Critique my mixing station!

[Nick C]

Hey! So i'm wanting to set up a mixing station.

Currently the most water i ever have on hand is 18 gallons of DI water with a kalkwasser mix. (I know it's pretty useless) I have my RODI system attached to a wall near my tank. I run it off of an outside hose and one of those expanding garden hoses. cause it's easy to stow when i'm done. This is my first winter with a tank and the water comes out of the faucet still but it's super cold. Which i have heard lowers the effectiveness of the DI system. I at most get 60PSI running through the system.

So i found some 55 gallon drums on CL. (3 of them for 5 bucks each) that were used to store Grapeseed oili plan on washing them out with my pressure washer and all of that stuff, but i would like to get a setup going for mixing. There are tons of threads on how people do it, but this is what i have come up with and an outsiders opinion always makes things better.

Step one: Move my RODI system to my laundry room, (since i don't have a sink i plan on using my washer)

I will post a roughly designed drawing of my station.

 

[Nick C]

So i'm open to ideas but i want to go super simple, I would like to use gravity to fill the salt container (right) using a check valve as well as a ball valve to control it.


I'm also thinking spouts near the bottom, running some tubing or hose to an external pump with a T so i can either pump RODI (for cleaning or filling my ATO) and Salt so i don't have to carry buckets to the tank. The order of my house is Garage, into kitchen, into dining room where the tank is. I would have to have probably 50 feet to get water to the tank and ATO.

Thoughts? I'm not really looking for anything super long term. I plan on moving out of my house in the next 5 years or so and will get a proper good looking set up going then with a fish room +sink etc.

 

[User]

Rodi storage on top. Rodi system inputs via float valve on back. Has a valve and tubing fir when I need just rodi. Also has a 1/4” fitting, valve and line to ato container for manual fill. With a full rodi tank, on a 5 foot stand, would easily push 100 feet

1” pvc and valve into lower saltwater tank. Gravity does the work, no need for a check valve.

Pump manifold- eBay $60 1500gph pump. 1” pvc and unions. Let’s me mix salt, pump water to buckets or tanks, and refill my sump during water changes

Input at bottom of tank, output at top to mix salt water. Have it going 15 mins every 2 hours to keep things from going stagnant. Green line


Inside the tank-

Aux saltwater output- small hose fir buckets, longer hose with quick release for tanks 15 feet away. Red line

Sump refill line fir water changes. Drinking water hose through wall into fishroom. Blue

 

[Nick C]

Rodi storage on top. Rodi system inputs via float valve on back. Has a valve and tubing fir when I need just rodi. Also has a 1/4” fitting, valve and line to ato container for manual fill. With a full rodi tank, on a 5 foot stand, would easily push 100 feet

1” pvc and valve into lower saltwater tank. Gravity does the work, no need for a check valve.

Pump manifold- eBay $60 1500gph pump. 1” pvc and unions. Let’s me mix salt, pump water to buckets or tanks, and refill my sump during water changes

Input at bottom of tank, output at top to mix salt water. Have it going 15 mins every 2 hours to keep things from going stagnant. Green line

Aux saltwater output- small hose fir buckets, longer hose with quick release for tanks 15 feet away. Red line

Sump refill line fir water changes. Drinking water hose through wall into fishroom. Blue

This is some good work. How does the float work though? I never understood really, for example an ATO it tells it to turn off the pump, but if you're just emptying into a 55 gallon drum, it's not like it can manually tell it to turn off the water. My plan was to run the clean water to the tank, and just turn on the water when i noticed it starting to get low., As states this will be running off of my washer hook up so i think i will need some sort of Ball valve there to control when i want to make water? As the water to the washer is turned on 24/7 i don't want to have to turn if off just to turn it on every now and then or accidentally make water when i am doing laundry.my current ATO container is only 20 gallons. and that would probably last me... i'd say maybe 1.5 weeks? Idk i have never let it run that low. i just manually plug the hose in and turn it off when i need it. How would a float help me with that?

 

[User]

I think you need s few more pics...

I have a basement utility sink. I put a three way valve that has a rodi connection in line with the water line

and left it switched on.

Then an easy to reach valve right before the rodi unit. When I want to make water, I turn this on

For your laundry connection, you could use this

and I’m sure this came with your rodi system

do do the same thing.

The float valve (note: not switch. Those are totally different) works by basically hanging down and letting water flow through a hole. When the level rises, the float rises and pushes a sealing flange into the hole, stopping the flow.

For this to work with a rodi system- you need a pressure switch (called an ASOV - automatic shut off valve) that will detect the increased pressure due to the hole being closed, then shut off the water going to the membranes. Without it, your output would stop, but you’ll be sending water down the waste channel. Then, when your timer goes off, you just return and close the input valve. This can be an hour later, or 27... guess how I know... without wasting an water.

Brs actually sells it all as a kit

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/auto-shut-off-kit-for-reverse-osmosis-systems.html

 

[User]

My ato also has a float valve. It’ll stop the flow down the 1/4” line once the reservoir is full. I then just need to remember to shut off the manual valve at some point.

 

[Nick C]

I think you need s few more pics...

I have a basement utility sink. I put a three way valve that has a rodi connection in line with the water line

and left it switched on.

Then an easy to reach valve right before the rodi unit. When I want to make water, I turn this on

For your laundry connection, you could use this

and I’m sure this came with your rodi system

do do the same thing.

The float valve (note: not switch. Those are totally different) works by basically hanging down and letting water flow through a hole. When the level rises, the float rises and pushes a sealing flange into the hole, stopping the flow.

For this to work with a rodi system- you need a pressure switch (called an ASOV - automatic shut off valve) that will detect the increased pressure due to the hole being closed, then shut off the water going to the membranes. Without it, your output would stop, but you’ll be sending water down the waste channel. Then, when your timer goes off, you just return and close the input valve. This can be an hour later, or 27... guess how I know... without wasting an water.

Brs actually sells it all as a kit

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/auto-shut-off-kit-for-reverse-osmosis-systems.html

Ah now it makes sense! you technically have water running to the RODI system always. you just have to open that last valve to actually start making the water! Thanks for clarifying. you would recommend getting an auto shut off? I could see how forgetting about your water running could be disastrous for sure if you weren't careful. But your float valve does just fine right?

 

[User]

Ah now it makes sense! you technically have water running to the RODI system always. you just have to open that last valve to actually start making the water! Thanks for clarifying. you would recommend getting an auto shut off? I could see how forgetting about your water running could be disastrous for sure..

Yep- turn the green valve to make water. I could have done without and used the blue valve on the fitting under the sink, but bending down is such a pain in my fat butt

Yes- for sure. Although the float valve will stop your output water, the drain is still open. So it’ll save you running your water straight to waste if you ever forget to shut it off. Although water isn’t too expensive, it’s still a waste.

The float valves are good for thousands of cycles. Never heard of one failing, other than if the 1/4” line isn’t seated properly, then it pops off. But that’s going to happen the first couple times you turn on the water.


I do have a small hole set just above where the float valve cuts off, and plan to run a hose to the drain- so if the float valve ever fails, it’ll overflow into the drain, instead of over the top of the barrel and over my floor. Just a paranoid contingency plan

 

[Nick C]

What are your thoughts on adding something like this to the top? My drums arent like yours. To where I can take off the whole top. I could cut it off, but it's sealed. So I would have to find a way to kind of replace it... But right now there is only like a 2 in hold on opposite sides for pouring.

Unless you have an idea to cut the top off in a way I make it removable?

 

[User]

Fir pouring in salt? I’d do a 4” uniseal and about a 3” length of 4” pipe and a cap.

Probably less cost than your idea, plus easier to fit.

Or try a kayak deck plate hatch. Cut hole, glue down flange with silicone instead of screws. Cut bag out. Actually, do this. Looks better


Dovewill Black ABS 6.5" Marine Boat Kayak Deck Plate Kit Inspection Port Hatch Cover with Red Storage Bag and 8 Screws https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075F7HXP5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BxChCbRCX5VB0

 

[Nick C]

Fir pouring in salt? I’d do a 4” uniseal and about a 3” length of 4” pipe and a cap.

Probably less cost than your idea, plus easier to fit.

Or try a kayak deck plate hatch. Cut hole, glue down flange with silicone instead of screws. Cut bag out. Actually, do this. Looks better


Dovewill Black ABS 6.5" Marine Boat Kayak Deck Plate Kit Inspection Port Hatch Cover with Red Storage Bag and 8 Screws https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075F7HXP5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_BxChCbRCX5VB0

Yeah that's more or less what I was thinking. Make it easy to spray out and get my heater and power head in there and such. Do you prefer using that pump to mix it instead of a cheap powerhead??

 

[User]

Yeah that's more or less what I was thinking. Make it easy to spray out and get my heater and power head in there and such. Do you prefer using that pump to mix it instead of a cheap powerhead??

It’s one less thing to buy and one less outlet, plus it seems to work fine

 

[wmhaupfear]

We used a floor drain from home depot and a 3in pipe to make a funnel for salt to go into our barrel. I drilled a hole large enough for it into the lid. I took a dremel to the bowl of the drain to get rid of the stantions for the screws too. And I bought an 8in PVC cap and just drilled it for a cabinet handle and that serves as a cover.

I would take you through our setup for the mixing station but it is quite a bit different than what you want to do. I saw you're following our build thread so you can see it in there if you want anyway.

 

[User]

What is this for?

The brass worries me, unless this is straight to drain


Very cool idea with the funnel and cap

 

[wmhaupfear]

What is this for?

The brass worries me, unless this is straight to drain


Very cool idea with the funnel and cap

2 main purposes. The lower one is for draining the tank after a water change into a floor drain I installed under the perforated tile on the floor. The upper one is for filling a 6 gallon jug with the new mixed saltwater once a month for my mother in law who also has a saltwater tank. I didn't want brass, but there aren't a lot of options and it's meant to be replaced periodically. Neither of them will be used in the normal operation of the tank.

 

[User]

I use these...

https://www.jmesales.com/cam-groove-quick-couplings-hose-barbs/

All the important parts are polypropylene, no metal contact with water

And you don’t have to screw in- click in and flip the levers

 

[wmhaupfear]

I use these...

https://www.jmesales.com/cam-groove-quick-couplings-hose-barbs/

All the important parts are polypropylene, no metal contact with water

And you don’t have to screw in- click in and flip the levers

Thanks, I'll have to look into those. I need a hose to run into the drain and the jug so one of those should work.

 

[User]

I actually put a Union after my valve and have two Union ends with different fittings on them so I can switch to long hose or short bucket fill hose