Drinking water from RODI?? Help!

[BlindGirlReefing]

I have the BRS 4 stage RODI setup with auto flush flow kit. It goes to my RODI water holding tank and auto-fills whenever I pull water from it. I want to add drinking water to my setup. I assume I must put a T after the RO, with one end going to the DI and the other end going to the drinking water pressure tank. How do I connect the water from the pressure tank to the drinking water faucet? Do I add another T? Will I need check valves? If so, where? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help out! I'd rather not mess up my RODI system. Its been up and running flawlessly for 3 years.

 

[Rocks reef]

Great question!
I am going to call in our forum expert on this one. I have done business with him several times, he's a solid guy with great advice and won't try and upsell anything that's not needed which is a relief in this hobby.

@Buckeye Hydro

 

[exnisstech]

Rocks Reef beat me to it.

Link

 

[serval]

Well I fully expect to get roasted for this comment but I have had aquariums for years and years (mostly FW though) and have used RO/DI for them all that time, including for drinking. I feel my electrolytes come from food. It’s only this year that I can recall seeing the idea that it’s bad to drink RO.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Well I fully expect to get roasted for this comment but I have had aquariums for years and years (mostly FW though) and have used RO/DI for them all that time, including for drinking. I feel my electrolytes come from food. It’s only this year that I can recall seeing the idea that it’s bad to drink RO.

RO is good, RODI is not so good for drinking.

Are you saying RO is not good either?

 

[Kazumi]

I used a selector T valve in between the RO and DI stages that I can send water straight to the DI or to my pressure tank. then after that I have a T fitting that branches off to my drinking faucet.

 

[BlindGirlReefing]

I used a selector T valve in between the RO and DI stages that I can send water straight to the DI or to my pressure tank. then after that I have a T fitting that branches off to my drinking faucet.

Is there a way to have it go to both so it will continue to keep my Rodi tank full and supply water to the faucet? Or does it have to be one or the other?

 

[UncommonSense]

Is there a way to have it go to both so it will continue to keep my Rodi tank full and supply water to the faucet? Or does it have to be one or the other?

Just put a second accumulator tank in, with a check valve between them! (The second tank can be remotely located from the first)

The RO output tees to the first accumulator tank, tees from the first tank to the second tank, and tees again up to the sink faucet and/or fridge ice maker!

— you just add a check valve between the two accumulator tanks so your drinking water tank remains full when you’re making DI water!

I personally use plastic accumulator tanks from Watts… I’ve seen multiple of the generic “stainless steel” ones have their air bladder seal rupture, and be full of rust when cut open!!

(These 3.4-3.7gal advertised capacity “stainless steel” metal tanks all seem to come from one factory, with different colors of paint and manufacturer stickers for dozens and dozens of brands…)

 

[Kazumi]

Is there a way to have it go to both so it will continue to keep my Rodi tank full and supply water to the faucet? Or does it have to be one or the other

With my setup, it's one way or the other while making water. Once the tank is full it will supply water to both the faucet and the DI cartridges

 

[Staghorn]

RO is good, RODI is not so good for drinking.

Are you saying RO is not good either?

I personally can’t drink purified water, I know allot of people who do drink it but it kills me. Makes me feel bad in general and heartburn. It took me years to make the connection. I always thought it was the food I was eating, but I realized after a while that if I drank spring water or even tapwater, I was fine anytime I would buy a case of purified water I started having symptoms again. I spoken to an RO guy, and I guess there are alkaline post filters you can put in the system to help with the acidity.

 

[BlindGirlReefing]

I personally can’t drink purified water, I know allot of people who do drink it but it kills me. Makes me feel bad in general and heartburn. It took me years to make the connection. I always thought it was the food I was eating, but I realized after a while that if I drank spring water or even tapwater, I was fine anytime I would buy a case of purified water I started having symptoms again. I spoken to an RO guy, and I guess there are alkaline post filters you can put in the system to help with the acidity.

When we were on well water I’d 100% agree! Now we’re on city water and I absolutely won’t drink it.

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

I have the BRS 4 stage RODI setup with auto flush flow kit. It goes to my RODI water holding tank and auto-fills whenever I pull water from it. I want to add drinking water to my setup. I assume I must put a T after the RO, with one end going to the DI and the other end going to the drinking water pressure tank. How do I connect the water from the pressure tank to the drinking water faucet? Do I add another T? Will I need check valves? If so, where? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help out! I'd rather not mess up my RODI system. Its been up and running flawlessly for 3 years.

Take a look at our website and download the instruction set for the Reef/Residential RODI, and check the plumbing schematic on the last page.

https://www.buckeyehydro.com/content/5_Stage_Reef_Residential_RODI.pdf

 

[jabberkaycee]

I have the BRS 4 stage RODI setup with auto flush flow kit. It goes to my RODI water holding tank and auto-fills whenever I pull water from it. I want to add drinking water to my setup. I assume I must put a T after the RO, with one end going to the DI and the other end going to the drinking water pressure tank. How do I connect the water from the pressure tank to the drinking water faucet? Do I add another T? Will I need check valves? If so, where? Thanks in advance to anyone who can help out! I'd rather not mess up my RODI system. It’s been up and running flawlessly for 3 years.

I have the exact same question. What did you end up doing and how does the water taste? I already have the pressurized tank and the sink dispenser and was using it only for drinking water. Now I have a BRS 5 stage RODI that I want to use with a Smart Buddie booster for my aquarium, but I’m not sure how to make it bypass the DI.

 

[UncommonSense]

I have the exact same question. What did you end up doing and how does the water taste? I already have the pressurized tank and the sink dispenser and was using it only for drinking water. Now I have a BRS 5 stage RODI that I want to use with a Smart Buddie booster for my aquarium

RO water tastes great! Or, more specifically, it tastes like nothing!

I started drinking RO water instead of tap water around a decade ago when I got my first RODI system, and eventually converted my parents, whom had drank tap water their whole lives… we all agree municipal tap water just tastes like chemicals now…

but I’m not sure how to make it bypass the DI.

You put a 1/4” push to connect tee fitting the RO product water line (blue) before it connects to the the DI stage(s)!

From here, you have a new additional line coming off the new tee fitting… you add a check valve (optional but definitely recommended) to this new line… finally, you connect this new additional line to a second tee fitting at your “water accumulator tank”, with the water tank tee’s free connection running up to your drinking water faucet!

RO system > 1st tee fitting > check valve > 2nd tee fitting > accumulator tank > back through 2nd tee fitting to drinking water tap!

— This configuration will try to fill your drinking water accumulator tank any time your system is pressurized… if preferred, you can also add a valve to the new line to your accumulator tank so it can be completely isolated from your RODI system as-needed!

 

[jabberkaycee]

Thank you - that is exactly what I needed!

 

[vin666]

Just buy a T33 coconut shell active carbon with adds taste to the water after RO - (this T33 replaces the resin cartridge) simple.

 

[serval]

Well I fully expect to get roasted for this comment but I have had aquariums for years and years (mostly FW though) and have used RO/DI for them all that time, including for drinking. I feel my electrolytes come from food. It’s only this year that I can recall seeing the idea that it’s bad to drink RO.

RO is good, RODI is not so good for drinking.

Are you saying RO is not good either?

I meant to say I drink RODI. I’m not sure either is bad to drink. It certainly tastes better than tap water.

 

[BZOFIQ]

I meant to say I drink RODI. I’m not sure either is bad to drink. It certainly tastes better than tap water.

To save time...

 

[BZOFIQ]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/is-rodi-water-safe-to-drink.661030/

Cross-linking.

 

[serval]

I meant to say I drink RODI. I’m not sure either is bad to drink. It certainly tastes better than tap water.

To save time...

I’m aware and I still do it (for decades). It tastes great. I eat regularly so I do get electrolytes. You guys do what you prefer. I’m not interested in “branching off” my RO. I appreciate the concern though.