R/O units

[georgedv]

I read ten threads in this forum regarding r/o units. Sounds quite complicated!! However, I believe if I get one it will simplify some of my water quality problems.

How do I decide what to buy. The threads mention, water pressure, setting up plumbing, 4-stage units, membranes for chlorinated water vs non-chlorinated water....my head is dizzy.

I am serious about getting a good unit, but I don't want to buy features that have no benefits for my dwarfs.

I will need one that can produce quite a bit of r/o water as the number of tanks I have keep growing...( just wake up every so often and BOOM I have another tank). Hopefully a unit that is simple to set up and be able to find replacement parts easily in the USA.

I have read enough to understand what a r/o unit does and how it does it...but I have never seen one or had any experience to be able to sort thru all the many brands a make a wise choice. Everything else I can learn.

If any one can share their good/bad experiences...



thanks

g

 

[apisto-nut]

I have an older unit , good one , but lots of wasted water .

I'll be getting a new one and my biggest concern will be waste water out flow .

 

[ed seeley]

I can't help you a US source but as to what size and type to get and a few tips maybe I can! :biggrin:

I have a 50 gpd 3 stage unit (the 4th stage is a deioinising resin that produces very pure water, but, IMHO, you don't need such purity for Apistos and other soft water fish). Here is a link to the source in the UK to show you the kind of thing. RO Man 50gpd 3 stage unit

Setting up was a piece of cake. You just need to follow the instructions to assemble the unit, and the feed from the mains screwed into the Copper water pipe. The product water (that you want) goes to a container (see below) and the waste water needs either saving for use where the hardness/nutrient levels don't matter (see below) or running to waste (not a great use of water). Unless you've got crummy water pressure you should be fine, but you might not get as much product water if the pressure's a bit lower. If your pressure's really bad then you might need a booster pump.

Basically the prefilter removes sediment in the tap water, then the Carbon removes Chlorine and Chloramine and some other things too and then finally the RO membrane removes 97-99% of everything else!

One thing I would do is get an automatic shut off kit and a water barrel and have the RO unit fill that. By simply fitting a tap near the bottom of the barrel I can take over 80 litres in one day from the barrel and the RO unit then slowly refills the barrel over the next day and I can take another barrel load out the next day if I want too! The Auto shut off kit means that when the barrel is full no water is used at all and this saves wastage and spilling water because you left the unit on and overfilled a container!

As I only usually need the water each weekend I just need a system that will give me enough water once a week so could probably use a smaller unit really with this size barrel (100 litres). If I needed more water at one time, I'd need a bigger barrel, not a bigger unit. Only if I needed more than 50 gallons each day would I need a bigger RO unit and that's a lot of water!

As to the waste water, I have a koi pond outside so I have run the waste pipe under the patio and out to the pond where it slowly fills up whenever the RO is working. The water is already carbon filtered and only slightly harder than tap water and the koi don't mind that with my tap water.

Now I've got it set up it's user friendly and dead easy for me to have water exactly how I want it in my tanks and my fish thrive. I wouldn't be without one.

 

[georgedv]

Thanks ed! I read your advice when beleg (and others) had asked for advice about r/o units...this RO MAN must be pretty good. I will see if they have product here in the USA.

Do I need to get anything else other then the unit to be ready to go or do i need to get other kits? What information do I need on hand or ask to make sure I am not missing parts ( as in "parts sold seperatly").

Cut off valves are not included, OK....do these sell according to hookup size, amount of water they let through, capacity limit I am shooting for..etc..

As you can see I am not very mechanically inclined...but I can learn...heck I have driven during rush hour in the streets of Athens, Rome and Paris...I can do anything!!!

 

[ed seeley]

Thanks ed! I read your advice when beleg (and others) had asked for advice about r/o units...this RO MAN must be pretty good. I will see if they have product here in the USA.

Do I need to get anything else other then the unit to be ready to go or do i need to get other kits? What information do I need on hand or ask to make sure I am not missing parts ( as in "parts sold seperatly").

Cut off valves are not included, OK....do these sell according to hookup size, amount of water they let through, capacity limit I am shooting for..etc..

As you can see I am not very mechanically inclined...but I can learn...heck I have driven during rush hour in the streets of Athens, Rome and Paris...I can do anything!!!

RO man are good IMO, but basically it's because they source all their stuff from the states and sell it over here at good prices, rather than the rip-offs we are usually subjected to, as well as giving great advice when needed. You will be able to find all the stuff over there for way less I'm sure.

If you have to buy everything separately then there is a list of what the RO man 50gpd unit contains on the link I posted so that should sort that out. As to the Auto shut off kit there's only one 'size' with the standard tubing and it's just two parts - a shut off float that goes in your barrel and then pressure valve that is plumbed into the tubing. It's dead easy to fit once you get the stuff and see what's what.

The only other things I have added to my basic kit are an inline TDS meter to monitor the water being produced and a ball valve on the inlet to easily shut off the feed to the RO quickly. I wouldn't bother with the TDS meter unless you want to, but I would add the ball valve as it just makes shutting everything off dead easy without disturbing the attachment to the copper piping.

I'll add links to their website so you can see what I'm talking about.

Auto shut off kit

1/4" Ball Valve

All the pieces simply screw or shove together and from knowing nothing I had the unit fitted to the garage wall and running in no time at all - you'll be fine!

 

[tjudy]

All of my RO equipment is from SpectraPure (www.spectrapure.com). I have been using their stuff since 1987, and have never had a problem. I even had a membrane last for six year of regular use. I am on my fourth unit from SpectraPure, but the only reason I changed was to get higher volumes. I now use a 90 GPD unit, and I am soon going to piggyback another 90 GPD membrane onto the filter to get 180 GPD.

There are MANY people selling RO equipment. I chose SpectraPure in 1987 because they were the only company specifically marketting to the aquarium hobbyist, and they still develop porduct with the hobbyist in mind. Plus... and this the the kicker... I trust that SpectraPure will be around when I need support.