Rodi unit temp

ohio reefer · Dec 21, 2014

I am waiting for my first rodi unit to arrive from brs, I've been buying from the store, and I've read that in the winter cold water means a slower production of purified water, I am hooking this up to my sink so I would be able to adjust the temperature. Is there any harm in turning the temperature more towards the hot side? Thanks!

AZDesertRat · Dec 22, 2014

NO! Never ever, I repeat never try to temper or blend hot and cold to raise the temperature.

Colder water actually treats better and gives you lower TDS. Yes it does slow production but the tradeoff is better water quality. 77 degrees is just a number the industry uses to compare one membrane against another, it is not the optimal temperature.

Remember being in the shower and someone flushes the toilet or starts the washer? You got your tush scalded! The same thing happens to the RO membrane and it cannot take anything over 113 degrees which isn't all that hot. Cold water ONLY. This is the reason we fill buckets or Rubbermaid trash cans so we can make water over time. If you find you can't keep up a RO booster pump such as the Aquatec 8800 is an excellent choice and makes your system even more efficient.

I would like to recommend Buckeye Hydro for all your future RO purchases, right there in your neck of the woods and one of the best around. You will find better filters, in the better micron ranges versus the standard 5 micron the other uses and for less money. At your first 6 month replacement go with a better arrangement such as a 1 micron sediment filter and carbon block or better yet a 0.3 or 0.5 micron sediment filter and 0.5 micron carbon block. Your RO membrane will thank you as will your wallet.

ohio reefer · Dec 22, 2014

Thank you so much! I'll just turn it on, I won't adjust the temperature. Thanks for the advice! And I was looking at buckeye, I will most likely need another unit anyway.

KorD · Dec 22, 2014

I run ONLY cold water though my RODI unit... it is the way the manufacture says to do so... If you are looking at changing the temp of it, add a heater to it. I just let my RODI water sit for a few days next to my tank before filling the bucket the ATO pulled from... Then again The ATO adds so little water to the tank that it mixes and wars up to tank water temp without any problem

ohio reefer · Dec 22, 2014

I'm filling up a new tank with the unit but I don't think the product line will reach. Could I just swap it out for longer? I've seen some people do this for +60'. I just need the water to pump into the tank 14' away. Does anyone know if this will reach?

AZDesertRat · Dec 22, 2014

Yes you can extend the treated line. If it is extended very far or if you were running it upstairs it would be smart to recheck and adjust the waste ratio as the additional head would change the waste ratio but sounds like this is just a temporary situation.

ohio reefer · Dec 23, 2014

Thanks! Yes this would just be for the first fill up. The tank is located on the same floor as the unit. Just 14' away

AZDesertRat · Dec 23, 2014

14 horizontal feet won't make much difference if any.

dangros · Feb 16, 2015

my unit is in the garage where the temps are actually well below freezing today. I had to take it inside due to fears of it cracking! Are temps in the low to mid 30's too low for the system? I dont mind (within reason) if there's a little more waste water as long as the quality of the RODI result is perfect AND the filters & resin arent being wrecked or used up prematurely.

AZDesertRat · Feb 17, 2015

I try to keep the RO/DI at the same temperatures I myself feel comfortable at. It is probably OK down to the high 30's though since I store DI resin in the refrigerator at those temperatures to keep it fresh.

dangros · Feb 17, 2015

Didnt know that storing DI in the fridge helped. How much does that extend the shelf life? Or rather, fridge life?
Also, yesterday, I replenished one of my di containers (there are 2 on my system). In order to compact the resin, I tapped the container and added a bit of di water (which was ice cold). As I did so, the water turned about 1/4" of the resin brown on contact! Any idea why?

AZDesertRat · Feb 17, 2015

DI has a shelf life of about 6 months normally. If you make sure it is vacuum sealed such as with a Seal A Meal device or is unopened and still vacuum sealed from the vendor and stored in a cool, dark place such as the frig it can extend that up to a year in some cases. It all depends on how fresh it was to begin with, how well it was packaged (vacuum sealed in unopened mylar foil bags is great), and how well it is stored. I found buying bulk resin was not the answer for me since it exhausted before I could use it up. Now I buy better, fresher resin and in individual sizes or prefilled cartridges and it actually works better and lasts longer than what I was buying before.

I pack my refills dry by adding resin to the top, tapping it on the table or counter to pack it down, refill, repeat the tapping then do a final top up before adding the foam donut and screwing the lid back on. The resin should already contain enough moisture to hold it together, if not it has dried out and lost its cation and anion electrical properties.

dangros · Feb 23, 2015

btw, I was reading another post from AZDesertRat stating that the vertical (bottom up) DI cartridges were better than the horizontal ones do to the contact of the water on the di resin. Makes complete sense to me! SOOO I decided to make a brace and use a couple of elbow fittings to get the same effect:
Note the cold temps. It's way worse today and will be for the next 10.