New RO/DI unit

[Dakafall]

I brought this up at the meeting on saturday, but this is the RO/DI unit i was lookin' at gettin', i was just wonderin' if anyone has that unit or anything else you find helpful to comment on
http://cgi.ebay.com/USA-110GPD-RO-DI-REVERSE-OSMOSIS-water-purification_W0QQitemZ7752876893QQcategoryZ20756QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[kau_cinta_ku]

i have that same one and i don't regret getting it. i have had mine for 2 years not and with new filters and all it works just like the same day i got it. 0 tds reading. also before you buy it have them exchange the 100gpd membrain for the 75 gpd it will take out more junk.

[Lunchbucket]

sorry no time to post the differences between a different unit that i like. but i'll post tonight

thought i would let you know i'm not ignoring...just no time before i ahve to go to work to thing and type it all

Lunchbucket

[creslin2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6995842#post6995842 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lunchbucket
just no time before i ahve to go to work to thing and type it all

Ah, you too? ;)

[Dakafall]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6995833#post6995833 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kau_cinta_ku
i have that same one and i don't regret getting it. i have had mine for 2 years not and with new filters and all it works just like the same day i got it. 0 tds reading. also before you buy it have them exchange the 100gpd membrain for the 75 gpd it will take out more junk.

did you get it from that seller?

[kau_cinta_ku]

yeah i got it from the same seller

[Dakafall]

awsome, i'm buyin' it then

what did it all come with btw?

[Lunchbucket]

i personlly love my www.purelyh2o.com unit Bryan has some nice prices and super high quality products

sorry i forgot to post yesterday :D

Lunchbucket

[CHUCKSD]

So I am curious for those who have RO/DI units...

Do you use RO or DI or a combo? I have always used just DI for premix and topoff for several years and have not had a problem (at least that I am aware of)... I also do not add any mix to the either (of course salt for the water change but that is it).

Just curious!
Chuck

[Lunchbucket]

i use RO/DI...might as well have 0ppm going into my tank :D

i only use salt mix. but i have heard of people adding stuff before they mix. Calfo mentioned something about it when we saw him in Omaha

Lunchbucket

[tangdiver]

If need purely H20...I am now a dealer... just my 2 cents...

[Lunchbucket]

Grant - you are a dealer?? SWEET! glad i told you about them :D

Lunchbucket

[Travis]

Chuck, the RO will do 2 things for you.
1)It will remove impurities that the DI won't, as will the extra sediment and carbon filters. If you only use DI, make sure to let your water sit for a few days before using it to let the chlorine gas off because the DI alone will not remove chlorine.
2)It will greatly prolong the life of your DI cartridges. An RO membrane will last an average of 3 years. For me, a DI cartridge (even after my RO membrane) needs to be replaced every 2-3 months. It would need to be replaced way more often than that if I didn't use the RO membrane. DI is not cheap and will easily cost you more money in the long run if you don't use an RO membrane.
---The only downside to an RO membrane is that it is not environmentally friendly. For every gallon of product water you get 3 gallons of waste water. Some people have plumbed their systems to use the waste for household uses such as bathing, laundry, gardening, etc. The waste is still good water, in fact even better than from the tap because it has filtered through the sediment and carbon filters. Fortunately, water is dirt cheap so cost is not an issue but it is still a wasteful way to filter water. A less wasteful treatment method is with cation and anion filters. They give you no waste water and are easily recharged with bleach.

[Travis]

Anyone using an RO unit in Sioux Falls needs to check the water quality analysis of their water supply. You can do this by calling the county water department. They will email you a free analysis. The water at my tap has 2ppm chloramines. Chloramines are harmful to RO membranes. They are also not removed by sediment filters, regular carbon block filters, RO membranes, or DI cartridges. This means that if your faucet water has 2ppm chloramines, so will the water going to your tank. The solution is to add an additional cartridge filled with catalytic granular activated carbon after your sediment filter. So the proper way to filter the water would be sediment--->GAC--->carbon block--->RO--->DI--->second DI.

I like to run a second DI because it saves money in the long run. For example, with a single DI, you start to get a TDS reading when it is only half exhausted. So you end up having to change it out and throw out half of a canister full of unused DI resin. With a second DI, you can run the first DI until it is completely exhausted as the second DI will catch any TDS that starts coming from the first. When the first one is completely exhausted, you move the second one to the first one and put a fresh cartridge in the second one. This allows you to use all of your DI resin without wasting any.

[kau_cinta_ku]

Travis how would you know when the 1st DI is completley exhausted if you have the 2nd one taking the rest of the TDS down to 0 you would never really see any TDS until the 2nd DI is starting to show. or did i just answer my own question?

[Lunchbucket]

there are a lot of color changing DI resins out there. you can then see where your DI is exhausted to.

Lunchbucket

[CHUCKSD]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7011589#post7011589 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis
Chuck, the RO will do 2 things for you.
1)It will remove impurities that the DI won't, as will the extra sediment and carbon filters. If you only use DI, make sure to let your water sit for a few days before using it to let the chlorine gas off because the DI alone will not remove chlorine.
2)It will greatly prolong the life of your DI cartridges. An RO membrane will last an average of 3 years. For me, a DI cartridge (even after my RO membrane) needs to be replaced every 2-3 months. It would need to be replaced way more often than that if I didn't use the RO membrane. DI is not cheap and will easily cost you more money in the long run if you don't use an RO membrane.
---The only downside to an RO membrane is that it is not environmentally friendly. For every gallon of product water you get 3 gallons of waste water. Some people have plumbed their systems to use the waste for household uses such as bathing, laundry, gardening, etc. The waste is still good water, in fact even better than from the tap because it has filtered through the sediment and carbon filters. Fortunately, water is dirt cheap so cost is not an issue but it is still a wasteful way to filter water. A less wasteful treatment method is with cation and anion filters. They give you no waste water and are easily recharged with bleach.

I should have explained in further detail.. I only use DI but the water flows through all the stages.. i.e. I cannot have just DI with my setup although I can have RO as a value can isolate off the DI chamber.

My question was more about what the split is between people who use RO versus those who use DI (with the understanding that the DI product water is after all other stages). I understand that some people add something to their water (I never have) and I was curious as to what and why?

[Travis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7107823#post7107823 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kau_cinta_ku
Travis how would you know when the 1st DI is completley exhausted if you have the 2nd one taking the rest of the TDS down to 0 you would never really see any TDS until the 2nd DI is starting to show. or did i just answer my own question?

The first stage is completely exhausted when the TDS reading coming from the first stage is the same as the TDS reading coming from the RO membrane.

[Travis]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7107890#post7107890 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lunchbucket
there are a lot of color changing DI resins out there. you can then see where your DI is exhausted to.

Lunchbucket

I've never been a fan of the color changing resins for 2 reasons.
1)The stuff that changes color is not actually DI resin. So you are paying for DI resin plus a bunch of color changing beads when you could be getting all DI resin for the same $$ if you go with non-color changing.
2)Even with the color changing resin, it will be exhausted before a complete color change has occurred so you still have to test with the TDS meter anyways.