how do I tee off my ro/di for drinking water?

[kwandrsn]

I basically have a 5 stage brs rodi. It was 4 stage and added a di canister and I run 2 carbons...

Anyways I want to use ro water for freshwater tanks and also maybe for my keurig coffee maker ect

Is all I need to do is add a tee between ro membrane and the di chamber?

I read something about a check valve... whats that for and where do I need to put it?

Also using ro water for our freshwater tanks eliminates the need to use water conditioner correct?

 

[AZDesertRat]

If you have a pressure tank you would want the check valve to keep the pressurized RO water from getting back to the DI and shortening its life due to TDS creep.
If all you want to do is have both RO and DI water then all you need to do is install a tee beteen the RO and the DI and stick a ball valve on it where you can draw RO water before it goes to the DI. This is also very useful as a place to draw RO only water to test the TDS with your handheld TDS meter and most importantly as a place to flush the TDS creep water out for a minute or two before making DI.

If you are using a high quality, low micron sediment filter the toss the second unneeded carbon canister and turn it into a dual DI for more bang for your buck. The only reason some systems use two carbons is they use a low end sediment filter and hey need the first carbon to act as a sacificial sediment filter to catch what is missed up front. Use a 1 micron or smaller sediment filter and a single equal sized carbon blockand you will be better off since everything you add in front of the membrane has an associated pressure loss which makes the membrane less efficient plus costs you money in replacements that you don't need.

 

[kwandrsn]

No pressure tank

Im running just a regular sediment filter then a matrix 5 carbon then matrix 0.06 carbon

Yeah I read about putting a tee between ro and di to help the di last longer.
and I just figured ro water is fine for water changes on the freshwater tank and filling my keurig up

So all I need is a tee with a line and ball valve

 

[kwandrsn]

And as for testing I have 2 dual inline meters

#1 in - sediment - 5 carbon - 0.6 carbon - #1 out - ro membrane - #2 in - di - #2 out

 

[tupes]

Just to make sure you're understanding what he mentioned. You don't want to drink the "DI" water you need to split it before it gets to that stage. You should not drink rodi not just to help the resin last longer but also it's not good for you.

 

[fungia_fiend]

+1. Don't drink the DI. I tee off right after the RO membrane. I use an auto shut off, but if you're just going to manually turn the water on and off you don't need that. Just tee off after the RO membrane and before the DI, put a ball valve on the end so you can close that out line, and you should be good to go.

Personally I find the ASO and the pressure tank excellent, and will never go back!

 

[AZDesertRat]

That is a myth, you could not possibly drink enough RO/DI to do yourself harm. The WHO has been trying to prove this for decades but the tests are always inconclusive. We don't receive our minerals from drinking water and it will not suck the minerals out of your body. Eat asensible diet and drink whatever you want.

fungia, you are not making DI water out of the pressure tank are you? The reason for the check valve between the pressurized RO and the DI is so you make DI straight from the membrane and not from the higher TDS creep water in the pressure tank.

Here is an example of how to plumb a drinking water kit or pressure tank to a RO/DI and get the best of both worlds, note the check valve between the RO tank and the DI. If you do not have a pressure tank replace the check valve with a ball valve to do the same thing.

http://spectrapure.com/huds/4-STAGE-DWK-RODI-NAG.pdf

 

[kwandrsn]

Yeah im gonna install a tee between membrane and the di chamber and put a ball valve on the end

 

[AZDesertRat]

You would do yourself a big favor if you used a god ATC compensated handheld TDS meter rather than or in addition to the inlines. I also have two of the dual inlines to monitor 4 points and they were a waste of money. Thye lack the low end accuracy since they are not temperature compensated and never agree with any of my handhelds. Once you install the tee and valve and try it and I think you will agree.

 

[kwandrsn]

I will look into a handheld

 

[kwandrsn]

Probably a stupid question but my ato container will be a 5 gallon bucket.... I have float valves ordered but how do you mount the valve in the bucket with it being round??

 

[tupes]

There are a couple of different floats. I've seen where they mount to the lid which is the one I have. And one thays mounts to the side which o assume you have since you're asking this question.

Just mount it as high up as possible with s rubber gasket on the inside. And it'll be alright.

 

[tupes]

BTW, the only stupid question is a question not asked.

 

[fungia_fiend]

That is a myth, you could not possibly drink enough RO/DI to do yourself harm. The WHO has been trying to prove this for decades but the tests are always inconclusive. We don't receive our minerals from drinking water and it will not suck the minerals out of your body. Eat asensible diet and drink whatever you want.

Frankly, it tastes like crap compared to the RO. The proper thing to do is tee off before the DI for drinking water.

fungia, you are not making DI water out of the pressure tank are you? The reason for the check valve between the pressurized RO and the DI is so you make DI straight from the membrane and not from the higher TDS creep water in the pressure tank.

Of course not. The pressure tank would put water through the DI too fast, which is an even worse problem than "tds creep" by a mile (which is a real but minor issue).

 

[fungia_fiend]

Probably a stupid question but my ato container will be a 5 gallon bucket.... I have float valves ordered but how do you mount the valve in the bucket with it being round??

If you're going to use floats to shut off the rodi, make sure you have an auto shutoff properly plumbed into your RODI unit or the unit will keep making water forever (just all of it going down the waste line).

 

[kwandrsn]

Its already got a auto shut off... its a brs 4 stage value plus with added chamber

 

[kwandrsn]

Still dont know how I can mount it in a 5 gallon bucket

 

[kwandrsn]

Im thinking about making a bracket of somekind to mount it on

 

[AZDesertRat]

The floats rubber gasket should conform to the curve of the bucket and seal if you drill the hole for a snug fit.

Actually there are resins on the market that can take the flow from a pressure tank when packed properly such as the MaxCap and SilicaBuster which Spectrapure has tested at up to 10 GPM with no ill effects. I wouldn't do it with just any resin though of with an improperly packed cartridge.

 

[kwandrsn]

If the seal works its all I need. I can drill the hole pretty tight