DI Water filtration??????

[Jorgens]

I don't see how just a DI can do it. I don't think it's physically possible. Culligan offered me a deal like that. Only it was $900 set-up and $99 a year and that included new filters every year.

I got a 6 stage from E-bay that kicks out 0ppm water and cost me $90. And to re-load my DI cartridge costs me $5 75gpd

I think that sales dude is taking a BIG commission....

[BoomerD]

When we first bought our house, a lady came out and tried to sell us a very high-tech water system. (the sales pitch came with some free gift my wife just HAD to have :roll
Basically, the system was a standard salt-fed type of water softener, with a couple of LARGE DI chambers after the salt compartment. The package included a RO/DI unit for drinking water, AND, the would install a special hose bib out front for washing cars with DI water for spot-free rinsing.
Somewhere in the $4K range to purchase, and about $100/year to keep the various compartments properly charged...(NOT including the salt for the softener)
I ALMOST took the deal, but the price was just a bit too much.

[burning2nd]

wow dood!

talk about $$$$

do your self a favor, The Filter Guys and then you can just have your own.....

dont worrie about if you live in a apartment of something like that.. (they have stuff for things like that 2)

lease on Ro water??/?? thats crazy

[Warnberg]

I understand the well water concerns. An option could always be to pipe the waste water out to the garden or a holding tank for watering around the house. The waste water could still be used for other things as well, but I'm just throwing out some ideas.

This hobby is expensive enough, I hate to see someone add another substantial cost just for water.

[saltyfishtanks]

Thanks everyone for your responses

I am going to go look at the system in question today i will test the tds of the water in and out and make a decision of what to do.

I was really hoping someone was using a similar filtration method...The guy promises pure water how can i hold him to this?

I have a TDS meter if I install the system and water comes out 0ppm will it be too much money then? I plan on monitoring the TDS of the water every time i use it..

Have you guys ever measured how much waste water comes off your RO? I would bet its more like twice the amount you all think... unless you spent $1000+ on a High quality system...and still a good one kicks out twice as much waste water as RO water.

Believe me i would much rather a simple RO unit like you all have and if i was on city water or had a longer lasting well. This tread would have never been.

[HowardW]

Yes, you can make 0 TDS water without waste water and without using a traditional RO/DI setup with a membrane, the catch however is that the somewhat expensive DI resin can become expended very quickly depending on the total TDS it sees. DI resin has a definate life expentancy and will absorb only a certain amount of TDS in PPM before it becomes expended, and the higher the TDS of your tap water the faster the resin wears out.

I'm not sure how someone could tell you that you will need to replace your DI resin only every 3 months unless they knew how much water you planned on making daily and the TDS of your tapwater.

[Warnberg]

And RO/DI unit had about a 3 to 1 rejection rate. So every 100 gallons of RO/DI water made you will also make 300 gallons of waste water.
I know that sounds like a lot of water, but when you look at the grand scheme of things it's really not. On the average a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with 2 adults and 2 children living in it will consume around 10,000 gallons a month, some places are higher (much higher) and some are lower. Once the initial fill of the tank, you are only talking about top-off water and water change water.

[saltyfishtanks]

thanks dave,

I just got off the phone with the guy the unit is 7 inches diameter and 36 inches tall it also has led indicator lights for when the resin needs to be recharged the guy is very confident that the water will test 0ppm on my TDS and is willing to hook it up and prove it in the shop.

i have a 2:00 pm appintment to check the system out.. If it tests 0ppm what do you think???

Ive gone mixed reef and skimmerless for a reason, I wanted to be different this would just be another thing that sets me aside from the norm IMHO

[saltyfishtanks]

OH and dont forget about the carbon and .5 micron prefilters too!

[boozeman]

please keep us posted
I will go make some popcorn

[saltyfishtanks]

Howard

thank you for bringing up a point that i knew about but failed to mention . You are absoutely right about the varied life of the resin. The guy requires a resin change out every 3 months because he owns and will be leasing the large DI unit to me.. its just part of the agreement if i need it changed out more so be it i guess ill find out.

[HowardW]

Yup, if your tap water is high in TDS and you plan on making a lot of water you could be going through that DI resin really fast.

The DI resin in a typical RO/DI setup only sees what little gets by the membrane and cleans it up as a final stage.

You can calculate about how long a typical mixed bed resin will last if you know the incoming TDS in PPM and then divide.....the typical vertical DI stage in most RO/DI setups will hold somewhere around 6500-7000 PPM from a refill cartridge.

[saltyfishtanks]

I dont have a TDS count on my tap water yet but will be sure to post it tonight when i get the system installed.. I will keep you all posted in this thread for sure.

by the way i have always used the tap water up until now the only time i have used other was spring water from a local tap about 15min away that pours constantly i used this water when my well ran out

judging my results of my sps and other growth i would like to say the well water has done me good I'm just looking to get a little better and im concerned about a change in the water table having negative effects on the tank....

[saltyfishtanks]

Well i paid the man and have the Very Large DI filter with a carbon/.5micron prefilter as well.. It turns out the guy i thought was a salesman was the owner/operator and boy was he a treat. Fortunately he liked me, but not without saying how much the general public was a pain in the A$$ to deal with (definetly meaning me) He is more Industrial app.

This DI Must hold 30-50 times the resin of a standard cartradge!!!!!
He cut me a break and charged me less than his norm. rate. (PICKUP ONLY)
The man does ultra pure water service for many Pharma. Labs in NJ/NY
It is his claim that the water is far superior to RO

I guess well all find out!!!

[Mr Bojangles]

have you thought about what to do with wast water? I use mine to fill up the washing machine, turtle tank, plants, ext..... so I technically have no waste