RO/DI...questions and warning to TWP users!

[thezookeeper]

Hi folks. I'm not one to talk negatively about a product (except Hagen test kits...) , but I've been using th Tap Water Purifier since beginning my newest reef in April. At first I had no problems. Then a few weeks back I began to have red slime issues that have increasingly gotten worse. I ALWAYS knew that I needed an RO/DI, but up until now did not have one. I DO now. And THANK GOD. I just set it up tonight and I do have a question about the unit in general, but first here is my observation. I ran water tonight first from my TWP, and noticed the water smelled foul. I used my TDS meter, it registered over 1300 ppm TDS! And the smell is awful! Of course I did not notice this until AFTER about a gallon of the water had been put into my system. Okay, maybe a half gallon. But STILL! Now you tell me. This cartridge on the TWP was not old. Has been stored correctly and was just used about 4 days ago. It, according to the color changing resin, is not exhausted! How horrible! I never realized until now just how unreliable this unit is. I testd my regular old tap water. ONLY 180 PPM. Now how does this unit, for lack of a better description, put all that crap in my water? This disturbs me greatly. I am not happy and have obviously found the major source of all my water problems. I will now be doing a major water change, but here's my Ro unit question...

1. How do you store the unit when not in use?
2. Exactly what is a "normal" PSI reading? Mine is within operating range, but it's only in the middle of the good range.
3. How much waste water do these really create as opposed to final product water? Is it anymore than 3 gallons?

I do want to say again that the unit I have, provided I'm using it right (I'm pretty sure I am), is fantastic. The end product reads 0 PPM TDS. It's the Oceanus 4 stage unit from www.aquaticreefsystems.com.

Sorry so long winded, but I wanted everyone who used this TWP to know the scary experience I've had with the unit. I can honestly say, I just will not ever use one again and will not recommend them. How can you trust a product that does something like that to your water?

TIA


Joanne

[addicted2fish]

I haven't used a TWP, but my understanding is that it is a mixed bed deionizer cartridge which is the same thing as stage 4 of a 4 stage RO/DI unit. The problem could be some kind of bacterial bloom inside the cartridge. I know this is a concern for industrial water treatment systems, and the resins are the same. Or, if you have treated a lot of water with it, a considerable quantity of junk can be bound up on the resins, but is subject to being displaced if some other entity with more affinity for the resin comes through in the water supply. Wouldn't normally expect that to be smelly though. Was the smell 'fishy', or something else?

Good luck,
Bill

[golfish]

Hi Joanne,
Don't worry too much about that nasty slime stuff it will go away. I have it in my tanks every now and then and I use nothing but RO\DI water. I'll give your ? a shot.

1- I store my unit in the grage next to the washer and dryer. Its always ready to go. I just have to turn on the water valve. I just let ALL the water go down the drain for the first minute or two.

2- I think mine runs about 30 PSI (the gage on the unit) If yours is in the middle of the "good range" then I would say that's perfict.

3- Rule of thumb is 1 gallon of good water and 4 gallons of bad. I'm sure this varys a little depending on tap water quality and the unit.

Mark

[thezookeeper]

Thanks Mark as always!

Concerning the smell of the water, it wasn't fishy, it was almost like a rotten egg smell! Horrible. I just can't fathom why a bacterial bloom would take place in that cartridge when it was just used a few days before and wasn't exhausted. But I guess anything is possible.


Joanne

[botp2k1]

Joanne, I think something was wrong with that TWP, "bad apple" perhaps. As far as RO units, you should keep them wet when not used, there really is no "normal" pressure, the common range recommended is 40-60 psi, I am sure you can be over or under, just not excessively, also the typical concentrate to permeate is ratio is 4:1.

[organicreefer]

like golfish my ro unit is in the garage next to the washer/dryer.i have a y on the cold faucet,onre to the washer one the the ro.this way when i need water,i just flip on the switch and put the waste hose in the washer(recycle;) )and wash my work close when its full .i generally get about a washer load by the time i fill up a five gallon bottle.