Inside the Smart Buddie - Turbo charge your RO system

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Larryfl1

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Hi question

On my old setup I had a pump with pressure switch and flow
Every time my selonoid to the sump opened the system would auto flush first and then I think every hour of use of continuous use
Therefore adding topoff automatically flushes ever time the selonoid opens

If I read the posts it sounds like your system only flushes after a power event or after 24 hours of ro water production

What’s the pro/con of this approach instead of the old system I used to use?

Source will always be open and smart buddy powered full time. Just output from smart buddy will open close based on auto topoff

Also I assume I don’t need to use the old auto shutoff setup on the ro unit that closes the supply automatically based on back pressure?
 
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AquaticLifeProducts

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That is correct, either every 24 hours or after power is restored.

I'm not sure there is a pro or con to either way. I think it has more to do with the TDS creep across the membrane and how often its turned on and off through out the day. I have found that the RODI unit will have the initially higher than normal reading after each start up regardless if flushed or not. What I do is actually limit my production to longer batches. So I either use a timer to turn the unit on and off a single time per day or I use a count down timer to operate the unit with a specified duration.

So if you used your auto top off with a timer and only for a short period of time once per day you would produce a single long production of RODI water and not have the unit turning on and off multiple times per day. Or if you put the Smart Buddie on a timer you would be able to have the unit flush like you want each time and only produce once per day for a longer run and have the auto top off stop the Smart Buddie when full.

You are correct, you would want to remove the ASO from the RO unit. It will cause problems with the smart buddie if left installed.

Hope i'm making sense with the explanation.
 

Bruno516

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Hi @AquaticLifeProducts I'm curious if you guys have ran into any issues with the Smart Buddie and certain membranes/RODI units.

Can you explain why the ASO valve will cause issues with the Smart Buddie? I have a spectrapure Maxcap system that uses a float valve and auto shut off valve.

also you say it has a 300 flow restrictor, is that too small for a 90 gallon per day membrane? The one I have now is 700 and i feel like reducing my flow restrictor will cause my ratio to be 2-1 (rather than 4-1) and I will foul membranes left and right.

Thanks for any insight on this
 
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AquaticLifeProducts

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Not typically aquarium RO units, the Smart Buddie attaches well to them. I have problems with residential units that have built in ASO and components that can not be removed.

The Smart Buddie has a high pressures switch on the filtered water line that will turn off the Smart Buddie when the pressure reaches 28 - 32 PSI. Keeping the original ASO with a different or not exact PSI shut off could turn the water off to the Smart Buddie, causing the low pressure switch to activate on the supply water side. Not really activating the High pressure switch side. This is why we suggest to remove them, as to not to compete with each other on the filtered line pressure.

The 300 CC flow restrictors have been used since the beginning with the booster. If you have really high TDS its possible to foul the membranes, we have not had any problems. The 300 CC combination valve is a combination of the flow restrictor and a auto flush valve. The valve will open when first powered on or after approximately 24 hours of operation.

You can choose to not use the waste water outlets on the Smart Buddie if you would like or in one case I had a customer split the waste line into two, one to the 300 CC of the Smart Buddie and a second to a 450 CC inline flow restrictor. This allowed them to keep the higher waste water ratio. Most of the times we have customers wanting to lower the waste water output, so the smaller combination valve was used.

Let me know if you have additional questions.
 

Retro Reefer

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I have been using the Smart Buddie for about 6 months, one of the best purchases I have ever made related to reef keeping.. I love it!
 

kiMxD

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It will but take a look at what is required with the attached video link.



Let me know what additional questions you might have.

I saw the video after messaging you here, thanks! Could you address the other question I had posted?

"@AquaticLifeProducts also, does the smart buddie comes with all tubing necessary or it has to be purchased separate?"
 
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AquaticLifeProducts

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@AquaticLifeProducts also, does the smart buddie comes with all tubing necessary or it has to be purchased separate?
Missed this one.

Smart Buddie does not include any tubing but the 4 stage TI would have some tubing included. Longer sections would need to be purchased.
 

TX_Punisher

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Bringing this up. I’ve had mine about a year. It was operating at 100psi and doing great! Then It fell off the shelf but continued to work however now my pressure gauge on my ro unit (which did. It fall) bounces around at 80psi vs 100 before. No leaks. Is there a way to adjust pressure on these? any thoughts?
 
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AquaticLifeProducts

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There is no adjustment on the pump. Question are the cartridges newer or older. I have seen three things that effect the PSI output. Limiting the water supply to the unit. Clogged cartridges or lower flow to the system in general. Larger waste water flow, this reduces the pressure to the membrane. Last could be a reduction in the pump output.

Let us know will be glad to help solve where the reduction in PSI is coming from.
 

TX_Punisher

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It all happened when the unit fell. The fittings on the front landed face down and one started to leak. I had to open the unit to bypass that fitting through the case. The unit works as normal.

Filters have been changed and still the same bouncing pressure. .
 
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AquaticLifeProducts

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When you mention that you bypassed a fitting. Does the new connection still go to the same internal part? Was the bypassed fitting the waste water?
 

TX_Punisher

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Yes. Everything goes to the same internal parts. I’ll have to check on the waste water but I do not think so.

Thanks
 

TX_Punisher

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33C55A2E-8FE0-4109-B5FF-AD24ADDDB843.jpeg
 

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I have a soectrapure 180gpd unit running at 60psi, and I get 50 gallons output in 6 hours. That's 200gpd.

Input tds is 36. Product:waste ratio is 1:2.4

Would I see any improvement running one of these on my system? Thanks
 
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AquaticLifeProducts

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Are you running the membrane is series or parallel?

The concern is the volume of water the pump moves. Its only rated at 550ml at 70 PSI. So if the requested water volume is more the additional pressure would not be created. Let us know will be glad to review the numbers.
 

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