assistance needed

[bassist6108]

Maybe I'm mechanically challenged... but the RO/DI unit is now reading 40 TDS but started out reading 7, and I havent' gotten past the first 10 gallons that you aren't supposed to use. The DI filter is brand new. The RO filters looked fine. Any ideas? Will the # drop?

Thanks,
Andrea

[BenjieC]

Is this at the end? It should be around 5 or less after the RO membrane and zero after the DI. Do you have a pressure gauge on it. If so what's your incoming pressure?

[bassist6108]

pressure is reading 60.

[treejohnny]

can you post pic of how it is hooked up ?

[BenjieC]

Originally posted by treejohnny
can you post pic of how it is hooked up ?

I agree it's hard to diagnose a problem w/o seeing it. Let's make sure it's all running in the right direction.

It should be: incoming water>poly filter>carbon filter>RO membrane>DI Cannister>good water out

[bassist6108]

I'll try to take a pic tonight... I don't have internet access at home so it won't come up til tomorrow. Thanks guys!

[bassist6108]

So this is how it is set up in the spare bathroom:


The water comes in from the white line attached to the faucet, then goes to the two vertical right chambers, then up to the horizontal one, then to the DI chamber on the left, then out. The yellow line is supposed to be waste water, and the white one on the left is supposed to be good water. It was already hooked up this way when I got it. One thing I noticed is that there seems to not be the 1/4 ratio of good to bad water.

Any ideas?

[treejohnny]

it is hooked up right.....need to hook up one of the probes of the tds meter between the faucet and the first chamber.

you will have to let it produce about a gallon of water before you will know what the end water tds is.

[BuckeyeFS]

What is the ratio?

[bassist6108]

I let it produce about 5 gallons, and the TDS started reading 40. It's a brand new DI filter... could the RO ones be bad? They looked new.

[treejohnny]

well the most important thing is the ratio.......you do need to hook up one of the tds probes before any filters......this will give you the ratio of rejected water......should be about 95%.......my water comes in at around 600........comes out of ro filter at 30 TDS and then the di picks up the rest......


that being said.......maybe the di is just expelled from co2 exposure......(I dont know if they can come that way ?)

do you have well water or city water ?

maybe someone else can chime in on what the city water TDS is ??

[bassist6108]

It's city water. I have another DI Filter, I'll try hooking that one up and seeing what happens. I'll try to re-route the TDS meter tonight to see what the incoming water is. I'll post again after seeing what it's starting out at.

[BuckeyeFS]

Let's back up. First turn the system on and let it run for 10 mintes. Then take some careful tds readings of your 1) tap water, 2) RO water, and 3) DI water - we need ALL 3 readings.

Next, over a a 5 minute period, collect the purified water and in a sepate container, the waste water. Tell us how much you get of each. You can measure the water in pints, quarts, bucket fulls, etc, as long as you use the same unit of measure for both the waste water and the purified water.

Russ

[treejohnny]

talked to a water guy in MP....he says rockford city water is around 400 TDS

[bassist6108]

Well, I figured it out. There is no RO membrane in the RO unit. I finally just took it apart on a hunch, and there was nothing in there. So, it explains my low waster water (nothing forcing waste out) and the quick DI use - it was essentially the only filter. Now I just gotta get a membrane. Thanks for all your help!

[goat585]

Generally those are important. I wonder why there was no membrane in the unit. That's kind of odd.

[vessxpress1]

Hope the DI didn't get burned up. It's only intended to remove small amounts of TDS and can get exhausted quickly if it has to start removing large amounts from what I've read.

Be sure to ask (just in case) for the right RO membrane that handles chlorinated water. I believe it's the TFC membrane. There's another type for well water use only that can't handle chlorine.

[BenjieC]

I'm planning on making an order this week for a membrane and some other stuff. LMK if you want in and we could split shipping.

[BuckeyeFS]

Originally posted by vessxpress1
Hope the DI didn't get burned up. It's only intended to remove small amounts of TDS and can get exhausted quickly if it has to start removing large amounts from what I've read.

Be sure to ask (just in case) for the right RO membrane that handles chlorinated water. I believe it's the TFC membrane. There's another type for well water use only that can't handle chlorine.

Its the TFC (Thin Film Composite) membranes that we all use, and that can not handle exposure to chlorine - that's why it is critical to have a carbon block ahead of the membrane.

The other type of membrane, not used much anymore in this application, is the CTA membranes. You supply these with chlorinated water.

Russ

[esdayal]

WoW !! I dont have a RO unit yet but this is a great and very simple learning curve for me.

[BenjieC]

Did you get it working yet Andrea?

[bassist6108]

It is working like a charm!!! YAY! I got it all set up last night, and it rocks! TDS reading zero on the good water now, even did a water change before coming to work this morning (now the fishies have something to be thankful for too!)

[BenjieC]

Excellent!!!

[cichlid nutz]

Did I read correctly that your city water is around 400? WOW.

[ccor]

earlier this year my water was closer to 560-600 tds...... our water sucks.