RO/DI Booster pump question...

[GREEF stricken]

ok, debated on whether I should post this here or in DIY...built a 4 vessel water storage system. 4ea 55gal barrels inverted with with spigots plumbed into bungs. Float valves at top of each. Water maker product line flows to each barrel independently. I want to add a booster pump. Barrels are NOT plumbed common in series so how do I integrate my booster pump so that when I pull from ANY barrel the pump comes on? Thx.

GS

 

[mfinn]

I would guess you would need to use some sort of stand alone controller with a controllable valve going 4 different ways.

 

[mfinn]

@gcarroll

 

[twilliard]

Float switches wired in parallel with a series valve

 

[mfinn]

After further thought ( and coffee) it doesn't have to be that complicated.
Just add the booster pump according to the ro/di makers instructions.
Then run the product line to a manifold with individual lines coming out of it to each barrel.
When one barrel is drained the float valve starts up the ro/di to fill that barrel, but the other barrels with the closed float switch keeps water from going to them.

 

[GREEF stricken]

Figured it out. Didn't fully understand how the solenoid style inline shutoff switch worked. Simply goes inline before first barrel. But more importantly, I have come to realize that water temp is very low. Gonna bring to 77F and re run output test.

GS

 

[twilliard]

@AZDesertRat imo is the go to guy

 

[AZDesertRat]

DO NOT try to warm the water entering a RO membrane. Not only is it a waste of energy it also makes the water more viscous or fluid so the RO only TDS goes up and DI life is shortened. Colder water treats better so if you find you need higher gpd a RO booster is by far the better option and overcomes the effect of cold water on production.
Out of curiosity, why not have all four barrels at the same elevation and use a common manifold? Or manually valve 2 or 3 off and use the others in a lead/lag set up?

 

[GREEF stricken]

DO NOT try to warm the water entering a RO membrane. Not only is it a waste of energy it also makes the water more viscous or fluid so the RO only TDS goes up and DI life is shortened. Colder water treats better so if you find you need higher gpd a RO booster is by far the better option and overcomes the effect of cold water on production.
Out of curiosity, why not have all four barrels at the same elevation and use a common manifold? Or manually valve 2 or 3 off and use the others in a lead/lag set up?

All of my spigots and plumbing are three-quarter inch PVC. I wanted to be able to remove barrels independently should one leak or have issues. Now I got home and turned on my hot water before I got the DEFCON 5 msg. I can say that when I fired up the water maker I noticed I got NO wastewater. So logically I tested the product water and WOW...210. Switched back to cold RW and back to 0 TDS. But still NO wastewater. What have I done wrong?
Plumbed as follows:

RW
3 mechanical filters
Into single nipple end of 1st Membrane
Waste water from mem1 into single nipple of Mem2 and product water from Mem1 into one side of final product water wye. Product water from mem2 into OTHER side of wye and final product water line into pressure gauge then DI can then a final mechanical filter...why no waste water? And if no waste water, how am I getting zero TDS after shutting off the hot water line

Thanks.
GS

 

[AZDesertRat]

ANYTHING over 113 degrees damages a RO membrane, it loosens the glues that hold it together and melts the TFC plastic membrane film which is much thinner than sandwich wrap. 113 isn't very hot really so easy to do permanent irreversible damage.
The reason you might see 0 is the DI resin is doing all the work. You need to test your mbrane ASAP. What is your tap water TDS, your RO only TDS before the DI and your final RO/DI TDS? What is your water pressure and your normal cold water temperature and what is your exact measured waste ratio using a measuring cup? You may have toasted your membrane.

 

[GREEF stricken]

ANYTHING over 113 degrees damages a RO membrane, it loosens the glues that hold it together and melts the TFC plastic membrane film which is much thinner than sandwich wrap. 113 isn't very hot really so easy to do permanent irreversible damage.
The reason you might see 0 is the DI resin is doing all the work. You need to test your mbrane ASAP. What is your tap water TDS, your RO only TDS before the DI and your final RO/DI TDS? What is your water pressure and your normal cold water temperature and what is your exact measured waste ratio using a measuring cup? You may have toasted your membrane.

Ok, first off, I dialed in the temp from the OTHER faucet(wye) first and it was SPOT on at 77 degrees so nothing got TOASTED. Second my water pressure from house is 63 psi. Temp is currently 51 deg. I am getting NO water from waste line...AT ALL...RW is 110. Your explanation would clarify my confusion as to why a brand-new clear canister of DI resin only a few days from being refreshed is already turning from blue to Amber

 

[AZDesertRat]

Not sure how your tap is plumbed but remember being in a nice warm shower and someone flushes the toilet or starts the washer? You got your tush scalded. Same thing happens to a membrane when you try to blend hot and cold. That is by far the quickest way there is to ruin a membrane with reducing the waste ratio when you have hard water a close second.
How fast is the system making water? If it is higher than the membranes 75 gpd or whatever rating at 50 psi this is an indication of a damaged membrane which could be bypassing.

 

[GREEF stricken]

Ok...tested TDS before DI resin...still zero. At all possible I got the product line and wastewater lines reversed in the weird plastic block valve deal? Baffled as to why I get 0 TDS and 0 waste water

GS

 

[GREEF stricken]

Not sure how your tap is plumbed but remember being in a nice warm shower and someone flushes the toilet or starts the washer? You got your tush scalded. Same thing happens to a membrane when you try to blend hot and cold. That is by far the quickest way there is to ruin a membrane with reducing the waste ratio when you have hard water a close second.
How fast is the system making water? If it is higher than the membranes 75 gpd or whatever rating at 50 psi this is an indication of a damaged membrane which could be bypassing.

When I tested it yesterday I mathed it out to 105GPD. Thought it low as I have dual 100GPDs on there...

 

[AZDesertRat]

Should be plumbed like the system on the right
http://spectrapure.com/huds/DUAL.pdf

If you don't have any waste you won't have 0 TDS for long. At 63 psi you are under the recommended minimum pressure of 65 psi to operate a dual membrane system. Higher is better, especially with cooler water in winter months.
Remove your flow restrictor and see is something is plugged. You can temporarily use a ball valve set at 4:1 waste to good until you get it figured out, or even kink the waste line or crimp it down with a clamp or vice grips, anything to get some waste flow back.

 

[GREEF stricken]

Ok...SUUUUPER frustrated. Cannot get any wastewater...I switched the pressure shutoff lines and got what LOOKED like 4 times more wastewater than product but when product line reached pressure behind float valves and stopped the wastewater never slowed...help??

 

[AZDesertRat]

There is a little delay, the waste will not stop immediately.