RO Unit install question

[MACATUA]

I just purchased a RO unit for my new tank setup. I have never had my own and I am not a plumber. It came with a self piercing saddle valve for copper pipe.

My question is I am building the tank in the basement. I will have an ajoining room where I will store the sump, all equipment, and the RO unit. There is no sink or water connection in this room. But this is where the hot water heater is stored.

I purchased a control valve to control water flow to the unit. Can I simply install the saddle valve on a cold water line near the hot water heater since there will be a control valve controling flow?

All answers are appreciated.

Mike

 

[greenfish]

You could. Saddle valves are not my favorite but it should work. I am no plumber either so take my advice lightly.

Since there is no sink, where are you going to put the RO waste line? You are going to have to have someplace to drain that. I have my waste line hooked up to the drain from my washing machine.

 

[MACATUA]

I guess I will just have to have the waste line drain into a bucket and empty the bucket occasionally...

Would that work?

 

[Ziggy953]

It will work but you will have to empty it rather often. The waste line puts out a fair amount of water.

As for the control valve, why do you need it?

 

[MACATUA]

May not, do I?

How else do I control when water is going into the unit?

 

[Ziggy953]

I missunderstood. You will need that I thought you were using something to reduce the amount of pressure. No of course you will need to be able to shut the water off going into the unit.

sorry about that.

 

[MACATUA]

But just to be sure, I can tap the saddle valve anywhere in a cold water line and put a control valve on it and be fine, right?

 

[Ziggy953]

Yes. Just be prepared of the saddle valve to leak a bit at first. It will eventually seal itself off. I don't like them but sometimes that is what you have to use.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Just to chime in with a suggestion - I'd really really really consider doing something with the waste line rather than just putting it in a bucket. You're looking at anywhere between 3-5x the amount of waste water for the amount of filtered water you get. You will, at some point, forget to empty your bucket or turn off your valve. And a little bit of water can make a real BIG mess in a really short time. Expensive too.

Just my nickel's worth...

 

[Ziggy953]

I agree!

 

[MACATUA]

Good suggestion, hmmmmmm, I wonder what would be a good solution.

 

[Ziggy953]

Well if you don't have a sink near by then you are limited to what you can do. How close to a door or a window is the tank? Would it work for you to put a 32gallon trash can in for the waste water and then pump the water out of that tank to the outside?

 

[MACATUA]

I'll have to get in the basement tonight and see if there is a place to rid the water. Otherwise, I will have to put a 32 gallon trash can on a wooden furniture dolly and wheel it to the door to dump it out.!

 

[Ziggy953]

That would be a good solution....thought I think I would take a pump and drop it in there and pump the water out instead of trying to dump it. 32g is pretty heavy.

 

[MACATUA]

True, or I could even just simply siphon the water from the 32 gallon outside if I wheeled it to the door or window.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

I guess my original point was that if you depend on a human (yourself!) to do the dumping, then eventually you will forget. And you know how it goes... the day you forget will be the same time the water level is at the tippy top!

In my opinion, having a bigger "bucket" really doesn't rid yourself of the problem. In fact, you might even increase the odds of it happening because you're not dumping it on a consistent basis. Remember... these units dribble water out pretty slow. You're going to have this thing turned on for a while. That's why many people set them up with float switches that automatically turn them on or off. (Of course, those can get buggered up too!)

 

[MACATUA]

Oh, I agree with you idea! It is just whether or not I can get close enough to a door or window to get rid of the water without the bucket. Otherwise I may have to get a laundry sink plumbed downstairs one day.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Ziggy953]

Yes you can forget to turn it off...there is no fool proof way, even if you have a drain for the waste line you are still putting the RO/DI into something so whether you have a drain for the waste or not and you forget to turn it off you will have a problem. In this situation I think a larger container for the waste water is a far better idea then a 5gallon bucket.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Hey... here's an idea I just thought of while I was walking through my garage.

If you have a newer natural gas furnace, then your probably have a condensate pump plumbed to it. Water trickles out of your furnace, into a little box that serves as a tank, which has a pump and float switch built in. You can get them with different size reservoirs, and different sized pumps that will deal with varying head heights. You should be able to find them at most hardware stores, and you can get them online. Just Google "condensate pump".

If you could find one with a decent capacity, and with a pump strong enough for whatever height you need to get your water out of the house, then that might be an option. My condensate pump routes my water through a vinyl tube that goes through a hole drilled in my wall, and only pumps about a 2-3 foot head.

 

[MACATUA]

agreed, I think I am going to try the 32 gallon trash can assuming that I don't have access to a door or window, put it on a furniture dolly, wheel it to the door and siphon it outside.

Thanks.

Please check out my other post on plumbing my 180 and give any comments you can.