How to use RO
- Thread starter titansfever83
- Start date
That's a monster ro unit!
. Ok, so it looks like you are using the same type of DI canister only now you have two of them (?). What I was getting at in my last post is; how often do you have to change out the contents in proportion to how many gallons you use? I notice that you have an inline TDS meter just like mine
. Ok, so it looks like you are using the same type of DI canister only now you have two of them (?). What I was getting at in my last post is; how often do you have to change out the contents in proportion to how many gallons you use? I notice that you have an inline TDS meter just like mineI started with a 4-stage system and then bought another 3-cannister bracket. I have chloramine so I have to use two chloramine-specific cartridges behind the prefilter cartridge. Then it goes to the 100 gpd RO membrane and then to 3 DI cartridges.
Over the years, I found that one carbon cartridge will let chloramine pass. Any carbon cartridges will let ammonia pass hence the need for DI. Even with a modest 100 gpd RO membrane, the dwell time is such that a single DI cartridge won't remove all the ammonia. There's also the phenomenon where an exhausted DI cartridge dumps the ions it's previously bound, potentially leading to a release of ammonia in my case. The 2nd and 3rd DI cartridges take care of that and ensure that the 1st cartridge is fully exhausted before it's replaced. I have an inline TDS meter after the RO and after the 1st cartridge. TDS is 3 before and 1 after the first cartridge even though a lot of the color has changed. The 2nd cartridge has started changing color which shows that stuff is still getting by even though the 1st cartridge isn't completely exhausted yet. The 3rd cartridge hasn't shown any color change.
Water from the RO/DI filters goes into a 55 gal water drum where it sits for a few days while I adjust pH with baking soda, TDS with Kent RO Right, and warm it up with a heater, if necessary.
Over the years, I found that one carbon cartridge will let chloramine pass. Any carbon cartridges will let ammonia pass hence the need for DI. Even with a modest 100 gpd RO membrane, the dwell time is such that a single DI cartridge won't remove all the ammonia. There's also the phenomenon where an exhausted DI cartridge dumps the ions it's previously bound, potentially leading to a release of ammonia in my case. The 2nd and 3rd DI cartridges take care of that and ensure that the 1st cartridge is fully exhausted before it's replaced. I have an inline TDS meter after the RO and after the 1st cartridge. TDS is 3 before and 1 after the first cartridge even though a lot of the color has changed. The 2nd cartridge has started changing color which shows that stuff is still getting by even though the 1st cartridge isn't completely exhausted yet. The 3rd cartridge hasn't shown any color change.
Water from the RO/DI filters goes into a 55 gal water drum where it sits for a few days while I adjust pH with baking soda, TDS with Kent RO Right, and warm it up with a heater, if necessary.
Sorry I haven't replied sooner. The "ALL NEW AT&T"
My internet has been down for the past 2 days.
Thanks for the replies!!
Wolf, could you give me a ball park figure on your current system and what the annual cost is roughly. I don't know the TDS of my tap water but I'm sure it is close to 500. The water company here sent out letters to everyone saying if you have a low immune system or AIDS then you should drink bottled water! And everyone here calls the river we get our water from "Sh+t Creek". We don't drink nothing from the tap at my house.
Anyway, depending on cost I might try my own DIY. They seem simple to make just need to look at detailed pics if I do decide to get one. Price is a big issue it being Xmas and all. Wolf, do you see a big difference with your fish with the RO water or is it a must with the type of fish you keep?
Jamie
My internet has been down for the past 2 days.
Thanks for the replies!!
Wolf, could you give me a ball park figure on your current system and what the annual cost is roughly. I don't know the TDS of my tap water but I'm sure it is close to 500. The water company here sent out letters to everyone saying if you have a low immune system or AIDS then you should drink bottled water! And everyone here calls the river we get our water from "Sh+t Creek". We don't drink nothing from the tap at my house.
Anyway, depending on cost I might try my own DIY. They seem simple to make just need to look at detailed pics if I do decide to get one. Price is a big issue it being Xmas and all. Wolf, do you see a big difference with your fish with the RO water or is it a must with the type of fish you keep?
Jamie
It made a HUGE differance and yes we use it for drinking water as well. I figure we have about $400.00 total in the unit. I use the waste water for the plants so nothing goes down the drain. I have two 150 GPD RO membranes that should be good for a couple of years with all of the pre-filters we're running. At 45 psi I get about 280 to 300 GPD out of the system. I figure the cost of the replacement resin and filter cartrages at about...$75.00 every 6 months or so.
All of this is of course dependant on how much junk you have in your local water to begin with. The Dual TDS meter is a great addition and not very expencive but we also have a small hand held unit for the tanks themselves.
You can pick up a nice basic unit on Ebay and then slowly add to it as you go along. Thats more or less what we did. The RO units run parrellel while the DI units are in sieries. The backwash valve is almost never used and the shutoff unit on my system could be eliminated for all the good it does. They are only worthwile if your feeding a main supply tank.
All of this is of course dependant on how much junk you have in your local water to begin with. The Dual TDS meter is a great addition and not very expencive but we also have a small hand held unit for the tanks themselves.
You can pick up a nice basic unit on Ebay and then slowly add to it as you go along. Thats more or less what we did. The RO units run parrellel while the DI units are in sieries. The backwash valve is almost never used and the shutoff unit on my system could be eliminated for all the good it does. They are only worthwile if your feeding a main supply tank.
