Tds just went to 1

[Eagle_Steve]

Aweosme, so just a basic RODI.

Here is what I would do, as I always want to know my membrane efficiency.

I would move the "tee" with the "out" sensor to the line that runs into the the set of DI cartridges and get a reading from there.

Easiest way to do this will to just use a bucket and move the sensor.

Start by pushing the push lock in for the sensor and remove it from both pieces of rodi line.

Then find the line that runs from the ro membrane to the DI cartridges.

Remove that line from the DI cartridge and place the "tee" on the end of it.

Set that in the bucket and start making some water. After 5 minutes or so, note the number for the TDS from the meter. Then put everything back to how it was.

This will allow you to see the membrane effciency.

Also, may be a good idea to go ahead and replace that sediment filter. If the filter is really bad looking once you get it out, you may just want to replace the carbon filters as well, since there really inst much of test ofr them, unless you have some chlorine testing strips (like for a pool)

If you do end up replacing the carbon, they will need to be rinsed and we can into that if needed.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

What do you mean by “flush the membrane “?

I see so many post where people change everything and they get like 1-5tds after the filters have been changed.

Imo this part of the hobby is really lacking.

Flushing the membrane is where you bypass all pressure hitting the membrane and you also bypass the restrictor on the waste side. This will aid in removing scale, keep TDS creep form affecting the mebrane and is jsut something to help a membrane last longer.

Usually this is done with 2x "wye" a couple pieces of scrap tubing and a valve. You just put it all together to make a bypass for the restrictor and when you want to flush, open the valve.

 

[Screwgunner]

Carbon is your number one defense against chlorine so get the best one they have for your system . Di is the polishing if it goes above 3 or4 I would change them.

 

[Tathamet]

I swap mine out at 97%, but I make a lot of water, have a lot of very special to me anemones, and Di resin gets expensive lol.

The average Dow Filmtec Membrane is about 98% rejection at 50psi. You can get to about 99% at 85 or so psi (at least I did). There are other membranes out there with higher rejection rates (98.5-99) and at quite a bit higher cost, but nothing is going to be 100% rejection for the systems we are using.

With that said, it all boils down o how much you want to spend on DI resin. The more TDS you have after the RO membrane, the more you will have to replace the DI resin to keep output at 0 TDS.

perfect thank you for the help!

I did notice I started blasting through di resin but it turned out my diverter slowly stopped working properly so if I turned the faucet on the ro was running as well and if I turn on the ro my faucet was running. So low pressure was my issue there.

Once I replaced that I’m barely going through di resin again. But because of the diverter slowly degrading I couldn’t really judge the membrane degradation via di resin.

definitely seems cheaper to replace a membrane every so often though. That di adds up especially with my hard water here.

edit: last bit got cut off for some reason lol

 

[doubleshot00]

Start by pushing the push lock in for the sensor and remove it from both pieces of rodi line.

Then find the line that runs from the ro membrane to the DI cartridges.

Remove that line from the DI cartridge and place the "tee" on the end of it.

Set that in the bucket and start making some water. After 5 minutes or so, note the number for the TDS from the meter. Then put everything back to how it was.

This yellow line?

 

[Eagle_Steve]

This yellow line?

Looks like that is the one.

 

[doubleshot00]

Looks like that is the one

when I first turned it on it was at 38 then it went to 20 and after five minutes it is at 2

i just noticed the rear di is brown. ***

 

[Eagle_Steve]

when I first turned it on it was at 38 then it went to 20 and after five minutes it is at 2

i just noticed the rear di is brown. ***

2 out of membrane is not bad at all. I suggest going ahead and swapping the sediment, since you have it and then replacing the DI resin. After that, you should be 0 tds and good to go.

Just be sure you get the di resin packed as tight as you can. You want the water to not be able to find a route around it.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

2 out of membrane is not bad at all. I suggest going ahead and swapping the sediment, since you have it and then replacing the DI resin. After that, you should be 0 tds and good to go.

Just be sure you get the di resin packed as tight as you can. You want the water to not be able to find a route around it.

Also, look into getting a flush valve for the rodi, as you can see, there is some tds creep when you first turn it on. Flush for the same time it took to go from 38 to 2 and then start running it back through the door resin after that time. That will make your resin last a ton longer.

 

[doubleshot00]

2 out of membrane is not bad at all. I suggest going ahead and swapping the sediment, since you have it and then replacing the DI resin. After that, you should be 0 tds and good to go.

Just be sure you get the di resin packed as tight as you can. You want the water to not be able to find a route around it.

That rear DI resin is not packed full either. Just noticed it.

 

[doubleshot00]

Also, look into getting a flush valve for the rodi, as you can see, there is some tds creep when you first turn it on. Flush for the same time it took to go from 38 to 2 and then start running it back through the door resin after that time. That will make your resin last a ton longer.

I already have some kinda device back there that is not a flush valve? If not how does a flush valve work.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I already have some kinda device back there that is not a flush valve? If not how does that work.

You referring to the white box with 4 lines? If so, that is a shut off for when the pressure on the kit reaches about 45. To is is a protection device for the whole system.

You would need to look for a valve that would be connected to the waste water line (line that the crap water comes out of and goes down the drain)

 

[doubleshot00]

You referring to the white box with 4 lines? If so, that is a shut off for when the pressure on the kit reaches about 45. To is is a protection device for the whole system.

You would need to look for a valve that would be connected to the waste water line (line that the crap water comes out of and goes down the drain)

I just watched a BRS video on it but they didn’t explain how it works.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I just watched a BRS video on it but they didn’t explain how it works.

The little white box is just a diaphragm that causes the water input to shutoff when the output line reaches about 45 psi. This prevents damage to the unit and it also keeps water from just running and running out of the waste line and wasting it.

as for a flush valve, give me a bit to get home and I will snips something pics and explain it to ya. Super easy to understand once you see it and know the principle behind it.

 

[doubleshot00]

The little white box is just a diaphragm that causes the water input to shutoff when the output line reaches about 45 psi. This prevents damage to the unit and it also keeps water from just running and running out of the waste line and wasting it.

as for a flush valve, give me a bit to get home and I will snips something pics and explain it to ya. Super easy to understand once you see it and know the principle behind it.

Thanks. Gonna order one and im gonna order a bunch of DI resin.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Thanks. Gonna order one and im gonna order a bunch of DI resin.

Ok. I cannot see what kind of restrictor you have on the waste line, so will show both options.

If your rodi has a restrictor like the below, you would make a flush valve like the second pic. Ignore the flow number on the example pic, this changes by how many gpd a rodi is.

restrictor

Flush valve

now, if you do not see this type of restrictor, you may have a reed style one that is placed inside of the waste line. It will look like the below pic. You can still make a flush valve, but will need to move the restrictor to what would be the yellow line in the second below this part.

flow restrictor

flush valve.

no matter the flow restrictor type, the principle is the same. The flow restrictor does exactly what the name implies. It restricts the flow of the waste water line. This allows for water pressure to be built up, force the water through the membrane and then the waste water (very high tds water and what doesn’t make I through the membrane) to come out of the waste line. As long as you run the same gpd membrane, do not worry with this thing. I clean mine once a year, just cause, but not needed most of the time.

Now, being as this setup adds a route around the flow restrictor and uses a valve to control it, you can flush a membrane. When the valve is closed, water runs through the restrictor like normal.

when you open the valve, water bypasses the restrictor and most of all the water coming into the unit runs past the ro membrane, but cannot be pushed through it. This will remove scale from the membrane, will allow for any solids that may have settled to go out the waste line and will keep anything too nasty from making it through the membrane. We call where nasty stuff settles and makes it though “tds creep” and the flush valve helps to stop that. In turn, you waste a little water, but keep the membrane cleaner and that 38 initial tds at start up never hits the di resin. This makes the di resin last a lot longer.

hope this helps and any more questions, feel free to ask.

 

[doubleshot00]

Ok. I cannot see what kind of restrictor you have on the waste line, so will show both options.

If your rodi has a restrictor like the below, you would make a flush valve like the second pic. Ignore the flow number on the example pic, this changes by how many gpd a rodi is.

restrictor

Flush valve

now, if you do not see this type of restrictor, you may have a reed style one that is placed inside of the waste line. It will look like the below pic. You can still make a flush valve, but will need to move the restrictor to what would be the yellow line in the second below this part.

flow restrictor

flush valve.

no matter the flow restrictor type, the principle is the same. The flow restrictor does exactly what the name implies. It restricts the flow of the waste water line. This allows for water pressure to be built up, force the water through the membrane and then the waste water (very high tds water and what doesn’t make I through the membrane) to come out of the waste line. As long as you run the same gpd membrane, do not worry with this thing. I clean mine once a year, just cause, but not needed most of the time.

Now, being as this setup adds a route around the flow restrictor and uses a valve to control it, you can flush a membrane. When the valve is closed, water runs through the restrictor like normal.

when you open the valve, water bypasses the restrictor and most of all the water coming into the unit runs past the ro membrane, but cannot be pushed through it. This will remove scale from the membrane, will allow for any solids that may have settled to go out the waste line and will keep anything too nasty from making it through the membrane. We call where nasty stuff settles and makes it though “tds creep” and the flush valve helps to stop that. In turn, you waste a little water, but keep the membrane cleaner and that 38 initial tds at start up never hits the di resin. This makes the di resin last a lot longer.

hope this helps and any more questions, feel free to ask.

I do have a restrictor like you have pictured.

I have the brs flush valve coming tomorrow.

Good news is i have 0tds again. I added new filter and had to refill both resins with new resin to get there. The rear one was the only one brown but I guess to get 0tds you have to replace both.

Literally in the nick of time as i need to fill up my ato’s tomorrow.

 

[Baldguy]

Many don't worry about it until tds gets above 5.

 

[doubleshot00]

Many don't worry about it until tds gets above 5.

I don’t know if there is any correlation but 1tds water could have gotten into my system and i now have a little cyano. Idk literally as soon as I noticed it in my rodi it popped up the next day.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I don’t know if there is any correlation but 1tds water could have gotten into my system and i now have a little cyano. Idk literally as soon as I noticed it in my rodi it popped up the next day.

1 TDS for yo may be fuel for it and 1TDS for someone else may be inert stuff. Only way to know would be to send off a sample and get it tested. Too much effort and money for me lol. Thi si also why most usually recommend to change you di resing when you see 1 tds.

In addition, it may not even have been you being at 1 TDS. Lots of things can contribute to a cyano pop up.