RO/DI instalation/frustration

[Ice Man]

I finally got RODI unit from purewaterclub.com. It is 6 stage 100GPD. Instalation was not a breeze as manufacturer claims. First, under a sink adapter that should be attached to cold water feed line was wrong size so I had to go to Lowes for a new one. $14 later I was ready to pump some water into the unit. RODI came with quick connections so hooking it up was quite fast. At first it leaked at almost every possible connection, GGRRRRRR.!!!!
After solving that problem I realized that pure water pressure is very, very, very weak. It takes about a minute to fill up one cup. Here comes the question! Do I have enough PSI to run RODI efficiently? I guess not! I have to get pressure meter to check it.
From what it was going to be on budget 30g FOWLR build, it's becoming hi-tech mega million operation ;-$
I guess my next step will be measuring that pressure and getting a booster pump. Oh well, my two other fresh water tanks will benefit from that system so I guess it is worth investing in it.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

It should be a steady stream comming out of the pure water tube. Not a powerful stream, but it should not be dripping. The waste water produces much more water.. Probably at least double which sucks. I wouldnt invest in a pump, you just need to be patient...

 

[Ice Man]

It should be a steady stream comming out of the pure water tube. Not a powerful stream, but it should not be dripping. The waste water produces much more water.. Probably at least double which sucks. I wouldnt invest in a pump, you just need to be patient...

At this point looks like ratio of waste to pure water is 10:1

EDIT: well, maybe it's more like 3:1 but flow of both waste and pure water is pathetic.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Yup... It takes a while :/ just like mine!

 

[AquaRick]

If you're hooking it up to drink you'll need a storage container to get any decent on-demand flow for a short time. If the water pressure from your sink is less that 40psi or so I'd recommend getting a booster pump.

 

[Ice Man]

If you're hooking it up to drink you'll need a storage container to get any decent on-demand flow for a short time. If the water pressure from your sink is less that 40psi or so I'd recommend getting a booster pump.

I ordered 3 gallon tank, preasure gauge, flush kit.

I ran a gallon per hour test yesterday. RODI filled 5 gallon bucket in 1 hour 40 minutes, producing 13 gallons of wast water. It is 100 GPD system so it should produce around 4.1 gallon per hour.

 

[AquaRick]

Do you plan on using the water for personal drinking? If so you may need to T off your system and install a valve so that you're only drinking RO water. That way you can drink RO water and use the valve to switch it to RODI for aquarium use.

 

[Ice Man]

Do you plan on using the water for personal drinking? If so you may need to T off your system and install a valve so that you're only drinking RO water. That way you can drink RO water and use the valve to switch it to RODI for aquarium use.

That is exactly what I am going to do!
Thanks for advice.

 

[AquaRick]

A lot has been published on drinking RODI water and the negatives and/or non-issue with it. Personally I wouldn't chance it. I'm not a fan of the taste of RODI either. RO seems to taste better....at least for me.

 

[Rutrag]

I don't know that it makes you feel any better, but I got the 100gpd 5 stage system from them and had similar issues. The undersink adaptor they have is just wrong, I had some leaks, and I think the shutoff valve was installed incorrectly. I also wanted the system to run from left to right given where I was installing it, so I had to dismantle it and switch everything around to get it right. Mine has been working properly for about 9 months now though. If I knew then what I know now, I'd have paid the little extra to get the one from Bulk Reef Supply.

It might be that your low pressure is due to having air in the system which hasn't been purged yet, but I think after 5 gallons you'd have cleared it. If you know a plumber, maybe they can check your incoming pressure for you or you could borrow a pressure gauge from someone in a local reef club.

Good luck!

 

[Marco V]

Where would the T go if I wanna get drinking water ?

 

[Ice Man]

Where would the T go if I wanna get drinking water ?

T should go right after RO membrane.

 

[Ice Man]

Pressure gauge has arrived. Pressure is steady at 55psi. No need for booster pump! Uff.....

 

[jmpgop]

I'm finally unboxing my RO system today - I'm frustrated as all get out. I had NO idea you couldn't use it with mixed (warm) water. Reading your thread makes me feel even more upset.

RO is appearing to be a pain and I'm not sure what to do.

 

[Sniperhank]

I just set mine up with a valve onto the faucet. The hose comes right out the side. Makes the cold water only simple and i even have the dish washer hooked up with the same valve as well.

 

[jmpgop]

My husband is hooking mine up to where the washer machine comes in. Per another suggestion, I'll dump it right in to a 18 gallon storage container I bought. Then I bought a pond pump and a drinking water garden hose to pump it right in to the tank/s... Once it gets to the right temp and I mix in any minerals needed.

This container will allow me to do just about a 20% water change on 2 tanks using all RO water. However, I still intend to do 1/2 faucet 1/2 RO water. (Fresh Water). Start with that and go from there.

I have a heater that I'm going to attach to it also. SO... we'll see how this works out.

I have the Bulk Reef Supply 5 stage plus. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[jmpgop]

Hey ya'll -

We have it all hooked up. We're dumping the watse water in to a cooler right now, the fresh water in to a bin.

We're at about 65 psi. The waste water is filling close to 3:1 (we're not sure as we let it run down the drain at first but then figured we could use it for the garden)...

The RO water is like a trickle - the waste water is a nice, steady stream.

??

Again, I have Bulk Reef 5 stage plus system.

The BEST news - tested the water - Ammonia is ZERO and ph is 7.6ish... YAHOO! Normally my ph is off the charts 8.6+++ and the Ammonia comes out of the tap at .50ppm.

Good things happening VERY SLOWLY in the laundry room

Is there something I can get from Bulk Reef to speed up the process?

Thank you!
Janelle

 

[AquaRick]

Hi Janelle,

Yes, BRS sells a booster pump that'll increase your flow. (which in my opinion you don't need since you've got a really nice pressure of 65psi). They also have a mod kit to change it from a 75gpd system to a 150gpd system. Both are options if you're looking to fill your buckets up faster.

I have the same RODI unit as you. It's always been a trickle. I just let it fill up my brute trashcan from morning to night. Up to you if you want to spend more $ to get a faster output though.

 

[jmpgop]

Thank you!

What do you guys do with your waste water? I feel pretty bad... well... wasting it. Any interesting ideas?

 

[AquaRick]

You could save it to feed the lawn outside? I just feed the waste line down the drain.