Huge score? Anyone familiar with Innovation Marine aquariums?

[ThePlummer]

Maybe I missed something. I’m reading vacuum breakers and solenoids. Do you have a diagram of what you are trying to do? Why do you want your RO/DI water under pressure?

Diagrams are all in my head, and subject to change, depending on whether or not I get a better idea in the process, or the parts I want aren't available.... Example: I had to use 3/4 Tee's on the vacuum breaker part, now I have to bush the outlet down to 1/2", instead of just getting the right part, that they didn't have, 1/2x3/4x3/4 Tee....

 

[ThePlummer]

Maybe I missed something. I’m reading vacuum breakers and solenoids. Do you have a diagram of what you are trying to do? Why do you want your RO/DI water under pressure?

Putting the RODI water under pressure, will make filling the fresh saltwater bin EASY, as well as give me 62 gallons of water available to use RIGHT NOW, instead of the ancient Chinese water torture that the RODI gives me. Took me an hour to draw 20 gallons last night..... Ugg, now I remember why I never got one in the past.

 

[KenO]

Diagrams are all in my head, and subject to change, depending on whether or not I get a better idea in the process, or the parts I want aren't available.... Example: I had to use 3/4 Tee's on the vacuum breaker part, now I have to bush the outlet down to 1/2", instead of just getting the right part, that they didn't have, 1/2x3/4x3/4 Tee....

I’m familiar with vacuum breakers but never have I seen them used this way before. Do you have a link to the ones you used?
How are you getting the RO/DI water to that high of a pressure? Pump?

 

[ThePlummer]

I’m familiar with vacuum breakers but never have I seen them used this way before. Do you have a link to the ones you used?
How are you getting the RO/DI water to that high of a pressure? Pump?

I've never used them this way either... the same concept here is a vacuum breaker for a dish washer setup. Where the 3/4 tee is open now, I'll reduce them to 1/2 " and hard pipe them to a 1/2" bulkhead, under the normal operating height of the overflow. There will be swing check valves inline to prevent the water to push into the overflow box. So, if the check valves fail, they will just pump water back into the overflow box. And if there is a power failure and the check valves down in the sump fail, Once the watar level in the overflow box drops, air will enter the return section, breaking suction, and I won't flood my house. Hopefully....

One other thing. I may have to restrict the output flow on the two upper returns, and I'll do that with line loc, flow restrict, to increase the pressure to the 4 on the bottom.

 

[KenO]

I've never used them this way either... the same concept here is a vacuum breaker for a dish washer setup. Where the 3/4 tee is open now, I'll reduce them to 1/2 " and hard pipe them to a 1/2" bulkhead, under the normal operating height of the overflow. There will be swing check valves inline to prevent the water to push into the overflow box. So, if the check valves fail, they will just pump water back into the overflow box. And if there is a power failure and the check valves down in the sump fail, Once the watar level in the overflow box drops, air will enter the return section, breaking suction, and I won't flood my house. Hopefully....

One other thing. I may have to restrict the output flow on the two upper returns, and I'll do that with line loc, flow restrict, to increase the pressure to the 4 on the bottom.

Interesting.
So how are you pressurizing the well tank?

 

[ThePlummer]

Interesting.
So how are you pressurizing the well tank?

City water supply pressure. Whatever that turns out to be, through the RODI, it will match city pressure.

 

[ThePlummer]

Interesting.
So how are you pressurizing the well tank?

Here's the best bang for the buck that I've found in both size and price. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Water-Worker-62-Gallon-Vertical-Pressure-Tank/4095303

 

[KenO]

City water supply pressure. Whatever that turns out to be, through the RODI, it will match city pressure.

I have 2 RO systems. One for my RO/DI for my aquariums and one for my drinking water. The one for the drinking water has a small pressure tank and only has around 7 psi. So how is your system going to match city pressure. Plus an RO membrane needs a pressure differential to operate correctly.

 

[ThePlummer]

Hmm, I just noticed that this pressure tank is no longer sold at lowe's... It was a month ago.

 

[ThePlummer]

I have 2 RO systems. One for my RO/DI for my aquariums and one for my drinking water. The one for the drinking water has a small pressure tank and only has around 7 psi. So how is your system going to match city pressure. Plus an RO membrane needs a pressure differential to operate correctly.

hmm, my pressure hovers around 80psi when I'm actually drawing water through the RO... When I'm not, it pegs the gauge off the charts... probably 120 or so....

 

[ThePlummer]

I have 2 RO systems. One for my RO/DI for my aquariums and one for my drinking water. The one for the drinking water has a small pressure tank and only has around 7 psi. So how is your system going to match city pressure. Plus an RO membrane needs a pressure differential to operate correctly.

I just tested my RO unit... I put my finger over the discharge line and tried to hold it back... I could for a few seconds, till the pressure built up and I couldn't hold it anymore... I could have easily held back 7psi indefinately.

 

[ThePlummer]

The same tank is available at Home Depot for the same price for anyone interested in upgrading their RODI storage.

Water Worker 62 Gal. Pressurized Well Tank HT62B - The Home Depot

This pre-charged Water Worker 62 Gal. Pressurized Well Tank is designed as a direct-fit replacement for the majority of installed well tank bases and will maintain its air charge for years to offer you

www.homedepot.com

 

[KenO]

I got the electric solenoid installed last night, and made some fresh salt water. Incidentally, I checked the TDS in at 2ppm, and then checked the out, and it was 3 ppm.... I wonder (since I bought this unit used), if the previous owners water was so bad that the filters are leaking ever so slightly.

What is your house TDS? Where is the 2ppm being measured?

 

[ThePlummer]

What is your house TDS? Where is the 2ppm being measured?

Directly in front of the Ro/Di unit, I have a BRS 4 stage with a TDS meter and switch from in or out water.

 

[KenO]

Directly in front of the Ro/Di unit, I have a BRS 4 stage with a TDS meter and switch from in or out water.

So your house water TDS is 2ppm? If that is true, you don’t need an RO unit. I would have the sediment and carbon and then go into a media reactor with DI resin. I’m serious. No need for a storage tank. Just have your solenoid on the output of your DI resin tubing and turn it on/off to fill your ATO container.

 

[ThePlummer]

So your house water TDS is 2ppm? If that is true, you don’t need an RO unit. I would have the sediment and carbon and then go into a media reactor with DI resin. I’m serious. No need for a storage tank. Just have your solenoid on the output of your DI resin tubing and turn it on/off to fill your ATO container.

I know, I've been saying that very same thing for may years, and no one believes me when I say I have extremely pure water in my region.... But that's ok, I don't have to prove it to them, I just have to fend off their disparaging comments toward my 'unconventional' methods and ideas.

The reason I am going to continue to use the Ro/Di is simply because once in a while, my local water district does introduce chlorine into the water system... It's not very often, but they do do it....Since I'm building a system that takes away my direct contact with the water out of my tap ( I sniff it every time I draw water for my aquarium, and if i get even a hint of chlorine, it sits open for a day), because this is totally automatic, I won't be there to monitor whether or not it's been chlorinated, because I can't rely on the water district to tell me they've done so.... I'm not interested in making the water RODI, as much as I'm interested in keeping the occasional shot of chlorine that would be very detrimental to the life in the display.

The reason I want a pressure tank with a large volume of RODI water, is simply because I'm impatient... I don't want to have to take hours to fill a tank for new salt water, I want it to fill as fast as if I hooked it directly to my garden hose.

 

[KenO]

First of all you are incredibly lucky. My house water TDS is 650.
Since your concern is chlorine, it’s the carbon that removes chlorine not the RO membrane. Actually chlorine will destroy an RO membrane. So I go back to what I said before sediment, Carbon and DI resin.
You also stated that your tds was 2 ppm going in and 3 ppm coming out of the membrane. That could just be within the error level of the tds meter reading. You also stated the high pressure coming out of the RO membrane. So A few things come to mind. First since you purchased this used, is there an RO membrane installed? 2nd is the RO membrane seated correctly? If not the house water will just bypass the membrane. It sounds like you’ve tested your tds before so honestly there is no need to use an RO membrane. I would use the sediment, Carbon and DI resin with a RO tubing check valve with a tee fitting and go into your pressure tank and then run a line back through the tee fitting to your ATO container. Keep it simple and get rid of the RO membrane.

 

[ThePlummer]

Update: Finally got a return email from Exotic Marine, saying that the custom 55 gallon refugium w/ RDSB kit will ship today. With a little luck, I can have it done by the weekend, then button up the stand and get it back on it's feet (it's upside down right now with the bottom off, waiting for the sump to be installed).

Then maybe I can get started on the Coral Background, once the tank is back on the stand.

 

[ThePlummer]

Exciting news! Got an email today that the sump kit has been shipped. Should be here by the weekend.

Also, I’ve been removing a few pieces of the old base rock out of my temporary display every couple of days to try to prevent a ammonia spike.

Managed to saw several of the rocks in half and letting them dry out, so I can begin to puzzle piece them for the background. Gonna have to chisel some corners off to make them fit together well and fit around the return bulkheads.

Couldn’t lay the tank on its back because I didn’t want to put that kind of weight on the return box or bulkheads, so I’m fitting them on the front glass, but starting from the end of the peninsula. Can’t silicone them on the back anyway, till the tank is set on the soon to be reassembled stand.

Finally, some progress. I’m tired of tripping over this project in the dark, it’s taking up about half of my living room.

 

[ThePlummer]

Sump kit is here!

Heater baffle installed. I have to wait for the silicone to set up before I finish the sock filter section.

More to come soon.