RO/DI carbon clogging quickly

[MyOtherCarIsAFishtank]

Like the title says, my carbon filter seems to be clogging.

I have an RODI system from BRS with a 1 micron sediment filter in the first chamber followed by two 1 micron carbon blocks. After that is a dual membrane water saver setup and the 3 stage resin saver kit.

The feed in is from Y hoses coming off my laundry room water bibs, so both hot and cold merge to feed the RODI line. I have a pressure gauge there right off the merged bibs. Coming into the sediment filter, I have around 50 psi. Coming out of the second carbon, the flow is so slow my inline gauge stays at zero. This was working fine until yesterday.

I just changed both carbon blocks 14 days ago because this happened and I thought it was just time to replace the carbon. I have made maybe 1000 or so gallons of water since then (new tanks). I noticed last night the system output was a trickle. I changed the sediment filter today even though it looked almost new.

Today, I tried taking out the first carbon canister (the chamber right after the sediment filter, leaving one carbon block still in chamber three) and the pressure out of that one remaining carbon jumped from the zero I mentioned to the normal 45psi.

Based on all this, my only theory so far is that the first carbon block is clogging from something that the 1 micron sediment filter isn't catching. Any other ideas? Any thoughts on what I should try? The only idea I have, aside from burning through carbon blocks at insane rate, would be to go with a 0.5 micron sediment filter, but I don't know if that will help because I don't know what is clogging the carbon.

 

[homer1475]

Why are you running 2 carbon blocks? Chloramines?

Aside from that, the hot water running into the membrane, will destroy the membrane prematurely. You should only run cold water though the unit. Also you may need a booster pump. 50psi is on the low side, specially if your only pushing 45psi through the membrane.

 

[elysics]

Edit: nevermind

 

[August]

I would also advise against using water from your heating system. Depending on your heater, you may be leaching metals into the water supply that will deplete your DI resin more quickly.

I don't know also what you are standing to gain by merging your water lines. The same water pumps at your water production facility power *both lines* and the cold line would seem to be less confined than the cold line that feeds it. Do you have poorer pressure at your point where you tap into your cold water line then on the hot water side?

Happy reefing