hey AZ a couple questions

[81Shaun]

Hello, its me again well I got tired of waiting around on a plumber so I figured what the heck and took the aqua fx out and took and hooked it right up. now my question is im using straight cold water and getting 3:1 so how should I go about ajusting to 4:1 ? the machine is factory set to 3:1 and does have a ajustable tube and its about 2 maybe 2.5 inches long in the waste line so should I trim it back a bit to get the 4:1 ratio? im assuming yeah but want to make sure. also got a problem could i buy some tubing and run it like 8 to 10 foot away from my kitchen sink? im very limited on space and was wondering if that could work? im getting 80 psi water pressure out of my cold water so is that pretty good ? thanks

 

[AZDesertRat]

What is your tap water TDS and calcium carbonate hardness or if it is hard are you using softened water? If the water is reasonable soft and your TDS is lower than normal 3:1 is probably fine. The length of the feed water tubing is not critical and can be 35 or 40 feet horizontal without having to increase the size up to 3/8" to reduce headloss due to friction. If you lengthen the waste line though plumb everything before adjusting the flow restrictor as headloss on the waste side is more critical since it changes the waste ratio.

 

[81Shaun]

I am at 400 TDS and im not sure on the calcium carbonate end as of yet. so should I trim it back ? im just wanting to hook up the water going from my kitchen sink to the RO the waste water will go down a drain where im putting it so I wont need to run a long waste line just the feed. thanks and amazing how that machine strip everything im getting 0 TDS out of DI line

 

[AZDesertRat]

For now I would use the 3:1 until you get a hardness test kit, they are pretty cheap at places that sell water softeners like Sears, Lowes and Home Depot. If the water proves hard I would adjust the ratio closer to 4:1, if it is on the softer side the 3:1 is OK. One thing you want to watch though is waste ratios can change with water temperture. As the water warms up the waste will decrease and as it gets colder it increases so if you have a large swing in winter to summer water temps I either suggest having two restrictors, one for summer and one for winter or pick a shoulder month with an in between wate rtemp and trim it to that so it is close for either extreme.

 

[81Shaun]

Thanks AZ I appreciate the help. now about the flow restrictor couldn't a person just set the system up 5:1? imy water bill is like only 20 a month so the extra water wasting wouldn't bother me. just got thinking about it going 5:1 would allow the warmer water to probably be 4:1 in the summer then of course 5:1 in the winter. Thanks AZ

 

[AZDesertRat]

Sure you could do that.

 

[81Shaun]

okay great Iended up trimming it up to 5:1 . also hooked the spetrapure one up and got 4:1 without touching anything. I used a 5 gallon bucket and measured off 4 gallons and used a milk jug for the good water and got 4:1 with that.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Wow! I'll bet that took awhile.
Normally I suggest a measuring cup for one minute.

Glad everything worked out

 

[81Shaun]

lol yeah took a while but forgot to pick up a meauring cup. do you think I should pick up a chlorine test kit? good to have to check when carbon filters need replaced? or are they pretty much useless like the flush kit ? thanks AZ for all the help

 

[AZDesertRat]

It would need to be a low range chlorine test kit such as Spectrapure sells, not a normal pool test kit which doesn't have the low range capability. I stretch my sediment and carbon block filter life past the 6 month interval so use one occasionally after the 9 to 12 month mark to monitor carbon block condition.