RO/Di Unit sugestion

[bjledbetter]

Im looking at a ro/di unit from BRS. Its one of the custom made ones. This is what I have so far, any thoughts:

• 5 Micron Sediment Filter +$9.99
• 1 Micron Carbon Block (+1) +$18.99
• 1 Micron Carbon Block (+1) +$18.99
• 75 GPD (98% Rejection)
• Dual DI +$49.99
• Yes – Will delay your order slightly.
• Dual TDS Meter (DM-1) +$21.99

---

Total: $184.94

 

[_Alex_]

http://spectrapure.com/email/Sale.htm

3rd item down great buy for the money




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[fragmatic]

Lots of threads on here recently on RODI, have a look around.

 

[bjledbetter]

I looked at that and not sure I like that its refurbished. And I cant find a warranty for it. Any one have any experience with either of these Im tired of spending $30 a week for water.

 

[_Alex_]

They were purchased by a company sent to them and they wet under so spectrapure got them back. They can't sell them as new units since technically they are not. Still have warranty and all. Give them a call they are great to deal with and make great rodi units!!!


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[fragmatic]

it's a steal.

 

[mcarroll]

Remember when shopping for RODI that as long as you have fairly normal source water any RODI filter is 100% better than none.

As long as the filter you pick involves adequate pre-filtration to keep the RO membrane clean and functional as well as DI post-filtration to keep pollutants in your product water at an absolute minimum, you're golden. Almost all RODI filters you're likely to run into will meet these minimums.

With these minimum factors accounted for, everything else (extra carbon, extra DI, pressure gauges, TDS meters, customer service) is gravy. Certainly if it makes sense get as much "gravy" as you can afford, but don't let that hang up your purchase too much.

BTW, I don't see a problem with any of the filters mentioned in this thread so far, but it would be good to understand that a standard 4-stage RODI filter (pre+carbon+membrane+DI) should produce water just as pure as the 6-stage unit you've spec'd in this thread and may require less water pressure/operate more efficiently. Every additional stage equals more back pressure.

Getting your product:waste ratio correct (1:4) on your membrane is really where you need to "get it right" as this will depend on your home's water pressure and how your filter is built. A standard flow restrictor is one very common way (see SpectraPure's guide, p. 8), but instead I actually ended up adding a simple locking RO needle valve ("quick fitting needle control valve" from The Filter Guys.*) to my waste line so I could "dial in" the flow to match my water pressure and system setup. After this, just make sure that you're keeping prefilters and carbon filters fresh to protect your RO membrane - the core, and most expensive part of your system. It should also be the longest lasting part of your filter media as long as it's protected.

-Matt

* Sorry their site stinks for linking, it's toward the bottom of that page and as of this writing costs $6.

 

[AZDesertRat]

Needle valves tend to drift over time. I went that route several years ago andened up ruining a perfectly good membrane. The waste was to a drain where I could not see it and over time the needle valve started to foul and slowed the waste ratio eventually fouling the membrabe.
Capillary tube flow restrictors are $4-$5 and well worth it.

You will not find a better wsystem than the Spectrapure anywhere. Ask the other vendors if they use the more expensive and more efficient absolute rated sediment filters? Not. Or if they specially treat their all their RO membranes to improve their efficieny can GPD then either batch test or individually hand test them? Not. Or if they custom blend all their DI resins in house based on thousands of hours of testing then vacuum seal it in mylar bags for freshness? Not. Of if they use capillary tube flow restrictors? Probably not although as select few do.

There really is a difference!

 

[mcarroll]

Personally I have had no issues with drift or clogging while controlling my waste flow this way, but surely it's possible. I have seen the same clogging/drifting described happen with capillary flow restrictors, modulars, as well as those with a combined flush valve - something to be aware of but it shouldn't be all that common. Clogging is dependent on the quality of water running though that tiny hole - not whether that hole is in the form of a valve or tiny piece of tubing after all. So keep your carbon and prefilter fresh and flush and rinse them well before hooking new ones up to your membrane!!

FWIW, as a rule of thumb, when running any flow restrictor other than a valve and especially on a system that will have to run without close monitoring, I replace the flow restrictor every time I replace the membrane to minimize any chance of clogging or change in performance from it.

AZ's is a good example though. Without a view on performance - whether you are periodically sampling and comparing the product and waste output like I do (takes seconds) or paying attention to system pressure, etc - you're inviting a problem if something does go wrong. Things like clogging, seasonal temperature variations and other factors can all have an impact on system performance that can make changing your waste line back-pressure desirable. For me a valve provides the best flexibility and control as well as ease of adjustment. By contrast, installing and uninstalling a capillary flow restrictor to make changes is a pain in the butt and IMO causes undue wear on my fittings - required though, to get it cut it to the correct length for your installation or make any future changes. And once you cut it short, if there's a change in performance of course there's no cutting it longer! This is not a flexible solution, but still it can definitely be a good solution.

I also agree that Spectrapure makes great systems....good prices on that link posted earlier in the thread too. Check your LFS as well - Spectrapure has a very good dealer network.

-Matt

 

[AZDesertRat]

Since the needle valve or flow restrictor are on the concentrated waste or brine, clogging or fouling is common.It is no different than having to tweak the drip rate on a calcium reactor occasionally.
If it were on the treated water it would not be much of a problem. The capillary tube has more surface area so is less prone to problems. Not sure why you consider it a pain to replace the capillary tube, on most units its right on top and easily accessible, takes about 30 seconds to do so. When I have big temp swings I keep two pretrimmed restrictors on hand, one for cold water and one for warmer summer water. Its very easy. Believe it or not though our water in N Phoenix doesn't change much, it comes from the Colorado River but is stored in a lake north of town. In summer months they adjust the intakes to the treatment plant lower so it draws in cooler water. It was not like that at one time and you actually turned your hot water heater off in summer months and let it store water so it cooled down and was cooler than what was coming in on the cold water side!

 

[bjledbetter]

Ok so I bought the spectrapure 90gpd refurbished one for $125 was that a good buy? I'm waiting on it to get here. They said it usually ships next day and I ordered yesterday so it should have shipped today.

 

[bjledbetter]

This is going to sound like a dumb question but I've never had a ro/did system. How do you hook it up? They said something about a garden hose adapter. Am I going to have to make my water outside in the cold?

 

[Paul C.]

I just ordered the garden hose adaptor. Im on well water at my house, so off of my storage tank is that type of fitting for draining purposes. U can get an adaptor to hook up to a regular faucet. There are also adaptors that clamp onto a water line, and pierce the pipe. Does the unit u purchased have an automatic flush? Mine runs for 15 mins every 2 hours just to prevent the filters from getting gunked up.

 

[AZDesertRat]

A kitchen or bathroom faucet adapter is around $12 at any Lowes or HD or online.
The unit comes with a hose thread adapter that screws directly on many laundry sink faucets or screws to the faucet adapter or my preference is I install a brass wye like you hook two garden hose to on my washing machine cold water supply with one side feeding the washer and the other the RO/DI. You can get them with individual ball valves at the same hardware stores for $5-$8.