Is my ro membrane broken and needs to be replaced?

[Kirschy17]

Hey guys, so i just replaced my ro/di filter media except the membrane and im getting worse tds than before. I produced 1 tds water for mist of the year. I finally got about changing di resin, carbon cartridge aswell as sediment filter and i cant seem to get tds below 2. Water comes from tap at 100tds, i get about 7tds out of my membrane, and after di it sits at 2tds.

is my membrane broken?

 

[TriggerFinger]

Did you flush the carbon blocks before hooking them up to the membrane?

 

[Kirschy17]

Did you flush the carbon blocks before hooking them up to the membrane?

I think no? I mmean i ran the system for an hour or so before taling measurements

 

[Kirschy17]

And i also flushed the membrane after that.

 

[Saltyreef]

You should have disconnected the carbon block before the RO membrane and flushed for 5 to 10 mins.

 

[TriggerFinger]

My instructions state you should disconnect the carbon and ro membranes to flush the carbon blocks when you put new ones in. I don’t know if this caused your problem or not but it’s a possibility

I think no? I mmean i ran the system for an hour or so before taling measurements

 

[Kirschy17]

You should have disconnected the carbon block before the RO membrane and flushed for 5 to 10 mins.

Good to know... ill certainly do so the next time i change it. Can u just tell me if 100-7 tds sounds like a broken membrane? The membrane might be 2-3 years old but i just want to be sure thats whats causing my issue. I am also using a used di resin cartridge. Do you think there might be any damage in the cartridge that causes the lack of deionisation? Water goes from 7tds to 2tds before and after the resin.

thanks for your thoughts

 

[Saltyreef]

Good to know... ill certainly do so the next time i change it. Can u just tell me if 100-7 tds sounds like a broken membrane? The membrane might be 2-3 years old but i just want to be sure thats whats causing my issue. I am also using a used di resin cartridge. Do you think there might be any damage in the cartridge that causes the lack of deionisation? Water goes from 7tds to 2tds before and after the resin.

thanks for your thoughts

What brand of cartridges are you using and how many DI stages?
When was the last time you changed the resin and how old is it?
Was it ever producing 0tds?
At 1tds your DI most certainly needs to be replaced.
The RO is operating at 93%. Thats not bad not its could be better.

Sounds like you need a complete filter change.
Keep your new prefilter and carbon if thats what you just bought.
Buy a new membrane and DI.
Also what pressure are you running?
And whats your product to waste ratio?

 

[Kirschy17]

I don't know the cartridge brand. its 1 stage di. I changed the resin just now when I changed carbon and sediment filters. I did produce 0 tds water for most of my reefing career. I also don't know pressure im running on tap pressure so no extra pressure pumps. Im not certain about product to waste ratio. something in the lines of 1:4 or 1:5 but I never measured that.

 

[Saltyreef]

I don't know the cartridge brand. its 1 stage di. I changed the resin just now when I changed carbon and sediment filters. I did produce 0 tds water for most of my reefing career. I also don't know pressure im running on tap pressure so no extra pressure pumps. Im not certain about product to waste ratio. something in the lines of 1:4 or 1:5 but I never measured that.

The resins only good until you start reading 1tds.
I would recommend another full cartridge replacement minus the pre and carbon and a product to waste ratio measurement so you can be sure you are economizing through your system.
A pressure gauge wouldnt be a bad idea as you need to negate variables why youre burning through the resin.

I would recommend spectrapure products for replacements in the future.

 

[Kirschy17]

The resins only good until you start reading 1tds.
I would recommend another full cartridge replacement minus the pre and carbon and a product to waste ratio measurement so you can be sure you are economizing through your system.
A pressure gauge wouldnt be a bad idea as you need to negate variables why youre burning through the resin.

I would recommend spectrapure products for replacements in the future.

Thanks for your advice! I will look if i can buy those here in the EU. Ill also check if i can find out my tap pressure and look into pressure gauges.
I ordered a new membrane and will be back with my results.

 

[Saltyreef]

Thanks for your advice! I will look if i can buy those here in the EU. Ill also check if i can find out my tap pressure and look into pressure gauges.
I ordered a new membrane and will be back with my results.

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[Kirschy17]

as promised im here with an update. I replaced my membrane and tds was still at 1.... after checking tds at various stages of my unit i found the issue. The di-resin cartridge contains sponges that were leeking tds in my water. after removing them im back at 0. I wonder when buying di cartridges do i need to buy a new cartridge container( whats connected to my ro unit) aswell? the cartridge i use came with the container and i figured those need to go together. is there a universal size for these resin cartridges so i could just buy a spectrapure one and but in my container...

 

[Saltyreef]

Do you have standard 10" housings?
Are you refilling your DI inserts?

The new cartridges should have new foam in them so im not sure why theres still foam in the housing.
Can u take a photo of your housings?

Heres a standard 10" filter housing that the new cartridges go into. There should be no foam inside the empty housing.

 

[Saltyreef]

Youd be super satisfied with a new spectrapure maxcap standard. But make sure you install a 3 way di bypass valve vs a flush kit before they send it to you

 

[Kirschy17]

Do you have standard 10" housings?
Are you refilling your DI inserts?

The new cartridges should have new foam in them so im not sure why theres still foam in the housing.
Can u take a photo of your housings?

Heres a standard 10" filter housing that the new cartridges go into. There should be no foam inside the empty housing.

first of all, thanks for your patience with me ^^,

second, yes those seem like the one i have. Yes im refilling my cartridges. The sponges are inside the cartridge so when replacing the resin i dont usually replace the cartridge.

 

[Kirschy17]

Youd be super satisfied with a new spectrapure maxcap standard. But make sure you install a 3 way di bypass valve vs a flush kit before they send it to you

You mean a valve to be able to flush the membrane aside from the di resin?

 

[Saltyreef]

You mean a valve to be able to flush the membrane aside from the di resin?

A DI bypass valve lets you drain the first couple minutes of water before it goes to your resins.
Its a phenomenon called TDS creep.
Tds creeping past the membrane while its equalized.
This valve also lets you collect RO from your system with a turn of a valve.

Backflush kits are debatable if they do anything to increase membrane efficency.

 

[Saltyreef]

first of all, thanks for your patience with me ^^,

second, yes those seem like the one i have. Yes im refilling my cartridges. The sponges are inside the cartridge so when replacing the resin i dont usually replace the cartridge.

I gotcha. That makes sense.
I replace my whole cartridge insert when its expelled. I dont have time or patience to refill lol.
They do sell new shells with new foam for a minimal price.