Rodi questions (1 Viewer)

[reef junkie]

So im starting to think my ro is not running properly, i feel like i burn through my DI fast. Also my first stage in my ro has never changed color. Now im only running about 10 gallons a week through it. So low burn rate. TDS coming in is 178. Coming out of the ro before entering first stage Di is 4 and zero coming out the Di. Booster pump I set at 80Psi. Just feel like I was changing my 1 micron filter every 3-4 months before in my last house(Same city water). I looked to make sure my Di canisters were not upside down also. Twice! LOL
Hard to remember but I think since filing the last 2 stages of Di when new Ive had to swap out only one Di canister resin once since January 6th. But nothing on the other filters. Fell like I did more talking then asking question. LOl hope this makes some Sort of sense.
I was watching some BRS tv and saw that you can adjust your waste water also. SO i adjusted the flow going down the drain to drip much slower. Didn’t seem to change the TDS . Not sure if this is the correct way to do this or?

Posting pic for verification

 

[Pico bam]

Now I'm a certain type of special but I got to ask because it looks like your burning the di resin from the the far end toward the ro unit you've got it running threw the ro first right? Not the di? Do I see three di canisters? Are you doing the 3 different di resins or standerd mixed bed? Sorry just a dumb question lol.

How Many Gallons would you guess you get to one di cannister? I probably get 250-300 maybe more. I get around 5-6 tdi out of the ro unit.

 

[reef junkie]

Yes the ro is first then the single Di Then the dble Di. Then storage.

Just the regular BRS color changing Di In all 3. No need to be sorry. These are good questions. Since im not great about monitoring the amount of water I get before changing it’s hard to say. But I feel like im not getting that much. How often Do you change your micro filter. OR first stage in your ro?

My routine is all 3 Di are good. When the second one looks like it does now i moved it to the first stage. Then the last one goes to the second stage. and then a new one goes into the third stage. Ive only done this once since last Jan. So if I think im 10 gallons a week. That’s 520 gallons in a year. On i guess one totally exhausted Di and sort of another?? But that first stage micron still looks nice and white, Might be overthinking Just seems so different from my last house Water usage.

 

[Pico bam]

Your flushing the high tds ro water each use right?

 

[Pico bam]

Like 5 minutes before you send it to the di resin?

 

[reef junkie]

?? I guess i dont fully follow. There is water coming from that flush valve that goes to my floor drain during each use. I recently slowed this down today by closing that flush valve a little In hopes I’ll dump less of the waste water

 

[Pico bam]

Do you have one of these 3 way valves(diverter valve?) in-between your ro and di

 

[Pico bam]

High tds water builds up in your ro unit and your supposed to flush it out ever time you start making water other wise it sends high tds water to your di resin for a bit. Totaly goes threw wastes the di resin.

 

[reef junkie]

See im glad I asked. I just googled how to use flush valve on rodi. I see now that it’s meant to be used after each use, That im sure would save on my Di. LOl

Mine is just this

 

[Pico bam]

Does it say your supposed to use it after each use? So is that what this is for? Now I'm confused!?!

 

[spsick]

Couple things I see.

Your flush valve looks partially open.

I have auto shutoff valves go bad about once a year and find water bleeding through. Could be that?

Since I switched from mixed beds to cation,anion, then mixed bed my DI lasts FOREVER. I’m about to change the cation for the first time in like 3 years, and I’ve changed the anion once since we bought the new house 2 years ago. I can’t recommend it enough.

Your TDS is really low to start so as long as you’re changing carbon blocks on a schedule (chlorine kills membranes and DI) your membrane and DI should last a longgggg time.

 

[spsick]

Does it say your supposed to use it after each use? So is that what this is for? Now I'm confused!?!

The 3 way valve is usually to:

-flush new carbon blocks before membrane

-make drinking water

Yeah that bypass is just a different style flush valve. Ideally you would open that for 5 min at the beginning of water making cycle but I rarely remember.

 

[reef junkie]

Couple things I see.

Your flush valve looks partially open.

I have auto shutoff valves go bad about once a year and find water bleeding through. Could be that?

Since I switched from mixed beds to cation,anion, then mixed bed my DI lasts FOREVER. I’m about to change the cation for the first time in like 3 years, and I’ve changed the anion once since we bought the new house 2 years ago. I can’t recommend it enough.

Your TDS is really low to start so as long as you’re changing carbon blocks on a schedule (chlorine kills membranes and DI) your membrane and DI should last a longgggg time.

I just closed it partially to slow down the waste water. Ive yet to run it this way yet. I dont think anything leaks or I feel like I would hear my boster pump run once in awhile and I never hear it. I also have shut off before my float switches And my storage bins that I shut off after they fill. What would be a good schedule for replacing the carbon? Gonna look into this other Di. Thx

Does it say your supposed to use it after each use? So is that what this is for? Now I'm confused!?!

This is what I found on dr google:
A big part of keeping your RODI system running smoothly requires keeping the RO filter cleaned by flushing it out after use. At a minimum, the RO membrane should be flushed at the end of each work day, but it's better to do it after every use.

 

[reef junkie]

Alright I flushed my system for 5 min. I thought that was just for flushing new filters. LOL. I did have to open my valve for my rodi to start flowing at the flat switch before the flush system would work. Guessing the booster pump would not allow water to flow until the seal on the line was broke?? I try and remember to do this from time to time now.

 

[spsick]

That valve should be in the “closed” position during normal operation. If that was open it was your problem. The “closed” position is the flow restrictor necessary fir proper reject ratio.

Re: flushing- I work with commercial RO units all day- the nice ones have auto flush systems, the less nice ones do not but have huge carbon beds before the membranes. With good soft water and regular Prefilter changes both have membranes last years. I think flushing is more important if you (like me and most) don’t have a softener as if helps flush off the scale as well as extending DI life.

 

[reef junkie]

Since I switched from mixed beds to cation,anion, then mixed bed my DI lasts FOREVER. I’m about to change the cation for the first time in like 3 years, and I’ve changed the anion once since we bought the new house 2 years ago. I can’t recommend it enough.

Is this what you are using in a 3 canister system like mine?

 

[spsick]

Is this what you are using in a 3 canister system like mine?

View attachment 60342

Yep!

 

[reef junkie]

That valve should be in the “closed” position during normal operation. If that was open it was your problem. The “closed” position is the flow restrictor necessary fir proper reject ratio.

Re: flushing- I work with commercial RO units all day- the nice ones have auto flush systems, the less nice ones do not but have huge carbon beds before the membranes. With good soft water and regular Prefilter changes both have membranes last years. I think flushing is more important if you (like me and most) don’t have a softener as if helps flush off the scale as well as extending DI life.

We are now in the closed position.

And soft water is not a problem. I went a little overboard when I ordered my unit.


now my valve has always been closed. This half opened valve I did today just to see if I could slow down the rate of waste water going down drain with out compromising my clean water. Am I correct in saying I’m just burning through di quickly because that is what it is? Not a big problem. Just felt like I should have been replacing other filters along the way.

 

[spsick]

We are now in the closed position.
View attachment 60343
And soft water is not a problem. I went a little overboard when I ordered my unit.
View attachment 60344

now my valve has always been closed. This half opened valve I did today just to see if I could slow down the rate of waste water going down drain with out compromising my clean water. Am I correct in saying I’m just burning through di quickly because that is what it is? Not a big problem. Just felt like I should have been replacing other filters along the way.

Oh ok I misunderstood then I thought you always had the valve open.

So softeners are just a different form of big ion exchange beds like our DI. Your DI could be working overtime on the sodium ions left from the softeners. Either way you’ll benefit from the separate bed DI.

And you’re not wrong- you should be replacing carbon blocks and sediment filter way more often than DI resin so you’re likely overdue. Yours just aren’t looking scuzzy because the softener is taking out the stuff that discolors them.

Sorry for the long winded responses- it’s rare I get to talk about stuff I actually know about haha

 

[reef junkie]

Oh ok I misunderstood then I thought you always had the valve open.

So softeners are just a different form of big ion exchange beds like our DI. Your DI could be working overtime on the sodium ions left from the softeners. Either way you’ll benefit from the separate bed DI.

And you’re not wrong- you should be replacing carbon blocks and sediment filter way more often than DI resin so you’re likely overdue. Yours just aren’t looking scuzzy because the softener is taking out the stuff that discolors them.

Sorry for the long winded responses- it’s rare I get to talk about stuff I actually know about haha

Haha. This is great info. So appreciate all the feed back.