Running RODI output through my attic?

[sandalscout]

Hi all, I'm prepping to install an RODI unit for my new 180 build. I would love to install the RODI in my basement for a number of reasons (air gap for effluent being the biggest, and I had my old unit there previously), but the tank is going upstairs to a room that was added onto the house. The garage and the new room are both on a slab, on opposite sides of the house. There is a crawl space under the main living area between the two ends of the house, but effectively useless for this setup.

My current line of thinking is this:

1. Install the RODI just like I had it previously in the garage, worked great there.
2. run the RODI output up through the main bathroom inner wall with the copper plumbing
3. run up into the attic
4. run it across the attic, through the beams (hole drilled 2" above the ceiling as required by code)
5. run it down through the ceiling/wall into the fish room

The wall I want it on is an exterior wall, but the ceiling is wooden boards. Shouldn't be a problem just poking it down through the ceiling right at the wall and camouflaging it. The attic is not air-controlled, and we are subject to sub-freezing temperatures here in winter. I would install the lines as close to the ceiling as possible, leaving an air gap to heat to the tube, and then lay batting over the top to help "trap" the heat coming up through the ceiling. I would also run a single line from end to end, eliminating leaking joints along the way.

My concerns:

1. This won't keep the line warm enough.... valid concern?
2. Pests. We, fortunately, don't have a a bunch of pests in the house, but the property does back up against the woods, so it's a potential issue. I understand rodents are often attracted to plastic tubing
3. I have to convince my wife that this will work without leaking

I am probably going to have to pay someone to run 1-2 new electrical outlets into this room, but I'd rather do this myself.... I just have a bad feeling that the "right" way to do it will lead to running lines in from the outside of the house, installing the RODI in the room with the tank, and then having to figure out what to do with the effluent discharge from the RODI.

Any thoughts, ideas, or criticism?

Thanks!

 

[sandalscout]

Starting to realize that the pressure of a 15 feet climb (I think it'll be about that) is probably not very good for the RODI unit. I think I'll end up setting the RODI up in the basement, and then just having a storage container underneath the stairs to store/circulate ~60 gallons of water. Keep 50' of tubing on hand, and just pump water upstairs when a second storage container there runs low.

 

[Swordfish215]

I would be less concerned with the freezing temp as much as I would be using copper lines on the out put side.....CPVC all the way, pre-insulate it before install.

 

[Paul C.]

No copper..

 

[sandalscout]

The plumbing in the house is copper and it's not a problem, as long as there is no copper AFTER the RODI.... that's straight from Buckeye Field Supply from my last setup... not ideal, but the RODI will take care of any problems.

All runs after the RODI will be PVC or the John Guest style tubing.

 

[Buckeye Field Supply]

You have about 7 psi in head pressure in that 15 foot rise.

But if you are going to route it through your attic (and I think you identified some really important concerns in your original post), what about using a protective "jacket" around the 1/4" PE tubing. You could run that tubing through PVC pipe or even copper pipe for the run through the attic. You'd have to manage the protective jacket in such a way that if the LDPE tubing ever burst, the water would make its way into the jacket and have a place to drain that wouldn't do damage to your house or tank.

Another issue - you didn't identify above - high temperature. The LDPE tubing you're thinking of using typically has a upper temperature (e.g., 120 F or 150F) limit lower than what you might see in your attic in summer. At high temperature the tubing can't withstand much in the way of pressure. I'm sure you could find tubing that can withstand higher temperatures, but make sure it is safe for ultrapure water applications.

Russ

 

[sandalscout]

Russ, you rock! Thanks for the reply. I was so concerned about low temps, that I didn't even think about high. Sort of the last nail in the coffin, I will be "hauling buckets" upstairs, but I'll be doing it the easy way.... with a pump and hose!

I should be placing an order with you again soon!

 

[Mike J.]

There's no need to circulate stored RO/DI water.

 

[AZDesertRat]

My RO/DI and ATO storage is in my climate controlled garage next to the laundry sink but I ran the line to the sump through a common wall then behind baseboards so it was hidden. Its about 35 feet away horizontally and is completely hidden from sight in the house. Just another possible option to throw out there.