FAQ - Drinking Water Systems

Before You Purchase

Will The Reverse Osmosis Be Ran To My Fridge?

One of the most common questions we receive is whether a reverse osmosis system can supply purified drinking water directly to a refrigerator. In most crawl space homes, the answer is yes. We can typically run a reverse osmosis line from the system underneath the kitchen sink to the refrigerator with very few limitations. Reverse osmosis systems must be installed where they have access to a drain, which is why they are usually located beneath the kitchen sink.

Many homeowners also ask whether they still need the refrigerator’s factory-installed water filter. In most cases, the answer is no. Once reverse osmosis water is being supplied to the refrigerator, the refrigerator filter should be removed and replaced with a bypass plug if required by the manufacturer.

For homes built on a slab foundation, installation options depend on how the plumbing was originally configured. If cabinetry runs continuously between the sink and refrigerator, we can often route the water line through the cabinets. However, island sink layouts sometimes prevent direct refrigerator connections if a dedicated line was not installed during construction.

A single reverse osmosis system can often serve multiple drinking water locations, including additional faucets and refrigerator ice makers, depending on accessibility and distance. Most residential reverse osmosis systems produce approximately 50 gallons of purified water per day and can be expanded with larger or additional storage tanks when needed.

These systems can also be configured for specialty applications such as dedicated ice makers and saltwater aquariums, depending on water demand and installation requirements.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • Can a reverse osmosis system supply purified water to your refrigerator and ice maker?
  • Do you still need the refrigerator water filter after installing reverse osmosis?
  • Installation differences between crawl space and slab homes.
  • How many faucets and water locations can be supplied by one reverse osmosis system.
  • Reverse osmosis storage capacity, recovery rates, and dedicated ice maker options.
  • Special applications such as aquariums and multiple drinking water stations.

Drilling My Granite For The Reverse Osmosis?

One question we receive frequently is whether homeowners need to hire someone separately to drill their granite countertop for a reverse osmosis system.

The answer is yes, we drill granite countertops as part of our reverse osmosis installations. In fact, drilling granite, quartz, and other stone countertops is something our technicians do on a regular basis.

Many homeowners are concerned about whether their specific countertop material can be drilled safely. In most cases, the answer is yes. Whether you have granite, quartz, or another common countertop surface, we can typically install the dedicated reverse osmosis faucet without any issues.

If you already have a soap dispenser installed next to the sink and would prefer to use that location for your reverse osmosis faucet, that is often an option as well. Many homeowners choose to relocate or remove the soap dispenser and use the existing hole for their drinking water faucet.

This can be especially helpful if you are planning to move in the future. Through our move program, many customers simply remove the reverse osmosis system, box it up, and take it with them to their next home. Using an existing countertop opening can make future changes even easier.

For homeowners considering a reverse osmosis drinking water system, there is typically nothing special you need to do before installation. Our team handles the countertop drilling and faucet installation as part of the process.

We have installed thousands of reverse osmosis systems over the years and routinely work with stone countertops. For most installations, drilling the countertop is a straightforward process and not something homeowners need to worry about.

If you’re considering a reverse osmosis water filtration system and have questions about your countertop, sink, or faucet location, our team can help determine the best installation option for your home.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • Do you need to hire someone separately to drill granite for a reverse osmosis faucet?
  • Can East Coast Water Quality drill granite, quartz, and other stone countertops?
  • What happens if you already have a soap dispenser installed?
  • How to reuse an existing countertop hole for a reverse osmosis drinking water system.
  • What to do with your reverse osmosis system when moving to a new home.
  • Why countertop drilling is a routine part of reverse osmosis installation.

Does Reverse Osmosis Drinking Systems Remove Lead?

One question we get quite a bit is, “Does reverse osmosis remove lead?”

The answer is yes.

One thing to consider when you’re looking at lead reduction is why you’re concerned about lead in the first place. Many homeowners throughout North Carolina, Virginia, and across the country have been receiving notices from municipalities regarding older water infrastructure, aging service lines, and potential lead concerns. As a result, people often ask whether they should install a reverse osmosis system and what type of system makes the most sense.

One of the biggest factors to think about is the plumbing inside your home. When people talk about lead contamination, they often focus on the water line coming from the street. However, the plumbing inside the house can also play a role depending on the age of the home, fixtures, fittings, and materials that have been used over the years.

Some homeowners ask whether they should install a whole-home reverse osmosis system to address lead concerns. Whole-home reverse osmosis systems do exist, but they are a completely different application. They require significantly more space, are much more expensive, and are typically used in specialized situations.

For most homeowners, a reverse osmosis drinking water system installed at the kitchen sink is the more practical and cost-effective solution.

The reason is simple. Unless you’re planning to replace all of the plumbing in the home, the goal is usually to filter the water at the point where it is actually being consumed. That’s why reverse osmosis is commonly installed at the kitchen sink. It becomes the last point of filtration before the water enters your glass, coffee maker, cooking pot, refrigerator, or ice maker.

Rather than trying to filter every gallon of water used for showers, laundry, toilets, and outdoor watering, a reverse osmosis system focuses on producing highly purified drinking water where it matters most.

Lead is just one of the many contaminants that reverse osmosis can help reduce. Reverse osmosis systems are also commonly used to reduce fluoride, nitrates, arsenic, sodium, total dissolved solids (TDS), and many other dissolved contaminants that may be present in drinking water.

For homeowners concerned about lead, the biggest advantage of reverse osmosis is that it provides one final level of filtration immediately before consumption. By treating the water at the kitchen sink, you’re helping ensure that the water used for drinking and cooking receives the highest level of filtration available in a residential setting.

If lead is a concern in your area, it’s important to understand both your water source and the plumbing inside your home. Water testing can help determine whether lead or other contaminants are present and what treatment options make the most sense.

For many homeowners throughout North Carolina and Virginia, a reverse osmosis drinking water system remains one of the most effective and affordable ways to improve drinking water quality while reducing lead and other dissolved contaminants.

Be sure to check out our other reverse osmosis FAQs to learn about additional contaminants reverse osmosis can reduce and how these systems help provide cleaner, better-tasting drinking water for your family.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • Does reverse osmosis remove lead from drinking water?
  • Why homeowners are receiving notices about lead service lines and aging plumbing infrastructure.
  • Whether you need a whole-home reverse osmosis system or a kitchen sink reverse osmosis system.
  • Why point-of-use filtration is often the most practical solution for lead concerns.
  • How lead can enter water through both municipal systems and household plumbing.
  • Additional contaminants reverse osmosis can reduce beyond lead.
  • Why many homeowners in North Carolina and Virginia choose reverse osmosis for drinking water protection.

Do I Need A Reverse Osmosis Unit If I Have The Whole Home System?

One of the questions we get all the time is, “Do I still need a reverse osmosis system if I already have a whole-home water treatment system?” The short answer is yes, because the two systems serve very different purposes.

A whole-home system is designed to treat what we call your working water—the water you use for showers, laundry, washing dishes, and protecting your plumbing and appliances. Without getting overly technical, a water softener works through an ion exchange process. It removes hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium and replaces them with an equal amount of sodium ions. That’s great for reducing hard water problems throughout your home, but it doesn’t produce the highest quality drinking water.

That’s where reverse osmosis comes in. While the whole-home system improves water for everyday household use, the reverse osmosis system is designed specifically for drinking and cooking water. It removes many contaminants that a water softener cannot, including PFAS (“forever chemicals”), lead, arsenic, fluoride, nitrates, sodium, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, total dissolved solids (TDS), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and many other chemical contaminants. The goal is to provide one final stage of purification right before the water reaches your glass.

If your budget doesn’t allow you to install both systems at the same time, we understand. If we had to recommend installing them in stages, we’d generally suggest starting with the reverse osmosis system because drinking water quality has the greatest direct impact on what you consume every day. That said, among our more than 8,000 customers, approximately 95% choose to install both systems because they complement each other.

Another common question is whether you still need the filter inside your refrigerator if your home already has a whole-home treatment system and reverse osmosis. In most cases, the answer is no. Refrigerator filters are typically just small carbon filters and don’t remove the broad range of contaminants that a reverse osmosis system does. In fact, the catalytic carbon used in our whole-home systems is generally much more effective than the carbon found in standard refrigerator filters.

Some refrigerators require a filter bypass plug to keep the water dispenser working after the factory filter is removed. Many refrigerators include one when they’re new, and if yours doesn’t, the manufacturer will often provide one at little or no cost. It may take a couple of attempts to receive the correct bypass plug for your specific model.

Finally, many homeowners ask whether reverse osmosis water can be supplied directly to the refrigerator and ice maker. If your home is pre-plumbed—such as many of the homes built by our builder partners—or if you have a crawl space that allows us to run a water line beneath the floor, connecting the refrigerator is usually straightforward. However, homes built on a concrete slab without a concealed route between the kitchen sink and refrigerator may not allow for a hidden water line. In those situations, you’ll still have excellent purified drinking water at the sink and can easily fill a pitcher for the refrigerator if needed.

If you have additional questions about maintenance, filter replacement schedules, or any of our water treatment systems, be sure to visit the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website or give us a call. We’re always happy to help.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • The difference between a whole-home water treatment system and a reverse osmosis drinking water system.
  • Why a whole-home system softens water but does not remove many drinking water contaminants.
  • Which contaminants reverse osmosis helps reduce, including PFAS, lead, fluoride, arsenic, nitrates, pharmaceuticals, microplastics, VOCs, and total dissolved solids (TDS).
  • Which system you should install first if you’re purchasing them one at a time.
  • Why refrigerator water filters are not a substitute for reverse osmosis and when a filter bypass plug may be needed.
  • How your home’s plumbing layout determines whether purified reverse osmosis water can be supplied directly to your refrigerator and ice maker.

What Differentiates East Coast Water Quality From Competitors?

If you’re watching this video, you’re probably wondering what sets East Coast Water Quality apart from the competition. Rather than comparing technical specifications or criticizing other companies, we’d like to explain what we believe truly matters when choosing a water treatment provider.

The first thing to consider is who will stand behind the system after it’s installed. There are countless water treatment products available online and in retail stores, but many of these companies don’t have a licensed plumbing business or local service team available when something goes wrong. While some of these systems may cost significantly less upfront, they often come with shorter warranties and aren’t designed for the same long-term reliability.

We actually install many customer-supplied systems purchased online. The challenge comes when a problem develops. While we can install the equipment, diagnosing failures, coordinating warranty claims, waiting for replacement parts, and returning to install those parts can quickly erase any initial savings. In many cases, homeowners spend more over time while still owning a product with limited support and warranty coverage.

We also believe it’s important to avoid companies that spend most of their sales presentation criticizing competitors. There are many quality water treatment products on the market, and several reputable companies offer effective solutions. Instead of focusing on what others are doing wrong, we prefer to explain how our products, pricing, and service model benefit our customers.

One important question to ask any company is whether their equipment is proprietary. Some manufacturers use exclusive parts that only their dealers can obtain. If service becomes slow or unsatisfactory, you may discover that no other company can repair your system because replacement parts aren’t available outside their network. We intentionally use industry-standard Clack control valves, along with our EcoWater partnership, so qualified water treatment professionals can service our systems if needed.

Our philosophy is based on building long-term relationships rather than making one-time sales. As licensed master plumbers, we don’t just install water treatment equipment—we also provide plumbing services, maintain existing systems, and strive to become a trusted resource for homeowners throughout the life of their home.

We also believe in transparent pricing. Rather than starting with inflated prices and negotiating them down over several hours, we offer straightforward pricing that’s consistent for every customer. While we provide discounts for groups such as military families, our pricing is fixed and designed to be fair for everyone.

Technology is another area where we believe customers should be careful. While non-electric water softeners still exist, modern electronically controlled systems offer better diagnostics, improved efficiency, easier programming, and more precise operation. That’s why we focus on proven, electronically controlled systems that provide greater reliability and performance.

Customer service is one of the areas we’re most proud of. We strive to respond to service requests within 24 hours whenever possible, and our multiple offices across Virginia and North Carolina allow us to provide local support to thousands of homeowners. If a customer ever has a concern, we encourage them to contact us directly so we can make it right.

Finally, our relationship with customers doesn’t end after installation. We return approximately 30 days after installation to perform a complimentary water retest, verify that the system is operating properly, and ensure our customers are completely satisfied. Many of the written and video testimonials on our website come directly from those follow-up visits.

Whether you’re on city water or well water, choosing the right system depends on your home’s specific needs. If you’d like more detailed information about our equipment, our Protector Series, or recommendations for your home, we’re always happy to answer your questions and help you find the right solution.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • The key differences between East Coast Water Quality and other water treatment companies.
  • Why local service, installation, and long-term support matter more than buying the cheapest system online.
  • The risks of proprietary water treatment systems and why they can limit your service options.
  • What to look for when comparing water treatment companies, warranties, pricing, and equipment.
  • Why East Coast Water Quality uses industry-standard components that any qualified dealer can service.
  • How our commitment to customer service, transparent pricing, and long-term relationships sets us apart.

Is Well Or City Water Safer In Virginia & North Carolina?

All right, guys. This one comes up all the time. Most people think it’s a simple yes-or-no question, but it absolutely is not.

Is city water safer than well water, or is well water safer than city water?

The answer is that you’re probably going to answer this question better than I can.

With city water, there are advantages. You typically don’t have high iron or sulfur because the chlorine and other disinfectants oxidize those contaminants out of the water. However, those disinfectants are still in the water when it reaches your home. They’ve done their job, and I would encourage you to do your own unbiased research on chlorine, including evaporation, inhalation during showers, and other related topics.

Then you get into issues like dry skin and eczema. Talk to some of those customers, and they’ll tell you they don’t care what dissolved in their well water—they don’t want to deal with the way they feel from the disinfectants in city water.

On the well water side, the disadvantage is that almost anything can dissolve into it at any time. You can have arsenic, lead, bacteria, and the list goes on. Since there’s no disinfectant in private well water, if bacteria are present, you may not know it.

There’s risk with both. The honest answer is that there’s no way to have perfect water unless you treat it at the point of use. It’s not a sales gimmick. Water is the universal solvent. It wants to dissolve and carry whatever it comes into contact with.

I can’t give you a direct answer. Whether the water comes from a private well or a municipal system, we can treat both. If you’re on well water and you’re looking for the highest level of protection, and you’re not dealing with tannins, oxidized iron, or a few other difficult situations, the typical setup would be a water softener, followed by a UV light to disinfect bacteria, and then a reverse osmosis system to remove contaminants right before you drink the water. If your home has a crawl space, you can also run that reverse osmosis water to your refrigerator.

Hopefully this gives you a little bit of an answer. I’m really encouraging you to continue your research. There really isn’t a completely safe option when you consider everything that can be present in water and the potential health effects.

Another thing I didn’t touch on at the beginning is, who determines what is considered safe? If you look at EPA regulations and municipal water standards, many of those regulations for certain contaminants haven’t changed in 20, 30, or even 40 years. They establish a level that’s considered safe and another level that’s considered unsafe, but it’s worth asking how often that research is updated.

If you visit our website and go to the Water Quality Reports section, you can easily find your city’s annual water quality report without having to search through the municipality’s website. Keep in mind that these reports are often about a year and a half old. During the recording of this video in 2026, many of the available reports are from 2024 because that’s how long it takes for them to be published.

We don’t criticize cities or municipalities. They do an excellent job with the resources they have, aging infrastructure, and the challenges they face. However, no public water system is currently removing all PFAS from drinking water.

The more research you do, the more you’ll likely come to the conclusion that the only way to have confidence in your drinking water is to treat it at the point of use.

If you haven’t already, check out Dr. Frank’s PFAS in Drinking Water: Plain English series. He explains these topics in a way that’s easy to understand. There are thousands of PFAS compounds, but only a handful are currently regulated, and those regulations continue to evolve.

Check out some of our other videos if you’re interested in learning about different types of filtration or how to target a specific water quality concern. If nothing else, keep educating yourself using the resources we provide. Thank you.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • Whether city water or well water is safer.
  • The advantages and disadvantages of both city water and private well water.
  • Why neither water source is completely free of contaminants.
  • How point-of-use treatment can improve your drinking water quality.
  • Why it’s important to review your local water quality report.
  • Why ongoing water testing and treatment are important for both city and well water

Can The Reverse Osmosis Run To A Kitchen Faucet Or Pot Filler?

Why can’t your reverse osmosis drinking system come through your main kitchen faucet? Does it have to have a separate faucet?

Unfortunately, the answer is yes. It does need to have a separate faucet.

The same concept applies to a pot filler. Can a pot filler be connected to a reverse osmosis system? Yes, but it’s going to require a booster pump. We have to increase the pressure so the pot filler has enough flow to be practical.

You also have to consider how much water you’re going to use from a pot filler. The storage tanks underneath most reverse osmosis systems only hold about two gallons of water. If you’re also supplying an ice maker, you don’t want to constantly empty that storage tank.

The same reason applies to your main kitchen faucet. The plumbing for your main faucet is much larger than the tubing used for a reverse osmosis system. The pressure provided by the reverse osmosis storage tank and the smaller water lines simply aren’t enough to properly supply a full-size kitchen faucet.

If you’re set on connecting a reverse osmosis system to a pot filler or have a custom application in mind, give us a call. We can discuss your water usage and determine whether a customized system with additional equipment, such as a booster pump, will meet your needs.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • Why a reverse osmosis system requires its own dedicated faucet.
  • Why reverse osmosis water can’t normally be connected to your main kitchen faucet.
  • Why pot fillers require special considerations with reverse osmosis systems.
  • How water pressure and plumbing size affect reverse osmosis performance.
  • How the reverse osmosis storage tank limits water delivery.
  • When a custom reverse osmosis installation may be possible.

How Much Water Does The Reverse Osmosis Make Per Day?

How much water does a reverse osmosis unit make? Well, that depends on which system you choose. There’s really nothing we can’t customize for you.

For our standard residential reverse osmosis units, they produce 50 gallons per day. What does that mean? It doesn’t mean you’ll have 50 gallons of water available at all times. It means the system is capable of producing up to 50 gallons over a 24-hour period.

Our standard systems use a two-gallon storage tank underneath the sink unless we’ve built a custom system for you. Some customers, such as aquarium owners, need larger amounts of water for regular water changes. In those situations, we can install 4-, 6-, 8-, or even 10-gallon storage tanks. If you have a crawl space, we can often install larger tanks underneath the home and keep them out of sight. In some cases, a larger tank may require giving up additional cabinet space beneath the sink.

Keep in mind that even a two-gallon storage tank doesn’t actually hold two full gallons of water. The tank contains an internal bladder that’s pressurized to about 8 to 12 PSI, so the usable water volume is typically around 1½ to 2 gallons. That’s usually enough to supply your drinking water needs and, if applicable, your refrigerator and ice maker.

This also brings us to an important term: recovery time. While many lower-cost reverse osmosis systems advertise capacities of 15 to 20 gallons per day, that doesn’t tell the whole story. If you completely empty the storage tank, some of those systems can take four to six hours to refill. Our standard 50-gallon-per-day systems typically refill the storage tank in about one hour and 45 minutes.

That faster recovery time becomes especially important if you’re also supplying an ice maker. Lower-capacity systems often struggle to keep up with the demand, resulting in slow ice production.

For most residential applications, 50 gallons per day is the standard. However, we can also install 100-gallon-per-day systems or even much larger reverse osmosis systems, including whole-home applications, depending on your needs.

For a typical residential drinking water system, expect about 1½ to 2 gallons of stored water available at any given time, with a production capacity of up to 50 gallons per day.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • How much water a residential reverse osmosis system produces each day.
  • How much water is actually stored and ready to use.
  • What “recovery time” means for a reverse osmosis system.
  • How larger storage tanks can be added for higher water demands.
  • Why higher-capacity reverse osmosis systems perform better than lower-capacity models.
  • When a custom reverse osmosis system may be the right solution.

Bottle Water VS Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water

Bottle water versus a reverse osmosis unit. We’re not going to give a huge scientific answer on this one.

When it comes to the advantages of both, I can’t really say there’s an advantage to bottled water over reverse osmosis water other than convenience when you’re on the go. With most of our reverse osmosis systems, we try to provide a couple of complimentary 40-ounce metal cups. We recommend sticking with metal bottles and staying away from plastics whenever possible.

That’s really the only advantage bottled water has—being able to grab it when you’re away from home if you haven’t brought enough water with you. That’s a separate topic about how much water our reverse osmosis systems produce.

The simple answer is that a reverse osmosis system filters the water right before you drink it. You’re the last person to filter your water, giving you peace of mind that it’s as clean as possible. Reverse osmosis reduces PFAS, lead, arsenic, and many other contaminants.

With bottled water, it’s hard to know exactly what standards it meets. Bottled water can come from a municipal water source, and municipal water systems are not required to remove PFAS. When you start looking at PFAS, pharmaceuticals, and many of the other contaminants that a reverse osmosis system removes, it’s really not much of a comparison.

Then there’s the cost. A reverse osmosis system will save you a significant amount of money over time. It doesn’t take long for the system to pay for itself. When you consider that a single bottle of water can cost several dollars at a convenience store, compared to filling a 40-ounce reusable bottle with clean reverse osmosis water and ice, the savings add up quickly.

Many families spend anywhere from $30 to $100 per month on bottled water. From a cost standpoint, it’s really not a close comparison.

To give you some reassurance, reverse osmosis beats bottled water in just about every category, except maybe when you’re stuck in an airport. Even then, I can probably get creative.

Hopefully that answers your question. We have plenty more videos covering topics like this, so keep checking them out.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • How bottled water compares to reverse osmosis drinking water.
  • The advantages of having a reverse osmosis system at home.
  • Why reverse osmosis removes more contaminants than most bottled water.
  • How reverse osmosis can save money compared to buying bottled water.
  • Why reusable metal bottles are recommended over plastic bottles.
  • Why reverse osmosis provides greater peace of mind for your drinking water.

If I Move Out Can I Take My Systems With Me?

At East Coast Water Quality, we proudly serve homeowners throughout Virginia and North Carolina. One question we hear frequently—especially from military families—is what happens if you need to move shortly after purchasing one of our water treatment systems.

The good news is that your water treatment equipment can move with you. Just like any valuable investment in your home, your system can be removed and reinstalled at your next residence, allowing you to continue enjoying the same high-quality water wherever life takes you.

To help make that transition easier, we offer every customer one complimentary system removal. For most homeowners, this service is available if you move within one year of purchase. As a thank-you to our military service members, we extend that benefit to two years from the date of purchase.

During the complimentary removal, our technicians will uninstall both the whole-home system and the reverse osmosis system at no charge while restoring your home’s plumbing to its original configuration. In many cases, the opening left by the reverse osmosis faucet can be fitted with a soap dispenser for a clean, finished appearance.

Once your equipment has been removed, simply transport it with your household belongings. If you’re moving outside of our normal service area, we’ll be happy to help you locate a qualified installer in your new location to reinstall your equipment.

This relocation program is available for customers who own one of our Protector Series or EcoWater Systems products. While the initial removal service is complimentary during the eligible time period, reinstallation at your new home and installation of a soap dispenser are paid services.

Whether you’re relocating across town or across the country, our goal is to help you continue enjoying the benefits of clean, treated water in your new home.

What You’ll Learn in This Video

  • What happens to your water treatment system if you move to a new home.
  • How East Coast Water Quality’s free relocation program works.
  • Special relocation benefits available for military families.
  • Which services are included at no charge and which are paid services.
  • What to do if you’re moving outside our service area.
  • Which water treatment systems qualify for the relocation program.

The Best Water Filtration with a Lifetime Warranty!

Protector Series I & II Conditioners come with a Lifetime Warranty!
Protector Series Whole Home Water Conditioner softens your water, removing chlorine and mineral hardness ensuring your appliances, dishes, laundry and skin stays in top shape.
Protector 50 Reverse Osmosis Systems comes with a Lifetime Warranty!
Protector 50 Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System removes PFAS, chemicals, bacteria and viruses from your drinking water, to improve the health and quality of life of you and your family.
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