"Green" RO/DI system?
- Thread starter R Baxley
- Start date
jener8tionx
New member
It's water...as long as the golf courses are green, I'm not going to feel bad about my water use.
I'm so much concerned that I'm putting water down the drain. I'm more concerned with how my water bill fluctuates. You can usually tell when I've been a good reefer 
As for wasting water, we really aren't. We are sending drinkable water to get more or less drinkable depending on how you look at it. Plus you paid for it right?!
As for wasting water, we really aren't. We are sending drinkable water to get more or less drinkable depending on how you look at it. Plus you paid for it right?!
kraze3
New member
Do you have an old style washing machine? you can use your waste water in there.
You could also save in some decent size tubs and water your flowers or grass. Can use to wash your car, fill your pool.
By the time you get a pump to pump the water outside or carry it out yourself, your spending more money and time. The washing machine is the only logical one really.
You could also save in some decent size tubs and water your flowers or grass. Can use to wash your car, fill your pool.
By the time you get a pump to pump the water outside or carry it out yourself, your spending more money and time. The washing machine is the only logical one really.
greenmonkey51
New member
You get get a DI only system like the Kati Ani. There is no waste, but you need harsh chemicals to recharge the resisns.
Ummm...
Over engineering a wee bit, perhaps? Even if your system runs a four to one ratio, if you need 100 gallons a month for your system, ( three gallons a day evap ) you only sent 400 gallons down the drain. That's the equivalent of flushing an "old style" toilet ( 20 to 25 litres ( four to five gallons )) twice a day. Its equivalent to watering the lawn for around an hour and a half. It's equivalent to two loads of wash in a top loading washer with it set for double rinse. It's more than enough to raise a 14 by 28 swimming pool two inches.
According to "wiki answers", the average cost of water in the United States is $1.50 per 1,000 gallons.... So, basically, you're worried about a cost of less than two bucks a month.
I can appreciate the feeling that watching the waste water go down the laundry tub drain is "just wrong", but unless you're going to make sure that every toilet is a low usage ( 1gal flush), use wild grasses on your lawn, so that you never have to water, get rid of the top loading washer and replace it with a front loading energy efficient one, put a low flow shower head in every bathroom and only run the water to get wet and then turn it off until you're ready to rinse, run your house gutters through a filter and then into your pool, etc. Then the only thing you can do, to ease your conscience, is to either run it into the washer, or store it for indoor plants, or, if you really want to send it on it's way with a "bang" throw it down a toilet instead of using the water in the tank to flush.
The only other side to this that I can see is that some municipalities charge ( like mine ) 85% of water in as being the rate for sewage use. That sucks when you fill the pool or water the grass, or top off the tank, because none of that actually goes down the sewer. But, on the other hand, some municipalities, don't meter the water, it's included in the taxes.
Over engineering a wee bit, perhaps? Even if your system runs a four to one ratio, if you need 100 gallons a month for your system, ( three gallons a day evap ) you only sent 400 gallons down the drain. That's the equivalent of flushing an "old style" toilet ( 20 to 25 litres ( four to five gallons )) twice a day. Its equivalent to watering the lawn for around an hour and a half. It's equivalent to two loads of wash in a top loading washer with it set for double rinse. It's more than enough to raise a 14 by 28 swimming pool two inches.
According to "wiki answers", the average cost of water in the United States is $1.50 per 1,000 gallons.... So, basically, you're worried about a cost of less than two bucks a month.
I can appreciate the feeling that watching the waste water go down the laundry tub drain is "just wrong", but unless you're going to make sure that every toilet is a low usage ( 1gal flush), use wild grasses on your lawn, so that you never have to water, get rid of the top loading washer and replace it with a front loading energy efficient one, put a low flow shower head in every bathroom and only run the water to get wet and then turn it off until you're ready to rinse, run your house gutters through a filter and then into your pool, etc. Then the only thing you can do, to ease your conscience, is to either run it into the washer, or store it for indoor plants, or, if you really want to send it on it's way with a "bang" throw it down a toilet instead of using the water in the tank to flush.
The only other side to this that I can see is that some municipalities charge ( like mine ) 85% of water in as being the rate for sewage use. That sucks when you fill the pool or water the grass, or top off the tank, because none of that actually goes down the sewer. But, on the other hand, some municipalities, don't meter the water, it's included in the taxes.
400 gallons down the drain per month x 12 months = 4800 gallons.
If you live in the county like I do, that means your filling your holding tank an extra 2 times over the course of the year, and you'll need it pumped more often!
2 Extra Pumpings is $200 + the electric cost of the well running = alot more than "less than 2 bucks a month"
Everyone is in a different situation, I think we need to take that into account before you start looking down on people for their questions.
In this house, we don't waste water. It gets reused in any way possible.
But then again, my hot water heater and forced air are solar as well, so we are fairly green =)
If you live in the county like I do, that means your filling your holding tank an extra 2 times over the course of the year, and you'll need it pumped more often!
2 Extra Pumpings is $200 + the electric cost of the well running = alot more than "less than 2 bucks a month"
Everyone is in a different situation, I think we need to take that into account before you start looking down on people for their questions.
In this house, we don't waste water. It gets reused in any way possible.
But then again, my hot water heater and forced air are solar as well, so we are fairly green =)
LobsterOfJustice
Recovering Detritophobe
To answer the original question, no the GPD rating does not really effect how much water is being wasted. There is a newish unit available that has a ratio close to 1:1 believe, but it's going to be very expensive. It might be made by spectrapure, I dont remember.
I dont put mine down the drain, that was my point. I was just pointing out, that everyone has different issues they face.
When I lived in the city, i just let whatever pour down the drain and just didnt care. Back then I probably had the "its less than 2$ a month" waste mentality
I have since changed my perspective!
When I lived in the city, i just let whatever pour down the drain and just didnt care. Back then I probably had the "its less than 2$ a month" waste mentality
I have since changed my perspective!
jener8tionx
New member
So if you don't put it down the drain, then that $200 in extra pumping doesn't come into play. All you pay for is the well pump. Ok, so let's do some well pump math:
Looking through Google I found a couple well pumps and their amps, volts. They averaged about 1150 watts and pumped about 10 gal a minute each.
Here in WI I pay about 10.9 cents per Kwatt/hour.
That comes to a whopping 12.5 cents to run an hour.
That is enough time to pump 600 gallons. Now assuming that the circuit draws more amperage on startup, or other bla bla bla, lets cut my number in half to 300 gallons for 12.5 cents. Then your 4800 gallons per year is almost exactly $2 per year.
Like I said before...you can cut your waste water in half by adding an additional RO membrane to your unit. It will increase your water making capacity and cut your waste in half.
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/RO/DI...ving-150-GPD-RO-Upgrade-Kit/product_info.html
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/RO/DI...ving-150-GPD-RO-Upgrade-Kit/product_info.html
/sigh.
Im either too tired to make my point clear, or you guys are just trying to bust my balls today.
My point was aimed at one of the first comments that was telling the original poster to not worry about waste because it didnt cost anything.
I was merely stating that, without knowing someones situation, its hard to gauge how much it really is costing them, using my situation (If i let the water go down the drain) as an example.
Hope that makes a little more sense?
Similar threads
