull it off DIY-style or you hire and pay an independent contractor whenever your reverse osmosis system requires maintenance or repair. If you are on a rental plan, both maintaining and repairing a system will usually be taken care of by the company.
Benefits of Buying a Reverse Osmosis System
There are many benefits to buying a reverse osmosis system directly. You should not ignore that option if you have the budget for it, but you should also not jump into it outright without researching both sides of the coin. Here are some of the most important things to consider about buying a reverse osmosis system.
Better Long-Term Value
When you buy the system outright, you get better long-term value out of the purchase. Renting is always made to be more expensive, especially if you need to do it for many months or even years.
You’re in Full Control of the Setup
You can do whatever you want with your reverse osmosis system – you own it! You can add additional pre-filtration stages, customize the way the filtration itself works, and add anything else you want. A rental deal might not allow you to do any of these things without explicit permission. And even if you do get permission, it might be quite costly.
You Can Resell It Later
When you buy a reverse osmosis system, you own it. This means that you can theoretically sell it at a later point if you determine that you don’t need it anymore. When you’re renting, all money you’re spending is gone for good. You don’t get anything permanent out of the deal in the end.
Disadvantages of Buying
There are some disadvantages to buying an RO system that you should be aware of as well. Make sure to consider these before deciding.
Do You Have the Money?
The most obvious disadvantage to buying a reverse osmosis system is that you need to have the entire sum of money ready upfront. If you don’t have a very flexible budget, this can be a problem. You might still be able to bridge the gap by taking out a loan or something along those lines, but if things have gotten to that point, buying a reverse osmosis system is probably not the best move.
You’re Responsible for Repairs and Maintenance
You’re also responsible for the system yourself when you own it. You have to perform all maintenance and repairs on your own and pay for them out of your own pocket. In some cases this might be covered by the warranty, but for everything else, you’re out of luck.
You Might Not Understand the Market Well Enough to Make the Best Purchase
The market for reverse osmosis systems is huge. When you’re renting, you might get the benefit of additional guidance to help you through the purchase. That’s not the case when you’re buying, unless you specifically hire that kind of help. This means that it’s very easy to potentially buy a system that doesn’t match your current requirements very well.
Benefits of Renting a Reverse Osmosis System
Renting could be a viable option for some people. This is a better idea if you have a limited budget or if you need to travel frequently.
Ideal for Laymen
Renting a reverse osmosis system is perfect for the average layperson who doesn’t understand the implications of working with one. You don’t need to understand anything about maintenance or repairs, and all of that will be handled by the rental company – at additional cost obviously. That’s not always guaranteed though, so make sure to check your rental contract before signing it.
No Need to Remember the Date of the Last Filter Change
Even better, some rental services will take care of things like replacing your reverse osmosis membrane for you. You won’t even have to call them yourself. They will maintain a calendar of their clients internally and they will notify you when it’s time to have your filter replaced.
Cheaper in the Short Term
If you only need to use a reverse osmosis system for a short period of time, renting can be a much better option financially. You don’t have to consider all the huge overhead costs of buying a filter system, and you can usually get out of the contract pretty easily.
Easy to Move Out
Renting is ideal for people who don’t live in the same place for too long. If you find yourself changing places every couple of years or so, for example because of your work, then renting a reverse osmosis system might make more sense for you.
Get Access to More Advanced Equipment
In rare cases, some rental companies offer cutting-edge solutions that just arrived to the market. These might be more difficult to obtain if you’re trying to buy them, but leveraging the connections of a rental company makes that easy. This can be a great opportunity to try out some new technology before investing in it.
Further Reading:
Disadvantages of Renting
And of course, you need to consider some of the disadvantages of renting reverse osmosis filtration systems. Here are the main points you should think about.
The True Cost of Reverse Osmosis Rental
Renting a reverse osmosis system, as with many things, is more expensive in the long term. After all, the company has to make a profit as well. And the longer you continue to rent, the more expensive it becomes.
Not Many Customization Options
You also don’t get that much in the way of customization when you’re renting. You’re basically limited to whatever configurations the company is offering, and you won’t get much say in those. If you need a specific filtering configuration, you might be out of luck.
You Might Have to Wait Longer for Repairs
The fact that repairs are covered by the rental company can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, depending on the situation. If the company is very busy, they might make you wait a long time until they’re able to address your problem. And since you’re not allowed to do any repairs yourself, this can leave you without filtered water for a long time.
Financing
Financing is an alternative option that’s available at many retailers. Basically, you buy a product and you pay for it in installments in the long term. A great thing about financing is that it’s usually handled by a third party like a bank. This means that you have more options regarding the terms of the financing deal.
Rent to Own
Rent to own is a similar type of deal, but is not as popular. It works exactly as it sounds. You received the product and you make installments into it over time that are typically higher than the installments you would make in a financing deal. After a certain time, paying the last installment makes you the official owner of the product. This can work very well if you know exactly what you want to purchase.
If you have any questions about reverse osmosis rent vs buy please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Alexandra Uta
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