APEC Water Systems 3/8" Output Quicker Dispense Upgrade Kit for Under Sink Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

Previously I'd had one of Apec's high-flow systems, and it was amazing. The filtered water gushed out and I loved it. I don't have that system anymore, and the new system I have wasn't available in high flow. I saw this kit and thought that maybe it could get me back to the good old days.That said, my faucet is not the high-flow faucet that came with that previous set but rather a new hot/cold faucet (I have my filtered water also flowing through a Ready Hot so I have both filtered cold and filtered hot water ready to go). So I had my doubts...This kit definitely improved the flow. It is NOT high-flow, but not standard flow either. It's more of a standard flow PLUS.Now... was it worth $44? Most of the cost is in the included high-flow filter for the final stage. If you buy this kit when you're already replacing your filters (instead of the normal last-stage replacement), then it's a no-brainer. The additional cost is so small, it's well worth the added volume.

I have the APEC RO-90 which is now an APEC RO-HI with the addition of this kit. In addition to this high flow upgrade kit, I have also added the 14 gallon APEC TANK 14 to my setup. The last part that I plan to add is the permeate pump kit. But of course, you want to know about THIS, right? I would say to the other reviewers who said it doesn't increase the flow, your problem lies in inlet pressure, most likely.As I said, my system started as an RO-90. The cost of this kit was worth the money for me, as it has quite noticeably increased the flow from my refrigerator water dispenser as well as eliminated problems with my ice maker. If you add this kit and you still have flow issues, then you need to potentially add a booster pump, as your inlet pressure may be inadequate. Line pressure meters are readily available and cheap, as well as being simple to install.

I purchased the kit along with The APEC TANK-14 14 Gallon tank, the APEC Water Systems 3/8" Output Quicker Dispense Upgrade Kit, and (eventually) the APEC Water Systems Tank Ball Valve (3/4" NPTF, 1/4" Output). My purpose was to upgrade my existing system, the APEC Water Systems RO-90 Ultimate Series which I purchased in 2020.Overall I recommend the system, but I did have a couple issues, one my fault, and one Amazon's.So first the issue that was my fault. I originally purchased just the tank and the upgrade kit. I didn't look close enough at the specs and didn't realize that the 14 Gallon tank has a 3/4" male NPT fitting where the smaller tanks have a 1/4" male fitting. The upgrade kit comes with a new valve with a 3/8" tube outlet (as opposed to the 1/4" tube outlet on the standard filter set) but a 1/4" female fitting to mount to the tank. As a result, you can't use the valve with the 14 gallon tank. I couldn't find a version of the kit that comes with 1/4" fitting to 3/4" fitting adapter. I had to purchase the valve for the tank separately to get the adapter, but it comes with a 1/4" tube outlet. I then took the valve off the adapter and used the valve from the upgrade kit to work with my tank. Very confusing, but bottom line is it would be nice if APEC offered a 3/8" upgrade kit that worked with the 14 gallon tank without having to buy other parts.The second issue, which is Amazon/APECs fault - the upgrade kit was supposed to come with a 3/8" to 1/4" tube adapter. This is needed to adapt to the 1/4" tube interface on the faucet. Instead it came with a 1/4" to 1/4" union. So I had to go to Lowe's and buy the adapter.One other note, the tank came with a dent in the corner. Not sure who's fault that is, but it does not seem to affect performance so I am living with it rather that navigate the return process.However, despite these issues, I'm pretty happy with the system. I was worried that stepping the tube diameter down to 1/4" at the faucet would impact the flow rate, but it seems to have little effect. The flow is good and I have plenty of volume. I'd recommend the system, just be make sure you have all the parts and be prepared to make a trip to the hardware store if needed.

This filter releases carbon particulate into its output. It basically undoes the filtering done prior to it. I know this because I tried running a high quality Franke TriFlo filter after it and the cartridge turned black. I removed this from my system completely. Also it now ships with a cheap chinese angle stop valve instead of the quality John Guest brand valve they used to provide. Finally, this filter progressively restricts water flow over its lifetime. For clarity, my tests were all well inside of its claimed lifetime ratings.

I bought this because it was time to replace the last two stages of my APEC RO-90 system, and I also wanted to improve the flow rate from the faucet.Along the way, I took measurements of how long to dispense 4 cups of water, to help quantify where any improvements came from.(1) 23 seconds - original system with 1/4" tubing everywhere.(2) 17 seconds - after installing this kit but leaving the last 30" of 1/4" tubing leading to the faucet.(3) 13 seconds - after replacing that last section of 1/4" tubing to the faucet with 3/8" tubing.[10 seconds - with no faucet, just tubing - this is the best I could possibly achieve if I had some sort of ideal faucet.]So the result is that this kit improved the time from 23s to 13s - nearly doubling the speed. This was well worth the effort.I agree with other reviewers' comments wondering why APEC doesn't include this in their RO systems in the first place.

I did not want to install the RO under the sink. I wanted to install it in the utility room in our basement. That wouldbe approximately 25 feet from the kitchen sink. I also wanted to use the filtered water for our Ice Maker in the utility room Refrigerator/Freezer. To maintain the necessary volume, I installed this 3/8" upgrade. It was easy to do and took only 15 additional minutes. Great addition to my home water system! Everything is working as required.

Noticeably increased flow. Not huge, but worth it.