Cali-girl Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I have a 110gpd RO/Di unit, I was wondering if it would be ok to dump the waste water into the pool? Are the chemicals in the tap concentrated enough that it would be bad for a plastic above-ground pool liner? The tap is already heavy in minerals - we have to scrape the turtle tank a lot as we top-off with the tap. Don't want the liner to look the same way, I figured the chlorine would help a little.... Link to comment
Psychosis Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Now that is an interesting question. I doubt it would really impact the liner, but all of the waste elements are in higher concentrations, so I couldn't be 100% on that. People commonly use waste water to water their gardens, so it should be just fine in a pool. Only my opinion how ever, I can't back that up with facts. Link to comment
FiReBrEaThInGCuTtLeFiSh!XD Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 lucky, i want a pool....sry dnt know Link to comment
Cali-girl Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 Now that is an interesting question. I doubt it would really impact the liner, but all of the waste elements are in higher concentrations, so I couldn't be 100% on that. People commonly use waste water to water their gardens, so it should be just fine in a pool. Only my opinion how ever, I can't back that up with facts. i figured it wouldn't hurt us any more than the chlorine and pool chemicals do. Just thought maybe someone on here would know better ..... lucky, i want a pool....sry dnt know Parents got it at Walmart for less than $200 last summer.... Link to comment
Seiryoku Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 A lot of people drink the waste water, doubt it will damage the pool. Keep in mind, with most RO/DI systems, waste water has already gone through three filters before the membrane. It isn't "bad" waste water. Link to comment
cptbjorn Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 That's what I do with my body's waste water when I'm in a pool. So probably fine with RO waste as well lol. Link to comment
D3monic Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I assume the water would be very high in nitrates and phospates. With that said you may have one heck of a algae battle on your hands. Atleast in a pool you can use algaecides. Link to comment
driftsaru Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 A lot of people drink the waste water, doubt it will damage the pool. Keep in mind, with most RO/DI systems, waste water has already gone through three filters before the membrane. It isn't "bad" waste water. First I would like to say that I have plenty of experience installing and using these units. Secondly this statement is EXTREMELY incorrect, R/O systems waste water is REALLY BAD. It drains all the foreign contaminants, so you definitely wouldn't want to drink it. This is considered non-potable water, and should be drained. Everything that's filtered is carried away with it, this is why your R/O systems drains over 50 gallons of water to create 5 gallons of usable water. The reason has to deal with pressure in household lines not being sufficient enough, industrial systems have about 48%-50% efficiency. Pool filtration use Diatomaceous earth, a chalk like mineral, which will remove some but not all of these byproduct in R/O waste. You'd probably over load its working mass/life quickly if you dumped so much waste water in it over the span of a year. Keep in mind you'd want to hire a professional to Replace the D. earth in your filtration, seeing how its powder form can cause lung cancer from inhalation. So unless you'd like to swim in semi treated waste water, which is harmful, please just drain it. It seems like a huge waste but man has not yet discovered the correct and efficient way to vast devices, including R/O. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 The normal household RO membrane wastes 4 gallons for every 1 gallon of treated water produced, not 50 gallons for 5 made or 10 gallons for every 1 treated. In some situations like a drinking water system with a pressure tank the waste will be somewhat higher once pressure builds up in the pressure tank but thats not for the entire water making process just towards the end of the process. RO waste will be 20 to 25% higher in TDS than your tap water was originally. Remember I said 4 gallons of waste for every good gallon? It is concentrating the TDS in removed from that 1 good gallon into the 4 gallons of flush or waste water thus the 20-25% increase. If your tap water is healthy to begin with the waste should also be safe with the exception of higher TDS. It has been through a sediment or particulate and carbon filter so a very small amount of things will have been removed such as volatile organic chemicals and chlorine but not much else. Its not going to be high in nitrates, phosphates or anything else unless you had those things in high concentrations to begin with. I would not put it in my pool if the TDS is very high in your area, if you already fight scaling it wil be worse with the concentrated TDS. Best to use it on the lawn or flower beds. Link to comment
StevieT Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I assume the water would be very high in nitrates and phospates. With that said you may have one heck of a algae battle on your hands. Atleast in a pool you can use algaecides. yeah, it's called chlorine I say yes, you are going to fill it with a hose anyway from the same water supply to refill How big is this pool? Link to comment
Seiryoku Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Walls of text, BAM. I did a lot of research, and talked to a lot people with first had experience, on this issue. The water wont kill you. It has already gone through three filters (on my system) before it gets to the membrane, people always seem to overlook this. The waste water does have higher concentrations than straight tap, but it isn't deadly. Difference of opinions I guess. Link to comment
cptbjorn Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 First I would like to say that I have plenty of experience installing and using these units. Secondly this statement is EXTREMELY incorrect, R/O systems waste water is REALLY BAD. It drains all the foreign contaminants, so you definitely wouldn't want to drink it. This is considered non-potable water, and should be drained. Everything that's filtered is carried away with it, this is why your R/O systems drains over 50 gallons of water to create 5 gallons of usable water. The reason has to deal with pressure in household lines not being sufficient enough, industrial systems have about 48%-50% efficiency. Pool filtration use Diatomaceous earth, a chalk like mineral, which will remove some but not all of these byproduct in R/O waste. You'd probably over load its working mass/life quickly if you dumped so much waste water in it over the span of a year. Keep in mind you'd want to hire a professional to Replace the D. earth in your filtration, seeing how its powder form can cause lung cancer from inhalation. So unless you'd like to swim in semi treated waste water, which is harmful, please just drain it. It seems like a huge waste but man has not yet discovered the correct and efficient way to vast devices, including R/O. lol. You, sir, are dangerously misinformed. The world is not out to get you and give you cancer. Just gonna leave it at that. Also my 55-60 ppm TDS "semi treated waste water" is in fact better than your tap water by a factor of 5-10. If you know whats good for you you'd best move here to Seattle where the water is safe to drink No but seriously don't move here. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Can you ship some of your water to Phoenix? Our TDS runs between 700 and 1600, mine averages about 830 year round at home! Normal RO/DI filters don't last worth a hoot here. Link to comment
Seiryoku Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 Can you ship some of your water to Phoenix? Our TDS runs between 700 and 1600, mine averages about 830 year round at home! Normal RO/DI filters don't last worth a hoot here. O_O I thought my tap was bad at ~350. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I stopped in at Spectrapure yesterday to buy some replacement filters and they were telling me the tap water at their facility has been running close to 1600 lately. Makes it easy to test their systems for worst case scenario I guess! Link to comment
cptbjorn Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 I had always wondered why water was just as if not more expensive here in the "rainy state", then I tested my TDS when I was looking at RO units and thought my TDS meter was messed up due to consistent 45-50 ppm readings. Guess the money is going somewhere And everybody here drinks bottled water Link to comment
Cali-girl Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 I say yes, you are going to fill it with a hose anyway from the same water supply to refill How big is this pool? The pool is16ft x 40in 3754 gallons The concentration would make a bigger difference in this pool vs a built in regular size pool. Don't know what the reading is on the water in this area. My TDS meter is faulty. Link to comment
StevieT Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 You are going to fill your pool with RO waste only? This is not a small pool, I am a bit confused what you are trying to accomplish with this waste water in a timely mater to swim in it this year. Link to comment
StevieT Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 so say you waste 5 gallons per every gallon collected that is 550 gallons per day so that is 7 days to fill the pool granted you can store 770 gallons of RO to make this worth while. Or fill mosts with the hose on some with the RO if they are on at the same time..... Remember the pool has a filter and chemicals to break down solids in the water. Link to comment
Cali-girl Posted June 30, 2009 Author Share Posted June 30, 2009 You are going to fill your pool with RO waste only? This is not a small pool, I am a bit confused what you are trying to accomplish with this waste water in a timely mater to swim in it this year. sorry, this does seem a little confusing. The RO waste water would simply be to top-off right now - the pool is currently full of regular water straight out of the hose. But eventually over the course of time it would end up being all the waste water, right? so say you waste 5 gallons per every gallon collected that is 550 gallons per day so that is 7 days to fill the pool granted you can store 770 gallons of RO to make this worth while. Or fill mosts with the hose on some with the RO if they are on at the same time..... Remember the pool has a filter and chemicals to break down solids in the water. So in your opinion, the chemicals (ie: Chlorine) used in the pool as well as the filter would break down any minerals or deposits from the waste water. yes? so it shouldn't affect the pool liner. Link to comment
cptbjorn Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 If it is the liner you are worried about then using RO waste will not be an issue. With all the (MUCH harsher than RO waste) pool chemicals and the UV blasting the liner gets, a ~25% increase in the TDS is nothing. Link to comment
AZDesertRat Posted June 30, 2009 Share Posted June 30, 2009 A pool filter does nothing for TDS. It is a sediment filter as in suspended solids and particulates not dissolved solids. Chlorine is only a disinfectant not a filter. Keep in mid the TDS will build over time and get worse and worse. Pure water evaporates but the TDS stays behind and gets more and more concentrated. I would not do it myself and have never put anything like that in my pool. If you are in the LA area you are probably getting at least a portion of your water from the Colorado River and the TDS is already sky high if so. Call your water utility and ask what the hardness and TDS are before you do anything. Link to comment
Phixion Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 Just for argument sake, I wonder how RO waste would compare to Cali rainwater... You know, acid rain. Anyways, knowing where you live now Annie, I know for fact your water comes from the California Aquaduct, so I dunno how it compares TDS and hardness wise to traditional MWD/Colorado River sourced water. But I can't really imagine RO waste being much worse than rainwater considering even tap water is filtered to a degree and rain water IS NOT. Just some food for thought here. Link to comment
StevieT Posted July 1, 2009 Share Posted July 1, 2009 sorry, this does seem a little confusing. The RO waste water would simply be to top-off right now - the pool is currently full of regular water straight out of the hose. But eventually over the course of time it would end up being all the waste water, right? I guess it depends on your rain fall. Here in Wisconsin/midwest do we rarely actually have to top off our pools. Rain water usually does that for us. Personally I think you are overthinking this TDS thing and pools. These are not fish tanks. Newer filters on larger pools use minerals and metals to reduce the consumption of chlorine. Inputing TDS into the water. Overall a pool is a huge collection base for rain water, waste. How many water changes on the pool do you do? Only at the end of the year here when you drain it down half way or so for ice expansion. The water in your pool should be moving around. Filter on 6 hrs, off 6 on 6 etc. Plus splashing from use. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.