Poll: What water pressure runs through your RODI?

[dbl]

Most will tell you the more water pressure running through your RODI membrane the better. Thought it might be interesting to see what water pressure folks are running through their systems. Also, let's see how many are using a booster pump.

 

[darkside666]

Most will tell you the more water pressure running through your RODI membrane the better. Thought it might be interesting to see what water pressure folks are running through their systems. Also, let's see how many are using a booster pump.

3.5psi

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I voted 40-60 and 60-80 because it starts high and drops as the prefilters get clogged with sediment.

 

[corey01]

mine is around 40 after new prefilters. I had to get a generic booster to push it to 60 and that was allright but I was not happy with it.
after a while got a spectrapure 8800 pump and now I can go up to 95-100 if I want but I keep it around 80psi.

 

[mahindra.dev]

Voted 40-60.

60psi with new filters and drops to 40psi as they clog.

 

[cracker]

According to a "old" gauge on my oceanus. It's 70 psi consistently.

 

[myyellas2k]

I just purchased an RODI unit and have it set for around 50-60ish...
at least thats what the gauge is reading...

 

[Water Dog]

City water at 75psi

 

[DSC reef]

We're on city water at 55 psi in a 100gpd system.

 

[Idoc]

38-43 psi. Terrible slow production with a BRS 4 stage, 75gpd system. I received a booster pump, but just haven't installed it yet to see what kind of improvement i get.

 

[Labridaedicted]

Booster pump on mine. Gets me around 100 psi. Running 150 gpd membrane.

 

[Mrx7899]

I have 60 psi on city water, just order a Aquatic Life Aquatic Life Smart Buddie Booster Pump to try and bump it up a bit

 

[mfinn]

I have my booster pump set at 86 psi.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Out of curiosity, for anyone using a booster pump with a single membrane who had a starting pressure of 60 PSI or greater... why did you order the booster pump?

 

[mta_morrow]

40 or less from the city.

80-90 with a booster buddy.

Also run dual membranes.

 

[Mrx7899]

Out of curiosity, for anyone using a booster pump with a single membrane who had a starting pressure of 60 PSI or greater... why did you order the booster pump?

Your filters will last longer and it's more efficient at higher PSI more water will be produced and less waste water.

 

[TheEngineer]

I run a booster set to 85 psi.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Your filters will last longer and it's more efficient at higher PSI more water will be produced and less waste water.

Which filters specifically? The prefilters? The membrane? The DI resin?

And if you're getting more product water with a booster pump than you did before, you need to adjust/change your flow restrictor to create more waste water and maintain a 1:4 ratio. Everyone hates waste water, but your membrane needs it. Without water flowing over the membrane, minerals that get rejected build up on the membrane's surface, which will plug the film and cause the membrane to fail prematurely. You're not getting more water because the membrane is more efficient at higher pressure (although technically it is, because it will likely produce lower TDS): you're getting more water because you're forcing more water through the product line without sending any more down the drain as waste.

If you don't care about ruining your membrane early, you can just get a very low flow restrictor, like 200ml or something along those lines. It'll give you more water and plug up your membrane just like a booster pump will, only you don't have to pay the high price for a booster pump and pressure switch.

EDIT: the above, of course, assumes you already have sufficient pressure (50 PSI or more) and elect to use a booster pump anyway. If you don't have above 50 PSI a booster pump makes sense, although pressure in the 40 PSI range is still likely sufficient for Dow's 75GPD membranes.

 

[cardiffgiant]

No booster, typically 60psi.

 

[mfinn]

Out of curiosity, for anyone using a booster pump with a single membrane who had a starting pressure of 60 PSI or greater... why did you order the booster pump?

My incoming water has a psi of about 50-55
My first rodi was a second hand cheapo unit that topped out at about 25 gallons in a 24 hour period. It would take 2 days to make enough water for a water change on 1 tank.
It was so painfully slow so that when I stepped up and ordered a new 100gpd unit, I wanted to make sure I got as fast a unit as I could. So I ordered a booster pump with it.
This was almost 8 years ago.
I like that I can make alot of water in a 24 hour period.
I do notice when I don't run the booster pump the production really slows down.
Probably has to do with the temp of the water. It's pretty cold coming from a private well system.
The first membrane lasted 5 years.