If your closer to 1:1 then your using 2 gallons for every 1 usable gallon, so roughly ~120 gallons of water per week, which in turn would last ~ 8 weeks, or ~2 months
Eating Up RO Membranes
- Thread starter flyfisher2
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These are just me spit-balling numbers by the way, I don't know what filters your actually using or their rated lifetime/capacity to give it some type of perspective.
Flow rate also plays into those ratings, for example I know there is a carbon block filter on BRS, its rated for 3,500 gallons for chloramine removal but only at 0.5 gallons per minute, if you double that flow to 1 gallon per minute, its only rated for 2,000 gallons. https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-universal-carbon-block-filter-1-micron.html
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flyfisher2
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OKay, so taking everything into consideration I'm thinking of just replacing the present RO/DI which is about 7 years old, with a 5 stage unit that I'll install inside. Are there major differences between these units or is it all based on the membrane quality and filter cartridges used?
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flyfisher2
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filters are all BRS and the membrane is the DOW 75
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flyfisher2
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based on my needed water of 60 gallons weekly between water changes and ATO water what would you recommend?
not a horrible idea, you can always keep the old unit, as filtered water for outside (washing car, watering plants, etc.) Not that you have to, but since you still have it you could use it in this way if you wish.
Or you could repurpose the old housings as additional filters on your new unit.
If I were to buy a new unit right now I'd grab a marine depot liquidation special.
This one appears to be a great value for the money, I've never personally used it, so I don't know how accurate the TDS meters are, but its a great price point for a new unit.
https://www.marinedepot.com/puratek-deluxe-100-gpd-ro-di-filter-system-aquamaxx
If your looking at strictly cost, I would say the marine depot model that's on sale. PURATEK DELUXE 100 GPD RO/DI FILTER SYSTEM- AQUAMAXX
If not you already have some of the pieces and parts, and while I would say get another RO housing (which you already ordered), you could probably reuse some of your existing supplies. But if they are over 5 years it wouldn't hurt to buy a new one, the clear plastic housings do degrade overtime and eventually will fail.
100 GPD would be plenty, but if you wanted to produce your RO quicker you could always add a piggyback unit and upgrade your unit to 200GPD which would cut back how long you have to run the unit in order to produce your 60 gallons. I know you said you do 30 gallons twice per week, with a 200 GPD system you could do 60 in the time it takes you to fill 30. It also helps with your rejection ratio (in series), but it will also degrade RO membranes faster if you do them in series, not significantly enough that you need to worry about it though. If you plumb them as parallel you wouldn't really be decreasing your waste water ratio but you would gain membrane life, also not significantly though. I would say plumb them in series, and not parallel, but the difference is trivial, so just personal preference on if you want to try conserving more water or not.
Here is my take based on what you have, and if you purchase the Puratek Deluxe from marine depot.
Use the Puratek as a 1 micron sediment, followed by 2 carbon blocks, lead that into a RO, followed by another RO (in series) take that out to your current 3 DI cartridges (not sure how your running these, all mixed?, cation, anion, mixed?)
Since you will have extra housings from your old build, you could even run another sediment like a 5 micron, but if you do this I would go with a reusable 5 micron like this one. It's pricey but you shouldn't really ever have a need to replace it, just periodically back flush it and clean it up. This way large particulates can be caught in the 5 micron, and it will save your 1 micron.
Another thing you could do is use a 4 stage DI since again you have the cartridges, if you were doing this I'd say run a cation, followed by your anion, then 2 stages of mixed bed. If you monitor each stage and replace as needed, the 4th stage (mixed bed) would hardly need replacing and would act as a super clean polishing filter since it would hardly be pulling any TDS out of the water by this stage. Or if you know you run through cation cartridges quicker, you could run 2 cation cartridges, followed by anion, and then a mixed bed, if anion depletes quicker you could do it the other way with cation, anion, anion, mixed bed.
Order some extra tubing, and a cutter just to save yourself the pain of cutting by hand. After it all comes in feel free to reach out with any questions for setup and plumbing.
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flyfisher2
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Trying to decide between what’s available. My pressure is 60without the pump
Marine Depot ,
AquaFx Barracuda
Puratek?
Marine Depot ,
AquaFx Barracuda
Puratek?
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flyfisher2
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okay kinda confused now. I'm coming inside with this so don't have all the added room for the canisters I'm using out side
60 isn't bad, but if you do install the piggyback you will probably see a drop to 50-55 range running 2 RO membranes.
The booster pump doesn't hurt, and it will increase your unit efficiency as well, which will get you even closer if not over the 100/200GPD ratings.
no worries, you don't have to reuse any of the canisters from outside. Just how I would recommend you setting it up since you have them already.
If you do run it as it comes, I would make sure your checking your post carbon for chlorine periodically. Also make sure you add some 'T' fittings and ball valves to bleed off waste water I'm not sure how that unit comes plumbed, and you will want to have a bleed from RO to DI so that your initial RO water with a higher than normal TDS doesn't kill that DI cartridge, especially if your only going to be running the single cartridge now, oh, and don't forget to flush the membrane!
Hey @revhtree have you ever considered a dedicated sub-forum for RO/DI systems/questions/setup? Might not be a bad idea since most of us either own or use one on a regular basis, and I feel like threads pop up fairly regularly at least recently from what I see.
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flyfisher2
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order placed. She's gonna kill me! LOL
I know the feeling.. I remember when I told her I was setting up a filter for the tank, no big deal until a few days later when she finally went to look it was "what is all this sh**, this is ridiculous..."
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flyfisher2
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Didn't order the parts, the hoses I have brand new. I'll hot you for guidance when everything gets here. Thanks a MILLION. This is why I love Reef2Reef , the people! THANKS
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