RODI filters - Any change in our water?

[Tomoko Schum]

The RO canisters are impossible to twist off without a couple of strap wrenches in my experience.

Yikes.
Unless I can find canisters that are easy to work with, I am afraid that I am stuck with the Twist-in system.

 

[Spieg]

Those housings are easy to open with the proper wrench.

 

[reeferKen]

Yes still using the same one here Tomoko....i'm hitting a few knuckles now and again to get them open But Its worth it to keep the Chloramies out for me. Yes, I use the proper wrench too. Maybe my booster pump pressures up the system more making them seat in harder? I dont know. Best of luck. PS- you know any good reef stores around Huntsville? Looking for a good selection of dry goods and additives. Thanks

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Yes still using the same one here Tomoko....i'm hitting a few knuckles now and again to get them open But Its worth it to keep the Chloramies out for me. Yes, I use the proper wrench too. Maybe my booster pump pressures up the system more making them seat in harder? I dont know. Best of luck. PS- you know any good reef stores around Huntsville? Looking for a good selection of dry goods and additives. Thanks

The only reef store around here is Aquatic Cove. We lost a number of them over the years unfortunately.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Those housings are easy to open with the proper wrench.

Unfortunately, a plastic wrench like that one does not help much. We ended up breaking one after a number of years of use.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I just found out that my auto shutoff valve is dripping waste water every few seconds. So the water is slowly going through the sediment filter and the carbon filter constantly, using them up faster than normal.

The twist-in system did not come with an auto shutoff valve. I bought a few on Amazon and they all failed one way or another - two of them did not shut off water at all, another made weird loud moaning noise every few seconds. The current one came from BRS. This one also moaned loudly initially. BRS told me to let trapped air out of the valve. After making a few tries, it worked and moaning stopped.

I contacted BRS just a few minutes ago. They are going to replace the dripping shutoff valve for me right away. Thank goodness for their great customer service. Amazon replaces them ok, but I ended up with another bad one. I guess you get what you pay for...

 

[Spieg]

Unfortunately, a plastic wrench like that one does not help much. We ended up breaking one after a number of years of use.

Interesting, I've had the same wrench for about 20 years now. Perhaps you have just been overtightening... I usually go hand tight and then 1/8 turn with the wrench to snug it up.

 

[Tomoko Schum]

My old RODI canisters did not seal well even with new o-rings and silicone applied to them. My husband tightened them up by turning it until they stopped leaking as I mentioned earlier in this thread. After trying to open the especially difficult to open DI canister many times for 11 years, the wrench gave up. The RODI filter worked well otherwise, but it was an inexpensive one I bought online back in 2004 or 2005. I am afraid it was a case of "you get what you pay for."

I have actually seen many recommendations here on R2R on the use of a strap wrench instead of a plastic wrench in the case of difficult to open canisters.

 

[Opus]

My RODI filters are lasting only two to three months this year. I changed all my filters and membrane in March and they are shot now. Have you noticed any change in water recently in Madison? The last set did not last very long either. I am wondering if the problem is my Aquatic Life Twist-in RODI filters or the source water. Earlier this year Beaslbob asked me if our water tasted differently, but I have not noticed any change.

What makes you think they are shot?

If you have any active local reefing facebook pages, keep an eye out there for used RO units. I see them all the time around me but then I live in a highly populated area.

 

[H@rry]

I bought an add-on canister from BRS and it did not come with a wrench. The "ridges" were different from the ones on my other canisters so my wrench wouldn't fit it. I found that an oil filter wrench works just as well.

 

[GregDaKeg]

My RODI filters are lasting only two to three months this year. I changed all my filters and membrane in March and they are shot now. Have you noticed any change in water recently in Madison? The last set did not last very long either. I am wondering if the problem is my Aquatic Life Twist-in RODI filters or the source water. Earlier this year Beaslbob asked me if our water tasted differently, but I have not noticed any change.

Have you had a change in water pressure?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

I don't think we had a change in water pressure.

Monkeynaut and I live in the same neighborhood. He is just two blocks away from me. Since he has no problem with his system, my water pressure and quality should be OK.

My sediment filter is somewhat red after three months of use. Now it's four months old and it is stained red. Must be the silt from red Alabama clay.

I would like to find out how to test a carbon filter. I suppose I can test the effluent out of the carbon filter for chlorine...