RO/DI...im a newby HELP-PICS

all-apologies · 09/23/2006, 11:16 PM

Aight,

I went out and bought a 125 tank stand etc etc from this dude, and with it I got this big RO system. It says 'Aqua Safe Systems' on the front.

I'm gonna post pics in the morning---------------------------------

SO...

I know what they do to treat the water and stuff, but im not sure how i should go about getting mine up and operational.

It sat around in this guys garage for probably 2 years (my guess). So i'll bet that it needs a bit of a tune up. It has three filter cartridges on the bottom and three horizontally on the top. The last cartridge says 'final filter for taste and odor' and out of that comes a hose to hook up under your sink for drinking water. It leaks out of this fitting (where the hose comes out of the last filter) what do i do about that?

I can tell the ratio of wastewater to RO is about 3:1 or so, which i believe is normal (right?).

I tasted the RO water after i ran it for a while and it tasted like crap. The other water for driking tasted ok, same with the waste water.

Lemme know what you think about my situation and im gonna post a buttload of pics in the morning to hopefully help everone help me...

Thanks alot,

AZDesertRat · 09/24/2006, 10:23 AM

Chances are if it sat for 2 years the membrane dried up and is shot. The best way to tell is with a TDS meter, with that unit, which is not a very good one by the way, you should be seeing a 90% reduction in TDS from tap water. You will need to replace the prefilter, both vertical carbon filters, the membrane, the horizontal DI media and the post carbon drinking water filter to get it back in shape. You might as well buy a better unit and start out fresh with one that removes 98% of the TDS, or if you do decide to keep that one at least get a better 75 GPD Dow Filmtec RO Membrane.

all-apologies · 09/24/2006, 10:52 AM

ok then,

Well how much is a tds meter and how much would an alright new system be.

If the money i spend to renovate this is gonna be as much as a new system would then id get somethin new.

Any ideas.

thanks

AZDesertRat · 09/24/2006, 11:05 AM

A decent new system will be right at $150 a very good one is $200 to $269 which includes TDS meters and pressure gauges. There are several RC sponsors that sell RO/DI units including
www.spectrapure.com
www.buckeyefieldsupply.com
www.purelyh2o.com
and
www.thefilterguys.biz

all-apologies · 09/24/2006, 11:12 AM

what about something like this...

http://www.purelyh2o.com/product.php...cat=249&page=1

AZDesertRat · 09/24/2006, 11:20 AM

That is a very popular choice. Add a TDS meter and you are in business.

all-apologies · 09/24/2006, 11:42 AM

SO i could get these two and they come with it all? I have a pressure tank that i huess i could still use, ill put up a pic

http://www.purelyh2o.com/product.ph...&cat=249&page=1

http://www.purelyh2o.com/product.php...6&cat=0&page=1

all-apologies · 09/24/2006, 11:52 AM

Heres what i have now,

My pop wants to put it under the sink, how will i collect the RO water. Sould i run a fatty hose out to my garage with a storage container and mixing bin for salt.

Also, the one i might buy comes with a float valve. could i just hook it up and then feed the topoff with the tank that i have??

thanks,

all-apologies · 09/24/2006, 11:54 AM

lemme rephrase that,

could i hook up the float valve in my sump, and then power that(floatvalve) with water that i put in the little pressure tank.

all-apologies · 09/24/2006, 01:38 PM

anyone know if this is legit?

AZDesertRat · 09/24/2006, 05:10 PM

Hooking a RO/DI directly to a sump is risky. If the float fails and they will, you run the risk of not only flooding your home but diluting the salt content in your aquarium and killing everything in it. The preffered way to go is use a seperate top off container with a smaller volume so if the float fails you have only a set amount of dilution and flooding where the RO will just keep on running and running.

all-apologies · 09/24/2006, 05:26 PM

Yea,

Thats what i was tryin to say, is that for my my autotop off,
i will just hook up the float valve to the pressure container, so if it fails only like 3 gallons will go into the tank.

AZDesertRat · 09/24/2006, 06:00 PM

Still not good as the pressure tank is being constantly supplied 24/7 by the RO unit. You really need a seperate storage container or if you insist on hooking up directly use a positive system like dual or even triple float switches and a solenoid. One switch to turn it on, the second to turn it off after a few inches and the third as a back up to the off switch in case it fails. Other options are air pressure operated switches like sold by www.spectrapure.com .

09/23/2006, 11:16 PM	#1
all-apologies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The left coast CA Posts: 294	RO/DI...im a newby HELP-PICS Aight, I went out and bought a 125 tank stand etc etc from this dude, and with it I got this big RO system. It says 'Aqua Safe Systems' on the front. I'm gonna post pics in the morning--------------------------------- SO... I know what they do to treat the water and stuff, but im not sure how i should go about getting mine up and operational. It sat around in this guys garage for probably 2 years (my guess). So i'll bet that it needs a bit of a tune up. It has three filter cartridges on the bottom and three horizontally on the top. The last cartridge says 'final filter for taste and odor' and out of that comes a hose to hook up under your sink for drinking water. It leaks out of this fitting (where the hose comes out of the last filter) what do i do about that? I can tell the ratio of wastewater to RO is about 3:1 or so, which i believe is normal (right?). I tasted the RO water after i ran it for a while and it tasted like crap. The other water for driking tasted ok, same with the waste water. Lemme know what you think about my situation and im gonna post a buttload of pics in the morning to hopefully help everone help me... Thanks alot,

09/24/2006, 10:23 AM	#2
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	Chances are if it sat for 2 years the membrane dried up and is shot. The best way to tell is with a TDS meter, with that unit, which is not a very good one by the way, you should be seeing a 90% reduction in TDS from tap water. You will need to replace the prefilter, both vertical carbon filters, the membrane, the horizontal DI media and the post carbon drinking water filter to get it back in shape. You might as well buy a better unit and start out fresh with one that removes 98% of the TDS, or if you do decide to keep that one at least get a better 75 GPD Dow Filmtec RO Membrane.

09/24/2006, 10:52 AM	#3
all-apologies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The left coast CA Posts: 294	ok then, Well how much is a tds meter and how much would an alright new system be. If the money i spend to renovate this is gonna be as much as a new system would then id get somethin new. Any ideas. thanks

09/24/2006, 11:05 AM	#4
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	A decent new system will be right at $150 a very good one is $200 to $269 which includes TDS meters and pressure gauges. There are several RC sponsors that sell RO/DI units including www.spectrapure.com www.buckeyefieldsupply.com www.purelyh2o.com and www.thefilterguys.biz

09/24/2006, 11:12 AM	#5
all-apologies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The left coast CA Posts: 294	what about something like this... http://www.purelyh2o.com/product.php...cat=249&page=1

09/24/2006, 11:20 AM	#6
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	That is a very popular choice. Add a TDS meter and you are in business.

09/24/2006, 11:42 AM	#7
all-apologies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The left coast CA Posts: 294	SO i could get these two and they come with it all? I have a pressure tank that i huess i could still use, ill put up a pic http://www.purelyh2o.com/product.ph...&cat=249&page=1 http://www.purelyh2o.com/product.php...6&cat=0&page=1

09/24/2006, 11:52 AM	#8
all-apologies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The left coast CA Posts: 294	Heres what i have now, My pop wants to put it under the sink, how will i collect the RO water. Sould i run a fatty hose out to my garage with a storage container and mixing bin for salt. Also, the one i might buy comes with a float valve. could i just hook it up and then feed the topoff with the tank that i have?? thanks,

09/24/2006, 11:54 AM	#9
all-apologies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The left coast CA Posts: 294	lemme rephrase that, could i hook up the float valve in my sump, and then power that(floatvalve) with water that i put in the little pressure tank.

09/24/2006, 01:38 PM	#10
all-apologies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The left coast CA Posts: 294	anyone know if this is legit?

09/24/2006, 05:10 PM	#11
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	Hooking a RO/DI directly to a sump is risky. If the float fails and they will, you run the risk of not only flooding your home but diluting the salt content in your aquarium and killing everything in it. The preffered way to go is use a seperate top off container with a smaller volume so if the float fails you have only a set amount of dilution and flooding where the RO will just keep on running and running.

09/24/2006, 05:26 PM	#12
all-apologies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: The left coast CA Posts: 294	Yea, Thats what i was tryin to say, is that for my my autotop off, i will just hook up the float valve to the pressure container, so if it fails only like 3 gallons will go into the tank.

09/24/2006, 06:00 PM	#13
AZDesertRat Moved On Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NW Phoenix Posts: 16,621	Still not good as the pressure tank is being constantly supplied 24/7 by the RO unit. You really need a seperate storage container or if you insist on hooking up directly use a positive system like dual or even triple float switches and a solenoid. One switch to turn it on, the second to turn it off after a few inches and the third as a back up to the off switch in case it fails. Other options are air pressure operated switches like sold by www.spectrapure.com .