TDS

waltmag41

New Member
Hi all......I am in the process of filling my 60 gal FOWLR and I made the newbie mistake of assuming the my new RO/DI system (AquaFX Barracuda 100gal/day) was producing water with no TDS. I have about 25 gallons in the tank and the resin in the DI filter has almost completely changed from black to orange. I stopped adding water and got a TDS meter....low and behold, getting readings of 10-15 ppm. We use well water here and I know that's not best case scenario but I figured the filter could handle it. My question is can you test/treat water for solids or do I have to drain?
Thanks for the help!!!
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Since your just starting out, I'd drain the tank and start over. No point in starting off a new tank with less than perfect water.

First test the RO water from your RO/DI unit, The reading from the RO unit only should be under about 8 ppm, Out of the RO/DI you should be close to 0.

You may not have the RO/DI unit set up right. A DI filter should easily last through several thousand gallons of water. It's not a bad idea to also test your tap water before doing anything. You may have a big issue there.
 

PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
Yeah as Dave said, I'd drain, change out the filters, get a straight from the tap reading and go from there.
You may need to add a second di chamber if your source water is high in tds
 

waltmag41

New Member
filter is definitely set up right......source water is off the charts high 800-900 ppm......ppm after RO is 80 so unit is working I just think I blasted thru the filters. Can an independent DI chamber be purchased? I was also thinking that maybe a brita attached to the source could help
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
filter is definitely set up right......source water is off the charts high 800-900 ppm......ppm after RO is 80 so unit is working I just think I blasted thru the filters. Can an independent DI chamber be purchased? I was also thinking that maybe a brita attached to the source could help

Something is not right with your RO unit. It is not working right. You should be getting a reading under 8. Most likely your RO membrane is not seated correctly, or it is damaged.

Yes you can purchase an additional DI chamber.

Adding a Brita filter will add nothing.
 

PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
No way you exhausted it then. How many stages? I would double check to make sure the membrane is installed correctly, I have a feeling water is passing around it and not through it
 

PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
I'm sure the flow pattern is right but just to be sure. Sediment-carbon block-membrane-DI last
 

PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
So bottom right to left. In one, over to two, up to three (membrane), back down to four (DI) and out through blue hose?
 

PSU4ME

JoePa lives on!!!
Staff member
PREMIUM
Let it run for a bit and see if it adjusts. A few things that come to mind are cheap filters, unseated membrane, the need for a second DI or maybe just super high source water!

Sounds like the filter is working right, hopefully it just needs to settle in
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Fiddled with it....down to 7ppm

Is that out of the RO unit alone or the RO/DI ?

If out of the RO only, your about where you should be.

If out of the RO/DI, check the water going in and out, Out should be about 0. It's possible that because water was bypassing the membrane filter, the DI unit would be doing all the work, and in that case the DI media would be exhausted quickly. It may need to be replaced.
 
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