AquaticLife RODI Buddie TDS > 0

[RaymondL]

I've been using Aquatic Life's RODI Buddie system for the past 8 months - I've always had an inline TDS reading of 0, and as well using another external TDS reader to double check. Lately, I've been getting a reading of 1 for both TDS meter readings.

This is my first RODI system, so not sure which cartridge is responsible for TDS removal? Is TDS of 1 acceptable?

I have made less than 100 gallons to date with the unit.

Thanks

 

[Saltyreef]

I've been using Aquatic Life's RODI Buddie system for the past 8 months - I've always had an inline TDS reading of 0, and as well using another external TDS reader to double check. Lately, I've been getting a reading of 1 for both TDS meter readings.

This is my first RODI system, so not sure which cartridge is responsible for TDS removal? Is TDS of 1 acceptable?

I have made less than 100 gallons to date with the unit.

Thanks

The deionizing cartridge is responsible for getting the water to 0tds after the RO membrane.

RO buddies arent known for their capacity so I cant tell you if something else is actually causing this issue but it would be worth it to perform a c02 test on your incoming water so you can take precautions and offgas the RO water before pumping through your DI cartridge if thats whats going on.

C02 in the water will eat up a high capacity 600+ gal resin cartridge in under 100g IME.

 

[ScottJ]

FWIW, I use the same RODI. I make maybe 20, 25 gallons a week. I change the carbon and sediment filters every 6 months or so. Replace the DI resin when it turns color all the way to the top of the cartridge, maybe once a year. I still get 0 TDS out of the membrane, before the resin. The unit is over three years old and on the original membrane.

It doesn't make water very fast, but it's a good little RODI unit for small needs.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I replace my di resin when it changes color, once. Then buy a whole new robuddie the next time. I always have 0 tds this way and it's cheaper than replacing cartridges.

When I was in an apartment we had poor water pressure. The robuddy also performed poorly. Now I have 75 psi under my sink and around 90 at my house bib outside. The robuddie does great now.

All of that blathering to say it likes good water pressure.

 

[WestMI-Reefer]

I replace my di resin when it changes color, once. Then buy a whole new robuddie the next time. I always have 0 tds this way and it's cheaper than replacing cartridges.

When I was in an apartment we had poor water pressure. The robuddy also performed poorly. Now I have 75 psi under my sink and around 90 at my house bib outside. The robuddie does great now.

All of that blathering to say it likes good water

I can’t run it that high, the cartridges are only rate for 35-50 psi, if I run my RObuddie higher, it loses performance and tds rises before getting to DI.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

I can’t run it that high, the cartridges are only rate for 35-50 psi, if I run my RObuddie higher, it loses performance and tds rises before getting to DI.

Do you use a booster pump? Ro units need the high pressure at the membrane from what I understand. Of course I could be poorly informed

 

[RaymondL]

The deionizing cartridge is responsible for getting the water to 0tds after the RO membrane.

RO buddies arent known for their capacity so I cant tell you if something else is actually causing this issue but it would be worth it to perform a c02 test on your incoming water so you can take precautions and offgas the RO water before pumping through your DI cartridge if thats whats going on.

C02 in the water will eat up a high capacity 600+ gal resin cartridge in under 100g IME.

Ok - thanks. How would I go about performing a CO2 test, and I'm assuming it should read zero, as well, how do I offgass RO water before pumping to DI cartridge?

 

[RaymondL]

Do you use a booster pump? Ro units need the high pressure at the membrane from what I understand. Of course I could be poorly informed

I do not - actually, the PSI on my main source was 90PSI, and I have it turned down to 70.

 

[RaymondL]

I replace my di resin when it changes color, once. Then buy a whole new robuddie the next time. I always have 0 tds this way and it's cheaper than replacing cartridges.

When I was in an apartment we had poor water pressure. The robuddy also performed poorly. Now I have 75 psi under my sink and around 90 at my house bib outside. The robuddie does great now.

All of that blathering to say it likes good water pressure.

I forgot how the original DI resin color looks like - what am I to look for in terms of the color change?

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

It will turn a drab brown. When new it's a blue color. I usually swap or replace when there is about 5 - 10% of the cartridge is still blue.

 

[RaymondL]

It will turn a drab brown. When new it's a blue color. I usually swap or replace when there is about 5 - 10% of the cartridge is still blue.

Thanks - just checked, it's brown like color. I haven't even made that much water, so now I need to determine what's happening.

 

[WestMI-Reefer]

Do you use a booster pump? Ro units need the high pressure at the membrane from what I understand. Of course I could be poorly informed

No booster, straight from the faucet.
Every other unit should be ran higher than most faucets can produce but the RO buddie has the smallest filter cartridges on the market and all pre-filters are rated at 35psi i believe. I would have to double check the membrane but I think it’s similar. When I run mine at low pressure I get 0-3 tds before DI, if I go up in pressure tds slowly starts to rise. This has been my experience with ro buddie.

 

[Uncle99]

Replace DI, but I never do until 3-4ppm.
If membrane goes, the increase will be much more than 3-4ppm.
great little RODI maker.

 

[WestMI-Reefer]

Make sure you are flushing it too! You can see the used water exiting via tds meter.

 

[Townes_Van_Camp]

No booster, straight from the faucet.
Every other unit should be ran higher than most faucets can produce but the RO buddie has the smallest filter cartridges on the market and all pre-filters are rated at 35psi i believe. I would have to double check the membrane but I think it’s similar. When I run mine at low pressure I get 0-3 tds before DI, if I go up in pressure tds slowly starts to rise. This has been my experience with ro buddie.

That 35psi isn't talking about your pressure in though. That's about restrictor and membrane pressures.

Maybe I am severely confused about how all of this RODI works.

 

[RaymondL]

Replace DI, but I never do until 3-4ppm.
If membrane goes, the increase will be much more than 3-4ppm.
great little RODI maker.

! I thought a TDS reading of 0 is always the magic number and anything other than is asking for trouble - is this not the case?

 

[RaymondL]

Ok, AquaticLife says that "Chloramines" added to the municipal water system is a number one culprit in decreasing the life of the DI cartridge. The recommendation is to use their Chloramine cartridge in between the Sediment and Carbon cartridges.

I wonder if I can use any other type of brand out there and connect it somehow. I can't seem to find anywhere that sells the cartridge locally.

 

[Subliminal]

Personally, I wouldn’t worry about 1 tds. When mine was done last time
I was getting around 145. Now that’s a problem.

 

[Uncle99]

! I thought a TDS reading of 0 is always the magic number and anything other than is asking for trouble - is this not the case?

Hey, I love to see zero as well, but I have never made the change until I see it rise a couple points. See no difference ever.
Sometimes my meter shows 1ppm, then 0, then 1…..it’s when it goes 1-2-3ppm I change….or north of 5ppm.
DI resin is quite expensive.
If all of a sudden it jumps to say 20ppm, that’s the membrane.
The sediment and carbon I change at 6 months cause they are cheap.

 

[Dan_P]

I've been using Aquatic Life's RODI Buddie system for the past 8 months - I've always had an inline TDS reading of 0, and as well using another external TDS reader to double check. Lately, I've been getting a reading of 1 for both TDS meter readings.

This is my first RODI system, so not sure which cartridge is responsible for TDS removal? Is TDS of 1 acceptable?

I have made less than 100 gallons to date with the unit.

Thanks

I have used the RO buddy for several years.

The reverse osmosis cartridge removes the bulk of the TDS while the ion exchange unit takes the TDS to zero. The reverse osmosis unit does not last forever, but lasts much longer than 100 gallons. The ion exchange unit needs replacement more often, depending on how much TDS makes it pass the reverse osmosis unit. I went through ion exchange medium fairly quickly when my reverse osmosis cartridge needed replacing.