Yikes!!

[Spiffyguy]

Yes it upsets me that I need to concern myself that the product I am buying is not what I am paying for. But at the same time sometimes it happens. I get 5 gallons of salt every week, for the last 14 months. Out of all those cans of water I have had one that was messed up and a few that were RO and not Salt. That is why I test my water before it goes in the tank, just to make sure. I think the moral is not that you can't trust the fish store, but rather that testing your water prior to inserting in the tank is important.

 

[sirreal63]

I prefer to make my own. The reasons are simple, I don't trust that the water I am buying is pure. I cannot trust that the store uses a true ro/di because of the added expense of the di resins. I can buy ro water anywhere but I want the purest water I can get...so I make my own.

 

[dynamitedj]

I'd like to have an ro/di unit but it just isn't in the cards. So, I'll just test it before i leave the store. The are being paid for it with real unadulterated money.

 

[toungetwster]

On the RO/DI water systems; I have a AHS by Pure Water Planet. I bought mine off ebay for if I remember right was about 150; 5 stage with 4 gallon pressurized storage tank. It's great for small top offs. However when I do a water change normally about 10-12 gallons I have to plan it like a day in advance. It takes I would say about 30-45 minutes to get that much processed through and into the storage tank. I've been thinking about getting a larger (storage) tank just so I wouldn't have to wait and plan ahead. All in all; a good unit with no problems and after a year my TDS still only measure 1-2 range! All water test are "0".

 

[Spiffyguy]

so these things just use water pressuer to make the water, no on off switch? If so then what would I need to turn it off. I plan on getting a Y for my cold water faucet for my washer and then buying a faucet adapter. The line is 1/4 in right? do they make some sort of ball valve that small?

I think to keep it simple I will just route my waste water into the washer stand pipe as opposed to saving it. Maybe I will do laundry on days I make water lol. So now I just need to get a 20-30 gallon Brute Trash can. Also is there a need to keep the water circulated? or can it stand in teh container as long as it has a lid?

 

[toungetwster]

Well you don't really need to get a trash can for storage; if you get a pressurized storage tank that is connected straight to the system. They have auto shut off's that when the tank is full it stops filtering the water. That's the way mine is set up and it works with out a problem. The only thing is when you use up the water in the pressurized tank; you then have to wait for it to refill. On my system it takes 30-45 minutes. That's why I'm looking at a larger storage tank. Go to Pure Water Planet and do a search for: 6-Stage Reverse Osmosis System with Deionization
NEW - For Ultra Pure Drinking Water & Aquarium Use with color changing media!
6-Stage Reverse Osmosis System with Dionization - AND 100 Gallon Per Day TFC Membrane...
$299.95 AHS6-100DI

This is the unit I purchased! Sorry I said I had a 5 stage it's actually 6; I don't use the drinking water though; so I tend not to even check that filter. They are somewhat more expensive now than I paid!! They have all different types and sizes of units. A system for almost any budget! One more thing...no I don't work for them, just really like their product!

 

[Spiffyguy]

some of the prices are a bit more than I want to spend, plus the 4 gallon tank would be too small for me. I want to have at least 10-15 gallons on hand in case I need to make up salt water. especially if I am plotting...I mean planning to get a larger tank.

 

[toungetwster]

Yeah; I know what you mean by the 4 gallon tank. That's why I'm looking at getting a larger storage tank. It can be a pain going down every hour to drain out the 4 gallons. That's why I have to plan a day ahead of time for a water change. I do have several other tanks that I'm messing with at present. So; if worse comes to worse I could always use some of the other tanks as a emergency supply.

 

[Sk8r]

I go the washer standpipe route too, with a Y connector shunting water from the cold line to the ro/di, which, if it leaks [and those connectors tend to] drips into the washing machine.

I don't trust direct-link, ro/di to sump. I figure on the 3rd floor of an apartment I want to limit my disaster to 5 gallons max if the topoff fouls up.