RO unit set up pics??

[Paul_MTS]

no need for all the fancy bits but i like the sound of the booster pump.

when i e-mailed PFK(fish magazine) they rekoned i would get 1 gallon per every 5. If using a booster pump what kind of figure would I get instead??

I'm looking at this-

http/www.ro-man.com/shop/product_info.ph...&products_id=33

and this-

http/www.ro-man.com/shop/product_info.ph...&products_id=84

 

[RamJet]

Its the permeate pump you want, the booster brings the permeate pump to max efficiency. I went from a 5 to 1 gallon ratio to a 2 to 1 ratio with greater out put of RO water per day. The permeate pump was only $36 US if memory serves me right. One thing you have to remember is that the out put does depend on your water pressure. If you have water pressure of under 35 pounds your out put might only be 6 gallons a day. So you are going to need the booster if you realy want to see 75 gallons per day. But its the permeate that is going to save you on the water bill.

 

[Paul_MTS]

ah ha I get cha...

do they have the right pump i need on here?

I don't have a clue what kind of PSI our water runs at, i get a pretty good flow off the outside hose though when filling!!

But if I only got 6 gallons per day I wouldn't beabe to do my water changes!!

 

[RamJet]

My old apt had good pressure it seemed, but it was only at 25 to 30 pounds during peek times of the day and would only reach 35 on the off hours. The RO units need above 40 pounds to work well. That is the right pump for the job, ask them what the pressure switch on the pump is set at. Mine came at 40 pounds so any time it would drop below 40 it would kick on. (ran all the time wile making water) I have my own well now and have my well pump set at 40 pounds so its only if someone is in the shower and doing dishes, washing clothing, ect.. that it comes on. When I owned my water biz, our industial machine would put water through at 120 pounds and up. Talk about making water. Keep in mind that not all machines can handle this amount of pressure, but the more pressure you have the more water you can make.

 

[Paul_MTS]

so the pump i linked to is the right pump for the job??

or do i want this instead?
http/www.ro-man.com/shop/product_info.ph...products_id=124

so that pump just linked to can do 120PSI if i find a REO system that can handle that i guess i'll beable to do quite a few gallons??

 

[ste2k3]

It may be cheaper to use two membranes. I've considered this in the past. if its only for freshwater, then you could have a sediment, carbon and then "t"ed into two membranes. This should increase the output.

As to the waste, I use it for my tropical tanks and pond so if you have other tanks with less demanding fish, you could use the waste for that.

ste

 

[Paul_MTS]

If you could explain to me the finer details of that plan that would be great....links and pictures are great!!

Genuis!! why didn't I think of that What would the properties of the waste water be like? would I need to add any minerals to it??

 

[ste2k3]

for the good RO, I use Kent RO right powder althouhg I think they do a liquid now. The waste of an RO will be free of sediment and chlorine/cloramine as the sediment and carbon remove those. all you would have is slightly higher nitrate phosphate etc

ie, if you have a nitrate reading of say 16, that would go up to 20 or 4 would go up to 5 and so on.

if you have ever just connected up a carbon and sediment pod on an RO with out the membrane, the water rushes through and would probably fill a 5 gallon bucket in 5 min's. its only the membrane that restricts the flow so in theory if you have a 35GPD membrane, you will get 35 gallons a day, if you have 2 x 35GPD membranes you should get 70 gallons per day as long as the sediment and carbon can produce enough water. depending on your water pressure, you may not need a booster pump. You could always try it with out and add one at a later date if needed.

Try emailing RO man, there very helpful.

Note

If you have a 35GPD membrane, you will get 35 gallons a day, if you have 2 x 35GPD membranes you should get 70 gallons per day

although it will say 35GPD membrate etc, you never get that much out of them, that is the maximum they will do in optimum conditions.

ste

 

[Paul_MTS]

Sounds fair enough!! Am I able to buy all thse parts separetly or do i just buy a normal RO unit then add an extra membrane?

Right so If I want about 65gallons per water change what kind of set up would be best?

Also how do I find out my water pressure, I would prefer to get everything in 1 go rather than messing about.

I'll get in contact with RO man tomorrow at this time of night I'm going to come out with rubish!!

cheers.

 

[ste2k3]

You can but all the components from RO man but you may get a better deal, by getting a 3 stage RO and a seperate membrane. If you email them, check that using 2 membranes will work as I never got round to doing it in the end but I can't see why not. If you explain to them what you want to do, they should sort you out with the correct components. save me writing a big list

ste

 

[Def]

As to the waste, I use it for my tropical tanks and pond so if you have other tanks with less demanding fish, you could use the waste for that.

Uh, hold on. You're using the waste water from your r/o for f/w tanks? Surely that's a really bad idea, because you're effectively increasing the concentration of pollutants/TDS in the water you're putting into your tanks.

Taking a theoretical example, your tapwater pollutant concentration is an abitrary 25% in 10 gallons of water. You pass it through an r/o unit, and get 2 gallons of pure water and 8 gallons of waste out. You've just increased the concentration of pollutants, because instead of being 25% of 10g it's 25% of 8g. So the quality of water you're adding to your f/w tanks is actually worse than had you just taken it from the tap.

 

[RamJet]

Hold the phone, the higher out put membranes = short membrane life, your better off with a tight membrane and greater water pressure. If you want to add a second membrane for out put it must be in tandom and not in line, but you also demish the amount of pressure because you are deviding it by 2 therefor you will still need a booster.
ste2k3 you had to much to drink when you decided to use the waiste water in your other tanks. A sure way to kill off your tanks. Not to mention if your RO system is worth what you paid for it the waiste water will smell extreamly foul. Not something you want to keep in your home unless you have a cold or no nose.

Wow, I do like the RO-MAN INTEGRATED PUMP BOX better than the first, you are going to want to make sure that the RO system can handle the 140psi pressure. Also I would look at getting a larger pressure tank (storage tank) otherwise you will make 3 gallons and the thing will shut off on you.

 

[Paul_MTS]

just a quick one for now before work....

I was planning on using a bog standard garden water butt to store my water....don't tell me it has to be soething special

 

[ste2k3]

Firstly

but you also demish the amount of pressure because you are deviding it by 2 therefor you will still need a booster.

I see where your coming from there, you will still need the booster pump.

Now to all the comments about the waste:

I didn't say it was better than normal tapwater, hence use for less demanding fish such as hardy tropical fish/general pond fish.

I still don't see why it would smell though?? ok, more TDS and slightly higher levels of phosphate/nitrate but why should it smell?

OK, I'v just tested the normal tapwater using a salifert nitrate kit and I'm getting a reading of 4ppm mg/L. The waste out of the RO is hardly any different, if anything, it may be slightly higher, but no more than 5. Now I don't have a TDS meter to hand but if anyone else with an RO and TDS has one, then I'd be very interested in the results of the tap water and waste water TDS.

If you have a 5-1 rejection rate you will only have the TDS of the one gallon of good water mixed in with the 5 gallons of "waste" water. so I still don't see how that will "kill of the tank"

ste.

 

[Paul_MTS]

Hmm maybe I still shouldn't, my other big tank has about 15 L numbers in there so I don't want them going down hill.

I'll send RO man a e-mail tonight.