CR Spotfree DI 300 Review

**Mark Waldron** · 04-27-2005, 07:55 PM

Instructions: Very easy to understand the set up of unit. The picture is pretty straightforward for what it should look like when assembled.

Packaging: The unit came in one box which wayed about 50 lbs. Once I opened the box I realized that some serious thought went into getting this unit from point A to B. The cart and tanks were seperated from the sealed bag of connectors, etc. and padding was placed on the handle of the cart and tanks. There was perforated cardboard to keep everything in place during transit.

Accesories: The unit came with all connectors and even had plumbing tape included. The electric light to gauge effectiveness of the unit was boxed seperately as was the wrench to remove the filters. They also included 2 washers that can be placed in your hose to restrict water flow. One washer will allow 1 gallon of water flow per minute and the second one will allow 2 gallons per minute. If your using a pressure washer, then these won`t be needed.

MFR Claims: CR Spotfree claims their units will produce 100% spot free water as long as the total output of water is less than 3 gallons per minute. They claim it`s easy to set up and operate, and replacing the cartridges is just as quick and easy.

My Review: The first thing I noticed about this unit is it`s not cheaply built. It`s well made and the materials of construction are top notch. I`ve used the system for about 2 weeks now and I`ve used it via garden hose and also with my Karcher 2500 psi pressure washer. Using the garden hose didn`t produce the perfect results I was looking for probably because I really couldn`t blast the DI water into the cracks and crevices. There were the telltale sighns of running and streaking below my mirrors, doorhandles, lights, etc. When I connected it to my pressure washer, the perfection of this system came to life. It truly produces a 100% spot free rinse. I`ve used it on light colored vehicles and also dark colored vehicles looking for any spotting I could find. Well guess what? There isn`t any.

Value: I figured that one gallon of this DI water is costing me .34 cents. I only use the DI water for the final rinse. I probably use about 3-4 gallons for my final rinses. Could I just dry the vehicles manually and save a buck or two? Absolutely. But after using this system, it`s not going to be happening anytime soon.

**imported_MCA** · 04-27-2005, 08:12 PM

Hi Mark,

Very nice review. A spot-free unit is definitely something I am highly interested in especially with the hot summer months ahead and the fact that I have a black car...

Not to be slightly off topic, but I read in one of your previous posts that you were purchasing this product. I thank you for taking the time to post a follow-up review. 99.9% of the people that come to Autopia seek knowledge on how to improve their process or find quality products. Posting good, thorough experiences is something I find extremely invaluable.

MCA

**Mark Waldron** · 04-27-2005, 08:23 PM

Your very welcome MCA. I appreciate you taking the time to say something very nice to me.

**imported_Sullybob** · 04-27-2005, 08:39 PM

Mark nice review. How much are replacement filters? Could you please post a link?

**Mark Waldron** · 04-27-2005, 08:51 PM

Sullybob,

Here`s the link you asked for. If you check out their website, you can figure out what system would make sense for you and what costs for replacement filters would be including shipping to your location. Take Care!

http://www.crspotless.com/

**CTDiesel** · 04-27-2005, 09:17 PM

Mark,

Do you know what level of total dissolved solids on the inlet water is used to calculate the 300 gallon rating of the unit you have?

**Mark Waldron** · 04-27-2005, 09:22 PM

Ram,

That`s a good question. You could contact the owner and I`m sure he could answer that question. His name is Chuck and I`ve spoken with him a couple times and he`s been very helpful with me.

**CTDiesel** · 04-27-2005, 09:38 PM

Mark,

I sent an email to CR earlier today.

If it`s really as good as sounds, I`ll purchase a DI300 too. I`ve been using distilled water and a pump when I wash, but the distilled water will still leave some spots if allowed to evaporate. I`ve tried four different brands of distilled water and none of them dries spot free, but it`s still much better than tap water.

Do you use it only for the rinse or the entire wash?

**Bill D** · 04-27-2005, 09:43 PM

Sounds like the water would be used up way too fast if the DI water were used for the entire wash

. Seems like you might have to rush through the final rinse too for the sake of conserving the DI water.

**Mark Waldron** · 04-27-2005, 09:52 PM

I`m only using it for my final rinse. I have a splitter on my pressure washer that I operate for either regular water or the DI water. As far as rushing the final rinse, I`m getting pretty good at figuring out the most cost effective way of getting the final rinse done as quickly as possible without sacrificing overall end results. I can turn my pressure washer down to half power which puts out about 1.2 gallons a minute. I can do my Dodge Dakota easily in four minutes or less.

**Bill D** · 04-27-2005, 09:56 PM

If I were to get it, I would not plan on using my pressure washer with it.How does it make out via plain hose?

**CTDiesel** · 04-27-2005, 10:00 PM

I think I may just make a cistern to collect rain water, pump this water through a carbon and particulate filter and then use this as the feed to a RO system. I`ll store the RO water in a 100 gallon PE tank and then when I wash, I`ll pump the RO water through the CR ion exchange filters. I should be able to double the life of the CR filters doing it this way and minimize the chance of water spots.

It may be a little bit of extra work, but I hate water spots!

**chml17l** · 04-27-2005, 10:01 PM

Mark, kudos for a thorough review and for bringing the CR spotfree system to my attention. I am considering purchasing one now. Under two dollars for a spot-free rinse and no drying is worth it to me, too.

**Mark Waldron** · 04-27-2005, 10:02 PM

Bill,

I wasn`t very happy with the results using my garden hose. The mirrors, doorhandles, and any other crevice didn`t get completely rinsed and I had running and streaking below these areas. My water pressure at my property stinks so maybe that was part of the problem. I will say that all other areas did dry to a spot free surface though.

**Mark Waldron** · 04-27-2005, 10:09 PM

Ram,

You`ll get alot more DI water out of this system doing it the way your suggesting. Your system will be the most spot free system that there could be. Now if we can only figure out how to automate this entire process at our homes. LOL

Chml171,

Exactly my thinking!