high gpd, low waste RO unit??

[Alpha Aquaculture]

Hello R2R!

Can anyone provide info about an RO unit that can produce a decent gpd while performing more efficiently. My spectrapure wastes water 4x as much as it makes pure 1x. I want to conserve water but don't mind spending a lil more on a more efficient RO unit. What are my options. I hate all that water going down the drain!

Thanks,
Kris

 

[Ian]

you should contact your local water company and get an industrial DI tank.

Basically you run 2 in a row, when the one closest to the source is spent you bump the other one up and add a 2nd.

It's really not too expensive and there's 0 waste. They'll even rent/sell you a light that will come on when there's any TDS coming from the output...

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

I think your best bet is to add in another membrane so they run inline. however you will prob. need a booster pump but it will cut down your waste alot some have gotten a 1:1 waste to good by doing this

 

[Alpha Aquaculture]

So you think I should just use the brand the local water company recommends? Sounds pretty simple. How big are these DI filters usually? Thanks Ian!

 

[Ian]

So you think I should just use the brand the local water company recommends? Sounds pretty simple. How big are these DI filters usually? Thanks Ian!

Brand? No, they'll supply what look like large oxygen tanks that are good for X amount of gallons depending on which ones you get.

You pay X for the service and X to refill the tanks. They last quite a while no matter what ones you get and can provide negative TDS water

That's the ticket for what you're looking for and if I had the room, I'd have some as well.

Since I don't have the room I have dual membranes on my RODI unit....

 

[Alpha Aquaculture]

I think your best bet is to add in another membrane so they run inline. however you will prob. need a booster pump but it will cut down your waste alot some have gotten a 1:1 waste to good by doing this

Is there a RO unit made from the factory like this?

Brand? No, they'll supply what look like large oxygen tanks that are good for X amount of gallons depending on which ones you get.

You pay X for the service and X to refill the tanks. They last quite a while no matter what ones you get and can provide negative TDS water

That's the ticket for what you're looking for and if I had the room, I'd have some as well.

Since I don't have the room I have dual membranes on my RODI unit....

Interesting. I'm gonna have to look into that. My landlord at the warehouse is allowing me a lil over 2000 gallons a month. Thats gonna be surpassed quick if I don't do something. Plus I really feel bad about wasting all the water.

 

[kau_cinta_ku]

Water Saver RO/DI

here is one system made for that

and here are the tests done with diff. water pressure
Water Saver Test Results

 

[Just Clownin Around]

I think your best bet is to add in another membrane so they run inline. however you will prob. need a booster pump but it will cut down your waste alot some have gotten a 1:1 waste to good by doing this

this is what i do and i went from 4 gallons per hour to 9 and get a 1:2 production ratio. plus with the booster pump my membranes are lasting longer

 

[AZDesertRat]

Spectrapure manufacturers the only tested and proven low waste RO/DI system on the market with their MaxCap UHE. Others have tried and given up years ago. In the past they attempted to flush the membrane with tap water and Spectrapure has gone a step further by using a microprocessor and stored DI water to flush the membrane for long life. It also pickles or stores the membrane in DI when its not in use so it is drawing the contaminants out and TDS creep is no longer an issue since its DI inside the housing not tap.
It is capable of over 100 GPD at 1:1 waste ratio or less, I run at 0.67:1 myself or less than 1:1 in Phoenic with a tap TDS over 500. I tested my system last weekend and found the following after 26 months of heavy usage:
Tap TDS 537
RO only TDS 2.2 (using a handheld COM-100 TDS meter)
MaxCap DI - 0 TDS, this cartridge was replaced for the first time on 5/27/10 after 19 months of use before it started to show a TDS reading.
SilicaBuster DI- 0 TDS, and thats still the original SilicaBuster cartridge from 26 months ago, never been changed!

They are not cheap but they are the only system like it today.

Dual membrane systems still must be run at 4:1 waste ratio if you expect the second membrane to last. Remember it is receiving the brine from the first membrane at 20 to 25% higher TDS than the tap was to begin with. If siomeone os promoting it as a wate rsaver you might want to investigate further, its been tried and forgotten by all the major players years ago. Note AWI. Buckeye, Spectrapure, PurelyH2o and many others all sell dual membrane systems but not one promotes it as a water saving system, only a faster system. I suppose if you have Tap TDS of 50 ot 100 it would work for awhile but will still fail sooner than a properly flushed membrane. Its simply not a good idea.

 

[Sundiego]

I would get a system from these guys The Filter Guys, they were the first ones to sell the dual membrane system with booster pump. They do sell this on their site as a water saver. I have it and get 1:1.

They also have the best customer service.

 

[doughboy]

check the price you pay for your tap water, you will see it is cheap enough that it is actually more cost effective for you to just dump the 4-5x waste water. I used to go through the trouble saving the waste water and using it, and found out it is only worth like less than a dollar (my water cost $1.77 for 750 gallons or hundred cubic feet). So unless you are doing it for philosophical reasons, it does not make sense to spend hundreds of dollars in order to save $1 of water going down the drain.

 

[Harry_Y]

Water Saver RO/DI

here is one system made for that

and here are the tests done with diff. water pressure
Water Saver Test Results

I have this particular unit and it works great being 150 GPD
is a real plus since I can make up water fairly quick.

I have a 180 so you can imagine how much water I go through.


PS: The Filter Guys have Outstanding Customer Service.