Does heat affect a RODI filter?

Bigfish93 · Oct 16, 2012

I was just curious if a hot room can affect an RODI filter. I live in Las Vegas and was thinking about setting up my system in the garage but am not sure if that is a good idea or not. It can get over 100 deg. in the garage. So would it be better to set the filter up inside the house???

redfishbluefish · Oct 16, 2012

The "efficiency" of the membrane is temperature dependent. However, the temperature of the water is going to determine that efficiency....not the room temperature. I can't see a 100 degree garage having any effect on the unit. What temperature is your water? I'm in NJ and in the winter our water is very cold. I actually run a mixture of hot and cold water to the mid 70's to maximize the efficiency of my membrane. Just to further clarify, with cooler temperature, the waste water to "good" water increases. You still produce good water, but with greater amounts of waste water.

AZDesertRat · Oct 17, 2012

Yes.
Heat can cause bacteria and viruses to grow or multiply inside the housings during periods of non use. You are providing the perfect environment, warmth, water with no residual disinfectant since the carbon block has removed it and clear housings so often bright direct or indirect lighting for growth.

It is best to keep it in the house in a climate controlled area but I myself have mine in my garage in Phoenix but I have an insulated garage door and a window unit AC to keep it in the 80's.

Warmer water does not treat as well so RO only TDS will be higher and DI wil not last as long. Colder water actually treats better since it is more dense and will make the TDS lower and DI last longer.
Blending or tempering hot and cold is one of the number one killers of RO membranes! Remember being in the shower and someone flushes the toilet or starts the washing machine? You got your buns toasted and the same thing happens to the RO membrane and it cannot stand anything over 113 degrees which really isn't that hot. It melts the TFC fabric and glues used to hold the membrabne together. If GPD is an issue it is far wiser to install a booster pump and leave the temperature alone. You will get lower TDS and longer DI life.

Bigfish93 · Oct 17, 2012

Thanks for the help! I was afraid that was the answer. Now i just have to figure out how to run the lines through a wall and a ceiling.

AZDesertRat · Oct 18, 2012

My RO/DI is on the wall above my laundry sink in the garage and the ATO storage is close to it. From the ATO storage I ran a 1/4" line through the common wall into the kitchen, through the backs of the base cabinets then behind some baseboard moulding to my sump ATO unit. It worked out well and you wouldn't even know it was there. Been working for almost 5 years now.

Bigfish93 · Oct 19, 2012

I have decided to setup my rodi unit in my laundry room up stairs, since there is a water line and sewer line in there. Now i just have to figure out how to get the water line into the garage.

If my rodi unit has been sitting in my garage, does that mean the membrane and filters have gone bad???

AZDesertRat · Oct 19, 2012

Probably not.
Have you been using it or is it still new? If you are using it, have you made sure to keep water in the housings when its not in use so the membrane and resin stay wetted?
If its new, what brand is it? Spectrapure treats all their membranes with a special proprietary process so they are wet when you receive them and need to stay that way. If the membrane is still in its sealed mylar foil bag it will stay about a year as long as it has not been opened. If its any other brand the membranes are dry and untretaed or tested so will keepo indefinitely as long as they stay dry. DI resins need to stay wet and should be used about every 10 days or so to stay fresh. Once resin drys out it loses its cation and anion electrical properties and should be replaced.

A TDS meter should tell you the condition of everything but it probably has not been hot enough in the garage to ruin things.

Bigfish93 · Oct 19, 2012

I havent used it in a few years but it has been full of water. Yeah I will just have to test it once it is setup.

Thanks for the help!

AZDesertRat · Oct 19, 2012

If it has been sitting a couple of years the you will need all new replacements including the RO membrane. If a membrane is going to sit more than 2 weeks or so it is suggested you remove it from the housing, place it in a sealed zip loc or seal a meal type bag along with some RO/DI or distilled water and place it in the back of the refrigerator.
A comoplete set of including a 90 GPD treated and tested high rejection rate RO membrane and matched flow restrictor and a 0.5 micron absolute rated sediment filter, 0.5 micron 20,000 gallon carbon block and a filled/refillable 20 oz reef specific DI cartridge is about $95 complete.

Buckeye Field Supply · Nov 5, 2012

In addition to new filters, make sure you sanitize the system before installing the new filters.

Russ

Bigfish93 · Nov 6, 2012

How exactly do you sanitize the system?

Buckeye Field Supply · Nov 6, 2012

Russ

mc-cro · Nov 6, 2012

Whats the best way to sanitize? I have thought about placing a few ounces of bleach in the first chamber (all of them empty) and letting it run for awhile. but I was afraid I would not get all the bleach out.

AZDesertRat · Nov 6, 2012

My method is basically the same as Russes. You don't need 30 minutes of contact time though. The CDC, Centers for Disease Control, in Atlanta has determined even 0.5 ppm chlorine will kill 99+% of all bacteria and viruses with jus ta few minutes contact time. The most important thing to remember here is more bleach is not better, no more than two tablespoons full at most for the entire system. Fresh household bleach is 30,000 to 50,000 ppm chlorine so it is very powerful stuff. When you add more is coats the plastic like a slimecoat and is tough to remove. Use it sparingly and it does its job and is easy to rinse out, when the smell is gone its clean.

I have posted instructions dozens of times, a quick search of my username and disinfection will bring it up.

Bigfish93 · Nov 7, 2012

Thanks for the info!

Bigfish93 · Nov 17, 2012

Well i have decided to place the rodi unit in the garage near the water heater. Been having a hard time figuring out how to run the line from upstairs into the garage. Going to attach a Y valve to the COLD water line from the water heater and run the waste line outside, to probably water some plants.

The garage wont get hot for several more months so i may try to build an insulated box to go around the rodi unit for the hot months here in vegas.

Hopefully it will all go well haha

TaylorMade904 · Dec 31, 2021

Just wanted to touch on this topic and hope I can get a little further Insight on what was asked originally.
I am not so much worried about the RODI system itself being damaged from the heat, but more of the water’s condition.
will the RODI water and RODI water that is already salt mixed have issues when being stored in the heat?
I know the water would have to acclimate to the displays temperature before being added, but I am more worried about the water being stored in the heat.