Roughneck garbage cans a problem?

[thetedinator]

My searches have not found an answer to the question of using Roughneck garbage cans to store RO/DI or saltwater. I have found mention of problems but nothing specific.

Anyone know if there are issues (like chemical leaching into the stored water) when using Roughneck cans?

Thanks

 

[afausch]

If you're talking about the dull grey Rubbermaid ones, those are the ones that work just fine. I have a couple myself. No chemical probs(from my experience and what I've read).

 

[manderx]

they aren't *officially* rated as being food safe like the brute line is, but i've been using them with no problems and i've seen plenty of other people use them. certifying them as food safe would cost money and also steal away sales of the more expensive brute cans.

 

[thetedinator]

Thanks afausch. Anyone have experience with the green cans?

 

[RJARMAN]

I have also used the gray ones, I bought mine at Lowe's...

 

[Mr James]

I had the light brown ones (Roughneck series) and had some algae problems in the tank. Could have been a few things, but I opted to go for the Brute series instead. No more algae problems.

 

[Tommyc]

Do a search for brute or rubbermaid. This has come up before. I've used roughneck stuff before and wont again. Brute's what I've got now and am happy. They're more expensive, but it's all about Peace of Mind.
tom

 

[phishlet]

Thanks afausch. Anyone have experience with the green cans?

I'd like to know about the green ones too? I've been using a green one for 3 or 4 years now.

 

[thetedinator]

I've done many searches. Everyone says they use the 'Brute' but no one says what is wrong with the 'Roughneck'. Urban legend?

 

[greenbean36191]

Plasticizers in almost any plastics will leach into any ro/di stored in them and increase phosphates. Maybe the roughnecks have more plasticizers than the brutes?

 

[in2deep]

I made 20 gallons of ro/di water (TDS measures "0" coming out of the ro/di with a calibrated TDS meter) into a Roughneck trash can and the TDS quickly worked it's way up to 25 PPM so the trash can was clearly leaching measurable stuff into the water and this was in leass than an hour. I just got a Brute and tried it and the TDS stayed at Zero indicating to me it was not leaching stuff into the water. I heard this before but never beleived it till i just tried it for myself.

 

[EK3866]

i have the tan 37g wheeled roughneck and have been using it for a couple of months with no problems. i don't store water in it , just use it to make up water for changes. the water is in it for 24 hrs or less.

 

[Sidewinder]

What the other folks have said may also be correct. If you're using the Rubbermaid Roughneck trashcans, the thin plastic in the 30 to 40 gal. range, that is probably the problem. It happened to me with the green 45 gal. After about 3 weeks of covered storage in it, the RO/DI water that went in with a 000 TDS had a reading somewhere in the high teens. I don't know what leached but it couldn't be good.
For long term RO/DI storage you want the Rubbermaid, Brute, HDPE (High Density PolyEthelene); food grades come in white, gray and, yes, yellow. They're a bit pricey. But you can also get the wheeled dolly that attaches to the bottom of the can. I've never found it easier to move 44 gals. on my basement floor.
HTH, Ed

 

[Flanders]

I use the gray roughnecks with no problems, but I've been advised to stay away from the green ones.

 

[COreefer]

I made 20 gallons of ro/di water (TDS measures "0" coming out of the ro/di with a calibrated TDS meter) into a Roughneck trash can and the TDS quickly worked it's way up to 25 PPM so the trash can was clearly leaching measurable stuff into the water and this was in leass than an hour. I just got a Brute and tried it and the TDS stayed at Zero indicating to me it was not leaching stuff into the water. I heard this before but never beleived it till i just tried it for myself.

RO/DI water is easily contaminated. It may not be the can rather other items and debris such as salt. I have always been advised to not test the water in the container rather what is comming out of the unit. The pump you use to move water between receptacles could be the culprit, as could any number of other issues. Like someone said earilier it is urban legend that rubbermaid green or grey leach contaminents. I know countless numbers of people using the roughneck and have been without issue...

 

[thetedinator]

COreefer, thanks for the input. I don't know if anyone has seriously looked at this issue (meaning some kind of controlled study). Everyone has anecdotal information (which is not necessarily good or bad). I asked the question because I read some comments in other threads.

I made some RO/DI, stored it in some green roughnecks, got concerned and started retesting. So far everything is fine (TDS shows 0) after sitting for several days and being transferred between containers. Still, since so many people voiced concern about green cans and roughtnecks, I went and picked up the gray brute's and am now using those.

Ted

 

[COreefer]

The roughneck containers are made of a low dense polyethylene (LDPE). I owned a recycling company for quite a while...this is the same plastic found in water bottles, tupperware, soda bottles, etc...It's also the same substance that rubbermaid uses in the lids of their food grade containers. There are different issues regarding food grade, such as mold prevention, a hermatic seal and cleaning. The roughneck does not have a seal...It is this issue rather than the plastic used which gives food grade consideration to other plastic products. There aren't any qualities of this substance that would cause leaching of any chemical substance.

 

[danskim]

Brute is also made of LDPE...