RO vs RO/DI water?

[Jeff000]

What does the DI part of an RO/DI do?
Just about to order one up, looking at a 5 stage RO/DI. But the RO only is far cheaper and seems like it takes everything out, I mean whats left?

 

[divewsharks]

if this i just for your tank, you'll want the DI. It is the De-Ionization portion. It is a resin that will remove just all remaining minerals from the water else resulting in water that is very pure.

 

[Agu]

RO is 95 to 98% pure. With the DI added you get to almost 100%.

( I say almost 100% because ultra pure water can only exist in a vacuum.)

 

[isildursbane]

Anyone know if you can buy the DI resin in bulk either online or at a home improvement store and then use say a 2" PVC pipe 24" to 48" long to filter the RO water through? Basically would that be a cheaper option than buying the combined RO/DI unit and having to purchase the required DI resin filters for that unit?

 

[gregmoeck]

yean i wonder if you could put the resin in filter bags and float in your RO holding container?

 

[isildursbane]

I remember in my engineering lab we used to run the water through this 4-foot long pipe. I think they called it a DI filter. Anyway, if anyone knows a good place online to order the DI resin, that would be great. I am trying not to spend the money on a RO system, so I was thinking I could build a simple DI resin chamber and run the RO water I get from Wally World through it.

I found:

http://www.bigbrandwater.com/resintech.html

and

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store..._campaign=Di&gclid=CL7-nMHd3aQCFRKt7QodxgR9KA

and

http://www.thefilterguys.biz/bulk_di_resin.htm

It would be nice to hear from someone that has actually built their own chamber as to a good media to get.

 

[iamwrasseman]

bulk do resin can be bought but its easiest to use in a canister hooked right up to your ro system . pretty basic stuff . and tons of di resin wont make 100% clean water so dont try it . you can get plain di units ,and they make huge ones that you hook your hose up to and it comes out as fast as your tap water . only thing is its not as pure as ro/di water .

 

[isildursbane]

Yeah, I get that. I am talking about using bought RO water from say Walmart. Basically building some kind of vertical pipe that I could pour/pump the RO water into the top of the pipe and have it trickle down through the DI resin and into a holding tank. Anyway, the more I think about it, it's probably best to just save up the money for the complete RO/DI unit. I just need to find out if my tap water has Chlorine or Chloramine. I also have a deep well, but I assume that water would be harder and therefore more expensive to process?

 

[Agu]

This is what you're looking for.

IME and IMHO it's a waste of money, Bite the bullet and get a RO/DI upfront. The tapwater purifier is designed to purify water and suck money out of your wallet.

 

[widmer]

I'm not speaking from direct experience, but the advice on this topic seems to be that you shouldn't just use straight DI resin because it will exhaust way too fast and not be cost effective... This is why it's normally used in conjunction with (downstream of) an RO unit.

And yea you could DIY a DI resin container, but why not spend $20 on a matching clear canister that was made to go with your RO unit, so that you can see the DI resin change color as it exhausts?

 

[divewsharks]

you can get resin in bulk from places like BRS (Bulk Reef Supply). as mentioned you diy the DI portion, but it really shouldn't cost you too much to get it as part of a RO/DI system. are you looking at places like thefilterguys.biz?

 

[iamwrasseman]

widmer has a very good point for sure