My New RO/DI Set Up!

[pcurry18]

This is my new RO/DI set up. Tomorrow there will be Maxi Jet 1200 in the bottom stirring constantly and aerating. There will be a 300W heater in each suspended from the middle of the lid. Also enroute to my house through mail order is my auto shutoff float valve. This watergeneral, i found on EBAY and was 145 shipped. This lil bugger puts out some water. I like it a lot. Just thought i would share. there will be a 3rd barrel added tomorrow for freshwater. I have to keep my FWF happy! Later!

Paul

 

[funman1]

NICE..
Where did you get the barrels they are sweet??
I had a problem keeping the temp up in my water storage tanks.
Once a bateria gets in there it breeds.
It worked for about 1 month and then weirds slimy stuff starts to happen, so I killed the heater and cleaned it out and it back to seeming normal again.

 

[pcurry18]

I got the barrels from a friend who knows a friend who knows the uncle of his friend who dated his friend back in 1969....well you get the point...lol...i just hooked mrmike up with two of them...if i ever get any extras ill give you a shout!

 

[pepe.king.prawn]

Is that unit hooked up correctly in that photo? looks funny for some reason...

 

[pcurry18]

Its hooked up identical to the directions and it produces zero TDS so im hopin i got it right. LOL

 

[pcurry18]

I think the confusion is because im not useing the taste and odor eliminator...im taking it strate from the DI out put.

 

[Justin74]

I have the same barrel sitting in the back of my house. I planned to use it for just that purpose but was kinda stuck on how to get the water out. I would like to install a spicket to the bottom so I can just turn the knob and filler up. Just havent looked into it yet. Also, I need to get a float switch to hook up to my auto shut off. Are you just keeping an eye on it so it doesnt overflow are is there somthing else goin on? I'd say Ive donate at least 50g of pure water to my sidewalk gutter drain by now. Alls I can say is thank God it's in the garage and theres a slope!

-Justin

 

[pcurry18]

Keeping an eye on it for now until my shutoff gets here that i ordered. I was gonna do the spicket but as you can see i have a pump that i pump two or three times and the siphon starts. Its easy as hell...fills a 5 gallon bucket in about 1 minute. They are sealed so i hope that the bad bacteria doesnt start. There are three of us in the neighborhood that split the costs and use the water so im sure the same water wont stay there too long.

Luckily i have a sink hook up in my garage....I tapped into the drain but in the summer, the waste water will be running my drip system in my back yard. Waste water will go into a 55 gallon drum and be pumped out with a mag pump to the drip/sprinkler system.

It should be nice once i get it up and running.

 

[MrMikeB]

Be careful with the algae/bacteria/mold. Its in the air that gets sealed in with the water, so try to keep them as full as possible when not in direct use. Pop the top off after a week and if you smell something nasty, well I am sure you know what it is. I noticed it developing on the RubberMaid trash can I use currently when it was nearly half full and heated while I was saving it for my nano water change. It seemed to thrive on humidity provided by the heated water and grow on the side of the can. I ended up throwing it all out just to be sure.

BTW, brilliant idea with the waste water! No need to waste the stuff.

 

[pcurry18]

my other thought is to run the RO/DI the night b4 i do a water change with only a powerhead to airiate and stir the water. If i go without a heater which is an option, i will have to mix one gallon of hot water to bring up the temp. In the summer i wont have to worry about the heater...and will only run the RO/DI 2 days b4 the three of us do a water change. That way we ensure its fresh!

 

[MrMikeB]

I am sure you meant to heat the water afterward, but just in case you were thinking of hooking up the hot water to the RO unit - don't, it will ruin the RO mebrane.

 

[edsimmons]

Nice set-up P but I worry about watering your landscape plant with RO/DI waste water because that stuff can be salty which will build up a kill most plants.

 

[pcurry18]

Well i have tested the waste water and it is lower in tds than the tap water. it never touches the salt, only the resin, so im confused as to what you mean by salty. Remember though, im new to the RO/DI arena so if there is something that im missing, please advise. Thanks

 

[edsimmons]

If the waste water is lower in TDS than th tap water where is it going?

The salts and heavy metals that are remove form the tap water come out of the waste water tube and are concetrated so after a period of time will build up in the soil and kill the plants.

i see your in Wheatland are you on well water/

 

[MrMikeB]

The RO system Paul has filters the water before hitting the membrane via 3 canister of sediment and carbon filters. This would explain why the TDS is lower than tap. So the only thing you can do with the run off from the RO is dump it?

 

[edsimmons]

Duh on me that makes sense.


Last year I had 3 really nice Japanese maples that I was watering w/ RO waste water which I though would be good because the Nitrate and PO4 removed from the tap water and exit through the waste tube would act as fertilize which it did but it also contained salts and other heavy metals that intern kill the trees after building up to deadly levels.