need help asap: rodi 6-stage system without pressure to dual membrane/ booster pump

Macntos Reefs

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hi all,

i think this is my first post? i need help asap on a quandry i have in regards to my brs 6-stage (200 gpd unit) which has a booster pump in line. i am new to rodi units. and we chose to connect ours via hose bib connection. the water pressure from this hose bib is approx 45.

the first booster connection i did was post sediment filter & pre membrane. that didn’t work. i was told it would save my membranes long term if i did that way

so i opted to go back to how i originally had it which was pre sediment filter. the booster pump was working giving me 100+ psi before i reconfigured it to the one above.

so now that i’ve placed it back to my original pre sediment filter configuration, there’s no pressure readings and there are no waste & product water coming out.

could it be because i reconfigured it again that i lost all that pressure by removing the lines & re-routing the lines? i did the follow the trickle method by checking water at every stage of the rodi unit.

the one thing i do notice is the amount of pressure in the dual membranes when i tried to remove the inlet to check if there’s water in? so i lost pressure somewhere.

again, there’s no water coming from the membrane flush valve when fully open. and no pressure on the gauge. i’ve attached some photos here (video i’ll have to trim/ too large).

thank you for your help guys!

75464672-87B5-43A0-8EFB-7AD223711342.jpeg 95E4E7EC-AA6E-44B8-8205-878C1D991271.jpeg 96BFFED8-61BA-4953-BD00-8E5C5B79C46A.jpeg ABC951D8-0223-4A27-9414-84F2A5FE6AAB.jpeg
 

shwareefer

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After years in IT I just have to ask the obvious: Is the source water on? A sediment filter before the pump is preferred. Regardless, if you disconnect the booster's out line from that which it is connected and turn on the pump does water shoot out? If it doesn't there is a blockage or air lock in the pump. Or the source water is not on.... :)
 
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Macntos Reefs

Macntos Reefs

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After years in IT I just have to ask the obvious: Is the source water on? A sediment filter before the pump is preferred. Regardless, if you disconnect the booster's out line from that which it is connected and turn on the pump does water shoot out? If it doesn't there is a blockage or air lock in the pump. Or the source water is not on.... :)
source water is on. i follow the lines by unplugging each line and looking for flow. but when i get to the membrane, it hisses… so there should be pressure in it. but no pressure reading on the gauge and nothing is coming out. i appreciate the input
 

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I'm wondering if you auto shut off valve has failed or is setup incorrectly now. I don't have one so I can't comment on how it should be setup. I have heard of them getting stuck before.
 

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The booster pump should be after the carbon blocks and just before the membranes. I would set the psi to 80-90. The sediment filter and carbon blocks don’t need to see that kind of pressure, but the membranes do, in order to optimize efficiency. The whole point is to reduce waste to product ratio. I run a 7 stage dual membrane and get 2:1 if not better. Also, I don’t see a flow restrictor on the waste line? That looks like shut off valve on your water line.
 

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r20crazy

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that is so wrong plumbing wise.... watch a youtube video... I dont even know where to start... 1st you gotta decide if you wanna run the membranes in series or parallel... and the valve on the grey restrictor looks like it needs to be turned.... no output waste or product is water pressure fighting itself in both directions, so it cant flow anywhere
 

r20crazy

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atm it looks like (to me) you are feeding the dual membranes in parallel, then feeding waste water back into one membrane from the other.... which is causing nothing to happen (product or waste) as you have both sides with same pressure. watch your water flow... if running parallel its gotta split at input (like you have), and BOTH outputs gotta recombine (which you dont have)... if membranes in series{lower waste water level but 2nd membrane needs repalced sooner as its re-filtering waste from 1st membrane)... input one to membrane one, that "waste" OUTPUT goes to input of membrane 2, that output of membrane2 is your only waste line with restrictor....

look online, its easier to see than explain. lotsa videos on youtube

and in these pics, your booster pump is in wrong position.... source water goes into sediment/carbon filters, then booster b4 it goes into membranes (either series or parallel), then to di resin
 
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Macntos Reefs

Macntos Reefs

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that is so wrong plumbing wise.... watch a youtube video... I dont even know where to start... 1st you gotta decide if you wanna run the membranes in series or parallel... and the valve on the grey restrictor looks like it needs to be turned.... no output waste or product is water pressure fighting itself in both directions, so it cant flow anywhere
this is the way brs sells it. and i bought it from another local reefer who kept it the same way. there’s some issue with the flow in the membrane after i swapped the configuration of the booster pump (from between sediment & membranes and now currently before the sediment, per brs call & research)
 
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Macntos Reefs

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atm it looks like (to me) you are feeding the dual membranes in parallel, then feeding waste water back into one membrane from the other.... which is causing nothing to happen (product or waste) as you have both sides with same pressure. watch your water flow... if running parallel its gotta split at input (like you have), and BOTH outputs gotta recombine (which you dont have)... if membranes in series{lower waste water level but 2nd membrane needs repalced sooner as its re-filtering waste from 1st membrane)... input one to membrane one, that "waste" OUTPUT goes to input of membrane 2, that output of membrane2 is your only waste line with restrictor....

look online, its easier to see than explain. lotsa videos on youtube

and in these pics, your booster pump is in wrong position.... source water goes into sediment/carbon filters, then booster b4 it goes into membranes (either series or parallel), then to di resin
that’s the way i originally had it. sediment, booster, membrane, di. but then, i had no flow. i may retry that configuration again. there’s something going on in the dual membranes.
 

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source water is on. i follow the lines by unplugging each line and looking for flow. but when i get to the membrane, it hisses… so there should be pressure in it. but no pressure reading on the gauge and nothing is coming out. i appreciate the input
Not sure I understand where you are not getting water. If I understand correctly on your lines. The red circle connection is coming from the prefilters and there is water there. Are you getting water on the out side of the auto shut off valve (yellow circle)?
thingy.jpg
 

Shirak

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I can't see underneath but looks like the gauge is hooked up after the prefilters? That would be the usual configuration for a single gauge system to see if your prefilters are clogged and there is enough pressure going into the membranes.
 

minus9

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Is this blue line coming from the out side of the auto shutoff valve going to the DI canister? (green arrow)
thingy3.jpg
That’s the product water. Also, the connections are good in the first pic, but that’s not a flow restrictor on the waste line, which is the problem. My connection are exactly the same, except for the booster pump. Don’t put pressure on the sediment and carbon blocks, it’s completely unnecessary. The booster goes directly after the last carbon block and right before the membranes. Remove that gray shutoff valve and see what happens. To make your life easier, but the auto flush kit BRS sells.
 

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That’s the product water. Also, the connections are good in the first pic, but that’s not a flow restrictor on the waste line, which is the problem. My connection are exactly the same, except for the booster pump. Don’t put pressure on the sediment and carbon blocks, it’s completely unnecessary. The booster goes directly after the last carbon block and right before the membranes. Remove that gray shutoff valve and see what happens. To make your life easier, but the auto flush kit BRS sells.
Yes I know it's the RO line but it isn't clear where it's going from the photo. For all I know it could be going to that Y fitting down underneath which would make no sense. There is clearly a red line and a blue line on that Y. It appears to be the red line from the prefilters after the gauge, and then a blue line from? and that goes up to the first input (red line) on the auto shutoff. That makes no sense.

Yes I agree the pump is in the wrong position but it should still work like that. The grey shut off valve well.. could have a restrictor inside but as long as the valve is open to allow air/water out then it shouldn't be an issue.
 

minus9

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Yes I know it's the RO line but it isn't clear where it's going from the photo. For all I know it could be going to that Y fitting down underneath which would make no sense. There is clearly a red line and a blue line on that Y. It appears to be the red line from the prefilters after the gauge, and then a blue line from? and that goes up to the first input (red line) on the auto shutoff. That makes no sense.

Yes I agree the pump is in the wrong position but it should still work like that. The grey shut off valve well.. could have a restrictor inside but as long as the valve is open to allow air/water out then it shouldn't be an issue.
True, there’s a lot not seen in the pic. We need a full shot to see everything.
 

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