Rust in RO/DI unit

[KeystoneMalone]

Hello all!

I recently bought a used RO/DI off craigslist (from the same guy I bought my tank/other equipment from) and I am in the process of cleaning everything up and really getting an understanding of what my equipment does and how it works.

I began taking apart the RO/DI unit last night to clean it as the entire outside of it was a bit dirty, along with the fittings being kind of dirty as well. I am pretty meticulous about things so I figure, why not take everything completely apart and clean it top to bottom.

Upon taking most of the fittings (elbows, pressure fittings) off of the canisters I noticed that they all had rust in them, and the tubing was really dirty as well, which is concerning to me. There were actually traces of rust any time I took something off of the unit. I understand that the whole point of these units is to remove elements and chemicals from the water, but I feel like I shouldn't be seeing rust at all.

Its a DVONEB aqua unit, which upon doing some research doesnt seem to be too highly regarded, and I paid $50.00 for it so im not too far in the hole. Im wondering if it is worth it for me to replace all of the fittings / tubing / filters, or just spring for a new unit.

Has anyone had good experience with the aquatic life 4 stage twist ins? Or would it be in my best interest to just go for a unit from BRS?

Thanks!!!!

 

[Opus]

The system is probably fine. All the fittings should be plastic so the rust is most likely coming from the water source. If you are seeing rust after the ro membrane then there is an issue. It looks like DVONEB was just a guy on ebay trying to re-brand Watergeneral units and he went out of business sometime around 2007-2009 so if that unit hasn't been cleaned since then I could see it having a lot of accumulation in it. I would buy all new filters for it including a new membrane. Also buy a new flow restrictor for it to match the gph of the membrane you buy, or one that is adjustable.

It is also a very good idea to get a copy of your local water report to find out what is in your water. You need to know if you are dealing with chlorine or chloramines. That will determine which type of carbon filters to use. If you are on well water then you don't have to worry about it but then you may have to deal with CO2 issues and/or water pressure issues.