RO/DI Needs New Membranes Already???

[Kearnel]

I'll double check the RO membrane when I get home but I do agree with you on the DI resin, I'm also having a hard time believing that it's exhausted already. I most definitely shortened it's life span by doing little water changes but even in that scenario, it should go longer than 3 weeks. I received the unit January 5th and installed the next day.

[Kearnel]

I'll check the RO membrane when I get home but I do agree with you on the DI resin and the fact that it seems unlikely it's used up already. I received the unit January 5th and installed the next day. I'm sure I did shorten the life span of it a bit from doing small water runs but not that short.

[Kearnel]

Whoops, doubled up there.

[Kearnel]

So I checked everything when I got home, it is a 99% rejection cartridge in the unit like I figured, if I remember correctly it's why I bought that particular one. I did a sizable water change and prepared a bunch of water so I could drain the reservoir quite a bit. The unit came on and did it's usual number's all over the place thing. Eventually it settled to 345, 6 and 1ppm. It's not a color indicating cartridge so the meter is the only way to determine if it's exhausted, atleast that's my only way of knowing. I still find it hard to believe that it wore so fast but maybe it did. I ordered a new Super DI for it because that's about the only way I can think to determine if it's the unit or actually a spent cartridge.

[Vinny Kreyling]

I have found the Spectrapure Max CAP DI to be worth every penny in extra water production.

[Kearnel]

Hopefully it was me and my inexperience with RO units that caused this. I'll have the answer I'm looking for next week when the new cartridge arrives. If it's a faulty probe then nothing will change but if it's the membrane then a new one should send it back to 000. Would 20 gallons at a time be considered a large batch or should I brute trash can it for larger amounts. My concern with the brute can is bacteria, will it not grow in water that sits so long. I only do 10 - 15 gallons a week in top ups and water change so it'd take awhile to empty it. What's the best approach?

[Buckeye Hydro]

Originally Posted by Kearnel

I only do 10 - 15 gallons a week in top ups and water change so it'd take awhile to empty it. What's the best approach?

Set up your water use/water making routine so that you run your RODI system at least once a week.

Russ

[slief]

Originally Posted by Kearnel

Hopefully it was me and my inexperience with RO units that caused this. I'll have the answer I'm looking for next week when the new cartridge arrives. If it's a faulty probe then nothing will change but if it's the membrane then a new one should send it back to 000. Would 20 gallons at a time be considered a large batch or should I brute trash can it for larger amounts. My concern with the brute can is bacteria, will it not grow in water that sits so long. I only do 10 - 15 gallons a week in top ups and water change so it'd take awhile to empty it. What's the best approach?

20 gallons at a time would be much much better IMO. I keep 100 gallons of RODI on hand at all times. While I do make up to 70 gallons a week in the summer and 50 gallons a week in the winter, I tend to make water in batches of 30-40 gallons. Having said that, if your holding containers are kept in the dark or the water is shielded from light, RODI water will keep fine for weeks without aeration. As such, making water once a week would be fine. You could even go a bit longer if you wanted to but as Buckeye suggested, once a week would be a much better approach than what you are doing now.

[Kearnel]

Then that's what I'll do, hopefully this helps prolong the membranes and the unit as a whole. Thanks for the help and all the answers to all the questions, much appreciated guys. I'll post back when I get the new membrane and verify if that's the issue or not.

[Vinny Kreyling]

Too many people here use Brute cans to be worried.
Clean it once a year in the summer when it can air dry.