RO/DI unit

J

Jim

Premium Member
My RO/DI unit has slowed down substantially. I think I changed the cartridges within the last couple months.

Generally, when the weather gets this hot, it runs very quickly. It is currently running at a fast drip.

Ideas where I should start looking for the problem?
 
My first thought is your RO membrane is old and you need a new one. How old is your membrane? They usually last 3 to 5 years depending on how much water you produce and what kind of pre-filters you use. You really should use 1 micron or better yet, .5 micron pre-filters since these protect the RO membrane from the larger particles in the water that can quickly clog up the membrane.

Second idea is your hookup. Where ever your initial hookup is at, make sure it is turned all the way on.

Third idea is your water pressure to the house. It could have gone down. I believe Home Depot sells a pressure checker that fits the lines on the RO unit. You really want 60psi or above for best production. The higher you go the more efficient the unit becomes.
 
@Opus wrote:
My first thought is your RO membrane is old and you need a new one. How old is your membrane? They usually last 3 to 5 years depending on how much water you produce and what kind of pre-filters you use. You really should use 1 micron or better yet said:
Thanks for the quick reply. I use one of Marc's RODI units.

Not sure which one is the RO membrane. I replaced the full set of cartridges about two months ago.

The setup has not changed. Last time I used it, I was filling a 5 gallon container in about 40-45 minutes (hot summer goes pretty fast). Filling a 5 gallon container now -- want to see how long it takes.

Hookup has not changed. Turned on all the way.

House pressure is really good (or seems to be -- I don't have a pressure checker to verify that). When I turn on the hose outside, it is very very forceful.
Click to expand...
 
Well, I have a 75gpd unit and it takes around 80 minutes to fill a 5gal jug. My RO membrane is 3 or 4 years old so it is slower now than it used to be. Strangely I haven't noticed a difference in timing since the water has gotten warmer, maybe 5 minutes.

There is a way to check your water production from the RO membrane to tell how well it is working. I don't remember all the steps. Maybe Marc will get on soon and he can tell you how to do it. If the RO membrane is working efficiently then I don't think there is anything wrong.
 
THanks

Tested the output -- looks like I am getting about .5 gallons per hour (whereas I was getting about 7 gallons per hour). Something is definitely not working properly.

Maybe Marc will have a suggestion.
 
Do you have the flow restrictor that fits into the tubing? If so, maybe you did something to it when you changed the filters out. You could also try taking the RO membrane out and reseating it. Usually when I see people having problems after installing new filters they are getting too much water coming out.
 
I removed the line from the drain (waste water) and found that water was flowing out the drain (even though I had shut the from the RODI unit.

Could be a cartridge or the value?
 
Send melev a pm maybe he can help you


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@Jim wrote:
I removed the line from the drain (waste water) and found that water was flowing out the drain (even though I had shut the from the RODI unit. Could be a cartridge or the value? said:
Seems like I saw someone with the same problem about a month ago on RC or R2R. Can't remember what the issue was. Seems like it had something to do with the flush kit.
Click to expand...
 
Jim, the membrane is in the white housing that sits on top of the filters... It is the costly filter $75
 
Yes. Seems I replaced that about a year ago (at Marc's advice, I had kept it in the refrigerator -- or at least I think that is the one). Anyway, BRS' video talks about the flow restrictor. Not sure where mine is located (doesn't look like the one on BRS). I have the square "box" on top of the canisters with two tubes going in and two coming out. Is that a part of the flow restrictor? BRS video shows "their" version -- looks interesting. Just not sure where to really focus my troubleshooting. Thanks for your help
 
I have the same rodi and after I replaced the membrane it fixed that same issue... How long the membrane lasts can be different for each filter... swap it out and see if that fixes the issue, if not you have a backup ready to use.
 
Jim, below is a link to some good videos. They have one on flow restrictors plus some other videos that might help.


http://spectrapure.com/Videos
 
Seems my asov is not working properly. I believe I need to get a new one. As long as I have it apart, I may as well replace the RO membrane also.

Just need to locate those two items and I think that will fix the problem.
 
Changed out the ASOV (which I think was not completely closing) and the membrane. Throughput is back to where it was a couple weeks ago. Thanks everyone
 
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