I received my new membrane from Russ at Buckeye Field Supply. I changed the membrane and installed the corresponding flow restrictor (this is now a 50 gpd system as opposed to the original 35 gpd.)
Everything is working great now. The TDS on the RO water is 0 ppm - 3 ppm consistently. And the TDS on the RO/DI side is 0 ppm consistently.
I have chosen to disconnect the "Zero Waste" line discharging to the hot water pipes of my house. After removing the membrane I could see some white crystalline buildup on the bottom of the membrane. I have an idea: when the hot water was not being drawn by another appliance in the house, there was nowhere for the brine to go-- if there is a check valve or the tank is full downstairs, where would the water go? This may have caused the membrane to develop a build up of brine salts and clog, thus becoming damaged.
I plan to utilize the brine for my garden, but that's a whole separate project.
Below are images of the new, very efficient membrane and how it compares to the one included in the Kent unit.
I am still using the Watts Premiere booster pump, just not to force water into the hot water pipes. This pump has boosted my water pressure from about 58 psi to 95 psi at the RO membrane. The unit producing 2.5 gallons of RO/DI water/ hour. That's 60 gpd!
This is a close up of the new membrane.
Everything is working great now. The TDS on the RO water is 0 ppm - 3 ppm consistently. And the TDS on the RO/DI side is 0 ppm consistently.
I have chosen to disconnect the "Zero Waste" line discharging to the hot water pipes of my house. After removing the membrane I could see some white crystalline buildup on the bottom of the membrane. I have an idea: when the hot water was not being drawn by another appliance in the house, there was nowhere for the brine to go-- if there is a check valve or the tank is full downstairs, where would the water go? This may have caused the membrane to develop a build up of brine salts and clog, thus becoming damaged.
I plan to utilize the brine for my garden, but that's a whole separate project.
Below are images of the new, very efficient membrane and how it compares to the one included in the Kent unit.
I am still using the Watts Premiere booster pump, just not to force water into the hot water pipes. This pump has boosted my water pressure from about 58 psi to 95 psi at the RO membrane. The unit producing 2.5 gallons of RO/DI water/ hour. That's 60 gpd!
This is a close up of the new membrane.
