Salt Water Mixing Stations Let's See Them

[thebanker]

So if I want to start mixing water, why do I need two containers? Why can't one 50 gal container, plumbed correctly, work fine for SW mixing? Why must there be one for RODI?

I know this is a remedial question, but I've never mixed my own salt water before.

I personally use my RO/DI bin to top up my ATO resevoir. The valves stay open so that I can just flick the switch in my sump room and it fills the ATO container. A couple turns of valves, and I can fill and mix all my saltwater in the second bin, while the RO bin starts to re-fill with RO/DI water again. You can do it the other way, but I personally like to have both saltwater and freshwater on hand in case something happens (which it often does in this hobby).

Ok that makes sense. In terms of mixing the salt water though, there is no reason to have a second tank, right? One reservoir will do the job, right?

Space is at a premium here in Socal so I don't have a lot of room for a big custom rig.

 

[Redman88]

I have a full service type setup that is mobile. Look back through this topic for pictures and explanations

 

[Mcsommerfeld]

2 Ace Hardware trashcans, couple PVC fittings and 4 3/4" bulk heads make up my salt mixing station. Works great for easy water changes and my ATO. The circulation/mixing pump is under the set up, in use a Panworld external, works great 50xx I believe.

 

[mrkalel]

2 Ace Hardware trashcans, couple PVC fittings and 4 3/4" bulk heads make up my salt mixing station. Works great for easy water changes and my ATO. The circulation/mixing pump is under the set up, in use a Panworld external, works great 50xx I believe.

Looks great man... Just wondering if you confirmed these are food grade/non leaching?

 

[dukduk]

Why aren't you using pvc through the uniseals and adding barbs for the vinyl?

anyone have thoughts about a stand pipe for RO/SW? really don't wanna do any basement sumps in this house.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Mag7. Works great, anything more for this size station is completely unnecessary IMO. 32 Gal containers btw

Got a mag 5 really cheap, so going to try it and how well it works.

 

[Mcsommerfeld]

Looks great man... Just wondering if you confirmed these are food grade/non leaching?

I actually did not. However, I used them for several years to mix and to retain R/O, and I haven't yet come across any negative effects. So I have to belive at this point I am safe (fingers crossed). Lol

 

[DaveRaz]

By the way, I can get an endless amount if these barrels for 20.00 each or trade

 

[murdock84]

here is my water change system..................I can change 40 gals in under 10 mins and NO BUCKETS!!!!

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What does one need to be able to hook up 1/4" tubing like in the picture? I have a Brute can that I aerate my water in before pumping it through my DI stages. An just putting the 1/4" tubing in the container does not work great as it wants to float to the top.

Thanks!

 

[icebrg5]

here is my water change system..................I can change 40 gals in under 10 mins and NO BUCKETS!!!!

[/URL][/IMG]


What does one need to be able to hook up 1/4" tubing like in the picture? I have a Brute can that I aerate my water in before pumping it through my DI stages. An just putting the 1/4" tubing in the container does not work great as it wants to float to the top.

Thanks!

Pretty sure that tubing is there so you can see how much water is in the container and not to aerate the water.

 

[zachts]

What does one need to be able to hook up 1/4" tubing like in the picture? I have a Brute can that I aerate my water in before pumping it through my DI stages. An just putting the 1/4" tubing in the container does not work great as it wants to float to the top.

Thanks!

I keep my air stone zip tied to a piece rock to weight it down. (in my case a small chunk of man made base rock I had laying around)

 

[murdock84]

Sorry for the confusion. I'm planning on hooking a 1/4" line to a pump that moves water from the trash can through my DI stages of my RODI unit. Not an air pump for circulation.

 

[woodnaquanut]

Sorry for the confusion. I'm planning on hooking a 1/4" line to a pump that moves water from the trash can through my DI stages of my RODI unit. Not an air pump for circulation.

So you are storing RO water and pumping it thru the DI when you need it? Seems complicated. Why not just do the RO/DI thing and then store that.

 

[murdock84]

So you are storing RO water and pumping it thru the DI when you need it? Seems complicated. Why not just do the RO/DI thing and then store that.

Kind of. I have a well with high CO2 in my water. I need to aerate my RO water before it goes through the DI stages so the DI filters do not clog up (from the CO2). I'll fill a can with RO water and run air stones over night before pumping it through the DI filters then into another brute can.

 

[zachts]

Sorry for the confusion. I'm planning on hooking a 1/4" line to a pump that moves water from the trash can through my DI stages of my RODI unit. Not an air pump for circulation.

Same advise applies, just weight down the intake (assuming you are using an external pump such as a peristaltic pump?) Otherwise you could just get a bulkhead and john guest or barb fittings for the side of your trash can too, a Uniseal would probably work also and be cheaper.

 

[woodnaquanut]

Kind of. I have a well with high CO2 in my water. I need to aerate my RO water before it goes through the DI stages so the DI filters do not clog up (from the CO2). I'll fill a can with RO water and run air stones over night before pumping it through the DI filters then into another brute can.

Thanks for the clarity!

What kind of pump are you using to go to the DI?

Any chance you could put the off gassing tank up high and just gravity feed the DI? I have no idea what flow DI needs. Seems like it is pretty low from a standard RO/DI unit.

I believe the fittings used in the pic are a 'Guest like' bulkhead fitting like http://www.johnguest.com/product/inch-size-fittings/bulkhead-connector-5/ although I have not been able to find a bulkhead ell as per the picture.

 

[zachts]

I believe the fittings used in the pic are a 'Guest like' bulkhead fitting like http://www.johnguest.com/product/inch-size-fittings/bulkhead-connector-5/ although I have not been able to find a bulkhead ell as per the picture.

Unfortunately those JG bulkheads are not meant to be submerged and they leak thru the outside of the push fitting. I tried those on my AWC setup but ended up having to get a pair of regular bulkheads with 1/4" threading and use a normal 1/4" threaded to push fit connector.

Looks to me like he has just threaded the standard elbow fitting into the side of those brute cans and presumably sealed with silicone? I wouldn't think the can walls were thick enough for that to work but looks like it does.

 

[mrkalel]

Unfortunately those JG bulkheads are not meant to be submerged and they leak thru the outside of the push fitting. I tried those on my AWC setup but ended up having to get a pair of regular bulkheads with 1/4" threading and use a normal 1/4" threaded to push fit connector.

Looks to me like he has just threaded the standard elbow fitting into the side of those brute cans and presumably sealed with silicone? I wouldn't think the can walls were thick enough for that to work but looks like it does.

Actually I got a fully submergible JG push fitting a few years ago when making my ATO container... It was all plastic.. No metal. Sadly, don't remember if I found it at HD or online...

 

[Flippers4pups]

Here's mine, using a mag 5 and bulkheads instead of uni seals.

 

[murdock84]

Thanks everyone. I'll look around HD and the LFS to see what they may have. The pump is whatever spectrapure has on their website for sale. It's a pressure pump used for places that have low water pressure. The JG bulkhead is what I was looking for. No stores around here seem to have uniseals around. I may just go with a small regular bulkhead and work my way down to 1/4" fittings to make it work. Just trying to make it look clean. I used a uniseal in my RO/DI can that I gravity feed into my saltwater mixing can.