Sulfide Gas

[dvybiral]

Hello,
High sulfide gas smell coming from my fresh RODI water tank. I have a five stage RODI water station which is one sediment filter, two carbon blocks for high chloramines, (BRS universal 1 micron blocks), Color changing DI resin, and a Dow filmtec 100 gpd RO membrane. I am wondering if this gas has an effect on the quality of my water, or should I just ignore this and move on.

Thank you

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Yea, that’s not good or normal.

 

[Dan_P]

Hello,
High sulfide gas smell coming from my fresh RODI water tank. I have a five stage RODI water station which is one sediment filter, two carbon blocks for high chloramines, (BRS universal 1 micron blocks), Color changing DI resin, and a Dow filmtec 100 gpd RO membrane. I am wondering if this gas has an effect on the quality of my water, or should I just ignore this and move on.

Thank you

Hard to understand this situation. First, humans noses are very sensitive to sulfur compounds. I think H2S detection is in the ppb range. Second, identifying sulfur species by smell might be tricky. Third, H2S oxidizes pretty readily and is generated under anaerobic conditions. Not sure how an RO/DI collection vessel could provide the right conditions for it. Maybe a mouse fell into your tank. Definitely investigate the source. It might not be the RO/DI.

 

[dansreef]

Interesting post. This morning I was adding topoff from my RO/DI system to the holding tank for my system....I keep the two systems seperate.... I thought my dog had just dropped some major butt...as the smell of serious rotten eggs wafted up as the RODI system began filtering with the change in water height in the holding tank... but the smell was coming from the waste tube of my RO/DI system. First I had ever had that happen.... of course the dog sat there claiming innocence....I investigated more and indeed the smell was coming from the waste tube of my RO/DI. Needless to say I have ordered new blocks, DI resin and membrane.... they are all getting a bit old anyway. I will give it a good clean .... The good side / clean water of the system smells just fine....and reads as 0 TDS.

My guess is that my discharge tube might have gotten a bit of contamination as it empties into the same fishroom sink as the one I use to clean the skimmer.... etc... That contamination could have splashed onto the end of the discharge tube....and then when the system switched off via float valve in the fresh RODI container... and then through capilarry effect run up the tube....to the membrane.... Then a couple of days went by and that stagnant water got nasty....

Perhaps something similar happened on your end. That smell is something I experience once before when I took a Carbon / GFO reactor off line and put it asside and did not empty it for a few days. Then as I did... the stagnant water had gone putrid and the smell dang near knocked me over as I emptied it. Might be something to check out. Perhaps your system somehow also got contaminated as mine must have.

Picture is of my Water System.... black tube is the RODI waste water discharge into the sink... My sump for the system is on the left in the foreground. Left side garbage bin / tank is fresh RO/DI and the right is for Premix salt.... IF you look under the sink.... the BRS reactor is the one that I foolishly let sit with tank water, carbon and GFO for a few day a couple years ago. Everytime I see that thing I remember that stench....

 

[MabuyaQ]

There is plenty of nutrients in the waste line effluent for bacteria to grow. Once a serious bacterial film has been created over time on the inside of that line you will have an anoxic layer as well where H2S can be produced. Check this line for a slimy layer and replace if you find one.