Let me start with an apology...cottagefarmer, sorry I failed to mention the orchids in the original post. Not an intentional oversight, just a head full of too many details. Its often difficult to merge information from various sources and not only do I not always rememeber to ask all of the specifics of a question but often the answers to an initial query run so tangental to the original question, that its hard to stay focused. I also try to be senstitive to the length of a post, so I apparently fall short in the details in the process. Please all, accept my apologies and, if you still have patience, let me try and restate my situation: The gh is small (about 120 sq ft), wood frame, uses a 34" high kneewall of cement block,covered with 10mm twinwall. Floor is mortared used common brick that slopes to a central drain. pics via the URL below It currently has a 16" exhuast fan on thermo, two 16" shutters in the east wall, two 8" circulation fans running low speed 24/7 and (for starters) uses a 1500 watt milkhouse heater to keep night temps around 55-60. The plan (we all have to have a plan huh?) is mixed use in the Intermediate Greenhouse temp range, which I understand to be min 60 at night max mid 80s with a humidity range somewhere between 50- 75%. We'd like to maintain a small collection of orchids (of various types to the intermediate temps range) yet also start spring flower and veggie seeds, perhaps root a few cuttings etc. The gh has only been in operation for less than a month...mostly empty. So far the temps hold OK but the humidity hovers at mid 40s at best during the day. I do not plan a drip system for the gh. Plants will be watered and fertilized individually, or by "group". I do understand that misting and fogging are two of the ways to control and maintain a rise in humidity and that the two systems (fog vs mist) emit a different size water droplet and, of the two, I have read that the small fog droplet size is better for the plants than the (relatively) larger mist droplet size. (I thought I was trying to get input about which of the two systems people were using but, perhaps I failed in that communication as well) Of the two, at least for a start, I am currently (as of 10pmPST last night) looking at the Rainmaker Misting system from Ecologic that uses a high pressure pump and nozzles that produce 50-100 micron size water droplets (about $240). I understand that this is a misting system and that "fog" droplets would be smaller (less than 50 micron)but the cost differential between the two systems (at least from these folks) is big (roughly $240 vs $980). I'm not trying do this gh on the cheap but I'm not made of $ either. I do hear, even within the current answers to my orignal post, a difference of opinion about whether RO is "necessary" for such a system for use on orchids..at the moment my leaning is toward the RO system BUT it might be prudent for me to try the misting system without the RO and watch carefully what happens. It seems to me that cooling (in contrast to only maintaining humidity) is a plus to the deal. Since the gh needs additional humidity and, since that humidity in the form of injected mist would also help cool the gh, I can't see how the two don't work hand in glove, at least to a point. Thanks for your patience. Steve Here is a link that might be useful: gh pics

Connecting the RO to the fridge and having no faucet is not typically the set up, but it will cause no concern if done properly. I would still consider putting in a faucet for convenience. It will provide a faster flow. There are many ROs out there. My preference is the Kinetico RO due to its unique features and excellent benefits. In fact a new one coming out this month that is customizable to handle a wide range of water issues including arsenic, VOCs, bacteria/virus, or even adding calcium back into the water. Andy Christensen, CWS-II

FWIW.....my RO water comes out at 5 or 10 TDI depending on location. Personally, I have always preferred Hinkley & Schmitt's bottled water which is, basically, RO water with added minerals and reads about 25-30 TDI. Other vendors' waters have about the same TDI but taste different to different palettes. Many people think RO water tastes flat, kinda like distilled water does. Many people -- including me -- prefer this minerals-added "drinking water" version taste-wise. All I can say is I much prefer my RO water to unprocessed tap water at my location because we have miserable tasting tap-water. Exactly what your processed water will taste like after adding this additional module is something only you can evaluate. I agree with justalurker....give it a shot and see what you think. At this moment I'm considering upgrading my own Kinetico RO unit (18 years old and working OK, except no more parts) with the new K5. My intention if/when I change over is to try their mineral-adding module also. However, I have no idea -- and they don't either -- whether I will like it. Individual taste at work. Kinetico's module costs about $90 so it's a serious consideration. It will need to be good for me to continue using them.

No, I know the Aquasana isn't an RO system; I want the Rhino just to remove chlorine etc., for when my 7 year old takes extended baths and our showers, etc.; but I WAS interested in an RO, additionally, in the kitchen for our drinking and cooking water, to get rid of the 900 (slight exaggeration) contaminants and pollutants in our City of Chicago water.