Under-sink drinking water · Three stages, one faucet
How the Hydration Stack works: reverse osmosis, remineralized and structured.
The Hydration Stack is GoodFor's flagship under-sink drinking water system: a MicroMax 8500 reverse osmosis system certified to NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 401 and 372, a Sango Coral remineralization filter, and a UMH Pure structuring device, installed in sequence with one dedicated faucet. This page explains what each stage does, what it costs to own, how it installs, and who it is for.
The three stages
Filter. Restore. Structure.
Water enters from the cold line and passes through the three components in this order. Each one does a job the others can't, and the order matters: minerals go back in before the water is structured, never after.
MicroMax 8500
Stage one: reverse osmosis
Five stages of filtration ending in an RO membrane. Certified reductions include PFOA and PFOS, lead (96.3% in NSF/ANSI 58 testing), fluoride (96.5%), arsenic, chromium, cysts, pharmaceuticals, and dissolved solids (93.8% in the same testing). It is the only GoodFor reverse osmosis system certified to NSF/ANSI 53 and 401.
Certified: NSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 401, 372 · CSA B483.1
Storage: 3.2 gallon tank
Filters: four cartridges, all replaced every 12 to 18 months in one visit
Sango Coral
Stage two: remineralization
Reverse osmosis takes calcium and magnesium out with everything else. The Sango Coral cartridge, fossilized coral from Okinawa, puts calcium, magnesium, and 70+ trace minerals back in-line as the water leaves the tank, and raises pH through mineral content alone, with no additives.
Minerals: 70+ trace elements from fossilized Sango coral
Cartridge life: about 24 months
Position: after the RO, before the UMH Pure
UMH Pure
Stage three: structuring
A vortex flow conditioner that conditions the flow before the faucet. It does not filter anything and needs no electricity or consumables. Research suggests structured water may be absorbed more efficiently at the cellular level and may support deeper hydration. That research is still developing.
Certified: TÜV EU
Warranty: 5 years
Maintenance: none
Cold water line → MicroMax 8500 → Sango Coral → UMH Pure → Dedicated faucet
Why reverse osmosis alone isn't the finish line
RO water is clean. It is also empty.
A reverse osmosis membrane rejects dissolved solids by size, and calcium and magnesium are dissolved solids. The MicroMax 8500 reduces total dissolved solids by 93.8% in certified testing, so the water reaching the tank has almost no mineral content left, which is why straight RO water tastes flat. The Stack treats remineralization and structuring as part of the system rather than as accessories: Sango Coral restores the minerals in the proportions coral carries them, and UMH Pure conditions the flow after that. What each of those layers does, and what the research supports for it, is covered on how water optimization works.
Developed with Tracy Duhs, Hydration Specialist, Host of HYDRATE Podcast.
Cost of ownership
What it costs, and what it costs after.
The system is $2,499 with the dedicated faucet included. Installation is separate and depends on where you are; see below. After that, two of the three components have consumables and one has none.
| Component | What gets replaced | Interval | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| MicroMax 8500 | Four filter cartridges (sediment, carbon, membrane, post-carbon) | Every 12 to 18 months | All four on the same schedule, one service visit |
| Sango Coral | Mineral cartridge | About every 24 months | Subscribe and save available on replacements |
| UMH Pure | Nothing | Never | No electricity, no consumables, 5-year warranty |
Standard installation includes drilling the countertop for the dedicated faucet. If you would rather avoid the drill, the dual-function kitchen faucet, sold separately, replaces your existing faucet and carries both lines.
Who it is for
Three situations, three different answers.
You drink city water and want it certified
This is the Stack's home case. City water meets EPA standards, and the MicroMax 8500 is certified for the contaminants those standards still allow, including PFOA and PFOS (see what is in city water). Remineralization and structuring take it past clean.
Buy the Hydration Stack →You already own a reverse osmosis system
Keep it. The Sango Coral and UMH Pure install in-line after under-sink reverse osmosis, in that order, and the product pages list the connection so you can check it against your system. You get the second and third stages without replacing the first.
Remineralization and structuring filters →Chlorine bothers you in the shower, or your water is hard
The Stack treats one faucet. If the problem shows up at every tap, whole-house filtration and softening come first, and the Stack is what you add at the kitchen sink afterward.
Whole house water filter guide →Installation
One visit, one faucet.
All three components mount under the kitchen sink and connect in sequence to a dedicated faucet at the counter. Our licensed team installs in Southern California, Houston, Austin, Tampa, and Miami/Ft. Lauderdale. Everywhere else the system ships to you and we pair you with a master plumber for installation support, or your own plumber can follow the sequence: cold line, MicroMax 8500, Sango Coral, UMH Pure, faucet. The UMH Pure is always last.
Google reviews · Pulled live, unmoderated
What customers say.
Ready when you are
Buy it outright, or talk it through first.
The Hydration Stack ships nationwide from the product page. If you are unsure whether your water calls for it, a free consultation goes through your utility's report and says so either way.
Questions
Before you buy.
What people ask about the Stack on the first call.