RO System from Bulk Reef Supply

[jmpgop]

A couple of months ago I ordered a RO system from Bulk Reef Supply. My husband is just now getting 'around' to installing it.

I explained to Bulk Reef Supply completely and thourougly that I wanted to hook this system up under my bathroom sink to be able to run my Aqueon water changer off of it AND directly from the faucet.

No problem. They told me what to buy and that it came with all the parts necessary to switcch from tap to RO water with one switch.

But wait - there is a problem - with the parts lying here on the floor, my hubby explains how he is to hook it up and expresses that it goes through the cold water line only.

I said,,,,,, WHAT?

You can't use it and mix with the hot water to get fish-safe temperature water.??? Uh no... Cold water only.

Obviously I use 75 degree water minimum to fill my tanks during water changes. And I try to match the temp as I fill to what it currently is as best as I can when running it through the changer.

So I'm a bit miffed.

I have to change the water weekly on a 72 gallon and a 36 gallon tank. I bought this system so I could quit mixing my tap water with ice mountain water and lugging 5 gallon jugs around and leaving them outside to get warm in the sun (which is something I can do in the warmer months but not in the winter). And I don't have the strength to mess with these bottles all the time.

I wanted to start mixing my water changes with RO water - DIRECTLY from the faucet with my water changer. Which is why I bought this system.

Does anyone know how one could use this system directly from the faucet with it under my bathroom sink if it only allows for cold water to run through it? Cold from the faucet never gets up to at least 75 degrees...

Grrrrrrrrr...

Janelle

 

[carey]

Thats just how the ro/di units work. i believe it's bad for warm or hot water to go through the filters. :-(

I use 2 32g garbage cans to mix my saltwater and use a pump to get it from the garbage cans to my tanks. I do about 100g a week at least in water changes so I can feel your pain in wanting to cut back on some of the steps.

 

[mfdrookie516]

You cannot put hot water through an RO membrane. You'd also waste a ton of money through the hot water heater, since you'd be wasting so much of it (since it's typical to waste 3-4x the amount of water that you actually get). You do not want to put straight RO/DI water in to a tank either... you'd kill the fish. You want to put it in some kind of holding container first so that you can mix in your trace elements and buffer before putting it in the tank. You can run a heater in your mixing container to get it up to temp before doing your water change.

 

[jmpgop]

Eh - My plan was to do 1/2 my water change with tap water and 1/2 the water change with RO/DI so I didn't have to use trace minerals. But anywho...

So @ Carey - what kind of pump? I guess I don't get that at all... Sorry - I'm not that technical. I just need to reduce the amount of ammonia/chloramaines going in to my tanks with my lousy tap water and soften it up a bit.

So I guess I could do my warm water from the tap (for the good stuff that comes out of it) and mix it with the cold water RO system water 1/2 and 1/2 to moderate the temp and ph and reduce the chemicals.

Great looking system - I could just use some additional advice. I guess I'm not toally opposed to using your garbage can idea (yes, I'll buy a new one) I just can't can't can't lift the water with a bucket in to the tanks no spend more time than I already do change water and cleaning tanks. (((sigh)))

Thanks!

Janelle

 

[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 - maybe 4:1?? (we're not sure as we let it run down the floor 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.

??


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

 

[mfdrookie516]

The nastier your water, the less it's going to put out. Aside from a booster pump, there's not much you can do. What you can do is get a container with a float switch and have it auto shut off when it gets full so you don't have to sit around and wait on it.

 

[jmpgop]

150 GPD Water Saving Upgrade Kit - English

You mean I'd need the above (link)?

And probably at least a 2:1 waste water container. Yikes... LOL.

 

[carey]

I just bought that upgrade kit for my BRS unit, BUT I havent' installed it yet. lol

That extra membrane should double the water output while reduce the waste water.

I'm hoping to get it done today or tomorrow, will let you know how it works out.

As far as a pump, I use a mag drive 7 and drop it into the tank and have a hose hooked up to it that runs to my bathroom. I drain the tank and then put the same pump into the garbage cans of mixed water and run the hose right back to the tank.