Burning through DI resin every ~120 gallon

[Downfall]

After moving to a new home, I'm now burning through DI resin every ~120 gallons or so. This is a HUGE change from the 1,500+ gallons I'd get at the old house. It's a problem of not only waste/cost but also the time of having to swap out the resin which feels like every month or so.

I put in brand new prefilters, carbon blocks and RO membrane; with no change to DI resin consumption. I have a 5 stage BRS system with a standard 10" DI mixed bed resin stage. I also have smart buddy booster pump. ~300 ppm going into the system and ~3 ppm coming out of the RO membrane.

BRS suggested that I run an ATI ICP test, as they test both tank water and RO water. My RO water came back with only 0.2416 ppm silicon. BRS wants me to spend quite a bit of money going to separate cation/anion resins, but I'm concerned this won't help.

I have a municipal water source, without chloramines, but it's well fed system. Possibly carbon dioxide (CO2)? Is there an easy way to test for dissolved CO2?

 

[rtparty]

Triple stage pro resin setup will handle the silica. BRS is correct about that.

Your problem for quick DI depletion is CO2 in the well water. You need to build a degassing chamber between the membrane and resin. Let it degas for 24 hours and then send through the resin

 

[Midrats]

Or just just leave your DI canister blank. I have the same problem. All that gets past my membrane is silica, and I don't mind, and neither do my sponges.

 

[KStatefan]

If your water is high in CO2 it can use up resin quickly. I was using up an cartridge in less then 100 gallons prior to adding a degassing chamber.

 

[MarsReefer]

I have the same problem but I just stopped going by the resin color. My resin changed color in 120 gallons but it still reduces tds from 5 out of the membrane to 0 after the resin even after 500 gallons. Not sure exactly what’s going on but I just wait until it goes up to 1 ppm before changing it.

 

[rtparty]

I have the same problem but I just stopped going by the resin color. My resin changed color in 120 gallons but it still reduces tds from 5 out of the membrane to 0 after the resin even after 500 gallons. Not sure exactly what’s going on but I just wait until it goes up to 1 ppm before changing it.

Color changing DI resin goes by pH and with high CO2, you are sending super low pH into the resin so it reacts and changes color

 

[Arthur_Dent]

+1 to what everyone here is saying about ph and degassing. I have well water also. Solved this issue by pumping water through di phase into a brute, letting two air stones run for 24 hours, then pumping through the di phase into a 2nd brute. No issues since. Since adopting this method, I have made over 600 gallons of top off water, and the di stage still has over 60% life left.

 

[Downfall]

+1 to what everyone here is saying about ph and degassing. I have well water also. Solved this issue by pumping water through di phase into a brute, letting two air stones run for 24 hours, then pumping through the di phase into a 2nd brute. No issues since. Since adopting this method, I have made over 600 gallons of top off water, and the di stage still has over 60% life left.

What type of pump do you use to push the degassed water through the DI resin? I like this idea, and I see it thrown around a lot, but rarely can I find pictures and a parts list! Thank you for your help!

 

[Downfall]

I have the same problem but I just stopped going by the resin color. My resin changed color in 120 gallons but it still reduces tds from 5 out of the membrane to 0 after the resin even after 500 gallons. Not sure exactly what’s going on but I just wait until it goes up to 1 ppm before changing it.

Mine always starts reading 1 ppm as soon as all the resin changes color. I truly only get ~120 gallons of 0 tds until the resin is depleted.

 

[Downfall]

If your water is high in CO2 it can use up resin quickly. I was using up an cartridge in less then 100 gallons prior to adding a degassing chamber.

Do you have any details, pictures or a parts list of what your degassing chamber looked like? Thanks for the help.

 

[Downfall]

Or just just leave your DI canister blank. I have the same problem. All that gets past my membrane is silica, and I don't mind, and neither do my sponges.

I've considered this as well. I might go down this path after trying to degas my water of CO2.

 

[KStatefan]

Do you have any details, pictures or a parts list of what your degassing chamber looked like? Thanks for the help.

There is some info in my build thread

 

[Arthur_Dent]

What type of pump do you use to push the degassed water through the DI resin? I like this idea, and I see it thrown around a lot, but rarely can I find pictures and a parts list! Thank you for your help!

I use the booster pump that I have to get my water pressure to 80 psi. . I have a tee on the inlet with a valve on each leg. One leg comes from the brute, the other from the wall. I have a tee on the other side as well. One leg goes to the ro, the other to the di.

I open the valves from the wall, and to the ro for the first phase. Gass off. Then close those, and open the other ones when I want to push the water through the di phase.

I think I have details in my build thread.

 

[Tcook]

What does your tds meter measure for the product water? Are you just exhausting the pH indicator and not the resin? The indicator is a quick visual but the tds meter tells the story.

 

[Downfall]

What does your tds meter measure for the product water? Are you just exhausting the pH indicator and not the resin? The indicator is a quick visual but the tds meter tells the story.

300 tds going into the rodi system. ~3 ppm coming out of the RO membrane. No, it doesn't appear that I'm only exhausting the ph indicator, as the color change perfectly matches when I start seeing 1 ppm coming out of the DI step

 

[Tcook]

300 tds going into the rodi system. ~3 ppm coming out of the RO membrane. No, it doesn't appear that I'm only exhausting the ph indicator, as the color change perfectly matches when I start seeing 1 ppm coming out of the DI step

So you get 0 ppm before the color changes?

 

[Downfall]

So you get 0 ppm before the color changes?

Correct 0 tds before the resin would change color. Measure both with the inline reader and a handheld tester

 

[CoralB]

If your water is high in CO2 it can use up resin quickly. I was using up an cartridge in less then 100 gallons prior to adding a degassing chamber.

Do you have a picture of this degassing chamber ?

 

[KStatefan]

Do you have a picture of this degassing chamber ?

There is some info in my build thread

 

[Bladezz]

Less than 120 gallons and totally brown. Well water of course.

10 tds in 4 out. Does that mean I need to replace the resin?