recently over the last few months I feel like I am burning through DI resin way faster then I used to. Maybe its all in my head, but after the first 35 gallon can is filled I'm almost half spent on the resin, after 3 cans my TDS out of the DI is at 2ppm. TDS into the DI resin is 7ppm. I was thinking maybe my RO membrane is about spent since its a few years old, but 7 TDS out of the membrane doesnt seem all that bad especially with 205 TDS going into the sediment filter. I try to change out the sediment and the carbon filters monthly . Is this normal to get ~100 gallons of water through the DI before its exhausted? Do I possibly have something else going on burning out my TDS a lot faster? I never kept track before but I swear the DI resin used to get me about 6 weeks of water.
DI resin spent too fast?
- Thread starter toddmau5
- Start date
Aquageek450
Member
Check you rejection rate of your membrane. I would guess it needs replaced if you're going through resin that fast. If you go to spectrapures website they have a calculator on there you can use to get the rejection rate.
Opus123
Member
I'm going to say your problem lies in the DI media. What are you using? Is it a prefilled cartridge or are you doing it yourself? With a 7 tds from the membrane, your DI should make around 640 gallons before you start seeing tds above 0 from it. Your membrane is probably OK. You are at 96.5% rejection so that is within the range of most membranes. You also don't need to change your prefilters monthly unless you are making a ton of water or your water is high in chlorine. Most people stick to 6 months.
You may have a C02 issue. Here is a blog discussing how CO2 will deplete your DI.
https://www.aquaticlife.com/blog/how-co2-can-impact-di-resin-consumption/
You may have a C02 issue. Here is a blog discussing how CO2 will deplete your DI.
https://www.aquaticlife.com/blog/how-co2-can-impact-di-resin-consumption/
Usually try to stick to the BRS resin and pack the cartridges myself. There have been a few times it burns it too quick and I need to grab some from an LFS and that stuff doesn't last at all. I'll be grabbing a co2 test kit and looking into that. That article made me think, we are on city water, and we have a water softener, however the last few months the softener doesn't appear to be using any salt, I've been meaning to look into this, but that might be effecting the pH?
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hkgar
Active member
Your membrane rejection rate should be at least 95% preferably 97-99. Are you on a well or do you have city water? Generally using DI resin that fast is from high CO2 in the tap water, well water almost always has a high CO2 level and needs to be degassed.
I was getting 100 gallons (4 weeks), started degassing and now get 14 months.
I was getting 100 gallons (4 weeks), started degassing and now get 14 months.
Rejection rate is ~96.5%. I am city water. this never really was an issue up until the last few months or so. I will be looking into a CO2 test and a degasser. If i can get a few months out of DI resin I would be extremely happy.
Buckeye Hydro
.Registered Member
Do you see any color change in your resin? If yes, is it in the top half or bottom half of the cartridge?
Russ
Russ
Yes, the color change starts from the bottom and is present after the first 5 gallons or so
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Buckeye Hydro
.Registered Member
Do you have the DI cartridge installed with the rubber gasket/washer at the top end?
Buckeye Hydro
.Registered Member
I'd not be worried about the pH, I'd be worried about hardness leakage and scaling your membrane. Not using salt indicates softener troubles. If you were closer we could check it for you.
Russ
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Yeah I need to start calling around and getting a service call out for the softener, as a technician I'm a huge diyer and hate paying anyone to so anything I can, but I've checked all the basics, salt bringing float valve pump, flow meter, everything seems to be ok but I guess I need to bite the bullet and call someone familiar with these things
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Opus123
Member
Is one of these your water supplier? It says they do get some of their water from the Floridan Aquifer which I assume is considered well water.
http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/e...s-and-renters/water-and-sewer/water-quality#/
http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/e...s-and-renters/water-and-sewer/water-quality#/
Negative, we're on an independent company called Windermere utilities. There's a frequent rumor that they're in the works of being bought out by the county (fingers crossed)
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Opus123
Member
I would guess they are not doing it themselves and are buying it from the county. That is how it seems to work for the independent companies I've seen. They buy it and then charge 2 or 3 times more for the water than the source charges them. If that is true, then your water could very well be well water. I would start with testing the CO2 and go from there.
Buckeye Hydro
.Registered Member
Tell us the alkalinity and the ph and we can calculate the CO2
Buckeye Hydro
.Registered Member
Yes - that's called a Manual Regeneration
Yes, all the settings are working and I can set it into manual regeneration and the brine tank will fill up and drain
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