Well water and RO/DI

Fishnthecorner · 11/10/2014, 05:08 AM

Hello, getting ready to move in about a month to a house that is on well water. we're out here in Chesapeake Virginia. The water is not the best from the well lots of iron... is it possible to purify it well enough for the tank? Or am I going to have to start buying water from my local fish store?

mcgyvr · 11/10/2014, 06:28 AM

sure.. plenty of people run a RO/DI with well water.

64Ivy · 11/10/2014, 06:41 AM

+1. Been doing it for years with a 5- Stage SpectraPure. Check the house for copper piping though.

whosurcaddie · 11/10/2014, 07:00 AM

If you start to see your DI section being exhausted very fast you might have excess c02 in your well which happens sometimes with well water. If so you will need to off gas the water before you send it through your unit.

schandler88 · 11/10/2014, 07:52 AM

I have horrible well water. We have a newer softener, then water goes through a sediment filter, then a "iron buster", then through the house. Our "tap" water after all of this filtration has a TDS of 480 give or take.

I had TONS of problems at first. I had a 3 stage unit, very basic. Went through prefilters like crazy, 2 or 3 a month! After 6 months my membrane was shot. Replaced it and again membrane didn't last a year. TDS after 6 months was 40...

Finally spent some money last month and got the Vertex 100gpd unit. I have NEVER seen a unit produce so much water at our house! Not to mention its insanely efficient. Just about a 1:1 RODI/Waste production rate, built in booster pump (which I attribute to most of my problems, low water pressure makes RO systems in efficient) inline TDS meter, automatic shut off for low source water pressure, auto shut off if you have a float switch on it, automatically backflushes the membrane every 2 hours. This is probably my new favorite piece of reef tech!

Not sure what you have for an RO unit now but depending on your water pressure you may want to look into a booster pump. Also, make sure you keep up on getting salt in your softener. If we run out and any rusty water gets to the RO unit that pre filter is cooked in just a few days.

KazzAhmed · 11/10/2014, 08:20 AM

I have a Rodi on a well with tons of iron I have a brs 5 stage drinking water ro with a di stage after that. What is important is that you change the sediment filter often. It is the first stage in the unit.(it is the cheapest of the filters). I change it once a month. By doing that it will save the carbon blocks and the ro membrane. Going in is around 300 to 400 tds out is around 6. After di stage is 0

gone fishin · 11/10/2014, 11:32 AM

I have very hard well water here. I have my RO/DI after the softener. Never had any problems.

Fishnthecorner · 11/10/2014, 05:58 PM

I have a BRS 5 stage ro di unit with an extra di unit. Plus a booster pump which pushes the pressure up to 90psi. Can you recommend a good water softening system before it actually gets to our RODI system? What is everybody using these days? With money being no object

murdock84 · 11/11/2014, 03:54 AM

I'm on a well and have hard water and high co2 with lots of sediment. I've been in talks with Jeremy at Spectrapure and he has been a huge help on getting me fixed up on what I need. Hopefully my items are here shortly. I already have my Spectrapure Maxcap unit that I bought locally. I ordered my water softener from them as well. Again he has been awesome to deal with. I called him lots of times and emailed him lots of questions.

gone fishin · 11/11/2014, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishnthecorner

I have a BRS 5 stage ro di unit with an extra di unit. Plus a booster pump which pushes the pressure up to 90psi. Can you recommend a good water softening system before it actually gets to our RODI system? What is everybody using these days? With money being no object

I have a GE smart water system.

11/10/2014, 05:08 AM	#1
Fishnthecorner Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States Posts: 430	Well water and RO/DI Hello, getting ready to move in about a month to a house that is on well water. we're out here in Chesapeake Virginia. The water is not the best from the well lots of iron... is it possible to purify it well enough for the tank? Or am I going to have to start buying water from my local fish store? __________________ My Tank: http://www.rmgconstruction.com/1000L%20FOWLR.htm Current Tank Info: 1000L FOWLR Corner Bow

11/10/2014, 06:41 AM	#3
64Ivy B'rer Reefer Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Greenwich, CT Posts: 3,194	+1. Been doing it for years with a 5- Stage SpectraPure. Check the house for copper piping though. __________________ Be Kind To The Elderly. Life Without Parole Means Nothing To Us. ToTM 3-03 Current Tank Info: Between tanks. Searching for a home

11/10/2014, 11:32 AM	#7
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	I have very hard well water here. I have my RO/DI after the softener. Never had any problems. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

11/10/2014, 05:58 PM	#8
Fishnthecorner Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: United States Posts: 430	I have a BRS 5 stage ro di unit with an extra di unit. Plus a booster pump which pushes the pressure up to 90psi. Can you recommend a good water softening system before it actually gets to our RODI system? What is everybody using these days? With money being no object __________________ My Tank: http://www.rmgconstruction.com/1000L%20FOWLR.htm Current Tank Info: 1000L FOWLR Corner Bow

11/10/2014, 06:28 AM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	sure.. plenty of people run a RO/DI with well water.

11/10/2014, 07:00 AM	#4
whosurcaddie Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,354	If you start to see your DI section being exhausted very fast you might have excess c02 in your well which happens sometimes with well water. If so you will need to off gas the water before you send it through your unit.

11/10/2014, 07:52 AM	#5
schandler88 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2014 Posts: 27	I have horrible well water. We have a newer softener, then water goes through a sediment filter, then a "iron buster", then through the house. Our "tap" water after all of this filtration has a TDS of 480 give or take. I had TONS of problems at first. I had a 3 stage unit, very basic. Went through prefilters like crazy, 2 or 3 a month! After 6 months my membrane was shot. Replaced it and again membrane didn't last a year. TDS after 6 months was 40... Finally spent some money last month and got the Vertex 100gpd unit. I have NEVER seen a unit produce so much water at our house! Not to mention its insanely efficient. Just about a 1:1 RODI/Waste production rate, built in booster pump (which I attribute to most of my problems, low water pressure makes RO systems in efficient) inline TDS meter, automatic shut off for low source water pressure, auto shut off if you have a float switch on it, automatically backflushes the membrane every 2 hours. This is probably my new favorite piece of reef tech! Not sure what you have for an RO unit now but depending on your water pressure you may want to look into a booster pump. Also, make sure you keep up on getting salt in your softener. If we run out and any rusty water gets to the RO unit that pre filter is cooked in just a few days.

11/10/2014, 08:20 AM	#6
KazzAhmed Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Central New Jersey Posts: 47	I have a Rodi on a well with tons of iron I have a brs 5 stage drinking water ro with a di stage after that. What is important is that you change the sediment filter often. It is the first stage in the unit.(it is the cheapest of the filters). I change it once a month. By doing that it will save the carbon blocks and the ro membrane. Going in is around 300 to 400 tds out is around 6. After di stage is 0

11/11/2014, 03:54 AM	#9
murdock84 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Elizabethtown, PA Posts: 286	I'm on a well and have hard water and high co2 with lots of sediment. I've been in talks with Jeremy at Spectrapure and he has been a huge help on getting me fixed up on what I need. Hopefully my items are here shortly. I already have my Spectrapure Maxcap unit that I bought locally. I ordered my water softener from them as well. Again he has been awesome to deal with. I called him lots of times and emailed him lots of questions.