RO/DI pressure question

[hammcd]

I recently bought a RO/DI from another board member. I have run some water through and the TDS of the water going in is 57, water coming out is 0 so I am happy about that. Currently, when I need water I hook it up to the outside water hose and let it run there. I know that some of these things have pressure meters on them? When I hook it up do i need to worry about the pressure of the water going in from the hose? I just kinda turned the water hose on until i saw water coming out of both the waste and filtered water tubes. I could easily crank it up more though. So:

1) Will I hurt the machine by turning it on too much or not enough
2) Also there is a "flow restrictor" ONLY on the outgoing waste line..what is this for?
3) Do I need a flow restrictor anywhere else?

PS I was told the system was a SpectraPure 75 GPD RO/DI although i cant seem to find the exact one I have online

 

[hammcd]

it looks just like this except without the little meter on top (assuming thats a pressure check) and the guy said it was 75 gpd but like i said i dont see anything about spectrapure 75 gpd anywhere online

Edit:

 

[wt*jayjay]

I should know the pressure rating for this system since we sell them at Optimum but not positive I know it says it somewhere on the box ;P. Most systems work best around 50-70psi though. Assuming your out side water line is hooked on your main water line (without a pressure reducer) it should be that high if not almost 90-100psi.

 

[mr difficult]

No need to worry I would not think from reading this. I would also think that the house has a pressure regulator on it anyways. "flow restrictor" I would say on that unit is to slow the flow of water passing through to fast hold in chambers longer to make water. I would have to research this unit more. I say lets see what others say as well I may be wrong.

 

[hammcd]

I just wish i knew exactly what machine I have...if for no other reason than to know what type of membranes to buy for it

 

[wt*jayjay]

if you plan on using it on your garden hose you could easily rig up a psi gauge from the garden hose and reduce it down to the 1/4" ro hose so you know exactly how much you have going in

 

[hammcd]

well i should say there is a RO hose (im assuming 1/4" (tiny black hose)) that has the attachment that hooks right to the outside nozzle....so the adaptor that screws on to the outside nozzle is attached directly to what im assuming is the 1/4 inch RO line...i can take pictures when i get home tonight

Edit: so i guess what im saying is there is no actual water hose attached to this unit...the line coming in is the same size as both the lines going out...the tiny line coming in screws onto the outside of the house water nozzle like a garden hose would

 

[rbredding]

the first hose bib on the house is not within the RPZ (reduced pressure zone) of the house (all lines past the RPZ have reduced pressure)

if you're running your RODI on your front hose bib, it's probably not on a regulated pressure, so it can damage the RODI over time (WILL shorten it's lifespan for sure)..

the best thing to do is to set it up in a sink/tub if you dont have a dedicated RODI station, that's because any fixture within your house has regulated pressure..

without testing your pressure at the first hose bib, you're not going to know what your "street pressure" is..

adapters are sold all over the place that will hook an RODI up to a faucet

 

[hammcd]

so i guess what i need to do is:

1: somehow figure out what type of unit/membranes i have...supposedly a non-existant 75gpd spectrapure

2: buy a pressure gauge to check water pressure coming from faucet

3: buy an attachment to connect it to in-house faucet

if the unit is in fact a 75gpd unit...how much pressure do i need coming from the faucet...sorry im a noob at these machines

 

[rbredding]

membrane GPD is all you need to worry about, they're all fairly standard for the type of units we use (not always, but normally - you can look at the RO membrane housing and tell which one you should get)

dont worry about pressure within the house.. those are fine to use (and preferred)..

the pressure within your house will be well within the operating range for any RODI unit (unless it's too low, in which case you could need a booster pump but we dont typically have that problem in the Atlanta area)

 

[hammcd]

ahh ok thats good to know...so i basically just turn the faucet all the way up in the house?...i guess i could check the pressure regulator on the water heater and see what its set to?

 

[90galguy]

I'd liek to piggy back on this thread. I have a BRS RO/DI system I just hooked up and I'm getting right at 40psi. I know optimal is 50-70. I have my intake water hooked up through a "Y" fitting that's hooked up to another "Y" fitting that runs to my new fancy dancy washer and dryer. Do you think that this is reducing my water pressure? The BRS came with several adapters including a piercing valve that I could hook up to a nearby water pipe. Do you think this would give me more pressure or is the 40 all I'm going to get? If so, I guess my next purchase will be a booster pump if I need it.

 

[butch]

40 PSI is all get from my BRS RO/DI system I got last week. I could tell water pressure was weak prior to that just by the way my python drained my tanks.

 

[schwaggs]

Rbredding;696685 wrote: the first hose bib on the house is not within the RPZ (reduced pressure zone) of the house

Not necessarily. I don't have any faucets that are on the high pressure side in my house.

 

[90galguy]

Food for thought on the water pressure issue. I talked with a Master Plumber this afternoon about this very issue. I explained to him that I was only able to get 40psi out of my RO/DI. I also checked my house pressure and it was the same so there wasn't an issue with the RO/DI. I mentioned the BRS booster and he said that was certainly an option, but he gave me a FREE option in return! Just adjust the PRV (Pressure Regulator Valve) to 55-60psi. I did this in 2 minutes and got the pressure I needed in my RO/DI!

Here's a comment I found on a local website regarding GA codes on water pressure:
"Recommended water pressure in a home is 55 PSI; the Georgia Plumbing Code lists the maximum safe allowable pressure at 80 PSI in any building."</em>

I'm not going anywhere near 80psi, but I like where it's set now and I didn't need to spend the bucks for a booster!!!