When reverse osmosis is the right answer
RO is the right tool for drinking and cooking water. If the complaint is staining, smell or scale through the whole house, treat that first with whole home water filtration installation, because an RO unit at one sink will not touch it.
- Drinking water that still tastes off after filtration
- You want better water for coffee and cooking
- A nitrate or dissolved solids result you want polished
- Bottled water you would rather stop buying
- An icemaker making cloudy or off-tasting ice
- Town water with a chlorine taste you dislike
What a reverse osmosis installation involves
A small job done properly, and a few decisions worth making before we drill anything. Worth reading first: is reverse osmosis worth it.
The unit itself
$450 to $1,100 fitted, under the sink, with its own dedicated faucet on the countertop. The membrane does the real work and the pre-filters exist to protect it.
Protecting the membrane
An RO membrane fouls quickly on iron, sediment or high hardness, which is exactly what Shore well water brings. Getting the whole-home treatment right first is what makes an RO unit last.
The drain connection and the tank
RO produces waste water alongside the clean, so it needs a drain connection, and the storage tank needs somewhere to live in the cabinet. We plan both before cutting anything.
Fridge and icemaker lines
Running the RO line to the fridge is worth doing at the same time rather than later, and it is the change most people notice first.
Why the Shore has us fit reverse osmosis
From large commercial projects to a dripping faucet, the work gets the same treatment: diagnosed correctly, repaired carefully, guaranteed in writing.
Stocked for the Shore
There is no supply house around the corner out here, so we carry more inventory in the shop and on the trucks than most companies our size carry anywhere.
Who actually shows up
A Shoresteady Plumbing technician who has been background checked and drug tested. We provide clear estimates before work begins.
No surprise on the invoice
You approve a written estimate before work begins. If the job needs something we did not see, we stop and talk to you first. Financing through Acorn Finance is available.
Guaranteed in writing
2-year workmanship
Our guarantee on the labor, on every job we do.
Manufacturer warranty
Passed through to you in full on everything we install.
100% satisfaction
If it is not right, we come back and make it right.
Questions We Get Asked About Reverse Osmosis Installation
What people ask before an RO unit goes under the sink.
How much does reverse osmosis cost?
$450 to $1,100 fitted at the sink. Full ranges for every kind of treatment are in our water treatment cost guide.
Can reverse osmosis replace a whole house system?
No, and it is worth being clear about that. RO treats the water at one tap. It will not stop staining in your tubs, scale in your water heater or a smell at the shower, because none of that water goes through it.
Does reverse osmosis waste water?
It sends some water to the drain alongside what it produces. That is how the process works, and it is worth knowing before you fit one, particularly on a septic system.
Will it take the minerals out of my drinking water?
Yes, that is largely the point, and some people prefer the taste of water with a little mineral content put back. Remineralizing cartridges exist and we will fit one if you want it.
Do I still need a softener with RO?
For the rest of the house, yes, if you have hardness. RO at one sink does nothing for the water heater or the laundry. See water softener installation.
Pick the system and the job you need
- Whole home filtration installation: Sediment, iron, and sulfur, UV
- Whole home filtration repair: Media, cartridges, and backwash faults
- Reverse osmosis installation: Drinking water at the sink
- Reverse osmosis repair: Slow faucet, membranes, and tanks
- Water softener installation: Sized for Shore hardness and iron
- Water softener repair: Salt bridges, resin, and valve heads
Explore related services
- Everything we install, repair, replace, and maintain
- Water treatment and filtration installation, repair and replacement
- Whole home water filtration installation and replacement
- Is Reverse Osmosis Worth It on Well Water?
- What the Shore says about us
- One membership. Every plumbing system in your house, looked after
- Plumbers who actually live on the Eastern Shore
- How Much Does a Water Treatment System Cost on Virginia’s Eastern Shore
- Water softener installation and replacement on the Shore
- Whole home water filtration repair and maintenance
- Reverse osmosis repair and maintenance on the Shore
- Water softener repair and maintenance on the Shore
Ready for a steady hand?
Book with our team, or call us seven days a week from 8am to 9pm.
Call (757) 824-9862