Aren't RO units great?

[zmazza]

I just got done finishing installing the 5 stage RO/DI unit that came in today. Whoo hoo! After trying to figure out why it wasn't producing pure water, just enormous amounts of drain water, I finally got it producing the wonderful 2-4 drips per second flow.

Down to 7-9 TDS though and I just started it up a few hours ago.

Not bad I think. I'm thinking it will go down in the next few days as the unit gets broken in.

I wish it made money, haha! That would help. That's the most expensive thing I've bought in awhile. Whew... reefing... doesn't just burn a hole in the pocket, it set's the pants on fire.

You know, Geoff, I've got a few pieces of glass that I had cut for a 20 gallon tall tank that I was hoping to build for my sump, but I never got the tank... does anyone have a way to cut glass? Since I don't have the ball valves to complete the plumbing, would you mind helping me configure my sump/refugium (10 gallons) at the next meeting? That would be awesome.


I'm completely new to "sumps". They are beyond me. I'm plumbings worst nightmare. Guess you have to learn somehow, right?

Like I said, I've got the glass, it's just a bit too wide. I've got the silicone and the caulking gun.

I'll have to find the rest of my plumbing parts, but if I can get that done, that would be awesome. Then all I'd have to do is con one of you to meet up with me to help me drill it, right ct_vol?

Just kidding. You guys are awesome.

So, has a time been decided on for the March 17th meeting?

 

[ct_vol]

Dang... A time might be nice... Bring the tank... Hmmm... I think Pres. Matt is the pro on drilling tanks...

 

[Runner]

Re: Aren't RO units great?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9413802#post9413802 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zmazza
I just got done finishing installing the 5 stage RO/DI unit that came in today. Whoo hoo! After trying to figure out why it wasn't producing pure water, just enormous amounts of drain water, I finally got it producing the wonderful 2-4 drips per second flow.

Heh. Sounds like my first experience with an RO filter. I installed it and wondered why I produced over 100G of waste water for the 1G of filtered water in a 3 hour time period. Then I discovered I was in backflush mode the entire time....

They are great and save money. I kind of miss my weekly visits to the Coral Reef, though.

 

[zmazza]

That's what mines doing. Producing a ridiculous amount of waste water and just a little bit of pure water. I bet I've wasted 1000 gallons already and only have MAYBE 10 gallons to show for it. Not sure how you put the Reefkeeper Compact in backflush mode, though...

Can you do that with that unit? It's a 5 stage R.O./D.I. with ASOV. It produces 75 gallons per day...

Also, for my wife's sake... she's losing her mind seeing all that water go down the drain... have any of you noticed your water bills becoming very high because of RO units?

 

[Runner]

You should waste no more than 3 to 5 gallons of water for every 1 gallon of filtered water. It sounds to me like you are in backflush. Do you have a little hand valve that you can turn 90 degrees? It should be near a flow restrictor that has a little arrow drawn on the side (if it is similar to mine, anyway).

 

[zmazza]

Do you have a number that I can reach you at Runner? Could you help me figure out what's going on?

 

[ct_vol]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9418552#post9418552 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zmazza
have any of you noticed your water bills becoming very high because of RO units?

LOL I buried my water meter when I redid my front flower bed... So the city just aproximated my water bill for about a year... I installed my RO/DI unit about a month after I buried the meter... Whenever they found the meter and recalculated my water bill, it jumped up to $200... I about $hit my pants... But now its back to normal...

 

[zmazza]

Haha! I noticed the other day that it didn't seem like they had read the meter in a long time. You know, the unit does have a restrictor valve on the drain... I have it so it's spewing water like crazy... that must be backflush mode. I know when I close the valve that the water slows down but doesn't stop. I'm not sure if it still makes pure water . I'll give that a try.

 

[zmazza]

That fixed it. Now instead of a drip drip drip it's a steady stream. Whoo hoo!

I wasn't aware it had a backflush option. Thanks Runner for the tip! I owe you one!

 

[ct_vol]

Most RO/DI units product line only come out as a drip drip... The waste line is a steady stream... Don't be surprised if it slows down with use...

 

[zmazza]

It was a drip drip drip at first. Now since I restricted the drain line, it's coming out a steady stream at 0 TDS. I hope it stays like that. Only problem is my water temp is 58 degrees. Freezing cold.