RODI Plumbing Help!

[davy jones]

Hey guys, I know literally nothing about plumbing. Infact it frightens me. lolol But i am very good at following instructions. So here we go!

 

 

This is under my sink, as you can see it has a garbage disposal as well.

 

I currently have this

Coralife Pure Flo II Reverse Osmosis 3 Canister System

Yes, i know its a shitty one.. I plan on getting a better one IF i can find a way to hook it up in my apartment! (also looking for advice on a good unit in the 150-200 range THAT DOESNT LEAK (Very important as the current one does..))

 

Any help from you guys would be great!

[jamescstein]

Uncrew the cold water line going to the sink and put one of these there..

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YKF2JC?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

 

RO input goes off that.

As for the waste line, I don't have my waste line plumbed. Its just connected to a suction cup and a long hose. Hose gets put up in my sink when I am running the RO/DI.

[davy jones]

So essentially im unscrewing one of the 2 hoses shown in the picture (cold water), then screwing this in place, then screwing the hose to the sink back in. From there the rodi can connect to the section on the side? Mine only has a stupid garden hose connector to connect the feed line to.. do other rodi systems have a connector that works with the output on the side of the adapter you linked or what do i need?

[jamescstein]

So essentially im unscrewing one of the 2 hoses shown in the picture (cold water), then screwing this in place, then screwing the hose to the sink back in. From there the rodi can connect to the section on the side?

 

Yes. You have 3 supplies there in that picture. 1 to the dishwasher will be hot water most likely. 1 to the sink, probably on the left, will be hot and the one on the right would likely be the cold water. Try turning the valve off, which you'll need to do anyway to disconnect the hose to the sink, and you can see which one is hot and which is cold You could also just trace the hose to the sink valve.

 

Mine only has a stupid garden hose connector to connect the feed line to.. do other rodi systems have a connector that works with the output on the side of the adapter you linked or what do i need?

 

That hose connector is connected to tubing via a john guest speed fit fitting, same as the one on the valve above. Push the ring in towards the hose fitting, away from the tube and the tube should slide out.

 

That said, based on the picture I see for the RO/DI that thing might have a 3/8" supply tube and not a 1/4". In which case you would want http://www.amazon.com/Speedfit-ASVPP2LF-8-Inch-Angle-Valve/dp/B003YKF2JM/ref=pd_sim_60_4?ie=UTF8&dpID=417zHFRu--L&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR135%2C160_&refRID=1XR14R4DMWE66B7GZ6SM instead.

 

Does your unit have 2 different sized tubes on it?

 

You also said this one leaks.. where is it leaking?

[davy jones]

It is leaking out of basically all of the hose connections to the unit itself. So i plan on buying something like a spectrapure or brs rodi system. But i didnt want to buy anything until i knew i could plumb it in without too much hassle

[bob115]

If you're not feeling up to messing with the plumbing, you can get an aerator to garden hose adapter for like $5 at the hardware store and take out the aerator and put the adapter in when you're making water. Its what I do in my apartment. The less I mess with their stuff the better in my opinion.

[Sancho]

It is leaking out of basically all of the hose connections to the unit itself. So i plan on buying something like a spectrapure or brs rodi system. But i didnt want to buy anything until i knew i could plumb it in without too much hassle

If put together correctly it should not leak unless the fittings and housings are cracked. You may need use some Teflon tape and or just tighten the leaking fittings a bit.

[jamescstein]

It is leaking out of basically all of the hose connections to the unit itself. So i plan on buying something like a spectrapure or brs rodi system. But i didnt want to buy anything until i knew i could plumb it in without too much hassle

 

 

Is it leaking where the colored tubing connects to the fitting or where the fitting screws into the housings? Neither *should* be leaking but either should be an easy fix.

 

Don't get me wrong, Spectra Pure makes awesome RO/DI units, but there isn't anything inherently wrong with the brand you have.

[davy jones]

Where the fittings attach to the unit is where it leaks from, after reading reviews there are a lot of people who have this issue.

[Sancho]

It looks like the used both John Guest push fittings and compression fittings on that unit. If it is leaking where the tubing goes into the fittings check and make sure your tubes are cut clean and straight. After you made sure they are cut properly push the tube in all the way and give a tug. You can pick up locking clips at the home depot to ensure they stay put. The push fittings should not leak. The compression fittings should have a ferrule or tube insert. Although some dont. Make sure the ferrule is not split. Personally I dont care for the compression fittings on RO units. If it is leaking at the unit try to tighten it a bit. If it were my unit I would unscrew all the fittings from the unit wrap the threads in teflon and re assemble it. I have seen some cheaper units shipped without any teflon tape on the threads and they end up leaking. You can make the unit you have work well and not leak for less then $15 and maybe 30-60 mins of your time. Everything you need is available at the Home Depot.

Here is an example of a compression fitting.

[AZDesertRat]

Your plumbing is unique in that the wall valves and supply hoses are one piece plastic fittings with the hoses crimped on. Normally you would shiut off the valve, unscrew the cold water supply line (on the right side by the electrical outlet) and install a feed water adapter then reinstall the cold water hose to it. The RO would install on the feed water adapter.

 

In your case since the hoses are one piece you probably need to unscrew the cold water supply hose at the faucet end and install a tee and possibly a short piece of supply line to match back up with the existing connection to the faucet. Its probably 3/8" or 1/2" pipe thread I would imagine. Look under the sink to see how that cold wate rsupply hose hooks to the faucet, the feed water adapter may fit right in?

 

I would take some pics of your arrangement including how the line attaches to the faucet to a True Value, Ace or similar hardware store or a plumbing supply house and have them match it up for you. It will still be inexpensive and simple, just a little more complicated than being able to install the feed water adapter on the wall valve.

http://spectrapure.com/PARTS-SUPPLIES/FEED-DRAIN-ADAPTERS/Feed-water-adapter-1-2in-male-x-1-2in-female-x-1-4in-tubing

[Sunstar]

It is leaking out of basically all of the hose connections to the unit itself. So i plan on buying something like a spectrapure or brs rodi system. But i didnt want to buy anything until i knew i could plumb it in without too much hassle

I just set one up. Insert the hoses as far as it can go into the connectors. you'll feel resistance before it goes in. then tug on it, it should remain clasped. Add the clip back. If it leaks from the screw joints then you need to use at least 7 layers of teflon tape. (its white, its thin, its not sticky) Because when I did this, I did not have enough teflon tape and it leaked. a bit more and off it went. and when I got a face full of water, I had an issue with hose not being pushed in correctly.

 

Just ensure if you plumb it in, to have the drain water above the water trap - or else sewer gas is your friend.

[davy jones]

I will try to get more photos tonight! as well as close ups to all the inlets and outlets

[AZDesertRat]

The two most important things with John Guest style quick connections is cut the tube squarely with a new sharp razor blade and not scissors or diagonal pliers which egg shape it and as Sunstar said, insert it fully in the fitting then tug on it to seat it.

[jamescstein]

Your plumbing is unique in that the wall valves and supply hoses are one piece plastic fittings with the hoses crimped on. Normally you would shiut off the valve, unscrew the cold water supply line (on the right side by the electrical outlet) and install a feed water adapter then reinstall the cold water hose to it. The RO would install on the feed water adapter.

 

 

Good catch there.. I didn't even notice that.

[davy jones]

 

 

 

 

Took apart the faucet and I found this! But it appears to be much smaller than a standard garden hose adapter. Any help on what I actually need?

[AZDesertRat]

You need a faucet adapter found at any hardware store including Lowes, HD, Ace and True Value. About $6-10. Personally I don't like faucet adapters since they tie the faucet up for hours and hours on end when a feed water adapter or garden hose wye on the washing machine cold water supply doesn't interrupt the faucet usage.

[davy jones]

The connections to the sink, and the second picture is the connection from the washer

[AZDesertRat]

Simple, get a garden hose wye like this and install it on the washing machine cold water supply, problem solved for about $8.

http://www.amazon.com/Orbit-58248-Y-Connector-Shut-Off-Valves/dp/B000YDVRH8​

[davy jones]

Since you obviously know your stuff pretty well can you explain to me why the spectra pure unit is better/will save money over the BRS unit? Right now i have 2 of each im looking at

http://spectrapure.com/RO-RODI/RODI-SYSTEMS/Chloramine-Removal-90-GPD-RO-DI-System

$230
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-6-stage-universal-water-saver-plus-ro-di-system-150gpd.html
$230
http://spectrapure.com/RO-RODI/RODI-SYSTEMS/Refurbished-90-GPD-RODI-System
$125
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-4-stage-value-plus-ro-di-system-75gpd-1.html
$140.

 

 

As stated earlier my PSI should be between 50-75psi (brand new building and the city states that water pressure is ~65 psi +/-10)

They absolutely use Chloromines in the water.

TDS is probably gonna be 200+ from the tap, they get water from the mississippi river which is not clean by any means.

 

With this information and the units listed above how long should i expect (roughly) for all the filters to last? I understand on the 4 stage there are 2 prefilters, 1 membrane and 1 di resin chamber?

[Sunstar]

Oh and de-pressurise if you pull a tube out. I literally got a facefull of water.

[AZDesertRat]

Spectrapure systems work better, last longer and save you money for several reasons. They explain it all in the FAQ section of their site but to sum it up it is their use of higher quality, low micron absolute or near absolute sediment filters which protect the billions of microscopic pores in the carbon block so it in turn protects the membrane. Their membranes are specially treated with a proprietary process, proven to increase their performance then either batch tested or individually hand tested and guaranteed 99% rejection in the case of their select series. This in turn better protects their custom in house blended reef specific DI resin so it lasts even longer and works better. They provide an inline pressure gauge for troubleshooting condition even on their basic systems and all their systems use the much better capillary tube flow restrictor you the end user trim for the exact waste ratio for your unique water conditions. Everything is thought out from start to finish so it is only the best.

[davy jones]

So which model do I need?

[braaap]

So which model do I need?

 

Get the 90GPD refurb unit and never look back. Great unit. Shipping is the killer though as it tacks on another $20 or $25.

[AZDesertRat]

The refurbished system fits most reefers needs perfectly.