RO Question

serpentman · 01/27/2008, 07:41 PM

If an RO/DI unit is plugged with impurities, will it allow water to get past it?

The reasoning behind my question:

We recently moved to a new house in the country and are dealing with well issues aka red water. We believe we have a high build up of iron bacteria. Most of the time everything is fine. However, every 6-8 weeks we have an episode of red water from the tap. Basically something breaks loose in the well that our whole house filter can keep up with.

While we fight with the builder about who should fix it, I am concerned about running my reef. I have always had an auto top off system fed by a RO/DI with reservoir.

Absolute worst case, if we have an episode that hits my RO/DI unit, I would rather it ruin my membrane than ultimately end up in my tank.

LobsterOfJustice · 01/27/2008, 07:45 PM

I would run some extra sediment filters before the unit. It should already have at least one, but I would maybe run a 100 micron, 10 micron, 1 micron, then carbon, then the RO membrane.

Roy G. Biv · 01/27/2008, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by LobsterOfJustice
I would run some extra sediment filters before the unit. It should already have at least one, but I would maybe run a 100 micron, 10 micron, 1 micron, then carbon, then the RO membrane.

I run a 50 micron in front of the RODI. My town does suprise hydrant flushes and for 1/2 a day the water is a reddish brown. If my first 5 micron caught all of this, it would clog instantly.

But to answer the other question, I believe that if it clogs, it stays clogged, production will be slowed as a result.

01/27/2008, 07:41 PM	#1
serpentman part time superhero Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Deep in the Heart of the Snowbelt (NE OHIO) Posts: 5,698	RO Question If an RO/DI unit is plugged with impurities, will it allow water to get past it? The reasoning behind my question: We recently moved to a new house in the country and are dealing with well issues aka red water. We believe we have a high build up of iron bacteria. Most of the time everything is fine. However, every 6-8 weeks we have an episode of red water from the tap. Basically something breaks loose in the well that our whole house filter can keep up with. While we fight with the builder about who should fix it, I am concerned about running my reef. I have always had an auto top off system fed by a RO/DI with reservoir. Absolute worst case, if we have an episode that hits my RO/DI unit, I would rather it ruin my membrane than ultimately end up in my tank. Last edited by serpentman; 01/27/2008 at 07:46 PM.

01/27/2008, 07:45 PM	#2
LobsterOfJustice Recovering Detritophobe Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Cary, NC Posts: 7,443	I would run some extra sediment filters before the unit. It should already have at least one, but I would maybe run a 100 micron, 10 micron, 1 micron, then carbon, then the RO membrane. __________________ If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. I remember when zoanthids were called things like "green" and "orange" and not "reverse gorilla nipple." Current Tank Info: 180g reef with all the bells and whistles