RODI upgrade...

Discussion in 'Equipment' started by LJC6780, May 5, 2017.

  1. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    Let me just say that upgrading my 75gph single DI unit to a 150gph (double 75 membranes) and double DI unit is TOTALLY worth it! The amount of clean water produced compared to waste water is ridiculous! I was filling a small brute can of waste to a 5 gallon jug of clean before and now my clean water is more than the waste!

    So for those interested in what I did here is the breakdown.

    I had a unit that had
    Sediment filter
    Carbon block
    Finer carbon block
    RO 75 gph
    And a single DI canister

    I used the RO unit I won in the raffle along with a couple of parts from BRS to do the upgrade. I ordered a DI internal canister (the thing that holds the resin), a bag of resin, a couple valves and a 75 gph RO membrane (both RO have to match). I routed the water in as usual (in my case, through a pump first) into the sediment and carbon blocks and up to the first RO. From here I took the waste water and routed it over to the second RO inlet. Then took both clean lines and T'd them together and ran into the DI unit. I also made sure to have check valves on both clean lines to prevent one line backing up the other since they were being joined. From here it goes through both canisters and out to the clean container. The waste line from the second RO is the waste line.

    Some may say this isn't necessary but in doing some research, it can help with phosphate and chloramine removal. I don't think our city uses chloramines but I know I have phosphates in the water. Albeit I didn't test for phosphates before I upgraded, but my main concern was reducing waste water. And it has definitely done that as well as pumping out water at least twice as fast if not more! I'm going to have to rethink the idea of putting the waste water in the larger bin with the auto shut off and move it to the clean water bin! This makes me happy!

    So I also moved the TDS In line to right after the pump because I wanted to see what our home filter was doing and the Out line is after everything. Earlier when I checked the In was 60 and Out was 0 but just now the In was 48 and the Out 0. I'll be moving it back to before the DI stage to keep an eye on the RO membrane output.

    Took me a minute to plan it all out in my head but I think I got it!

    IMG_1249.JPG IMG_1251.JPG IMG_1252.JPG IMG_1250.JPG
     
    Last edited: May 6, 2017
    SilentReefer and huntindoc like this.
  2. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    @Jjordon and @shawn13c here is my upgrade.

    The clean water will go into a large brute van with a pipe at the bottom for filling buckets and a pump to transfer water to the next bin. The smaller bin will be for mixing salt. It has a pipe for filling buckets too. Waste water will go to another brute for watering plants. Not sure if I'm going to use a pump to fill buckets or just attach a hose.
     
    SilentReefer likes this.
  3. Well done!
     
    LJC6780 likes this.
  4. Now come to my house and see what improvements you can make. :D
     
    LJC6780 likes this.
  5. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    @Brian here is my rodi system and I'll see if I can find the water change station thread.
     
  6. Brian

    Brian Blenny

    Very cool, refiltering the waste water to see if any of it can be salvaged. Since it is water from the first stage, do you get the same gph running it through the second stage? Would not the input TDS/volume be higher than the original water from the house, since it was discarded from the first stage? Do you use the pump before your first stage due to your home water pressure being below a certain level? I did not quite understand what you meant about the waste water and the bucket, is this the waste water from the second stage? Why not just put it down the drain instead of putting it in a bucket? And finally..... how do you flush the membranes now? I am sure you down want to send that waste water to the input of the second stage. I am just being curious. BTW, what was your TDS before adding the adding the second stage? I would think a potential problem would be if the pressure from either stage is higher than the other, especially since the input of the second stage is waste from the first, the check valve on the output of the lower pressure stage is not going to be able to open.
     
    LJC6780 likes this.
  7. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    Well, the membranes have to be the same gph rating. I essentially rigged the free RO unit like the BRS upgrade kit. Yes, the waste from the first RO goes to the input of the second. I collect final waste water because 1, it's in my garage and there is no drain and 2, I use it to water the plants. I've read differing opinions on flushing. I just have the 1 flush valve so really not sure about all that. My beginning TDS I think is around 46 (after carbon blocks and before first RO) then about 3 going into the DI. I don't have another line to put before the second one to test the "waste" going in but I guess I could move the one line to see what it is ... and yes, I would think it would be higher since more water has been removed.

    That was a little all over the place. Did I answer everything?

    Oh and the pump is before it hits any filters. It's straight off the input from the hose. I also use a drinking water approved water hose to cut down on contaminates.
     
  8. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    now thinking about the flushing. The current setup is exactly what it was originally where the line splits, goes through the pressure regulator and the ball valve then rejoins. I guess I could just split off the flush line to an open line I could run to a bucket instead of routing it back in.
     
  9. Brian

    Brian Blenny

    I think you should definitely do this... When you change the membrane and flush, the powders in the new filters and membrane would end up in your second filter... You need a three way valve after the flush valve
     
  10. Brian

    Brian Blenny

    Just a guess here, I would think your second membrane will not last as long as the first... I don't know how you could test for that, but if your total output drops, I would start with second unit first
     
    LJC6780 likes this.
  11. Brian

    Brian Blenny


    I agree here... The problem is that the rating is not always going to be the output gph... That would only kind of true if the input pressures were the same, being there is no way to predict the pressure or rate of the waste water, that would be a tough cookie
     
  12. Brian

    Brian Blenny


    Are you using rv water hoses?? Where have you found adapters to connect them in
     
  13. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    Oh yeah, when I added the second one and flushed, I had it separate from the rest of the system so I didn't waste other media.
     
  14. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    Probably ... since it's getting "dirtier" water. I could always move the TDS line around to test different areas.
     
  15. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    I'm just going by what I've read for upgrading your system. Both membranes are supposed to be rated the same. I also installed check valves on both outputs so one couldn't out power the other one and push back.
     
  16. LJC6780

    LJC6780 Grouper

    No, it's one we found at Walmart that said it was drinking water safe. It was a soft hose back in the garden section. And my unit already had an adapter on the in line. Not sure where to get one. BRS may carry them.
     

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