I need the low down on RO/DI units

[LilBugger225]

I have been in this hobby for a few years and do not have an RO unit. Right now I live in an apartment where I do not pay for water and have been told I cannot hook one up. My question is, how does one hook up an RO unit and where? I really have no idea how one of these units works except for that the water is forced through a membrane and that these units do a certain amount of gpd depending on the model. Is there a way of hooking one up so that you don't waste a whole lot of water? Is there a link where it shows a diagram of an RO unit hooked up? You could say I'm RO illiterate. I have done OK without one to this point except for a turf algae issue, but I know RO is the best way to go. Thanks for any info!

LB 8)

 

[Anonymous]

Might want to give Bryan Crenshaw at Aquatic Reef Systems a call

at best performance you will get 3-5 gallons of waste water for every gallon of product water. You can use an adjustable restrictor (extra cost option) to tune the product/waste ratio to an optimum level (often low water pressue will result in a ratio as bad as 10:1 with 7:1 being common)

The water first goes through a 1 Micron Sediment filter, then a Carbon Block both prefilter the water before it's passed through the membrane. The waste water goes into a drain - the product water is then passed through a DI filter.

Normally the input is going to be hooked up to a water supply either via a faucet adaptor, hose bib, or tapped with a saddle valve.

 

[Anonymous]

LilBugger225-
i'm curious,were you told that you would not be allowed to hook it up?or that it was technically not possible?

 

[LilBugger225]

I was told by the person that owns the place that I could not hook it up because of it using too much water I guess. So essentially you just hook it up to a faucet via adaptor and just let it run until you get the appropriate amount of water or do you hook it up in such a way that the waste water also gets used for something? How bad is the waste water? Sorry for all the stupid questions, like I said I am RO illiterate...

LB 8)

 

[Anonymous]

There's quite a variety of connections--the easiest one is a T-fitting that simply threads onto your coldwater line where it meets the tap. Just leave it in place, and it's just as easy to take it off when you move.

Well, RO water is usually somewhere in the 10ppm neighborhood. Tapwater varies, but mine is 230ppm. Using the rejection rate you could work the math out. Some people use the reject water for plants and stuff like that (or to combat enemies). You will either need to route the reject line to a drain or container or something. I drilled a small hole in the PVC sink drain--when I move out, I'll have to buy a new $0.50 piece of PVC.

Tell your cheapo landlord that you need RO for health reasons (or get a doctor to agree with you better yet). Looking at my prefilters after 3 months in service convinces me of the evils of tapwater (brown).

Ty

 

[Anonymous]

i don't think your landlord has the authority, or legal leg to stand on! :evil:

i would go ahead anyway, and if he/she makes a stink,take 'em to court-they'll prob'ly have to pay more than a few extra bucks on their water bill! :lol:

you are certainly within your rights as a tenant!

 

[Nelliereefster]

Here's the fix, when you order an RO unit (I recommend the Kent Hi-S model without DI) ask for the faucet adapter. You can then connect up to the sink, and let the waste water run down the drain, or salvage it for watering plants like has been recommended. This is ompletely non-destructive, and can be removed on the ocassion of an unannouced landlord visit. The good water you can catch in a new trash can placed in a closet, the pantry, under the sink, or if your sink is close enough to the sump, or under your stand run it straight there.

I used to run my RO unit off an outside faucet, and collect the good water in trash cans in my garage. One can would be used to store fresh water for top-off, the other for mixing salt water. With a sump pump and gargen hose, I'd first remove old water from the sump, then pump in the good stuff from the garage.

The way an RO membrane works is water under pressure flows around the outside of the membrane. The membrane is semi-permeable. Think of it like being a net where the holes are only big nough to let a water molecule through to the other side. The greater the pressure difference the greater the flow across the membrane, and the less waste water is produced (within reason) For this reason, a booster pump increases yield or reduces the ratio of bad to good water.

RO is the way to go! I used to not have one and was in constant algal misery.

 

[Drew McH]

I just got my TDS meter today and my tap is at 340 ppm. no wonder my water tasted bad :lol:

 

[Brad Gardner]

Hey Drew, where did you get your TDS meter?

Thanks,

Brad

 

[Drew McH]

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