Dan
Well-known member
TL;DR (For the Read-and-Run Types):
Let’s rewind to the late 90s. Yours truly, fresh-faced and full of optimism, picked up that legendary Mr. Clean AutoDry kit. Remember that thing? The DI system that promised a spotless rinse with a little cartridge and a prayer? Yeah, I’ve been chasing that dream ever since.
Fast forward a couple decades (and way too many water spots), and I’m back on the hunt. CR Spotless has always been on my radar, especially when it hit Costco, but dropping north of $400 for something that might make my water a little less rude? Hard pass.
Then came the pandemic. You know the drill—too much time, too many YouTube videos, a few DIY pipe-zillas saved to my notes app, but nothing ever made it out of the planning stage.
The itch came back hard recently after trying one of those ceramic wash-and-walk-away products. Could I really rinse and walk away without drying, water spots, or soul-crushing regret? I had to know.
After sifting through Amazon’s DI graveyard (from hose-end memes to overpriced “proprietary” filter traps—cough inkjet printer model cough), I was ready to Frankenstein something together. But I’m a frugal guy. I love finding solid deals,and this seemed better than what I could build for about the same price, maybe even less considering multiple trips back to home depot for odds and ends.
Then came the Waterdrop WD-CWE-RF-B.
Almost $300 retail? No thanks. But a little eBay sleuthing and I found a refurb direct from Waterdrop for $169… with a make offer button. Game on. I offered $120. We landed at $150. Boom.
Shipping took about a week and a half. I cracked the box open like a kid on Christmas morning… and I was relieved. This wasn’t someone’s crusty return. The unit looked mint. No scuffs, no weird smells, no signs of a "wipe and pray" refurb job. Just a legit-looking, like-new system.
Install Notes:
Minor hiccup—this unit uses ¾” MNPT threads, not GHT. Translation: your standard garden hose washers won’t seal unless you wrap it like a mummy in Teflon tape or swap to proper brass quick connects. I went the brass route—zero leaks, happy days.
Build Quality:
Honestly, really nice. Solid housing, buttery-smooth bypass valve with three settings: DI, Bypass, and Closed (love that third one for cutting water flow during swaps). The whole thing feels like it’ll last.
Performance:
Here’s the results:
I’ll update as I log more washes, but for $150? This thing’s a slam dunk. If you're DI-curious and don’t want to drop a car payment on a Di kit, this is the kit to watch.
- Waterdrop WD-CWE-RF-B: solid CR Spotless alternative with real bypass and standard size filters.
- Refurb direct from Waterdrop on eBay: $150 shipped, arrived looking brand new.
- TDS dropped from 59ppm to 3ppm with strong flow; minor MNPT-to-GHT quirk, easily solved.
Let’s rewind to the late 90s. Yours truly, fresh-faced and full of optimism, picked up that legendary Mr. Clean AutoDry kit. Remember that thing? The DI system that promised a spotless rinse with a little cartridge and a prayer? Yeah, I’ve been chasing that dream ever since.
Fast forward a couple decades (and way too many water spots), and I’m back on the hunt. CR Spotless has always been on my radar, especially when it hit Costco, but dropping north of $400 for something that might make my water a little less rude? Hard pass.
Then came the pandemic. You know the drill—too much time, too many YouTube videos, a few DIY pipe-zillas saved to my notes app, but nothing ever made it out of the planning stage.
The itch came back hard recently after trying one of those ceramic wash-and-walk-away products. Could I really rinse and walk away without drying, water spots, or soul-crushing regret? I had to know.
After sifting through Amazon’s DI graveyard (from hose-end memes to overpriced “proprietary” filter traps—cough inkjet printer model cough), I was ready to Frankenstein something together. But I’m a frugal guy. I love finding solid deals,and this seemed better than what I could build for about the same price, maybe even less considering multiple trips back to home depot for odds and ends.
Then came the Waterdrop WD-CWE-RF-B.
Almost $300 retail? No thanks. But a little eBay sleuthing and I found a refurb direct from Waterdrop for $169… with a make offer button. Game on. I offered $120. We landed at $150. Boom.
Shipping took about a week and a half. I cracked the box open like a kid on Christmas morning… and I was relieved. This wasn’t someone’s crusty return. The unit looked mint. No scuffs, no weird smells, no signs of a "wipe and pray" refurb job. Just a legit-looking, like-new system.
Install Notes:
Minor hiccup—this unit uses ¾” MNPT threads, not GHT. Translation: your standard garden hose washers won’t seal unless you wrap it like a mummy in Teflon tape or swap to proper brass quick connects. I went the brass route—zero leaks, happy days.
Build Quality:
Honestly, really nice. Solid housing, buttery-smooth bypass valve with three settings: DI, Bypass, and Closed (love that third one for cutting water flow during swaps). The whole thing feels like it’ll last.
Performance:
Here’s the results:
- Tap water: 59 ppm
- Post-DI: 3 ppm
Not quite zero, but for my use (final rinse after a ceramic-infused wash), that’s plenty. And the flow? Shockingly good—feels almost identical in DI vs. Bypass mode.
I’ll update as I log more washes, but for $150? This thing’s a slam dunk. If you're DI-curious and don’t want to drop a car payment on a Di kit, this is the kit to watch.
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