Eisernes Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I have read that the di resin should go after the ro membrane and mine was not like that. It was time to replace my membrane and resin so I figured while I had it apart I would re plumb the whole thing. I also decided to add a saddle valve for the water and waste to replace my ghetto faucet adapter. Installation went well but I'm only getting a trickle of good water coming out. It's literally a fast drip. I believe the small opening on the saddle valve it restricting the flow too much. I'm guessing this is a volume problem and not a pressure problem. Would a booster pump do me any good or do I need to find a better permanent solution? Link to comment
seabass Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Sounds like it's working the way it should. It will take longer to make water, the colder it is. What's the waste water ratio? Do you know what the water pressure is? If it's low, then a booster pump will help. Link to comment
Eisernes Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 I don't know what the ratio or the pressure is. I do know that if I hook it to the faucet the pressure is fine and the output is fine. I saw some double angle stops online that use compression instead of soldering to attach to the copper line so I think I'm going to try that this weekend. Problem though is I don't think it's a 1/2" copper line under the sink. I think it's 3/8". I might have to get creative with it. Link to comment
jamescstein Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 My RO/DI is hooked up to a 1/4" line and flows very well. Its all a matter of pressure. If you don't have a pressure gauge on your unit get one you can hook up to it at least to find out what pressure you have where the RO/DI is hooked up. As for the saddle valve you really don't want one. In fact in most places they are a code violation. I just spent weeks trying to get a leak free tap for mine and wound up calling a plumber. None of the compression/gator fittings worked without leaking. I've got a regulator on mine as my house pressure is anywhere from 90-110 depending on what is running elsewhere. Link to comment
seabass Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I like to use these John Guest stop valves: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/john-guest-angle-stop-valve.html They attach just after the cold water shutoff valve under the sink. They don't pierce (or permanently change) the plumbing. If your saddle valve isn't leaking, I'd leave it alone (or you'll end up having to repair that pipe). Link to comment
Eisernes Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 I don't have a shut off valve under the sink. It's in the basement. And I think it's 3/8" copper. I'm thinking I might just have to pull out the old torch and solder something together. Actually I think that might be the ticket seabass. The hose from the cold side is hooked to an adapter under the sink and I'm pretty sure it would have to be that same size. That stuff is pretty standard. Link to comment
buckeyereefer Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 I don't have a shut off valve under the sink. It's in the basement. And I think it's 3/8" copper. I'm thinking I might just have to pull out the old torch and solder something together. Actually I think that might be the ticket seabass. The hose from the cold side is hooked to an adapter under the sink and I'm pretty sure it would have to be that same size. That stuff is pretty standard. sounds like you have a good plan here. but....FYI on the saddle valve's...if you hook a booster pump up a saddle valve will not suffice. is what my retailer told me. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 RO/DI will only be a drip to a trickle, remember it takes a full 24 hours to produce the rated GPD under perfect conditions. Colder water during winter months or lower than 50-60 psi will reduce the flow significantly. It doesn't matter if it is hooked to a garden hose, copper line or sink faucet, the GPD will be the same. Do you have any photos? What RO membrane, filters and DI cartridge or resin did you order? In what order are each component installed? What is your water pressure and water temperature? What is your tap water TDS and is it softened water or hard water? Have you measured youe exact waste ratio to ensure the membrane is getting the proper flushing without sending too much or too little to waste? Easy to do with a measuring cup and a clock or watch for exactly one minute, first from the waste line then from the treated line. You need all of the above to know what you can expect out of your system Link to comment
Eisernes Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 By trickle I meant a drop every 5 seconds or so. If I switch it back to the faucet adapter it's runs like it should. I will get a picture tomorrow when I get off work. Membrane is a Dow 100 gpd. I forget the name of the DI resin I got but it might be on the receipt. I don't know our home pressure but if I turn on the kitchen sink full blast it splashes out. Temp is cold enough to cause pain. Tap tds is 100 and not softened. I will have to measure for the ratio this weekend. I ordered that valve from BRS. That should fix it up. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Saddle valves sometimes do not pierce the existing plumbing well so make sure you run it all the way in until it will not turn any further then back the needle all the way out so it is fully open. I never have liked them but did use one for the first 6 or 8 years. The Dow 100 is the worst possible choice there is for a membrane. It is only 90% rejection rate versus the 25, 50 and 75 which are 96-98%. For every 2% increase in efficiency you double the life of your DI resin so a 75 would make your DI last 8 to 16 times longer than with the 100 GPD. The 100 really isn't even considered a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane but is termed a nano filter (NF) and is not rated for drinking water use according to the ANSI/NSF. Sorry, wish you had researched before buying, there are lots of threads and posts about this membrane and any knowledgable vendor will try and talk you out of it for reef use. Your TDS is low enough you will still get decent service out of it but not as good as it could be. Link to comment
Eisernes Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Saddle valves sometimes do not pierce the existing plumbing well so make sure you run it all the way in until it will not turn any further then back the needle all the way out so it is fully open. I never have liked them but did use one for the first 6 or 8 years. The Dow 100 is the worst possible choice there is for a membrane. It is only 90% rejection rate versus the 25, 50 and 75 which are 96-98%. For every 2% increase in efficiency you double the life of your DI resin so a 75 would make your DI last 8 to 16 times longer than with the 100 GPD. The 100 really isn't even considered a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane but is termed a nano filter (NF) and is not rated for drinking water use according to the ANSI/NSF. Sorry, wish you had researched before buying, there are lots of threads and posts about this membrane and any knowledgable vendor will try and talk you out of it for reef use. Your TDS is low enough you will still get decent service out of it but not as good as it could be. Mine is rejecting 98%. I have 2 tds going into the di canister. That's exactly what they claim so I'm happy with it. Link to comment
seabass Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 The Dow 100 is the worst possible choice there is for a membrane. It is only 90% rejection rate versus the 25, 50 and 75 which are 96-98%.This used to be true. However, recently they've change this: http://www.dow.com/news/press-releases/article/?id=6205 Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 IF it is the HR version but you don't often see the new version. Most vendors still sell the cheaper standard 1812 version which is not as efficient and not as desirable for our needs. Be very very careful when buying a 100 GPD system. Link to comment
jamescstein Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 I like to use these John Guest stop valves: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/john-guest-angle-stop-valve.html They attach just after the cold water shutoff valve under the sink. They don't pierce (or permanently change) the plumbing. If your saddle valve isn't leaking, I'd leave it alone (or you'll end up having to repair that pipe). Boy I wish I had seen this before I went through the pain of trying to tap my 1/4" copper line. Tried saddle.. leaked. Tried soldering.. leaked. Tried gator fittings.. leaked. Called a plumber and he soldered it. This would have been so much easier. Link to comment
reog3 Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Just our of curiosity...does the RO/DI take care of anything that the copper pipe might introduce? I have always read that copper is a no no. Bob Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Yes it does. Copper before the RO membrane is fine but never after the RO stage and especially not after DI. Link to comment
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