New RO/DI filter... How did you?

[Jedi1199]

Hi everyone,

So, I bought a new RO/DI filter in anticipation of setting up my first reef tank. I have seen a lot of people do different things with installing theirs. How and where did you install yours? I've seen people set them up in the laundry nook (good idea, ready accessible plumbing and drain). Under the sink, (same supply and drain ease). Outdoor shed, (which I like...) and many others.

Where do you have yours, and what were the issues you encountered with where you did it? I am not sure I am happy with having a collection barrel in my laundry nook or kitchen.

Also, Do you guys have a way to stop the flow of fresh water once your collection container is filled?

Thanks in advance,
Steve

 

[ridgeburyreefer]

I purchased a portable, love it so far- one down fall and tough lesson. Our water pressure was better than we thought, it cracked the faucet stem in our kitchen after about 2 hours in use. Now it gets hooked up to the water line for the washer. If I were to permanently hook it up that’s where I would put it.

 

[Rubberfrog]

I installed mine in the laundry room. I left the lines long so I can easily pull it out to service the filters. I use a Brute can for collection. The can is on wheels and only in there when I am making water. A float valve is on order for auto shut off.

 

[58e970b2-3f88-4897-87ba-5]

I’m considering setting up near or in my basement bathroom.

Benefits are:
- can be easy to access for maintenance
- waste water can be rigged up to be used in toilet (probably need to collect and use float valve system to fill toilet tank
- easy access to drains for running emergency overflow lines

I think planning for overflows is the most important part. To many stories of people forgetting to turn off their rodi system and causing a flood.

 

[Specific Ocean]

I'm going to set mine up outside my studio this weekend. I'm going to make weatherproof insulated box for it. Should be a fun build.

 

[Gtinnel]

I have mine setup in an unfinished utility room. It's where all of the plumbing in my house is so easy access to water line and drains. I also put my saltwater mixing station in this room so it's very convenient. Mine is set to turn on and off automatically with a homemade controller.

 

[MNFish]

I also kept the lines long so I can pull out for maintenance but also added a drain bypass which goes out to my garden in the summer and a pressurized holding tank which is very handy when I need to wash out a filter or get a few gallons quick:

 

[Natedogg1978]

Laundry room wall for me

 

[Quietman]

Laundry room.

 

[Jedi1199]

Laundry room.

Very clean looking setup. I like the collection barrels.

 

[Wolf89]

in the garage, off a utility sink

 

[Jedi1199]

I don't have a dedicated laundry room. My laundry is a nook in the hallway to the garage.




I think I have had an inspiration!! The wall immediately to the left of the washer, is a closet in my art studio. As long as I can figure out an auto shutoff of some kind, it would be nothing to punch through the drywall and run the plumbing to the laundry supply/drain and also hide the rather unattractive look of a Brute trash can collection barrel.

 

[MNFish]

As a side thought, I have a long adapter I hook up to my RO to run it to a brute that is close to my largest tank and then use a pump to mix and eventually pump into my tank. It might be worth considering how you are going to get the finished salt water into the tank for placement of the mixing brute. If you are planning on only needing it for a couple days it may be convenient to put it right next to your thank. If you have many tanks or some that need daily water changes then the laundry room may work the best.

 

[Jedi1199]

As a side thought, I have a long adapter I hook up to my RO to run it to a brute that is close to my largest tank and then use a pump to mix and eventually pump into my tank. It might be worth considering how you are going to get the finished salt water into the tank for placement of the mixing brute. If you are planning on only needing it for a couple days it may be convenient to put it right next to your thank. If you have many tanks or some that need daily water changes then the laundry room may work the best.

I have 2 tanks running right now. The main tank (which is going to become my reef), is a 55g freshwater. The other is a 20g freshwater that I set up to house the babies I found in my canister filter last summer. I may convert that 20g into a small saltwater FO tank (haven't decided yet).

The initial setup for the 55 will most likely include a separate Brute can for mixing as well as a pump with a hose long enough to reach the tank where I intend to move it. I could even run the initial first couple batches of clean water directly into that "mixing" can to speed up the process a bit.

Cheers,
Steve

 

[MNFish]

I run both freshwater and saltwater, but some of my freshwater I could never part with... Sounds like you need to buy more tanks so you can enjoy both even more

 

[Jedi1199]

I have mine setup in an unfinished utility room. It's where all of the plumbing in my house is so easy access to water line and drains. I also put my saltwater mixing station in this room so it's very convenient. Mine is set to turn on and off automatically with a homemade controller.

Do you have details on the homemade controller?

 

[Jedi1199]

I run both freshwater and saltwater, but some of my freshwater I could never part with... Sounds like you need to buy more tanks so you can enjoy both even more

It has always been a goal for me to have salt water. My 55 was actually a salt tank for a couple years. Unfortunately, limited budget, and lack of quality resources for researching and information (there was no internet back in the early 90s) , basically was an unmitigated disaster.

I am considering that 20g as a small community freshwater tank. I wouldn't mind a small tank filled with dozens of small community fish.

Steve

 

[Gtinnel]

Do you have details on the homemade controller?

No sorry, homemade just not by me. My dad is an electrical engineer and my brother is a computer programmer, so between the two of them they've made me several basic controllers for different aspects for my aquarium (RO/DI, ATO, Skimmer shut-off). The RO/DI one hasn't even been finished yet, it's just a breadboard with all of the electronics mounted to my wall LOL. Most of it is above my head.

 

[MNFish]

It has always been a goal for me to have salt water. My 55 was actually a salt tank for a couple years. Unfortunately, limited budget, and lack of quality resources for researching and information (there was no internet back in the early 90s) , basically was an unmitigated disaster.

I am considering that 20g as a small community freshwater tank. I wouldn't mind a small tank filled with dozens of small community fish.

Steve

I wonder all the time what I did before the internet. My first attempt at coral was a total disaster but that was a long time ago, when I had to use books and coralife salt came with free t shirts...

 

[Jedi1199]

No sorry, homemade just not by me. My dad is an electrical engineer and my brother is a computer programmer, so between the two of them they've made me several basic controllers for different aspects for my aquarium (RO/DI, ATO, Skimmer shut-off). The RO/DI one hasn't even been finished yet, it's just a breadboard with all of the electronics mounted to my wall LOL. Most of it is above my head.

Its all good.. I'm thinking a simple mechanical setup like a toilet float valve will suffice. My biggest concern with setting up the RO/DI inside the house, is overflow of the collection container. That is why my initial concept was an outdoor shed.

Cheers,
Steve