Table of Contents
Overview of the Home Master TMULTRA
This system is no longer recommended!
While the Home Master TMULTRA is a good system, we no longer recommend it. For the same price, you can get a similar system that is more efficient and has a better warranty. Please see our current list of recommended RO systems to learn more.
The Home Master TMULTRA under sink reverse osmosis (RO) system is a compact, easy to install filter system that includes an additional iron pre-filter to remove excess iron from your water in addition to the standard filter that you will find on most RO systems.
It also includes an Ultraviolet (UV) filter to kill microorganisms.
The system removes 98% of the solids, chemicals and metals in the water, while the UV light kills off 99.9% of microorganisms.
The TMULTRA system has recently been upgraded to include larger bore piping that increases the speed at which the system filters water. The system is designed to deliver 50 gallons of pure water a day but this output can be affected by water pressure and temperature. In all RO systems, lower water pressure and lower water temperatures will reduce output, while higher water pressure and warmer water can increase the output.
The system has an efficiency ratio of 4:1, which means that for every 1 gallon of pure water that is produced, 4 gallons of water are used to back flush the filter system. The system water efficiency can be increased by adding an optional permeate pump. This permeate pump reduces the amount of waste water to 1 gallon for every gallon of pure water produced. The permeate pump also increases the output of the system from 50 gallons a day to 75 gallons per day.
Be sure to check out our guide to the best and most popular reverse osmosis accessories.
Filtration System Design
The Home Master TMULTRA system has a modular filter design. This modular system makes the changing of filter elements easier. Each of the filter elements is contained in its own housing, which is changed out with the filter. This solves a problem that can occur when the filter was contained within a housing. Even though the filter was replaced, some of the debris that had been removed by the filter remained in the housing. This reduced the life of the filter and could damage the housing. There is also no need for any tools when replacing the filters, you simply pull the old one out and push in the new filter.
The UV bulb should be replaced every year when you replace your filters. Every third year the whole UV unit should be replaced.
Changing the RO membrane, which is recommended every 3 to 5 years, is slightly more involved than replacing the filter elements but will only take a few minutes.
Water Efficiency
The Home Master TMULTRA is average when it comes to water efficiency. To produce 1 gallon of pure drinking water, 4 gallons of water are used to backflush and keep the membrane clear if there is no optional permeate pump. This waste water can be used for watering gardens or other non-drinking applications, but this would require additional plumbing not covered by the standard installation.
Adding a permeate pump to the system increases the water efficiency considerably. With a permeate pump, the system produces 1 gallon of waste water for every 1 gallon of pure water produced. The daily output of the system is also increased to 75 gallons.
Ease of Installation
Thanks to the modular design and color coded water pipes, this is an easy system to install. Someone with basic DIY skills should be able to install the system in about an hour. The only tools needed are a drill, a crescent wrench and a Philips screwdriver. Everything else (including Teflon tape) is included in the kit. The full installation instructions and owner’s manual (found here) goes into great detail about how to connect the feed pipes and drainage pipes over 7 pages, but it is one of those things that is more difficult to explain than it is to do.
The system is designed to fit under most sink cabinets but can be installed wherever there is a convenient water supply and drain.
Home Master has also made a series of 6 videos that show an installation and for many, it is easier to watch these videos before attempting the installation. It is well worth spending the time to watch the videos, as they clarify some the of instructions in the manual.
The videos do not include instructions for the UV unit, so see section 8 of the instruction manual for details. Also keep in mind that the UV unit requires a 110V outlet available under the sink, which is likely if you already have a dishwasher or garbage disposal.
Video 1 – Introduction
Video 2 – Faucet installation
Video 3 – Fitting the feed water adaptor
Video 4 – Fitting the drain saddle
At this point, the installation of the permeate pump is not included in the video instructions, check out section 3a of the instruction manual for details.
Video 5 – Mounting the RO unit
Take note of the need to have enough room to remove the unit for annual maintenance.
Video 6 – Final assembly and starting the unit up
Home Master TMULTRA Pros
- Dedicated iron filter, which is uncommon
- Kills off microorganisms using UV light
- Filter life – 2,000 gallons or 1 year
- Removes up to 98% of dissolved solids, chemicals & metals
- Modular filter design – filter and filter container are one, pull-out, push-in, unit
- RO Membrane life – 3 to 5 years
- 5 year limited manufacturer’s warranty
Home Master TMULTRA Cons
- Very poor efficiency and high water waste
- While the system itself works well, some of the information that Home Master have distributed to some websites suggest that this system includes a permeate pump by default. It does not. But it can be added as an option online.
Visit our reviews of the better reverse osmosis filtration systems to compare the Home Master TMULTRA with the competition.
Conclusion
During the Home Master TMULTRA review we found the system is of the high quality that you can expect from Home Master. With an iron pre-filter, this is an ideal system for both town water or well water, especially if the water supply contains higher than average amounts of iron that can damage the RO membrane.
Home Master has made maintenance of the system easy as well. Instead of having to order each replacement filter separately, they have assembled kits that are ordered as one.
In some areas where water usage and/or water costs are a consideration, the optional permeate pump, or another system such as the Home Master TMHP may be worth considering.
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