RODI Not Putting Out 0 TDS

[Woodyman]

Correct

So with that fact if your TDS out of the DI is reading a value >0 then your going to need to add on DI canisters.

I'm also assuming (from the sounds of the initial posts) your resin hasn't completely changed color yet? How far changed it roughly? (50%?)

 

[Tamberav]

I just replaced the membrane a month or two ago. And the membrane for that I only had for 6 months. I switched that one because I was getting about 50 TDS out of that one yet. Could there be another issue causing it?

How often do you change the pre filters?

Also at 550 TDS I would be using a standard RODI to fit standard cartridges. RO buddy is a cheaper up front cost but its going to be more in the long run replacing filters.

My TDS is lower (only 135) but I run spectra pure membrane and maxcap DI. I got 6 years out of the membrane and two out of the DI. I replace the pre filters every 6 months. Replacing membrane every 6 months seems ridiculous to me even at 550 TDS.

 

[T-J]

Just so I'm clear, you're running a BRS RODI and an RO Buddy? Or, are you just using an RO Buddy pump?
You mentioned replacing RO Buddy filters, so I assume you're running two RODI systems?? If so, why? Or am I just mistaken?

 

[Reef - Tripp]

Photos of your facility and equipment

 

[Schraufabagel]

So with that fact if your TDS out of the DI is reading a value >0 then your going to need to add on DI canisters.

I'm also assuming (from the sounds of the initial posts) your resin hasn't completely changed color yet? How far changed it roughly? (50%?)

Resin was at about 70% before I started screwing around with it today. It will have to be changed before I try stuff again tomorrow

 

[Schraufabagel]

Just so I'm clear, you're running a BRS RODI and an RO Buddy? Or, are you just using an RO Buddy pump?
You mentioned replacing RO Buddy filters, so I assume you're running two RODI systems?? If so, why? Or am I just mistaken?

I am running a BRS 4 stage 100 GPD RODI system connected to a RODI Buddie booster pump

 

[Schraufabagel]

Also, here is the water report for my city https://www.cityofmadison.com/water/documents/WaterQualityEnglish.pdf

General site

Water Quality

Madison Water Utility takes the quality of our water very seriously. We routinely collect more samples and run more tests than are actually required by the EPA and DNR.

www.cityofmadison.com

And lastly the report for the specific well that serves my apartment building

https://www.cityofmadison.com/sites/default/files/city-of-madison/water/documents/Well14QualityReport.pdf

 

[Schraufabagel]

Photos of your facility and equipment

 

[Schraufabagel]

As you can see, I have to change the DI resin after troubleshooting it again all day. It started at about 50% color changed

 

[T-J]

How tight are you packing your DI resin into the container? You should pack the HE77 out of it until you absolutely cannot get anymore in there before screwing it shut. I wonder if water is flowing through too fast?
It still doesn't answer why your TDS coming out of your membrane is so high though.

 

[Schraufabagel]

How tight are you packing your DI resin into the container? You should pack the HE77 out of it until you absolutely cannot get anymore in there before screwing it shut. I wonder if water is flowing through too fast?
It still doesn't answer why your TDS coming out of your membrane is so high though.

I’ll pack the resin even more this next time. I may consider a second DI resin stage as well

 

[Tamberav]

Didn't realize you had a standard RODI. My bad... maybe you need more pre-filters? Seems the membrane is getting messed up? Therefor the DI is also getting burned?

 

[Schraufabagel]

Didn't realize you had a standard RODI. My bad... maybe you need more pre-filters? Seems the membrane is getting messed up? Therefor the DI is also getting burned?

Yeah, the DI is getting burned due to the high TDS coming out of the membrane. I can’t figure out why the high tds from the membrane is happening though. I’m wondering if an additional pre filter may actually be useful or not

 

[KStatefan]

Yeah, the DI is getting burned due to the high TDS coming out of the membrane. I can’t figure out why the high tds from the membrane is happening though. I’m wondering if an additional pre filter may actually be useful or not

While you are trying to figure out the membrane I would not run it thru the DI.

 

[Woodyman]

I’ll pack the resin even more this next time. I may consider a second DI resin stage as well

I would consider running a 3 bed series of DI. Since you are seeing an output of TDS from your resin and it isn't fully exhausted you have an imbalance of cation/anion compounds in your RO water, which is why your mixed bed still has some color but you are reading TDS.

Going to a three bed system will save you costs on mixed beds down the line.

 

[Woodyman]

Yeah, the DI is getting burned due to the high TDS coming out of the membrane. I can’t figure out why the high tds from the membrane is happening though. I’m wondering if an additional pre filter may actually be useful or not

It's not going to hurt but I would say with your situation your going to gain more going to a 3 DI setup vs running strictly mixed bed.

 

[ying yang]

Just looking at your piping on this page and diagram you showed on page 2,it seems your piping is piped up wrong,like top exit of membrane = should be blue piping ( produce water ) and go in port 5 but you got black pipe going in port 3 and bottom exit point on membrane looks like using blue tubing instead of red ( waste water) and can see it exit membrane then go into a tee then dissapears but then see another blue pipe going into port 1 when waste water should go into port 3.

So if I was you I would re- check all your pipework and make sure all correctly piped ( doesn't matter colour pipes you use for each stage of rodi but helps if all waste water,incoming water and filteted water all colour coded as easier for you to track pipes and also easier to read the tds whether you got dual,triple or quad tds reader)

Maybe your tubing is piped up correctly and your turned membrane upside down or I'm not tracing the piping correctly if so fair enough .

Also from your water report I read you get your water from 1- 3 Wells in your area on average ,I'm sure I've read other rodi problem threads and it's been mentioned excess c02 from well water and it had to be de- gassed.

Also pack in your di resin really tight

Anyway good luck ,just thought I'd point out what it looks like on your tubing

 

[Schraufabagel]

Just looking at your piping on this page and diagram you showed on page 2,it seems your piping is piped up wrong,like top exit of membrane = should be blue piping ( produce water ) and go in port 5 but you got black pipe going in port 3 and bottom exit point on membrane looks like using blue tubing instead of red ( waste water) and can see it exit membrane then go into a t then dissapears but then see another blue pipe going into port 1 when waste water should go into port 3.

So if I was you I would re- check all your pipework and make sure all correctly piped ( doesn't matter colour pipes you use for each stage of rodi but helps if all waste water,incoming water and filteted water all colour coded as easier for you to track pipes and also easier to read the tds whether you got dual,triple or quad tds reader)

Maybe your tubing is piped up correctly and your turned membrane upside down or I'm not tracing the piping correctly if so fair enough .

Also from your water report I read you get your water from 1- 3 Wells in your area on average ,I'm sure I've read other rodi problem threads and it's been mentioned excess c02 from well water and it had to be de- gassed.

Also pack in your di resin really tight

Anyway good luck ,just thought I'd point out what it looks like on your tubing

I’ll double check the tubing again today. And yeah the colors are a mess, it’s what I had left for lengths that worked. I may reorder some rodi tubing to make it actually color coded

 

[Schraufabagel]

Just looking at your piping on this page and diagram you showed on page 2,it seems your piping is piped up wrong,like top exit of membrane = should be blue piping ( produce water ) and go in port 5 but you got black pipe going in port 3 and bottom exit point on membrane looks like using blue tubing instead of red ( waste water) and can see it exit membrane then go into a t then dissapears but then see another blue pipe going into port 1 when waste water should go into port 3.

So if I was you I would re- check all your pipework and make sure all correctly piped ( doesn't matter colour pipes you use for each stage of rodi but helps if all waste water,incoming water and filteted water all colour coded as easier for you to track pipes and also easier to read the tds whether you got dual,triple or quad tds reader)

Maybe your tubing is piped up correctly and your turned membrane upside down or I'm not tracing the piping correctly if so fair enough .

Also from your water report I read you get your water from 1- 3 Wells in your area on average ,I'm sure I've read other rodi problem threads and it's been mentioned excess c02 from well water and it had to be de- gassed.

Also pack in your di resin really tight

Anyway good luck ,just thought I'd point out what it looks like on your tubing

Also, how do you go about de-gassing water? Do you have to just disturb the surface in a collection bucket before it goes into the rodi unit?

 

[Woodyman]

Also, how do you go about de-gassing water? Do you have to just disturb the surface in a collection bucket before it goes into the rodi unit?

Essentially yes. You would dump your RO into a collection bucket let it degas typically overnight, and typically with an air stone or something. Then pump it back through your DI canisters and into another storage vessel.