I have a 125 gallon aquarium, with a 35 gallon sump, and have been thinking about investing in a RODI machine. I have been having the bulk reef supply 150 gpd machine, pushed on me. Anyone have pros or cons to that brand? Any others better out there I should look into?
RODI machine
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I would recommend looking at a Spectrapure unit. Here's a great example and it comes with a set of replacement filters and TDS meter.
http://spectrapure.com/Aquarium-RO-...ement-Filter Kit-TDS Meters-Chlorine-Test-Kit
http://spectrapure.com/Aquarium-RO-...ement-Filter Kit-TDS Meters-Chlorine-Test-Kit
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I'm going to call in @AZDesertRat here as he is the resident water expert, and I certainly don't want to speak for him. The waste ratio can be adjusted on these units. However, determining the appropriate waste ratio has several variables. The goal is to maximize the life of the DI resin and membrane. It's based on the hardness of your incoming water, water pressure, source TDS, plus others.
Check out this thread. Ignore the first part as it relates to the old unit in question. Scroll down to the comments AZ makes explaining the operations of an RODI unit. Hopefully he'll chime in here as well.
http://reef2reef.com/threads/rodi.237256/
Check out this thread. Ignore the first part as it relates to the old unit in question. Scroll down to the comments AZ makes explaining the operations of an RODI unit. Hopefully he'll chime in here as well.
http://reef2reef.com/threads/rodi.237256/
The correct waste ratio for any RO system, regardless of vendor or manufacturer depends on your exact unique water conditions. BRS is completely out in left field advertising their 150 GPD as a water saver. There is no such thing with a dual membrane system period! You are taking the concentrated waste from one membrane and sending it into the second membrane then trying to further reduce the waste ratio and further concentrating the waste into a sludge. How long do you think your membranes will last? If it were really that simple every vendor, most of whom have been around much much longer than BRS, would have been selling these decades ago.
The critical things to consider when buying a system that you may or may not want to attempt reducing the waste from the industry standard reccomendation of 4:1 waste to good is your tap waters calcium carbonate hardness, tap TDS, incoming pressure and incoming temperature. If you have hard water forget about reducing the waste. If you have softened water but still have high TDS you might be able to reduce it a little. If you have very soft water and much lower than normal TDS then you can probably get away with reduced waste and still get decent membrane life.
All membranes must be flushed, there is no way around it. Flushing is acheived via the waste stream which carries the concentrated brine away. Its not flush kits and its certainly not reducing the waste flow which allows TDS to solidify on the membrane and no amount of flushing in the world will ever remove it at that point and the membrane is now on its way to failure.
The critical things to consider when buying a system that you may or may not want to attempt reducing the waste from the industry standard reccomendation of 4:1 waste to good is your tap waters calcium carbonate hardness, tap TDS, incoming pressure and incoming temperature. If you have hard water forget about reducing the waste. If you have softened water but still have high TDS you might be able to reduce it a little. If you have very soft water and much lower than normal TDS then you can probably get away with reduced waste and still get decent membrane life.
All membranes must be flushed, there is no way around it. Flushing is acheived via the waste stream which carries the concentrated brine away. Its not flush kits and its certainly not reducing the waste flow which allows TDS to solidify on the membrane and no amount of flushing in the world will ever remove it at that point and the membrane is now on its way to failure.
I knew there was going to be waste, if there's no waste then the systems not running correctly. But it did seem different to have the water saver/ extra membrane. Especially when no other system as it. So should I just stay away from the BRS Rodi system? I know I have pretty hard water in live in northern California, and just trying to see if I should even invest in a system, and what system
Every RO vendor has a dual membrane system, they have had for decades, they just don't call them something they are not.
I am not saying avoid BRS but I am saying take their water saver claim with a grain of salt. Every vendor has tried it in the past and every other vendor rejected the idea since they depend on word of mouth and repeat business to satisfied customers.
There are water saving systems out there, I own one myself. It cost me more up front but it is over 8 years old on the original membrane producing 135-150 gpd, slightly less than 1:1 waste ratio and still 99.4%+ rejection rate. It paid for itself in less than 3 years even at $800.
If I could have spent $200 and got the same results I would have jumped on it but it doesn't work like that.
I am not saying avoid BRS but I am saying take their water saver claim with a grain of salt. Every vendor has tried it in the past and every other vendor rejected the idea since they depend on word of mouth and repeat business to satisfied customers.
There are water saving systems out there, I own one myself. It cost me more up front but it is over 8 years old on the original membrane producing 135-150 gpd, slightly less than 1:1 waste ratio and still 99.4%+ rejection rate. It paid for itself in less than 3 years even at $800.
If I could have spent $200 and got the same results I would have jumped on it but it doesn't work like that.
