New TDS meter

[ChrisCT]

Since my ro/di maker does not have one built in i figured i should get one to make sure the water im making is good.

 

First thing i tested when i got the unit 2 weeks ago was to check the water i was making, much to my suprise it was 000! So i tested the tap water (its city water) and got 112.

 

Ok now, i have been doing 5 day wc trying to help with the diatom outbreak, so i test the second batch of ro/di and again we get 000! (i also check the city water again for a baseline and this time its 91)

 

I keep a new gallon jug of Poland Spring Distilled water in my fish tank cabinet for morning top offs, so i figured just for the hell of it let me test it and i go 14! I was like WTF! I thought distilled water was pure? Ugh.

 

Also just refilled my 5 gallon bucket with ro/di and tested it prior to adding salt and got 3.

 

So my question is... should i stop using the distilled water for top offs? and is 3 unacceptable for ro/di?

 

(im getting a specturepure after the holidays)

[AZDesertRat]

Distilled water may not be 0 TDS, one of its drawbacks is some volatiles get trapped with the steam and recondensed with the treated water.

It will always be better than tap and usually better than RO only but not as good as a properly functioning RO/DI.

 

Where did you obtain the TDS reading of 3? If it was straight from the DI filter then it time for new resin. If it was from a storage container then you can be reading salt residue, dust, CO2 or any number of things which skew the reading.

[bdare]

Distilled water may not be 0 TDS, one of its drawbacks is some volatiles get trapped with the steam and recondensed with the treated water.

It will always be better than tap and usually better than RO only but not as good as a properly functioning RO/DI.

 

Where did you obtain the TDS reading of 3? If it was straight from the DI filter then it time for new resin. If it was from a storage container then you can be reading salt residue, dust, CO2 or any number of things which skew the reading.

+1 This man speaks the truth.