New RO/DI filter... How did you?

[Jedi1199]

I wonder all the time what I did before the internet. My first attempt at coral was a total disaster but that was a long time ago, when I had to use books and coralife salt came with free t shirts...

I agree. If there had been an information source as good as the internet back then, I would have saved a LOT of money, and not killed off so many beautiful specimens as I did. For instance, nobody back then told me that tap water was basically poison to inverts.. I spent hundreds of dollars on things to remove copper from my water, when the fact is that the "chemical soup" that the San Jose municipal water company passes off as "safe" is actually nothing more than instant death to anything in a reef tank. Ugghhh... live and learn.. and spend a ***ton of money along the way.. heh

 

[Gtinnel]

Its all good.. I'm thinking a simple mechanical setup like a toilet float valve will suffice. My biggest concern with setting up the RO/DI inside the house, is overflow of the collection container. That is why my initial concept was an outdoor shed.

I know you can buy auto shutoff kits that I think are fairly basic. Mine is somewhat more complicated turning off and on by float switches and then it opens a flush solenoid to flush the membrane for the first 30 seconds, and then for 30 seconds every 30 minutes that it runs. It dumps the water coming through the membrane for the first few minutes because it tends to have a higher tds before allowing it to enter the di, and controls an outlet to turn my booster pump on and off. There is also a safety timer built in so if it runs for over a set amount of time it turns off.

 

[shadow1013]

What is the name/manufacture of those bins and where did you get them?

Laundry room.

 

[Greg P]

I installed mine in the laundry room. I left the lines long so I can easily pull it out to service the filters. I use a Brute can for collection. The can is on wheels and only in there when I am making water. A float valve is on order for auto shut off.

A float valve is great to shut off the flow, but ...
I don't use mine anymore. As the valve starts to close it drops the pressure through the membrane which causes TDS to rise. I was getting 2ppm in my storage container with only 8-12TDS from the tap.
A more costly solution is a float switch in the tub and solenoid on the supply line before any filters

 

[Greg P]

Mine is under the sink in the Master ensuite bathroom, so no help to you, but maybe to others.
I ditched the float valve in the drum and let it overflow into the sink if I forget to turn it off. Usually a timer works to remind me it's nearly full.

 

[RobW]

Mine is located in my laundry room. I have a 7 stage unit with a booster pump, and auto shut off switch. I have lines run through my attic to where my new 275 g will sit for auto top off. I will have 2 100 g storage tanks in the garage for fresh and saltwater.

 

[Quietman]

What is the name/manufacture of those bins and where did you get them?

Actually got them from a plumbing supply house. They no longer carry them, but they're the Den Hartog brand - 10 Gallon with 8" dome lid. Cost about $60 a piece in 2018. Added adjustable float valve (so far no rust issues with in RODI or SW). Didn't modify the plug, just screwed in a PVC valve and it's been fine.

Also made some mods since last pic...added local shut off valve with pressure gauge (now I can compare input to outlet of filter blocks). Set up a couple tees so I can just take off RO before DI for wife's plants and my FW tanks. That long white hose is to route to my fw tank for water changes.

 

[themcnertney]

My water station is setup under my stairs in my basement. I have two 55 gallon trashcans, one for salt, one fresh. Each have float valves that run to a booster pump. When the float is triggered, the RODI turns on and fills the cans. In each can, I run a heater and a circ pump to keep the water moving. The supply to my RODI is teed off on the cold water copper line to my laundry sink. If a valve fails, I have a floor drain that the water moves to. Works pretty well.

 

[Jedi1199]

A float valve is great to shut off the flow, but ...
I don't use mine anymore. As the valve starts to close it drops the pressure through the membrane which causes TDS to rise. I was getting 2ppm in my storage container with only 8-12TDS from the tap.
A more costly solution is a float switch in the tub and solenoid on the supply line before any filters

Had an idea tonight... How about a simple garden timer? IF you know how fast your system produces water to the collection can, and how much you use from that, you can simply program the timer to run for the length of time it takes to fill the can back up. Simple, effective, and since it would be directly off the main incoming supply line, it should not have any negative effects on the filter system.

What do you guys think?

 

[shadow1013]

It is recommended that you flush your RO membrane before and after each use, but if you are doing it before then you will be fine. But you’d also have to know exactly how much water you are making. BRS did a test with PSI and was able to take the rates GPD membrane up more with higher PSI.

Had an idea tonight... How about a simple garden timer? IF you know how fast your system produces water to the collection can, and how much you use from that, you can simply program the timer to run for the length of time it takes to fill the can back up. Simple, effective, and since it would be directly off the main incoming supply line, it should not have any negative effects on the filter system.

What do you guys think?

 

[jsker]

I ran a water line to were my RO/Di and my system is located. I had my RO/DI in the laundry area and had a few overflows I am so glad I move the RO/DI to the current location, much easier to monitor when I need to change the filters and over flow are now non existent for the reason I have install floats like other have posted.

I drilled a hole in the wall and plumbed the wait water and tank water to go outside to water the lawn.

 

[Jedi1199]

It is recommended that you flush your RO membrane before and after each use, but if you are doing it before then you will be fine. But you’d also have to know exactly how much water you are making. BRS did a test with PSI and was able to take the rates GPD membrane up more with higher PSI.

Shadow, I am all about numbers. I have been monitoring my filter output since the moment I started it. My filter is generating 3.65G/hr right now. With all of the numbers most people in this hobby chase, is it really a big deal to know how much water your RODI system makes?

 

[shadow1013]

Carbon usage usually goes off of the total amount of water taken in.

Shadow, I am all about numbers. I have been monitoring my filter output since the moment I started it. My filter is generating 3.65G/hr right now. With all of the numbers most people in this hobby chase, is it really a big deal to know how much water your RODI system makes?

 

[Jedi1199]

So, my new TDS meter arrived just now.. of course the first thing I had to do was test my water.

The RODI water = 0

Tap water = 140

And, here's the part that surprised me.. the fridge water = 168!!

 

[JumboShrimp]

After searching and searching, I somewhat amazingly found 70-gallon water tanks that fit precisely under these heavy-duty workbenches.

 

[Jedi1199]

After searching and searching, I somewhat amazingly found 70-gallon water tanks that fit precisely under these heavy-duty workbenches.

Beautiful setup you have there.. Makes my own look cheap and tawdry. I suspect the butcher block top alone cost more than my entire setup

 

[JumboShrimp]

(Believe it or not, they were deliverEd right to my house by Sam’s Club/Costco!... forgot which.)

 

[Gort]

I purchased a portable, love it so far- one down fall and tough lesson. Our water pressure was better than we thought, it cracked the faucet stem in our kitchen after about 2 hours in use. Now it gets hooked up to the water line for the washer. If I were to permanently hook it up that’s where I would put it.

@ridgeburyreefer - what portable unit do you have? I didn't know they existed in that configuration.

 

[paintman]

I put mine directly over my sink. seemed like the best place.........feeds over to the left where my storage tanks are. I have float valves in both salt and fresh water containers. I have the waste water line stick dowwn into the sink drain hole.

 

[lafarrow]

Mine is in my garage and I just run 50' of RODI tubing to my ATO every weekend to top it off. I then disconnect the 50' of tubing and fill my mixing barrel. That way it is 1 day straight run for everything. I have the 150 gpd as shown in rubberfrog's post (#3). I put some widowed socks over the canisters to stop possible light bleed. Works so far.