Good day,

I have an RO system that doesn’t require an air gap on the discharge line. I want to replace the faucet with a different one, but most seem to have an air gap. Other than hole size, is there any reason I can’t use an air gap faucet and just not route the discharge through the air gap?

I can’t think of any, but I wanted to check.

James

 

Look for a filtered water faucet. They do exist and they do not have an air gap. I have one in my home hooked up to my RO system. My RO filter is located far away and discharges it's brine through another drain so a RO faucet with air gap is not needed.

 

You have much more experience than I. My understanding is that for an RO you need more than a filtered faucet as filtered water is not the same as RO due to RO being a bit more aggressive on the erosion of metals. Hence, the difference between RO faucets and filtered water faucets.

Even though air gap is not needed, is there any detriment to using an air gap faucet and just not using the air gap portion? To me, it simply becomes an unused void that exists in the base of the faucet. But, I could be wrong and that is what I am trying to determine.

The faucet matches the color and style of our existing kitchen faucet enough for my wife to like it so it would be simpler to use the one we have if there is no harm. I do understand it is not needed though.

 

You can use an air gap faucet if you wish. I personally think they are ugly.

Yes, RO water can be harder on some metals than regular water but it's nowhere near as bad as deionized water. My filtered water faucet has been in use for 18 years without trouble and no sign of corrosion. Luckily all water faucets are made from corrosion resistant materials like brass, plastic or stainless steel.

 

Thank you for your insight! I truly appreciate it.