Typhoon RO/DI and hose water

PatMayo · 01/14/2006, 02:18 AM

I just received the typhoon RO/DI unit and I have a question about the water inlet. I am unsure exactly where I am going to mount it but it may end up being in my garage and the only way to get water to it would be from my garden hose.

Is this an acceptable method or will it shorten the life of the membrane or filters?

Regards,

Pat

ohioreef · 01/14/2006, 04:15 AM

I'd think that as long as you used a hose certified for drinking water that you'd be fine. Other types may possibly leach chemicals into the water.

frank2926 · 01/14/2006, 07:10 AM

just get a hose adapter that splits the line right at the tap.

Paintbug · 01/14/2006, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by frank2926
just get a hose adapter that splits the line right at the tap.

thats what i do. except mine is coming off the washers cold line. i used a spitter, then a hose adaptor that i got with my RO/DI from ebay, ran the line from that straight over to the RO/DI unit.

PatMayo · 01/14/2006, 10:19 AM

I have the hose splitter. The issue is locaton and the convenience of getting rid of the waste water. This is a big ole honking unit and I want to be able to mount the thing near the water containers which have to be kept in the garage. Unfortunatley the location in the garage is not hear any water source excpet for the hose bib out front and I would have to use a length of hose to get it to the RO/DI unit.

Would anyone know how long of a distance the waste water line can run?

Regards,

Pat

Paintbug · 01/14/2006, 10:38 AM

you can run the waste line as far as you need it. you can also run the 1/4' plastic line for the input as far as you need it. you just want to make sure the pressure is up. if your water pressure going in the RO unit is below 40psi you will need a booster pump. i have my RO/DI in the laundry room. my storage tank is about 20' away. i just ran a hose through the drop celling into the next room. you can get 1/4" hose from Home Depot cheap. as well as any fitting you may need. how ever you want to do it is up to you. i dont know your layout

radone · 01/14/2006, 10:39 AM

You can still mount it in the garage just remember to not use any brass or copper fittings as these will leach out into your ro/di water. As for the distance it would only matter on your line pressure. Can you run a line from the house to the system if so that's what I would do.
Mine is by my washing machine also and the drain is the same, I mounted a lawn sprinkling timer to fill my ro/di water tank, just set how many hours and let it run. (Initally make a note of how long it takes to fill up say a 32 gallon Brute trash can) This will save you lots of headaches. This can also benefit by letting you know that if your tank takes longer to fill then you probably need to change your filters.
God Luck

Let us know how you make out with it

Dubbin1 · 01/14/2006, 11:11 AM

The only problem I see with this is the hose freezing in the winter.

radone · 01/14/2006, 11:33 AM

Yeah I was thinking that also, just forgot to mention. I would say Seattle get colder than a well diggers a-- also.

PatMayo · 01/14/2006, 05:08 PM

Thanks for all the great ideas. I think I have it solved thanks to all of your ideas. I put 2 brute 44 gallon cans just inside my garage door along the side wall. I then put a small wedge between the garage door frame upright and that gave me a small gap to run the hose in between the wooden door frame and the brick on the front of the house. It was just enough space to run the water inlet into the RO/DI unit which I hung right on the garage wall. I also ran the waste water out the same gap.

Dubbin1, Good thinking on the freeze. Luckily it does not get that cold here in the Seattle area. We rarely get below freezing. If we do it's only 4 or 5 times a year. It just rains a lot.

During the cold snaps If I keep the water on making RO/DI it should not freeze. If I have to during an extended cold snap I'll just turn off the water and take the hose back in through the gap into the garage and the reinstall when the cold goes.

I have it working now and it works great. (Assuming someone does not come by and cut my hose. It's right on the front yard hose bib. )

I need to get a float switch for both 44 gallon brutes and it will pretty much be automatic. I'll still have to bring the water into the tank via 5 gallon bucket, but it could be worse.

Thanks for all the great ideas. Your suggestions helped me solve the issue.

Regards,

Pat

MrsDorothy · 01/14/2006, 05:41 PM

Instead of having to use 5g buckets to carry the water from my laundry room, I bought some 3/4" vinyl tubing, attached it to a pump, and pump the water where I needed it. Sure beats carrying buckets. Be sure to install a shut off valve so you can turn the water off when you're done filling.

PatMayo · 01/14/2006, 08:01 PM

Wonderful idea MrsDorothy. I have a run of about 55 feet from the brute cans to the tank.

There is also about a 2 1/2 foot rise from cans to tank.

What type of pump would be needed accomplish this?

Regards,

Pat

ohioreef · 01/14/2006, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Paintbug
if your water pressure going in the RO unit is below 40psi you will need a booster pump.

Not necessarily true. I have a well system that operates on a 20/40psi switch so my pressure is never above 40psi. It cuts down on the production rate but I still get a good amount of water each day.

GL · 01/14/2006, 09:08 PM

I run mine through a garden hose as well. What I did though is I connected a Y adapter to both the hot and cold faucets that have adjustable flow control on them. This way I am feeding the RO/DI unit with water around 70 degrees. If the water is too cold your productivity drops too much.

Greg

Scuba_Dave · 01/14/2006, 09:25 PM

What's your water pressure?
I run my waste water out to my pool - about 30+'
I don't think I would have any problem running the output from the RO/DI an equal or greater distance

keep in mind during cold weather w/cold water supply your output will drop by 1/2

PatMayo · 01/14/2006, 09:27 PM

My pressureis about 55 so that should not create too much of a problem. I am actually surprised by the rate of production given that the water is real cold right now. At night its getting about 38 degrees or so. It is rated at 75 gpd. It shoud be fine for a 90 gallon.

I cant do the y connector thing. No source where it is in the garage. But what I have now works well.

I am going to use Mrs. Dorothy's idea of using a pump and 3/4 hose to pump the water to the tank.

Anyone have an idea on what pump I would need? I have to run it 55 feet.

Regards,

Pat

MrsDorothy · 01/14/2006, 10:25 PM

Via aqua water pump from www.liveaquaria.com. It has a barbed fitting, just attach the tubing. They also sell the tubing, but is cheaper in home depot.

PatMayo · 01/15/2006, 12:57 AM

MrsDorothy,

Thank You,

Pat

radone · 01/15/2006, 09:34 AM

If your gonna use this for water changes etc. I would pick up something like a mag 3 or 5 you could always use it to mix your new water in the garage then just pump it over to the tank.

One problem you might find is if your running waste water out on your lawn you'll probably end up with a swampy area unless it can go to a ditch or something.
BTW your grass will grow crazy in this area also

01/14/2006, 02:18 AM	#1
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	Typhoon RO/DI and hose water I just received the typhoon RO/DI unit and I have a question about the water inlet. I am unsure exactly where I am going to mount it but it may end up being in my garage and the only way to get water to it would be from my garden hose. Is this an acceptable method or will it shorten the life of the membrane or filters? Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

01/14/2006, 04:15 AM	#2
ohioreef Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Western Ohio Posts: 3,106	I'd think that as long as you used a hose certified for drinking water that you'd be fine. Other types may possibly leach chemicals into the water. __________________ Gary

01/14/2006, 10:19 AM	#5
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	I have the hose splitter. The issue is locaton and the convenience of getting rid of the waste water. This is a big ole honking unit and I want to be able to mount the thing near the water containers which have to be kept in the garage. Unfortunatley the location in the garage is not hear any water source excpet for the hose bib out front and I would have to use a length of hose to get it to the RO/DI unit. Would anyone know how long of a distance the waste water line can run? Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

01/14/2006, 10:38 AM	#6
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	you can run the waste line as far as you need it. you can also run the 1/4' plastic line for the input as far as you need it. you just want to make sure the pressure is up. if your water pressure going in the RO unit is below 40psi you will need a booster pump. i have my RO/DI in the laundry room. my storage tank is about 20' away. i just ran a hose through the drop celling into the next room. you can get 1/4" hose from Home Depot cheap. as well as any fitting you may need. how ever you want to do it is up to you. i dont know your layout __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

01/14/2006, 10:39 AM	#7
radone Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,167	You can still mount it in the garage just remember to not use any brass or copper fittings as these will leach out into your ro/di water. As for the distance it would only matter on your line pressure. Can you run a line from the house to the system if so that's what I would do. Mine is by my washing machine also and the drain is the same, I mounted a lawn sprinkling timer to fill my ro/di water tank, just set how many hours and let it run. (Initally make a note of how long it takes to fill up say a 32 gallon Brute trash can) This will save you lots of headaches. This can also benefit by letting you know that if your tank takes longer to fill then you probably need to change your filters. God Luck Let us know how you make out with it __________________ Romeo Current Tank Info: Pennisula Style 210G mixed reef, Primary lighting 250w MH 10k's, 160w VHO actinic supplement, custom 75G sump,

01/14/2006, 07:10 AM	#3
frank2926 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: phila Posts: 1,645	just get a hose adapter that splits the line right at the tap.

01/14/2006, 11:11 AM	#8
Dubbin1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Findlay, Ohio Posts: 11,540	The only problem I see with this is the hose freezing in the winter.

01/14/2006, 11:33 AM	#9
radone Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,167	Yeah I was thinking that also, just forgot to mention. I would say Seattle get colder than a well diggers a-- also. __________________ Romeo Current Tank Info: Pennisula Style 210G mixed reef, Primary lighting 250w MH 10k's, 160w VHO actinic supplement, custom 75G sump,

01/14/2006, 05:08 PM	#10
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	Thanks for all the great ideas. I think I have it solved thanks to all of your ideas. I put 2 brute 44 gallon cans just inside my garage door along the side wall. I then put a small wedge between the garage door frame upright and that gave me a small gap to run the hose in between the wooden door frame and the brick on the front of the house. It was just enough space to run the water inlet into the RO/DI unit which I hung right on the garage wall. I also ran the waste water out the same gap. Dubbin1, Good thinking on the freeze. Luckily it does not get that cold here in the Seattle area. We rarely get below freezing. If we do it's only 4 or 5 times a year. It just rains a lot. During the cold snaps If I keep the water on making RO/DI it should not freeze. If I have to during an extended cold snap I'll just turn off the water and take the hose back in through the gap into the garage and the reinstall when the cold goes. I have it working now and it works great. (Assuming someone does not come by and cut my hose. It's right on the front yard hose bib. ) I need to get a float switch for both 44 gallon brutes and it will pretty much be automatic. I'll still have to bring the water into the tank via 5 gallon bucket, but it could be worse. Thanks for all the great ideas. Your suggestions helped me solve the issue. Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

01/14/2006, 05:41 PM	#11
MrsDorothy Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Byhalia, MS Posts: 171	Instead of having to use 5g buckets to carry the water from my laundry room, I bought some 3/4" vinyl tubing, attached it to a pump, and pump the water where I needed it. Sure beats carrying buckets. Be sure to install a shut off valve so you can turn the water off when you're done filling.

01/14/2006, 08:01 PM	#12
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	Wonderful idea MrsDorothy. I have a run of about 55 feet from the brute cans to the tank. There is also about a 2 1/2 foot rise from cans to tank. What type of pump would be needed accomplish this? Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

01/14/2006, 09:08 PM	#14
GL Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: NE Pa Posts: 921	I run mine through a garden hose as well. What I did though is I connected a Y adapter to both the hot and cold faucets that have adjustable flow control on them. This way I am feeding the RO/DI unit with water around 70 degrees. If the water is too cold your productivity drops too much. Greg __________________ Life shouldn't be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!' Current Tank Info: 90 AGA, 30 gal sump, 6 x 54w T5, ER cs8-1

01/14/2006, 09:25 PM	#15
Scuba_Dave EMERTXE YID Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Asylum, South of Boston, MA Posts: 10,362	What's your water pressure? I run my waste water out to my pool - about 30+' I don't think I would have any problem running the output from the RO/DI an equal or greater distance keep in mind during cold weather w/cold water supply your output will drop by 1/2

01/14/2006, 09:27 PM	#16
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	My pressureis about 55 so that should not create too much of a problem. I am actually surprised by the rate of production given that the water is real cold right now. At night its getting about 38 degrees or so. It is rated at 75 gpd. It shoud be fine for a 90 gallon. I cant do the y connector thing. No source where it is in the garage. But what I have now works well. I am going to use Mrs. Dorothy's idea of using a pump and 3/4 hose to pump the water to the tank. Anyone have an idea on what pump I would need? I have to run it 55 feet. Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

01/14/2006, 10:25 PM	#17
MrsDorothy Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Byhalia, MS Posts: 171	Via aqua water pump from www.liveaquaria.com. It has a barbed fitting, just attach the tubing. They also sell the tubing, but is cheaper in home depot.

01/15/2006, 12:57 AM	#18
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	MrsDorothy, Thank You, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

01/15/2006, 09:34 AM	#19
radone Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,167	If your gonna use this for water changes etc. I would pick up something like a mag 3 or 5 you could always use it to mix your new water in the garage then just pump it over to the tank. One problem you might find is if your running waste water out on your lawn you'll probably end up with a swampy area unless it can go to a ditch or something. BTW your grass will grow crazy in this area also __________________ Romeo Current Tank Info: Pennisula Style 210G mixed reef, Primary lighting 250w MH 10k's, 160w VHO actinic supplement, custom 75G sump,