Need booster pump for RODI?

[Bldgengineer]

Just out of curiosity, how fast should an RODI system fill a 5 gallon bucket? Mine is taking a couple of hours and I’m wondering if I should get a booster pump for it? 

[Jaren45]

what unit? if its an robuddy or something like that at 50gph it definitely will take a few hours to fill a bucket.

[DaJMasta]

That depends on the rating of the system, and in the winter months the output will go down as it's optimal efficiency point is pretty close to room temperature.  Two hours to fill would mean 60GPD or so worth of output, so if your system was rated for a nominal 50-75GPD, this is probably about expected performance.  To check the need for a booster pump, you really just want to know the input pressure, and a gauge isn't too expensive.

[DevilDuck]

On my RO Buddy 50gpd it takes about 2 hours to fill a 5 gallon container. A booster pump will help with efficiency but not as much with speed. If you need it to make more faster go with a larger rodi unit with greater gph rating.

[Bldgengineer]

It’s rated for 75gpd

 

https://airwaterice.com/reefkeepers-rodi/typhoon-5-stage-rodi-reefkeeper.html

[Jakesaw]

1 hour ago, Bldgengineer said:

Just out of curiosity, how fast should an RODI system fill a 5 gallon bucket? Mine is taking a couple of hours and I’m wondering if I should get a booster pump for it? 

Mine takes about 2 - 2 1/2 hours for 5 gallon jug ( usually overflowing a bit when I check it ) depending on seasonal water temp.  I'm only 1 yr into hobby, but think it was slower last winter.

 

I'm pretty sure I've got a 75 GPD RO/DI

[Bldgengineer]

Sounds like I’m normal then. Thanks guys!

[mcarroll]

 

On 12/23/2021 at 10:39 AM, Bldgengineer said:

It’s rated for 75gpd

 

https://airwaterice.com/reefkeepers-rodi/typhoon-5-stage-rodi-reefkeeper.html

75 gpd =

 

75 gallons / 24 hours =

 

3 gallons per hour under ideal conditions.

 

As noted in another comment, cold water is more dense and will take longer to penetrate the RO membrane.

 

Do you have a replacement flow limiter?  In the winter you generally have to change the restrictor (or adjust the valve if you have the setup I have) to lower the output.  This keeps the waste:product ratio correct (4:1) so your TDS stays low and membrane life is preserved, etc.

 

I don't see the valve I use listed anywhere now, but you can probably swap your 75 gpd restrictor for a 50 gpd model and get the waste ratio correction you need.

 

Measure and time your flow on the waste line AND the product line to measure your actual GPD.   Wait until the unit has been running for at least a few minutes (longer is better) before you measure.