Steve Dillon
Valuable Member
Im fixing to upgrade to RO/DI is there anything I can use the ro unit for?
RO unit
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HOOPDEEZ
Active Member
Hey I just got an RO unit and I plan on adding this to upgrade:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0077DV7J6/ref=s9_hps_bw_g60_i7
then get some color changing resin like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Deionization-...52453&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=deionizer+ispring
I only plan to run aquarium water through the DI, and RO for the house.
anyone know if Maryville uses chloramines?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0077DV7J6/ref=s9_hps_bw_g60_i7
then get some color changing resin like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Deionization-...52453&sr=8-3-fkmr0&keywords=deionizer+ispring
I only plan to run aquarium water through the DI, and RO for the house.
anyone know if Maryville uses chloramines?
OP
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Steve Dillon
Valuable Member
I didnt know I could add to it
Rob.D
Moderator
I don't know, but you can go to your utility company's website to see their declared filtering process.
Rob.D
Moderator
You can, all it takes is 1/4" fittings and 99% of small RO systems use 1/4" line.
It is easy to add DI to a RO system but make sure the RO membrane is efficient or you will be throwing good money away on DI resin replacements. RO acts as pretreatment and does 90-98% of the work, if the membrane is not efficient then the DI has to do the work and gets very expensive. Over the last 20 years I have learned it is always less expensive to add a drinking water kit to a reef quality RO/DI than it is to add DI to a drinking water style RO system. With a drinking water system, TDS isn't really an issue so membranes are often nano filters and not true RO membranes, the difference is 90% removal versus 98% removal when new and it drops off with age. This is significant since for every 2% you drop the removal efficiency you cut the DI life in half. An 8% difference is hugw when it comes to DI life.
Another thing you want to do when adding DI to a drinking water system is isolate the DI from the pressurized RO water since the pressure tank stores TDS creep water and eats DI like crazy. There are diagrams online that show the placement of a simple check valve to take care of that.
And it really doesn't matter if your utility uses chloramines or free chlorine, a good 1 micron carbon block removes the chlorine portion of chloramines and the RO membrane and DI remove the ammonia. Carbon does not remove chloramines, this is a myth.
Another thing you want to do when adding DI to a drinking water system is isolate the DI from the pressurized RO water since the pressure tank stores TDS creep water and eats DI like crazy. There are diagrams online that show the placement of a simple check valve to take care of that.
And it really doesn't matter if your utility uses chloramines or free chlorine, a good 1 micron carbon block removes the chlorine portion of chloramines and the RO membrane and DI remove the ammonia. Carbon does not remove chloramines, this is a myth.
HOOPDEEZ
Active Member
Good to know about the tank and TDS, gonna get a check valve when I add the DI. Just got the RO system installed last night. Flushed the system a few times, and I must say the water tastes excellent! The coffee tasted better too. It's a generic 100gpd system:
Unfortunately most 100 gpd membranes are only 90% rejection rate so hard on DI resin. You really want a Dow Filmtec 75 gpd true RO membrane or better yet one of Spectrapure specially treated and tested versions of the Dow 75 they call a high rejection rate 90 gpd.
An off the shelf Dow 75 averages 97% when tested while Spectrapure test at 98 to 99+% which doubles the DI life over the stock 75. Probably 16 or more times longer DI life over most 100 gpd membranes.
An off the shelf Dow 75 averages 97% when tested while Spectrapure test at 98 to 99+% which doubles the DI life over the stock 75. Probably 16 or more times longer DI life over most 100 gpd membranes.
Chriscrna
Valuable Member
Pick yourself up a pressurized storage tank (like this http://www.isopurewater.com/PAE-RO-...rage-Tank-14-NPT-White_p_3904.html?redirect=1) and run 1/4 inch tubing to your fridge and sink. Bada bing.....the best tasting water and ice you can get.
http://spectrapure.com/huds/4-STAGE-DWK-RODI-AG.pdfpdf
If you do decide to add DI later, be sure to install the check valve between the pressure tank and the DI as shown in the above diagram. This isolates the TDS creep inherent with all pressure tanks from the DI so you only make DI water directly from the RO membrane and it is as fresh as possible. Never make DI from a pressure tank.
If you do decide to add DI later, be sure to install the check valve between the pressure tank and the DI as shown in the above diagram. This isolates the TDS creep inherent with all pressure tanks from the DI so you only make DI water directly from the RO membrane and it is as fresh as possible. Never make DI from a pressure tank.
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OP
Steve Dillon
Valuable Member
Man yall made this too confusing. I read some where sps didnt like just ro water.. and it looks like I can buy a ro/di unit cheaper than adding all this stuff..
That is why I mentioned before that it is easier to add a $59 drinking water kit to a $125 reef quality RO/DI than to modify a drinking water system to a reef quality RO/DI.
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Steve Dillon
Valuable Member
But I want to go from a ro unit to a ro/di unit.. just wondering if there is a use for the ro unit
You can always have separate systems but it is kind of a waste.
To make what you have into a reef quality RO/DI with good component life and 0 TDS water quality you should replace the sediment filter with a 1 or 0.5 micon near absolute filter, replace the carbon with a 0.5 or 0.6 micron carbon block, replace the 100 gpd membrane with a 75 gpd high rejection rate RO membrane, add an add on full size vertical 20 DI canister and refillable cartridge, add an inline pressure gauge, add a check valve to isolate the pressure tank from the DI filter and buy a handheld TDS meter if you don't already have one.
Add those up and you have more than what a reef quality RO/DI costs new. You could get the new RO/DI and add your autoshutoff valve and drinking water kit to it along with a $8-10 1/4" John Guest check valve and sell the RO system as a bare bones RO on craigslist to recover some of your money.
Edit, I see in the photo you already have an inline pressure gauge which saves about $15.
To make what you have into a reef quality RO/DI with good component life and 0 TDS water quality you should replace the sediment filter with a 1 or 0.5 micon near absolute filter, replace the carbon with a 0.5 or 0.6 micron carbon block, replace the 100 gpd membrane with a 75 gpd high rejection rate RO membrane, add an add on full size vertical 20 DI canister and refillable cartridge, add an inline pressure gauge, add a check valve to isolate the pressure tank from the DI filter and buy a handheld TDS meter if you don't already have one.
Add those up and you have more than what a reef quality RO/DI costs new. You could get the new RO/DI and add your autoshutoff valve and drinking water kit to it along with a $8-10 1/4" John Guest check valve and sell the RO system as a bare bones RO on craigslist to recover some of your money.
Edit, I see in the photo you already have an inline pressure gauge which saves about $15.
silent_circle
New Member
would just go this route. Easier. Put a tee on the output of the ro unit and run it to this canister to produce ro/di water.
Jwalker814
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Those with the pressure tank, if capacity is only 4g. What does waste water do after tank is filled?
silent_circle
New Member
It just stopped producing water
Jwalker814
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Maybe im not stating question right. so if u have tank hooked to waste water once the tank is full at 4g of waste water u have ~2g of fresh? Seems pointless to save 4G of waste water.
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