RO/DI on a WELL - 100 gallons per week?

[pompom]

Setting up the RO unit tomorrow (A low end Maximuss II 100GPD). I would like to make 100gallons per week. My water here sucks and I'm going to use it for large changes on my freshwater tanks also.

Anyone here make large amounts of RO/DI water a week on a well?

My husband is worried about the amount of waste water created (paranoid well won't handle it). I'm thinking we could make 20 gallons per day and store it. Who knows until its set up if it will even work well enough.

Pressure is only 20 psi in the house, and we will be adding an aquatech8800 RO booster as well. Water has organics, sulpher, iron bacteria, and sediment. We will be installing it after the water softener.

Is he worrying too much or is this a legitimate concern.

[Jflip2002]

I believe there are experts who can tell you how much water you have in your well, IIRC. Theres a town east of me, where some residents went a few years without wells... Then IVe had family on a well, where they never had any problems. I would have to assume its a case by case instance.

If you do find out you can have your RODI unit, try getting a 4 or 5 stage, and putting some piggy backs on it. They say they reduce the waste, and also up your RODI you collect. How many total gallons are your tanks to need 100 gallons a week? With my 190g and a 60g, I only used around 30g a week MAX.

[pompom]

I may not need that much water after the RO unit is installed. These are large tanks that I do 50% water changes on weekly.

Currently my water has something in it that makes nitrAtes spike to 25 after 24 hours. Something is being converted to nitrate but no one has been able to tell me what or why and I've looked for answers for at least a year and spent at least 100 hours reading websites. The small amount of ammonia in the well would result in a maximum of 5ppm of Nitrate.

So with the RO unit I could probably drop this but I would want to go bigger. The salt water tank is quite small and doesn't require a lot of water but we are buying water for it right now. Our water prevents us from going bigger.

I wish I had chosen another RO unit but this one is non-refundable so I guess I'll try it out.

[AZDesertRat]

If you make 20 gallons of RO a day you will waste 80 gallons. The waste ratio is 4:1. You probably waste 80 gallons or more with showers and toilet flushes so its not a big deal.

[pompom]

Good to know. This unit is already frutrating the heck out of my husband. This is not going to be a fun day. I think I'm going to hide lol.

[Ewan]

pompom,

I have gotten in a routine, coordinating laundry with my wife. I can fill the washing machine with waste water between loads. I even store in a couple of 5g containers when there's more water to be made than clothes to wash.

After a couple of months of tweaking, and incredible understanding and cooperation from my better half, I can say that I now waste NO water at all.

I am also on a well, and I've been using the aquatec 8800 for 3 years now. I couldn't go back to running without a booster pump!! takes 45 minutes to fill the washing machine with waste water (I set a timer) and I fill (2) rubbermaid brutes per weekend, one 44gal saltwater container, and one 32gal top-off container. I usually make as much water as required to complete all the laundry.

100 gallons per week is quite a bit of water. I would be tempted to use waste water on freshwater tanks. It's already been filtered through sediment and carbon.... I guess it really depends on your freshwater aquarium, and your water quality.

Good luck. Excellent decision on the booster pump.

[pompom]

Thats not a bad idea about using waste water - the only problem with using it for the freshwater tanks is that I need to get rid of what ever is being immediately converted into nitrates once it goes through biological filtration. So Im not sure that the waste water will solve this problem. We don't even know if the RO water at the end will behave any differently. Everyone says you end up with pure water so who knows. I know it won't get rid of our sulpher.

Maybe you can help with the setup?. We are having trouble understanding the 4 gallon pressure holding tank since I bought the home unit and not the aquarium. This isn't needed at all right? It says it has autoshutoff - is that only if the pressure tank is used? Or also if I fill the 55 gallon aquarium I plan on using as a holding tank? I've been searching online for a couple hours and haven't found an answer yet.

[pompom]

Also we are having a debate on where to hook up the RO booster. My husband thinks we hook hook it up after the pipe is punctured and then cut the red intake tube that goes into the RO unit and put the RO booster in between. Does this make sense?

Do you use the autoshut off switch that came with the RO Booster - any where we can find instructions on this.

I wish I could pay someone to be here to help.

[pompom]

I think we figured it out. No autoshutoff if filling a 55 gallon bin. And I don't need the booster pressure switch if the RO unit isn't using autoshutoff. Guess I'm going to have to keep an eye on it. I've flooded the basement a couple times already. I hate water.

[AZDesertRat]

Install the booster pump between the prefilter and carbon filter, Aquatec recommends a filter before the pump to protect it from debris.
You can use the autoshutoff valve in conjunction with a float valve to shut off the flow when your storage container is full. It makes things much easier when you automate it like that.

[pompom]

Cool. Thank you!

[Jerm77]

some RO systems have a waste recirculation loop - this would cut down on some waste. I have a system that wastes 2:1 and produces 1400gpd