RO/DI help

[Ryantf]

I just purchased a booster pump to boost my water pressure through my 5 stage I purchased from Bulk Reef Supply. I just tried creating water today, initially it was fantastic before the pump I was getting no better than 8ppm, with the pump it went down to 5ppm.

I started filling my containers, when I came back the tds meter read 1.4ppm and it wouldn’t go down. I just changed the DI resin and the sediment filter before I started this because I wanted to get the best I could. I don’t have any extra carbon blockers so I can’t change them out. They were changed about 6 months ago or less. I swapped the resin containers to see if maybe I packed one wrong but still only down to 1.4ppm. When I turn the pump off to let it run with about 46psi it reads 18ppm.

Could the pump have caused some damage to something I can’t see? Those two canisters on the top I don’t know what they are or if I’m suppose to change then or not. I know I hear the water moving through it more than I use to and when I shut the main valve off to stop water flow before the psi would drop to 0 pretty quickly. Now when I remove the water source it slowly slowly drops down to 0.

You guys are awesome and have helped me out so many times before. I really hope you have an idea or two for me or some place I can look really need to do a water change lol.

[Mark Bianco]

What is the pressure after the booster pump before it enters the RODI unit. Most units come with instructions how to adjust. Your RODI unit has an optimum pressure range. the pump may need to be set accordingly. Without seeing a picture of what you are talking about "canisters on the top" I can only assume they are the Reverse Osmosis cartridges and they do have a maximum pressure rating.

Mark

[VoltzNSalt]

I have the same RODI unit as you. The 2 cartridges on the top are the RO membranes. They work better at higher pressure. I have a booster pump as well and I have 82-83 PSI going to my membranes and 0 TDS coming out of the DI.

Unless you make a very large amount of water, your canister filters should still be fine after only 6 months.

Have you backflushed your RO membranes recently? There is a valve by them that you can turn (I believe the BRS website has instructions on how to do this - they recommend that you do it everytime before you make water but I only do every month or so) then turn your water and pump on for a minute or 2 and this will flush your membranes. I would give this a try.

[Ryantf]

So I think I’m an idiot. The whole time I’ve had this system (10 months) I’ve been reading the TDS meter in th line 1 position, which is the water entering the resin. It would always be at 8. I just took apart everything to make sure nothing was seated wrong and no seals were obviously blown. I even swapped the two membranes on the top just to see. Put everything back together and let it flush for like 20 minutes put it back together and some thing.

Then I was looking at the lines going into the two resin containers and it clicked. Line 1 is water from the membrane, line 2 is water from the first stage to the second, and line 3 is the final product water. I swapped to line 2 and then line 3 and both read 0ppm. So I think I’m just an idiot. I really appreciate the help I didn’t even know there was a flush valve.

[VoltzNSalt]

No worries my friend...if you are anything like me, this won't be the last time you have one of these moments