RO over flowing washing machine

[troynel]

I have my RO unit hooked up to my washing machine so i can conserve the waste water. The problem im having is that my RO unit has a auto shut off valve but when my storage tank gets full, the RO unit still keeps water running through the waste valve and causing the washing machine to overflow. Why is this and is there a way to stop it?

 

[tkeracer619]

the auto shut off valve is supposed to stop the waste from flowing. It isn't hooked up properly or is defective.

 

[jim.l]

You are shutting off the feed water to the RO unit, not the output to your storage vessel, aren't you? If your solenoid is on the output side of the membrane it never stops making waste water.

 

[troynel]

I have it hooked up like this, feed water to the RO unit is tapped into my washing machine feed pipe, then the output is split into a ato with a solenoid that turns on for 5 mins every few hours, then also to my water change tank that has a float valve on it. When the i live the valve open for the water storage tank thats when my waste water seems to fill the washer up the most. But it does happen when i close that vavle off as well just not as much. BTW i have a bulk reef RO unit and a bulk reef ato system if this helps. Checked the installation of the check valve las night and it seems to be installed right. HOW CAN I FIX THIS PROBLEM? And please explain in laymans term.

 

[pbaldwin]

You are always passing water through the RO in the situation you describe, which means you are always making waste water.

If I understand correctly you have the Clean water output split with one end going to your ATO system that runs every couple hours but other wise that clean water end is off.

You have the other clean water end going into your water storage tank and controlled by a float valve that shuts off the clean water from entering that container.

You then have your waste water line dumping into your washing machine? So with nothing ever shutting off the feed water entering the RO unit you are always generating waste water.

The simple solution is probably to stop spliting the clean water output and move the ATO to running off a pump from your clean water storage tank.

Then make sure that you have the float valve that controls the level in the water storage tank trigger the shut off of the feed water into the RO unit.

 

[troynel]

How do I trigger the water to be shut off to the RO unit? The unit is about 50' away from my tank and water storage unit. I have a saddle valve hooked up to a pipe in my laundry room.

 

[THE ROOK]

I believe the RO auto shutoff belongs between the filters & membrane. That way once the pressure builds, it closes before the membrane. Thus no waste water.

I have no faith in those things. Mine failed apparently & the pressure caused water to push by pretty much every fitting.

 

[troynel]

Still how do i shut off the feed line?

 

[Spedward]

Bulk Reef Supply offers clues to installing the auto-shut-off valve properly.... see it here

 

[THE ROOK]

The flow goes from raw water >> filters >> membrane >> waste / di >> clean water.

The shutoff stops the water from entering the membrane thus no clean or waste water is produced. The filters remain pressurized. That's why I really don't like the setup but I'm sure many use it without issue.

Bulk Reef has their own forum in the vendor section. They were pretty quick to answer questions for me. Just a thought.

 

[troynel]

So how do i cut off the feed water to prevent this? Am I hooking it up wrong?