RO/DI pressurized holding reservoir

MUTiger

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3135ECF0-F8DC-4254-A5BD-B30BB79FD527.jpeg Are these types of pressurized RO/DI reservoirs safe to store RODI water for a reef tank? They have a” food grade” pressurized bladder inside.
 

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I'm going to talk about the entire system with a pressurized tank attached. These are used to supply clean water for human consumption. The tank fills on demand when water is turned on. The issue is that the water contains a fair amount of TDS that gets there from breakthrough of the membrane. This breakthough happens every time the membrane sits for a while and is then "turned on." That's how the water is drinkable (doesn't have a flat taste)....the added TDS. That is, dependent of multiple factors, water coming out of a pressurized storage tank has a higher TDS than an RO system that's been started with the first five minutes or so going to waste. I hope this makes sense. You also don't want to run pressure tank water through your DI....it will eat up the DI pretty quickly.
 
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I'm going to talk about the entire system with a pressurized tank attached. These are used to supply clean water for human consumption. The tank fills on demand when water is turned on. The issue is that the water contains a fair amount of TDS that gets there from breakthrough of the membrane. This breakthough happens every time the membrane sits for a while and is then "turned on." That's how the water is drinkable (doesn't have a flat taste)....the added TDS. That is, dependent of multiple factors, water coming out of a pressurized storage tank has a higher TDS than an RO system that's been started with the first five minutes or so going to waste. I hope this makes sense. You also don't want to run pressure tank water through your DI....it will eat up the DI pretty quickly.
I have a 20 gallon RO pressurized reservoir that was being used on an older RO unit that I had (no DI). I am getting a new 4 stage RO/DI system tomorrow. I was hoping to store the RODI water in the reservoir after it had run through the DI not before the DI. The system I am getting has an auto shut off valve that I presume would turn off the RODI system when the reservoir was full and I could therefore keep the system running all the time. If I send 0 TDS water into the pressurized reservoir will it still be 0 TDS when I use it?
 

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I'm going to talk about the entire system with a pressurized tank attached. These are used to supply clean water for human consumption. The tank fills on demand when water is turned on. The issue is that the water contains a fair amount of TDS that gets there from breakthrough of the membrane. This breakthough happens every time the membrane sits for a while and is then "turned on." That's how the water is drinkable (doesn't have a flat taste)....the added TDS. That is, dependent of multiple factors, water coming out of a pressurized storage tank has a higher TDS than an RO system that's been started with the first five minutes or so going to waste. I hope this makes sense. You also don't want to run pressure tank water through your DI....it will eat up the DI pretty quickly.
Sorry if I'm not following, but what you're describing is tds creep, correct? If so, that can be negated at least partially if the OP was planning on emptying the tank everytime they were going to use the water. Now if they want to use it like most people would for drinking water where they get a small amount often then I completely agree with you.

I'm now kinda curious OP why would you want to use a pressure storage tank over something simpler, like a bucket for water storage for an aquarium?
 
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Sorry if I'm not following, but what you're describing is tds creep, correct? If so, that can be negated at least partially if the OP was planning on emptying the tank everytime they were going to use the water. Now if they want to use it like most people would for drinking water where they get a small amount often then I completely agree with you.

I'm now kinda curious OP why would you want to use a pressure storage tank over something simpler, like a bucket for water storage for an aquarium?
First of all, I have a pressure storage tank already. Secondly, the storage tank is completely sealed so no dust, bacteria, or “ slime“ can get into the water. In addition when the pressurized storage tank becomes full it creates back pressure which turns off the RODI system until RODI water from the storage tank is used. That way the system is always on and I always have 20 gallons of RODI water available.

For those of you who store your water in a bucket or trash can do you set a timer to turn off the system when the bucket is full? Do you ever forget and get a flood of RODI water? My system is in the basement where I’d like it to be as automated as possible so I can just forget about it.
 

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First of all, I have a pressure storage tank already. Secondly, the storage tank is completely sealed so no dust, bacteria, or “ slime“ can get into the water. In addition when the pressurized storage tank becomes full it creates back pressure which turns off the RODI system until RODI water from the storage tank is used. That way the system is always on and I always have 20 gallons of RODI water available.

For those of you who store your water in a bucket or trash can do you set a timer to turn off the system when the bucket is full? Do you ever forget and get a flood of RODI water? My system is in the basement where I’d like it to be as automated as possible so I can just forget about it.
Mine goes into a brute mixing station and I use float switches to control solenoids through a diy micro controller. Mine is actually setup to where when I need water it starts automatically, dumps the first few minutes of water to save my di from tds creep, and flushes the membrane at the beggining, end, and every 30 minutes.
Although I think most people would just use a float valve, but that still can lead to tds creep similar to how your pressurized container can.
 

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My system is automated
When my tank has about 10 gallons left it turns the system on. The first five minutes of product water is sent down the drain to remove TDS creep and to get at a stabilized rejection. The system runs until the water level reaches the float switch at the top of the tank. There is also a float valve if the float switch would fail.
 
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Gtinnel and KStatefan

You are both far more sophisticated than I am. Solenoids, micro controllers, float switch, float valve, automatically sending the first 5 minutes of water down the drain to remove TDS creep. If either one of you could be more specific about your setup it would be very appreciated. Diagrams and/or pictures would help.
 
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MUTiger

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My system is automated
When my tank has about 10 gallons left it turns the system on. The first five minutes of product water is sent down the drain to remove TDS creep and to get at a stabilized rejection. The system runs until the water level reaches the float switch at the top of the tank. There is also a float valve if the float switch would fail.
Gtinnel and KStatefan

You are both far more sophisticated than I am. Solenoids, micro controllers, float switch, float valve, automatically sending the first 5 minutes of water down the drain to remove TDS creep. If either one of you could be more specific about your setup it would be very appreciated. Diagrams and/or pictures would help.
 
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MUTiger

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Mine goes into a brute mixing station and I use float switches to control solenoids through a diy micro controller. Mine is actually setup to where when I need water it starts automatically, dumps the first few minutes of water to save my di from tds creep, and flushes the membrane at the beggining, end, and every 30 minutes.
Although I think most people would just use a float valve, but that still can lead to tds creep similar to how your pressurized container can.
Gtinnel and KStatefan

You are both far more sophisticated than I am. Solenoids, micro controllers, float switch, float valve, automatically sending the first 5 minutes of water down the drain to remove TDS creep. If either one of you could be more specific about your setup it would be very appreciated. Diagrams and/or pictures would help.
 

Gtinnel

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Gtinnel and KStatefan

You are both far more sophisticated than I am. Solenoids, micro controllers, float switch, float valve, automatically sending the first 5 minutes of water down the drain to remove TDS creep. If either one of you could be more specific about your setup it would be very appreciated. Diagrams and/or pictures would help.
I won't be home until this evening to take any pictures, but mine is not pretty it's a board with a bunch of solenoid valves, and then another board with the electronics mounted to it. The electronics are just a bread board that I never put into a project box, plus I put a qt in front of the electronics so it may be hard to get pictures of. All of this in an unfinished utility room.
I'll actually be working on my rodi system this evening to add a second membrane and I'll take a few pics then and post them...if I can take a few that aren't too embarrassing because of how crappy everything looks.
 
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MUTiger

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I won't be home until this evening to take any pictures, but mine is not pretty it's a board with a bunch of solenoid valves, and then another board with the electronics mounted to it. The electronics are just a bread board that I never put into a project box, plus I put a qt in front of the electronics so it may be hard to get pictures of. All of this in an unfinished utility room.
I'll actually be working on my rodi system this evening to add a second membrane and I'll take a few pics then and post them...if I can take a few that aren't too embarrassing because of how crappy everything looks.
Thanks. I wouldn’t worry about the aesthetics. If it works that’s all that matters.
 

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I use both the sealed reservoir and a 32 gallon trash can. I pull water from the reservoir to fill my ATO reservoir every few days. I have an in-line valve on the line that goes from the sealed reservoir to the RO/DI faucet that feeds a line to the 32 gallon trash can. Whenever I need to mix more saltwater, I open that valve and it diverts the RO/DI water to the trash can. The line from the valve to the trash can is attached to a simple $10 mechanical float valve that turns the water off when the trash can is full. Works like a charm
 

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Gtinnel and KStatefan

You are both far more sophisticated than I am. Solenoids, micro controllers, float switch, float valve, automatically sending the first 5 minutes of water down the drain to remove TDS creep. If either one of you could be more specific about your setup it would be very appreciated. Diagrams and/or pictures would help.

I use a Hi-Low tank controller from @Buckeye Hydro that I modified the output to include a delay relay.

When the lower float switch is activated the tank controller sends power out the activates the delay timer and opens the bypass solenoid

When the timer completed the power is switched from the bypass to good water to my storage tank(not directly but that is not needed)

When the upper float valve is triggered the tank controller turns off and the ato shutoff on my RODI system stops the waste water.

If I was doing it again I would probably go with a different controller but that is because I have had to add more items to my sytem to remove CO2 from my water prior to DI.

IMG_2933.JPG
 

KStatefan

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I'm in luck because mine looks awful. Here are pics as promised.
Isn't she a beauty. LOL

That is how a basement wall is suppose to look. I seem to always have some type of electronic setup on a wall like that normally Christmas light controllers.

What are you using for a controller? Since I have added my degassing I have thinking about switching to a PLC to control mine.
 

Gtinnel

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That is how a basement wall is suppose to look. I seem to always have some type of electronic setup on a wall like that normally Christmas light controllers.

What are you using for a controller? Since I have added my degassing I have thinking about switching to a PLC to control mine.
I really need to get all of the electronics put into a project box, for water resistance if nothing else. The picture is of my "test" setup that has been attached to my wall for well over a year.
Here is an Amazon link to the microcontroller that I used.


I feel like I must mention for full disclosure I had a lot of help on this project from my father who is an electrical engineer and an electronics genius, and from my brother who is a computer engineer and did all of the programming (which honestly looks easy for this).
 
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