RO unit INOP

[stiltman]

See if you can guess this RO problem.

I was using the RO unit today. Letting my kid hold the waste water line as it emptied into the washing machine. When the water suddenly stopped coming out. It almost sounded like air was escaping from the waste water line near the base, but I don't think it was.

The product water line was still pushing out water like normal, but almost no waste water at all. It is usually blasting out like a fire house and now...a few drops. It was about time to replace it, so....

So I replaced the RO membrane. I thought I may have blown the gasket because it wasn't seating properly. or so i thought. I put it back how I thought it should go and screwed everything back on. Turned on the water to see how well I fixed it and BAM! water shoots out.

I need a beer...

and maybe a new RO unit. blah

[tkeracer619]

Burst canister?

Do you know what is wrong and just seeing if we can guess or do you want us to diagnose it?

[stiltman]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Burst canister?

Do you know what is wrong and just seeing if we can guess or do you want us to diagnose it?

Sorry, I was unclear. Diagnose please.

There are actually two problems. There was no water leaking at all out of the unit until I "fixed it". The seal was the same size as the used RO unit I have for parts. So I figured I was just seating it wrong.

1st problem. Waste water stops coming out during usage. Nothing changed, nothing leaking.

2nd problem. RO canister leaking from the threading area where the two parts meet (possibly from that gasket?). This was a result of my membrane change.

[tkeracer619]

Sounds to me like a bad check valve or clogged restricter.

Do you have a canister style restricter or is it the tube style? Pull the restrictor and see if that fixes it. You will lose ro production. If it still isnt flowing out of the waste pull the fitting for the waste. If water still doesn't flow out and the passage is clear you have a bad membrane.

Do you have any silicone grease for gaskets? It is best to use it on the gaskets.

If a membrane has been sitting dry its usually trash.

[stiltman]

I greased the o rings if the new membrane before I put it in. If the membrane dried out in between uses would the new membrane fix that problem?

[tkeracer619]

Yeah. They cant dry out or they get damaged.

RO units are just plastic containers. You can always fix one with minimal cost.

[stiltman]

Originally Posted by tkeracer619

Yeah. They cant dry out or they get damaged.

RO units are just plastic containers. You can always fix one with minimal cost.

right, it's possible that the membrane dried out. I usually keep it screwed onto the faucet in my utility sink. which has effectively become just the RO sink, no other utilities.

but I unhooked it a month ago and hooked up my python to do a water change in my freshwater tank. there was water in the RO unit, so i thought i'd be all set. ok, i would have hooked the RO unit back up, but i forgot.

so even if the membrane dried out. that problem should have been fixed, becasue i removed the old one and put in a new one.

i have a few plumbers as in-laws. maybe i'll drop the unit off with them and see what they can do. it should be an even trade for me fixing their computers.