RO/DI storage suggestions?

[spankey]

I have a severe issue that I just stumbled across.. I have a BRUTE white commercial style trash container that is food grade that I use to keep my fresh RO/DI water. Out of my DI my TDS is around 4 (Filters can be changed soon I know this). Well I tested my trash can and I haven't used water out of it for about a week and the TDS was 40!!! OUCH!!!

I almost fainted!!! I felt the inside of the can and there is a smooth slime on the the container? Is that normal? I think instead of filling it up, I am going to run it in the morning that I need to do a water change or top off and then just use freshly made water from there?

Could the container be leaching TDS into the water over time? A week?

The only thing in the container is a circulation pump and my sumbersible titanium heater!

Can anyone suggest what can cause this and what is my best route to take? Would the making fresh RO when needed be the solution rather than having it fill up when I take water as needed and letting water in the container and letting it sit.....

All your suggestions are greatly appreciate! Greatly!

thanks
Spankey

 

[jtemple42000]

I've got the same problem. I posted a question similar to this a while a go and never got any responses.

Curious also......

 

[spankey]

I think that if you store the water over time most containers will leach TDS.....

I was taking roughly 5 gallons out of it every 3 days.... So you figure about 30 were left behind just sitting.....

I think the best bet is to say turn on the RO the day you need to use it or the night before. This way you have fresh RO to use....

I need to do a water change tomorrow, so mine is on now. It should be fine tomorrow when I get home from work to do the water change.....

Hope someone chimes in on this soon?

 

[jtemple42000]

yeah, but what about the emergency water? What about water for auto top-off? Some people mix up water for changes a week ahead of time. This must just be something that can not be avoided?

 

[spankey]

I can't believe that no one else replied to this as to how and what they use to store their water?

Does anyone leave their heaters in the container? Anyone else ever go thru this situation too?

 

[jtemple42000]

apparently we're the only ones who don't have it figured out......this is what happened when I asked about it too....

 

[MinibowMatt]

Im using a blue rubbermaid storage container. Its a 25G capacity. I store my water, and I try to keep the container full, so I have water in an emergency. I have tested TDS in it, and its never more than 1-4. Maybe you should try one of those?

 

[ezcompany]

dont test

 

[spankey]

Matt I was leaving my water in the container about a week and it slowly crept up to 40!!!!! I too want to be able to store water so I can grab it as I need it... But as most stated perfect RO/DI water is testing 0 in line of TDS.... I am getting 3 out of the DI and then if the water sits for any amount of time it rises.... My tap water is only 75 TDS. So it should cut it down to near zero and then store.... Scary isn't it...

I hate having to make water as needed now, but will have to plan things better and acordingly, thats all....

 

[Buckeye Hydro]

Either change the container, or try washing your existing one. If the slime is of a biological origin, use bleech when you clean it. Rinse well of course.

 

[spankey]

Good Idea Buckey... I will try that..

 

[artful-dodger]

dionized water is basically unstable...water (the "universal solvent") has a natural affinity for some level of dissolved ions (hardness). Do this same experiment using a glass jar and I bet you'll get similar results--after a week the water will be funky just from what the water will pull from the air.

Try adding a bit of buffer (such as Kent Superbuffer dKH) to the freshly generated RO/DI (or DI only) water reservoir. It will raise the TDS reading, but only with things that you will want in your water. Storage of the buffered water will be much easier.

TDS is not anywhere near a perfect measure of water quality but, for some reason, we all seem to be totally focused on it. You can have a TDS of zero with poisonous water.

Want to have some eye-opening fun? Open a new bottle of isopropyl alcohol (cost you a buck in the first aid section of your drug store) and test it with your TDS meter. It will come up 000...if you think that TDS is all that matters, go ahead and add a fish to that alcohol and let us know how that works out!

40 ppm is incredibly low compared to anything you'll find anywhere in nature...the real question is what those 40 parts are!

 

[spankey]

Very good point and well taken! Makes sense!

 

[bsaastad]

Just a thought, but would it help to use a black container? It seems that the lighter colored containers tend to allow some amount of light to pass through and potentially this could provide enough energy to "funkify" the water faster than need be? I've also heard of people lining their containers with a dark trash bag (like a Hefty garden bag) that can be sealed -- tighter than a rubbermaid lid anyway -- until you are ready to use the water.