Reverse Osmosis Unit question

jerrytarmay · 01/04/2010, 07:55 PM

Hi everybody. I just installed a GE Smart Water RO unit (3 stage: 2 carbon filters and RO membrane). It was made to be permanently installed under a sink. There is a reservoir tank which the purified water collects and then back flows out through to a faucet. I only wish to use the unit to make about 15-20 gallons a month and don't have the room to keep it hooked up all the time. So, my questions are:
1) Is it ok to unhook the system from the plumbing leaving the membrane and carbon dry? Or will that damage them? If so can they be stored to reduce damage?
2) If I am only making 15-20 gallons a month, what is projected range on the longevity of the filters? I get Lake Michigan (Chicago) water which is relatively lower in a lot of minerals than some of the hard well water people have.
Thanks

jdak · 01/04/2010, 09:02 PM

It is better to store them dry. Unhooking it would just depend how its hooked to the water line and where the drain is.

rwing · 01/06/2010, 03:17 PM

I have the same unit, and mine came plumbed from the store with the water going through the 1st filter...then it ran into the RO membrane...then into the 2nd filter. This will reduce the life of your membrane considerably! I switched mine around so that the water goes through both pre filters before going into the membrane. I also am not using the tank that came with it. You can just plug the orange line that goes to the tank if you don't need to use it. I run my RO water into a 30 gallon garbage can and use it as needed.

jerrytarmay · 01/07/2010, 06:18 PM

RWing- I noticed the carbon-ro-carbon configuration too. It is different than the ro units specifically made for aquaria. 2 questions:

1) How long/or gallons produced, did the membrane last before and after you made the switch?

2) Weren't there any plumbing problems with that config? I thought the tank had to be on the system because, not only did it store the water, but it also supplied the back pressure to the system that made the water flow to the faucet and keep the on/off flow valve working properly.

Did you notice in the manual that it says to change the membrane every 6 months? I wonder if this would even apply to our purposes of just producing a few gallons a week, or that is just in the case of people using it for daily drinking water in which it would be producing considerably more.

01/04/2010, 07:55 PM	#1
jerrytarmay Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 10	Reverse Osmosis Unit question Hi everybody. I just installed a GE Smart Water RO unit (3 stage: 2 carbon filters and RO membrane). It was made to be permanently installed under a sink. There is a reservoir tank which the purified water collects and then back flows out through to a faucet. I only wish to use the unit to make about 15-20 gallons a month and don't have the room to keep it hooked up all the time. So, my questions are: 1) Is it ok to unhook the system from the plumbing leaving the membrane and carbon dry? Or will that damage them? If so can they be stored to reduce damage? 2) If I am only making 15-20 gallons a month, what is projected range on the longevity of the filters? I get Lake Michigan (Chicago) water which is relatively lower in a lot of minerals than some of the hard well water people have. Thanks

01/06/2010, 03:17 PM	#3
rwing Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 21	Check your connections I have the same unit, and mine came plumbed from the store with the water going through the 1st filter...then it ran into the RO membrane...then into the 2nd filter. This will reduce the life of your membrane considerably! I switched mine around so that the water goes through both pre filters before going into the membrane. I also am not using the tank that came with it. You can just plug the orange line that goes to the tank if you don't need to use it. I run my RO water into a 30 gallon garbage can and use it as needed.

01/07/2010, 06:18 PM	#4
jerrytarmay Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 10	GE Smartwater switch RWing- I noticed the carbon-ro-carbon configuration too. It is different than the ro units specifically made for aquaria. 2 questions: 1) How long/or gallons produced, did the membrane last before and after you made the switch? 2) Weren't there any plumbing problems with that config? I thought the tank had to be on the system because, not only did it store the water, but it also supplied the back pressure to the system that made the water flow to the faucet and keep the on/off flow valve working properly. Did you notice in the manual that it says to change the membrane every 6 months? I wonder if this would even apply to our purposes of just producing a few gallons a week, or that is just in the case of people using it for daily drinking water in which it would be producing considerably more.

01/04/2010, 09:02 PM	#2
jdak Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Posts: 91	It is better to store them dry. Unhooking it would just depend how its hooked to the water line and where the drain is.