Automated RODI Setup - The Easy Way.

[Fisherman Joe]

Hi all.

I would like to setup the best quality, automated RODI water with my (yet un-purchased GHL aquarium controller system).

I have a 2 stage RO system at the minute with a small DI pod and a Diaphragm pump, but i have seen there are "purified water" drinking systems for sale on Amazon with pressurised storage containers. I foresee a lot of obstacles to adapt my basic RO system now in to an automated system.

So i had an idea:

Having one of these commercial drinking water systems (in the utility room sink next door to the fish tank) that keeps a pressurised container full and then connect this to an automatic top-up float switch in the tank. Im thinking the commercial water system takes a lot of the guess work out of the equation if it flushes the membrane and keeps a pressure tank full, thats a lot of the automation already done.

Or do i have a small tank of water in the sump of the aquarium and having this connected to my RODI and having the GHL turn this off and on?

P.s would you use the UV filter that comes with some?

 

[Reef-junky]

First off are you drinking this water because if your not then you don’t need that small tank. You want a good RO/DI filter not a drinking water RO filter. Drinking water filters in general have higher rejection rates which means more waste water. Also I probably wouldn’t run RO/DI right to the sump like that. If something goes wrong with what ever stops the water it will just keep going.

 

[Fisherman Joe]

Good point regarding the fail safe.

I will keep the small top up reservoir in the sump too then.

I was thinking that the drinking water/RO water could be a nice selling point to the wife

How would i automate the Diaphragm pump with the RO unit and flushing etc?

 

[Reef-junky]

Let me put it to you this way do you pay for waste water? An RO filter for drinking is probably going to run 8:1 or maybe 6:1 so for every 1 gallon of good water you will produce 8 gallons of waste water. With a RO/DI filter made for fish tanks even a crappie one will be 4:1. I would look into something like this if you want drinking water and RO/DI. Also you should not drink RO/DI water if you don’t know that.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/5-stage-75gpd-drinking-water-ro-system-brs.html

https://www.marinedepot.com/RO_DI_S...MIir7dvOeY4wIVXrjACh0arAwvEAAYASAAEgIRnfD_BwE

 

[Reef-junky]

How would i automate the Diaphragm pump with the RO unit and flushing etc?

Are you trying to run water through the DI with a diaphragm pump? Save your self the trouble and get an RO/DI filter like the one above. The basic idea of what you want to set up will look like this.

https://www.marinedepot.com/captive-purity-3-gallon-drinking-water-kit-for-ro-and-ro-di-systems

 

[Reef-junky]

If you want to Auto flush then pick up or make something like this:

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/auto-flush-flow-restrictor-kit-aquatec.html

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/aquatec-auto-flush-flow-restrictor.html

https://www.marinedepot.com/aquaticlife-smart-buddie-booster-pump-50-to-100-gpd-ro-systems

 

[Fisherman Joe]

Perfect, thanks. will give this all a read.

Think im leaning towards the Avast Barrel Tender to automate the water production in the sump, i still need to work out how to flush the RODI unit etc.

The RODI water is for the kettle and iron etc, not for drinking.

 

[Fisherman Joe]

I do have a diaphragm pump already, tryignt o think how i can incorporate all this together lol.

 

[Reef-junky]

I do have a diaphragm pump already, tryignt o think how i can incorporate all this together lol.

You would have to run RO into a container then pump it through the Di with that pump. I would not start and stop the filter once it’s running. The problem is the diaphragm pump is going to be slower then the water coming out of the RO. The container would have to be oversized. It would be way easier just to set it up like the diagram above.

 

[Reef-junky]

Perfect, thanks. will give this all a read.

Think im leaning towards the Avast Barrel Tender to automate the water production in the sump, i still need to work out how to flush the RODI unit etc.

The RODI water is for the kettle and iron etc, not for drinking.

This

https://www.marinedepot.com/reverse...MI0JOIz-uY4wIVUp7ACh3gDAPgEAAYAyAAEgLc1fD_BwE

Or this

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/auto-flush-flow-restrictor-kit-aquatec.html

https://www.marinedepot.com/aquaticlife-smart-buddie-booster-pump-50-to-100-gpd-ro-systems

 

[Reef-junky]

Perfect, thanks. will give this all a read.

Think im leaning towards the Avast Barrel Tender to automate the water production in the sump

You can do this cheaper with something like this

http://autotopoff.com/products/DS1/

 

[Reef-junky]

You should also know that a 2 stage filter isn’t going to cut it for making RO/DI water. You want at least a 4 stage filter. The more stages you have the longer your membrane will last which is the most expensive filter and the cheaper it will be to run. You would have to buy prefilter canisters but my guess is the filter you have is not worth it. You also want a TDS meter and a pressure gauge. A good RO/DI filter comes with all this and a flush kit.

 

[Reef-junky]

Drinking water set ups

 

[furcifer208]

I use this if you are looking for a low cost option. I put a "T" with a check valve (you don't want pressurized water through the DI cartridge) and a cheap add on DI cartridge (about $20) after the RO filter. I haven't noticed a lot of waste water but am using a saddle train on the kitchen sink and have replaced a sprayer hose with an RO faucet that my wife and I love. I didn't know they were not as efficient as the BRS systems when I bought it. ... Can I just change out the RO membrane to make it more efficient?

https://www.costway.com/5-stage-ultra-safe-reverse-osmosis-drinking-water-filter.html

 

[Fisherman Joe]

Wow this is all getting a little confusing lol.

Would there be any point having a pressurised water tank AND a ATO tank in my sump? That way I can build in redundancy.

 

[Fisherman Joe]

I'm in the UK btw but this is all useful, thanks.

Interestingly, I saw this: http://www.waterfilterman.co.uk/wat...zer-reverse-osmosis-filter-5060282120099.html

What do you think to high PH top up water?

 

[Reef-junky]

Wow this is all getting a little confusing lol.

Would there be any point having a pressurised water tank AND a ATO tank in my sump? That way I can build in redundancy.

You don’t need the tank for your fish water so no. Those tanks don’t store that much water. They are more for building up pressure so when you want a drink of water it doesn’t come out so slow.

 

[Reef-junky]

I'm in the UK btw but this is all useful, thanks.

Interestingly, I saw this: http://www.waterfilterman.co.uk/wat...zer-reverse-osmosis-filter-5060282120099.html

What do you think to high PH top up water?

No I would not use this. You are confusing the way a drinking water RO is set up and the way an RO/DI water filter is set up for making fish water. The pressure gauge tells you when the prefilters are shot I would also test Cl this will tell you when the carbon is used up. The TDS meter will tell you the rejection rate of the RO filter so you know when it’s time to change the membrane and it will tell you how clean your water is after the DI ( you want a 0 reading). This will also tell you when to change the DI out. This is the configuration you want

 

[Reef-junky]

I use this if you are looking for a low cost option. I put a "T" with a check valve (you don't want pressurized water through the DI cartridge) and a cheap add on DI cartridge (about $20) after the RO filter. I haven't noticed a lot of waste water but am using a saddle train on the kitchen sink and have replaced a sprayer hose with an RO faucet that my wife and I love. I didn't know they were not as efficient as the BRS systems when I bought it. ... Can I just change out the RO membrane to make it more efficient?

https://www.costway.com/5-stage-ultra-safe-reverse-osmosis-drinking-water-filter.html

That is running a booster pump which is why your waste water is lower. You can also run a second RO to lower your waste water. It’s possible to get a 1:1 ratio.

 

[Reef-junky]

Flush kit