New to RO/DI Filtration

[jinar]

Yes is coming out of the top cartridge...

 

[oil_fan]

Then it is setup as Smallblock says.

 

[jinar]

So is this water good for human consumption too?

 

[buckeye field supply]

Yeow! Let's back up a little.

The TDS of RO water should be less than 10% of the TDS of your tap water.

By the looks of the picture you sent, it looks like you have 3 prefilters (prefilter = filters that touch the water before it reaches the RO) below the bracket, and an RO membrane above the bracket - so looks like you have an RO system, not an RODI system.

Smallblock;685171 wrote: It should be set up like 3 sediment filters, then the ro membrane and then last the di, the waste water should be coming out before the di unit.

You need one of those prefilters to be a carbon stage - if you just have three sediment filters the chlorine in the water will ruin your membrane.

Edit: Anyone knows what the little yellow pipe I'd for?

That runs from the waste water port on the RO membrane housing to your flow restrictor/flush valve.

Its reading 2 in and 29 after is that normal?

Edit: Ppm

No - that's not normal at all. I suspect you have the probes on your meter reversed. So 29 in and 2 out is ok.

I think the yellow is the waste and the valve is for back flushing the unit.

There's really no "back" about the flush valve. It doesn't reverse the flow of water.

If you open each of the 3 main canisters, look at each cartridge. Carbon blocks usually have a wire mesh and look blackish behind that wire mesh. Sediment filters look like a white paper all rolled up.

Here's a pic of a carbon block where you can see the mesh mentioned above. Typically the black carbon is covered with a white cloth beneath the mesh:

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To tell if your system is working correctly, need to:
1. add a pressure gauge add on kit
2. measure TDS before the membrane and after the membrane
3. measure the speed at which the system makes water
4. measure the waste water to purified water ratio.

When is the last time the system was sanitized?

Russ

 

[smallblock]

Buckeye Field Supply;685455 wrote: Yeow! Let's back up a little.

The TDS of RO water should be less than 10% of the TDS of your tap water.

By the looks of the picture you sent, it looks like you have 3 prefilters (prefilter = filters that touch the water before it reaches the RO) below the bracket, and an RO membrane above the bracket - so looks like you have an RO system, not an RODI system.



You need one of those prefilters to be a carbon stage - if you just have three sediment filters the chlorine in the water will ruin your membrane.


That runs from the waste water port on the RO membrane housing to your flow restrictor/flush valve.



No - that's not normal at all. I suspect you have the probes on your meter reversed. So 29 in and 2 out is ok.


There's really no "back" about the flush valve. It doesn't reverse the flow of water.




Here's a pic of a carbon block where you can see the mesh mentioned above. Typically the black carbon is covered with a white cloth beneath the mesh:

alt="" />

To tell if your system is working correctly, need to:
1. add a pressure gauge add on kit
2. measure TDS before the membrane and after the membrane
3. measure the speed at which the system makes water
4. measure the waste water to purified water ratio.

When is the last time the system was sanitized?

Russ

I was actually hoping you would come on to this, I realized I said it wrong when I said 3 sediment filters, I meant 1 sed and 2 carbons..

Whats the relationship between ppm and tds?

Edit: also what does a backflush valve actually do?

 

[jinar]

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this is what it looks like after researching and installing. my previous reading were wrong, and yes i had the readers or sensors on in the opposite pipes.

- the pipe going down to the left is the good water pipe.
- the pipe leaving the unit on the left middle and top after the black valve is the bad water.
- and the pipe coming in from the left after white valve is the tap water.

is this correct?

 

[buckeye field supply]

Smallblock;685459 wrote: I was actually hoping you would come on to this, I realized I said it wrong when I said 3 sediment filters, I meant 1 sed and 2 carbons..

Whats the relationship between ppm and tds?

Edit: also what does a backflush valve actually do?

Typically no need for two carbon stages unless you have chloramines in your water.

The amount of Total Disolved Solids is measured in parts per million (ppm).

There is no BACK flush valve. It's just a "flush" valve. The valve, when open, provides waste water a path to bypass the flow restrictor.

Russ

 

[smallblock]

ok i see, the tds is what I'm reading and the measurment of the tds is in ppm.

Also Russ on more question, I was discussing this with another memeber, When I turn on my rodi unit 5 stage, I get up to 30 tds for only a few seconds coming out of my ro membrane before the di. This only last for 30 seconds or so. I always get zero coming out of the di but for those few seconds of initial startup I get a high tds coming out of the ro before the di. I can watch the tds drop coming out of the ro. Whats happening with this?

Edit: I get a constant 4 tds coming out of my ro, always zero from the di. I've observed this on several rodi units I've used

 

[buckeye field supply]

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Edit:

Smallblock;685510 wrote: ok i see, the tds is what I'm reading and the measurment of the tds is in ppm.

Also Russ on more question, I was discussing this with another memeber, When I turn on my rodi unit 5 stage, I get up to 30 tds for only a few seconds coming out of my ro membrane before the di. This only last for 30 seconds or so. I always get zero coming out of the di but for those few seconds of initial startup I get a high tds coming out of the ro before the di. I can watch the tds drop coming out of the ro. Whats happening with this?

Edit: I get a constant 4 tds coming out of my ro, always zero from the di. I've observed this on several rodi units I've used

This is called "TDS creep" and is a result of the lack of water pressure on the membrane when the system is turned off.

 

[smallblock]

thanks, is there anyway to combat this? Its got to be bad for the di unit. My only guess would be to put a y on the di in and when I first turn it on let it drain.

 

[mr difficult]

What some great info here thanks for all the help you gave way to step up to the plate.

 

[buckeye field supply]

Smallblock;685516 wrote: thanks, is there anyway to combat this? Its got to be bad for the di unit. My only guess would be to put a y on the di in and when I first turn it on let it drain.

Right - this is the issue that dorve us to include a DI bypass on our systems - which is essentially some extra tubing and fittings to allow access to RO water before it reaches the DI stage.

 

[jinar]

So... Im still curious on whether or not this water is safe for human consumption on a regular basis.... Is it like a regular filter?

 

[buckeye field supply]

If I knew that the system had been disinfected at some time, yes. It is designed to produce drinking water, but you need to disinfect it at least once a year. Because you bought it used, no telling when the last it was sanitized.

Edit: We can email you instructions re how to sanitize if you need it.

Russ