Low gpd Ro/DI unit?

Patrick Bateman · 04/05/2012, 12:18 AM

Does anyone know of a low gpd ro di unit? I am thinking of installing my own unit, but I have heard horror stories of flooded houses. I do not need a 100 gpd typhoon waiting for me when I get back from work.

Is there a portable 5-10 gpd unit available?

cordell · 04/05/2012, 06:36 AM

Well, prevention is key and float valves are your best friend here. Put a float valve on your storage container and it will stop the flow automatically when it's full. Also, set a timer on your phone to remind you to check it when you think it should be full.

With that said... there are some 35gpd models out there, but they seem to be a little harder to find than the 75gpd+ models, as most people don't prefer the slower models. On a quick search, I found one here, and I can't say anything to its quality, but that's the sort of thing you'll be looking for. I'm not sure if there are any slower models, maybe a 25gpd. Just realized you said "portable", and I'm not sure what makes one "portable" other than the way it hooks into the supply and drain lines, and how easy it is to carry... any model can be adapted with the correct fittings to easily hook into your home plumbing.

Again, prevention is key....

Playa-1 · 04/05/2012, 06:46 AM

Some people with limited space fill their RO/DI container in a bathtub or sink. Unfortunately float valves can fail in the open position so just be aware of that. I have a 30 gal storage container for RO/DI water and it's in the garage. It has an auto shutoff valve on the RO/DI unit and a float valve on the storage tank. It's in the garage in case the float valve sticks open and because that is where I have room for it. If mine overflows then the excess water just runs down the driveway. It has happened a couple of times.

Patrick Bateman · 04/05/2012, 09:37 AM

I guess I'm not very familiar with ro di units. I've seem a few installation guides that show drilling into a water line and installing the fixture permanently. I don't Want to do that. I would like to hook it up once a week when I need water, and then unhook it when I'm done. Are all ro/di units "portable" in this way? Or are there some that need to be installed and some that don't?

der_wille_zur_macht · 04/05/2012, 09:50 AM

I would not choose flow rate based on how disastrous a flood might be. A flood from the product water side isn't going to be a "bad" flood anyways, unless you're gone for weeks at a time. The floods you need to worry about are from the source side, which can be totally mitigated via correct installation.

Something to think about - flow rate is only one property by which membranes are sold. Pay attention to things like the rejection rate (basically, how much of the bad stuff it pulls out), etc. Among "good" membranes of a specific type (i.e. TFC) there generally isn't a huge variation in flow rates available anyways - you might find a 75 gpd membrane and a comparable 100gpd membrane, but you're not likely to find a 10gnd membrane or a 500gpd membrane (at least not in the form factor used for reef tanks).

All RO/DI units essentially have three "connections" to worry about. You need to feed it source water. This CAN be done via permanent installation as you are referencing, but it's also possible and common to use adapters for "portable" units. For instance, you can get a fitting that will thread onto the faucet in your kitchen or bathroom sink, or a different fitting that will thread onto a hose barb as used for your garden hose. This "portability" is really a property of this fitting, i.e. you can pretty much do it with ANY RO/DI unit, you don't need to buy one that's specifically marketed as portable.

The other two fittings are even easier - there's a line out from the unit for the product water (the clean water you'll capture and use). You can just hang this over a bucket or whatever is convenient.

There's also a waste line. In a permanent installation this would typically be plumbed into your home's sewer lines. In a portable installation you'd typically just leave it "loose" like the product water line, and you'd hang it over a sink or sump when in use.

If you're using the unit in a portable sense like this, set a timer or alarm clock or something else obvious to remind yourself to go turn it off before the bucket gets full!

Tin_Whistler · 04/05/2012, 09:51 AM

All of them can use attachments that would hook up to your garden hose adapter, or to your kitchen sink without permanently modifying anything.

If you're looking for a small unit BRS has this
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/...ro-system.html

I just got a full size system from them that arrived today... It's larger than I thought.

Patrick Bateman · 04/05/2012, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by der_wille_zur_macht

All RO/DI units essentially have three "connections" to worry about. You need to feed it source water. This CAN be done via permanent installation as you are referencing, but it's also possible and common to use adapters for "portable" units. For instance, you can get a fitting that will thread onto the faucet in your kitchen or bathroom sink, or a different fitting that will thread onto a hose barb as used for your garden hose. This "portability" is really a property of this fitting, i.e. you can pretty much do it with ANY RO/DI unit, you don't need to buy one that's specifically marketed as portable.

I see, I was under the impression that some units required installation in order to operate. I wasn't aware that you could hook them up to a sink or garden hose, that is awesome.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tin_Whistler

If you're looking for a small unit BRS has this
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/...ro-system.html
I just got a full size system from them that arrived today... It's larger than I thought.

Wow that is a great price! I think that would suit my needs perfectly, thanks for the link.

der_wille_zur_macht · 04/05/2012, 11:30 AM

Keep in mind, with that "space saver" unit, you're getting "space saver" performance. That unit has no DI cartridge and only a single carbon prefilter. TDS of the output water may be high and the membrane is going to die faster than on a traditional unit.

That said, if you really only need an occasional, small amount of water and are really, really tight on space, it's a great solution.

04/05/2012, 12:18 AM	#1
Patrick Bateman Moved On Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 79	Low gpd Ro/DI unit? Does anyone know of a low gpd ro di unit? I am thinking of installing my own unit, but I have heard horror stories of flooded houses. I do not need a 100 gpd typhoon waiting for me when I get back from work. Is there a portable 5-10 gpd unit available?

04/05/2012, 09:50 AM	#5
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	I would not choose flow rate based on how disastrous a flood might be. A flood from the product water side isn't going to be a "bad" flood anyways, unless you're gone for weeks at a time. The floods you need to worry about are from the source side, which can be totally mitigated via correct installation. Something to think about - flow rate is only one property by which membranes are sold. Pay attention to things like the rejection rate (basically, how much of the bad stuff it pulls out), etc. Among "good" membranes of a specific type (i.e. TFC) there generally isn't a huge variation in flow rates available anyways - you might find a 75 gpd membrane and a comparable 100gpd membrane, but you're not likely to find a 10gnd membrane or a 500gpd membrane (at least not in the form factor used for reef tanks). All RO/DI units essentially have three "connections" to worry about. You need to feed it source water. This CAN be done via permanent installation as you are referencing, but it's also possible and common to use adapters for "portable" units. For instance, you can get a fitting that will thread onto the faucet in your kitchen or bathroom sink, or a different fitting that will thread onto a hose barb as used for your garden hose. This "portability" is really a property of this fitting, i.e. you can pretty much do it with ANY RO/DI unit, you don't need to buy one that's specifically marketed as portable. The other two fittings are even easier - there's a line out from the unit for the product water (the clean water you'll capture and use). You can just hang this over a bucket or whatever is convenient. There's also a waste line. In a permanent installation this would typically be plumbed into your home's sewer lines. In a portable installation you'd typically just leave it "loose" like the product water line, and you'd hang it over a sink or sump when in use. If you're using the unit in a portable sense like this, set a timer or alarm clock or something else obvious to remind yourself to go turn it off before the bucket gets full! __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

04/05/2012, 09:51 AM	#6
Tin_Whistler Mayor of Podunk Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 263	All of them can use attachments that would hook up to your garden hose adapter, or to your kitchen sink without permanently modifying anything. If you're looking for a small unit BRS has this http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/...ro-system.html I just got a full size system from them that arrived today... It's larger than I thought. __________________ So long and thanks for all the lulz. Current Tank Info: In Progress

04/05/2012, 11:30 AM	#8
der_wille_zur_macht Team RC Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 17,749	Keep in mind, with that "space saver" unit, you're getting "space saver" performance. That unit has no DI cartridge and only a single carbon prefilter. TDS of the output water may be high and the membrane is going to die faster than on a traditional unit. That said, if you really only need an occasional, small amount of water and are really, really tight on space, it's a great solution. __________________ Inconveniencing marine life since 1992 "It is my personal belief that reef aquaria should be thriving communities of biodiversity, representative of their wild counterparts, and not merely collections of pretty specimens growing on tidy clean rock shelves covered in purple coralline algae." (Eric Borneman)

04/05/2012, 06:36 AM	#2
cordell Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Monroe, LA Posts: 655	Well, prevention is key and float valves are your best friend here. Put a float valve on your storage container and it will stop the flow automatically when it's full. Also, set a timer on your phone to remind you to check it when you think it should be full. With that said... there are some 35gpd models out there, but they seem to be a little harder to find than the 75gpd+ models, as most people don't prefer the slower models. On a quick search, I found one here, and I can't say anything to its quality, but that's the sort of thing you'll be looking for. I'm not sure if there are any slower models, maybe a 25gpd. Just realized you said "portable", and I'm not sure what makes one "portable" other than the way it hooks into the supply and drain lines, and how easy it is to carry... any model can be adapted with the correct fittings to easily hook into your home plumbing. Again, prevention is key....

04/05/2012, 06:46 AM	#3
Playa-1 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Laguna Niguel, CA Posts: 7,497	Some people with limited space fill their RO/DI container in a bathtub or sink. Unfortunately float valves can fail in the open position so just be aware of that. I have a 30 gal storage container for RO/DI water and it's in the garage. It has an auto shutoff valve on the RO/DI unit and a float valve on the storage tank. It's in the garage in case the float valve sticks open and because that is where I have room for it. If mine overflows then the excess water just runs down the driveway. It has happened a couple of times.

04/05/2012, 09:37 AM	#4
Patrick Bateman Moved On Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 79	I guess I'm not very familiar with ro di units. I've seem a few installation guides that show drilling into a water line and installing the fixture permanently. I don't Want to do that. I would like to hook it up once a week when I need water, and then unhook it when I'm done. Are all ro/di units "portable" in this way? Or are there some that need to be installed and some that don't?