First experience with a RODI system. Is this normal?

[aquaman99]

Hello all.

So I live in the midwest and I have well water. I assumed my water would be too "hard" to make use of an RODI unit efficiently and cost effectively. However some reefers have convinced me that I was wrong so I bought he BRS 4 stage value unit.

It took me a while to get it set up because my faucet had too much calcium build up to screw on the adapter. I tried all the attachments. I decided to attach it to my hose. It is inconvenient having the garage door open to the house all day but it's summer right now so it's tolerable.

I bought the BRS 4 stage value unit because I was honestly not confident this would even work so I wanted to try it before getting something like a 7 stage. I also bought their 2 way TDS meter to test the water before it enters the unit and after it exits.

I let the unit run for 1 hour and then tested the water entering the unit at around 880 TDS. After another 30 or so minutes of running, the reading for the entering water stabilized at about 620 TDS and has stayed there the past 4 hours of use. my exiting TDS is still zero.

So my issue is how fast the membranes are being used up. The first cartridge is already light brown in just 4 hours of total use. The last cartridge already has just under 2 inches of color change. from the bottom. My question is; is this normal or am I waisting my money trying to filter my tap water? Should I just buy distilled or pet store RO water for $1 a gallon? I have made a total of 7 gallons in the last 3 hours (after the first hour of "new use run off".)

 

[Crabs McJones]

If it's well water it may have high CO2 which can deplete DI rather quickly.

 

[aquaman99]

I decided to just make a custom 6 or 7 stage unit over time. I currently have a 4 stage with a tds. My next purchase will be an additional 2 canisters. I will fill with a better quality 5micron sediment, then the normal carbon/chlorine, then either an anion or cation, then which ever I didn't use first, then a mix of both types of mixed resin. I will see if the cat or anion canister changes first this way I know which one I need to buy more of and change faster. Also helping me decide which color mixed resin I should buy for my last stage. Then once I save more money I will buy the saver plus kit. Then I will see if I need an additional canister for an additional carbon/chlorine filter. Being on a monthly budget stinks lol. I should have just bought the 7 stage 150 gallon saver plus from the start. But, I guess this way I get to learn how to change the plumbing lines on my unit haha.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

@aquaman99

@Buckeye Hydro might be able to assist you with suggestion on pre-filters or some type of water softener before your water gets to the pre-filters, possibly saving money by only having to buy one thing and not a full on upgrade to a 7 stage. I am on well water also, since it is actually less tds then my tap (170 tap and 120 well). I do have a silicate issue with the well, and they helped me with that. Even though I had a brs 4 stage to start out with. Hopefully Buckeye chimes in, as they are very knowledgeable with all types of input water.

 

[aquaman99]

@aquaman99

@Buckeye Hydro might be able to assist you with suggestion on pre-filters or some type of water softener before your water gets to the pre-filters, possibly saving money by only having to buy one thing and not a full on upgrade to a 7 stage. I am on well water also, since it is actually less tds then my tap (170 tap and 120 well). I do have a silicate issue with the well, and they helped me with that. Even though I had a brs 4 stage to start out with. Hopefully Buckeye chimes in, as they are very knowledgeable with all types of input water.

-edited-
If this helps, I have 7 wells my water could come from and this is the average readings from 2017 (the newest one I found).
Copper 1.33 ppm
Chlorine .7 ppm
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5) 1.35 ppb
Trihalomethanes (TTHM) 4 ppb
Arsenic 1.4 ppb
Barium .0977 ppm
Fluoride .98 ppm
Iron .394 ppm
Manganese 32.5 ppb
Nitrate 1 ppm
Nitrite .039 ppm
Sodium 121 ppm
-edited-

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

I decided to just make a custom 6 or 7 stage unit over time. I currently have a 4 stage with a tds. My next purchase will be an additional 2 canisters. I will fill with a better quality 5micron sediment, then the normal carbon/chlorine, then either an anion or cation, then which ever I didn't use first, then a mix of both types of mixed resin. I will see if the cat or anion canister changes first this way I know which one I need to buy more of and change faster. Also helping me decide which color mixed resin I should buy for my last stage. Then once I save more money I will buy the saver plus kit. Then I will see if I need an additional canister for an additional carbon/chlorine filter. Being on a monthly budget stinks lol. I should have just bought the 7 stage 150 gallon saver plus from the start. But, I guess this way I get to learn how to change the plumbing lines on my unit haha.

Feel free to give us a call if you want to talk about options/costs, etc.
Russ
513-312-2343