Dramad1 Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 So I had a water main break at my house. The regulator failed causing the pressure to increase and long story short, blew my piping up to my house. I got it all fixed but the guy told me the pressure going to the house was over 75psi and that it was to high, being my house is older. He made the repairs and also told me who ever installed the original regulator, installed the wrong one and this is why my pipes blew up. He dialed the pressure down to 60psi coming into my house. Water and shower works fine with no noticeable pressure loss, but now my spectra pure 90gpd system takes forever to make water. Before I could make 5gal in about 60min with the pressure being close to 90psi, now it takes almost 2 hours to make 5 gals with the pressure at 60psi. Long story short, I want to get a booster pump to increase my water production. I've never ran one before and need some suggestions for a good booster pump that can easily be installed with my ro/di unit. Also will adding the booster pump affect any of the pressure in my plumbing? Link to comment
lk250f Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Everyone always recommends the Aquatec 8800 for an RO/DI with the 50GPD or higher membrane. You will be installing it after the sediment filter and carbon block, but before the RO membrane. Which means that your plumbing will not see that high pressure. I do not have a need for one since my pressure is between 55-60psi and I have no issues with the slower production and my water is still super pure. But I hear it is super easy to connect. Good luck! Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Thanks for the quick reply. Would I need to get any special connectors or does the pump come with everything needed? Link to comment
lk250f Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Thanks for the quick reply. Would I need to get any special connectors or does the pump come with everything needed? You do have to make sure you get the power supply with it and make sure the connector size is the same as what you have now. BRS makes a nice kit that I saw that has a pressure switch and all the accessories included. Yours should have the 1/4" lines, but I am not exactly sure. There are options on eBay for Chinese copies, however I hear the Aquatec is the way to go. Link to comment
RK_tek Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 The aquatec 8800 has many variations for different connections. Get the one with 1/4" push connections(same as rodi). The pump has an Allen head screw on the pump head to adjust pressure. I run mine at 90psi and its takes 80 mins to make 5 gal(spectra pure 90gpd). You can run higher(AZDesertrat does) but you can blow up the housings. Mine is an aquatec 8841-2j03-B421. I run mine without any of the pressure switches and just plug it into a power strip to switch it on/off Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Awesome info, thanks a for helping me out Link to comment
jbb Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Check out the aquatic life smart buddie . It is a booster and does an auto flush each time you turn the water on. My pressure went from around 40 up to around 95. Super easy to install too Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Stick with the Aquatec, they are the oldest name in the business and have a proven track record. Most of the imported clones end up taking a dump and end up costing you much more. Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Thanks again everybody, really! Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 Everyone always recommends the Aquatec 8800 for an RO/DI with the 50GPD or higher membrane. You will be installing it after the sediment filter and carbon block, but before the RO membrane. Which means that your plumbing will not see that high pressure. I do not have a need for one since my pressure is between 55-60psi and I have no issues with the slower production and my water is still super pure. But I hear it is super easy to connect. Good luck! Few questions, You say to install booster pump after the sediment and carbon block filter. I just watched several vids showing them hooking it up off the intake water line and before the sediment and carbon block. I'm confused here. Is this to prefilled the water before going to the pump? Another question, I didn't get the auto shut off pressure switch, should I get one? Also when I'm not using my system, I just shut off the water supply, do I just unplug the booster pumps transformer when not in use or can I leave it plugged in. I apologize if these are dumb questions. Trying to understand the proper way to use this booster pump. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 With a manually operated booster plumb it like this: http://spectrapure.com/huds/NEW-MO-BPK.pdf If you are filling an ATO with a float valve plumb it like this: http://spectrapure.com/huds/BP_LLC.pdf If you are using the RO/DI for both reef use and drinking water as many users do, plumb it like this to keep the pressurized RO drinking water seperated from the reef DI: http://spectrapure.com/huds/NEW-BPK-PS-DI-DWK.pdf Spectrapure has all these diagrams and more on the website in the Hook Up Diagrams section. Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 I have the aqua tech 8800. Can I just get an inline prefilter Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted February 5, 2015 Share Posted February 5, 2015 Aquatec and others sell a small basket strainer but its not much of a particulate filter. I would just disconnect the 1/4" tubing between the carbon block and the RO inlet and insert the pump there so it is protected. Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 Okay will do, so it goes-->, water coming into --> sediment filter,--> carbon block, into--> booster pump inlet, then exit booster pump,-->into ro membrane,-->exit ro, into--> di filter, exit di --> to collection bucket. So do I leave the booster pump plugged in when not in use or do I unplug when done making water. Seems like a silly question but I don't know cause I never ran a booster pump before. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 The first diagram I linked to shows pulling the power when not in use. I have mine hooked to a ATO storage so it stays plugged in and automatically comes on and off. To do this you need an autoshutoff valve and float valve or solenoid and float swicthes which is what I use. Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 The first diagram I linked to shows pulling the power when not in use. I have mine hooked to a ATO storage so it stays plugged in and automatically comes on and off. To do this you need an autoshutoff valve and float valve or solenoid and float swicthes which is what I use. Thanks for the help Az, I spent a lot of time this evening browsing the Web and found a bunch of threads on various forums about hooking up the booster pump. I was just tripping a lil because I have seen several thread and videos where people were hooking it up before the sediment and carbon block. I understand that hooking it up after the sediment and carbon block is to help protect the pump. So I went ahead and purchased the auto shut off switch as well as the pressure switch and a few more jg fittings. I was looking at float switches but was unsure which one to get. I want to run two 44g brute cans, one on top of the other, with the bottom one being a mixing station and the top being an ro/di holding can, bulkhead fixed to bottom of can with ball valve to fill can underneath and a float mounted inside so I can just leave the system on. They had about a dozen different floats to chose from, just wasn't sure which one, I know I need one to accommodate a 1/4" od tube, but unsure of the mounting style of float I would need for the can. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 This is what I use to control my RO/DI and booster pump on and off: http://spectrapure.com/DOSING-TOP-OFF/FLOAT-SWITCH-CONTROL-RESERVOIR-FILL-SYSTEMS/Dual-Float-Solenoid-Valve-Controller-Assy-w-1-4in-Sol-Valve The floats are installed in a Rubbermaid 23 gallon recycling can set 12" apart so my ATO has to draw 11 measured gallons out or I have to fill at least 2 5G jugs or buckets for water changes before the RO/DI comes back on again. This minimizes the effects of TDS creep due to frequent cycling and the DI lasts much longer. I have seen way too many float valves fail to trust one myself plus you don't get the adjustable range like with two float switches and a solenoid so TDS creep becomes an issue with frequent starts and stops or short cycling. Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Looks sweet^^ but pricey! Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 At first glance it seems expensive but when you figure in two float switches, the solenoid valve, john guest fittings, check valve, 24v DC power supply, relay and all the wiring and prewired connectors to hook it up. Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 True, true. So you use the solenoid valve to boost pressure along with the booster pump and use the relay to hook the two mag float switches up? How would this set up control the booster pump? Do you hook it online with the solenoid? Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 I really like this set up but I don't need the drinking water part cause I don't have a storage bladder tank. By running his lines all over the house like that, is he losing x amount of pressure per t fitting? Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 When the stored RO/DI water level drops 12" and the bottom float switch opens it triggers the solenoid valve to open which lowers pressure on the autoshutoff valve (ASOV) and starts the RO/DI system. The storage fills until it reaches the upper float switch which raises and kills the power to the solenoid valve so it closes, pressure on the ASOV rises and it shuts the RO/DI off. Basically the same thing that happens with a float valve which drops, starts flow which lowers the pressure on the ASOV, starts the RO/DI until the float raises 1/2" or whatever its limited range is, stops the flow to the storage, builds up pressure on the ASOV and shuts off the RO/DI. The problem with float valves is they have vey little distance between ON and OFF so they short cycle and lead to huge TDS creep issues and short DI life. Just like using a 3-5 gallon drinking water pressure tank to make RO/DI which is a no no. Link to comment
Dramad1 Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 So when the lower float switch is triggered, you are making aprox 11 gal of new water before upper float switch is triggered, resulting in a longer water run saving the di filter by making a longer water run. So installing the booster pump after the sediment and carbon block and before the RO membrane, to use with the above kit would require a pump shut off switch as well as a pressure switch so the booster pump turns on when float switch is activated and a pressure switch to protect the pump from to much pressure caused by the solenoid activated by the float switch. Or am I over thinking it and would not require the extra booster pump shut off switch and pressure switch because that is already included in above kit. Sorry if these are dumb questions. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 The booster pump may require its own pressure switch for turning on and off automatically, but Spectrapure has this diagram on their site showing the SVC controller which appears to turn the booster on and off. If this is the controller included in the float switch and solenoid kit it would simplify things. I don't remember if mine has the extra pressure switch or not but you could ask Spectrapure that question or it may be in this owners manual from their website. http://spectrapure.com/manuals/LLC-MANUAL.pdf Link to comment
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