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RO/DI Plumbing

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I just got a great deal on a used 5 stage SpectraPure MaxCap RO/DI from a friend. :-D

I'd like to plumb this to automatically keep a reservoir filled, but I'm not sure how to do that. I gather that the drain line coming out of the RO/DI doesn't stop when the clean water line does. How do people deal with this? Maybe a float switch and a solenoid valve on the incoming water line would do the job?

Also, I heard that the water is not as pure when the unit first starts up, so one should flush it for a bit before starting to collect water. That seems a little more complicated. Is it worth trying to set up something that does that?

How do other people plumb these things?

TIA!
 
If you are referring to the initial "fire up", I usually make up a bucket of clean water and chuck it on my POS truck (it's the only wash it gets) to be safe. I'm sure it's fine, but my borderline OCD won't allow me.
 
I may have plumbed mine incorrectly, but I get a good deal of waste water (even with the shut off). Think this is likely the case because depending on how you set up the float valve every time it turns on (even just for a few seconds to get back to level) it will take 2-3 times as long for the waste line to shut off (especially if it is turning on and off all day).

Now I just use it so I don't get yelled at by the wife for flooding the garage...... again (see also "don't piss your wife off" thread).
 
Ummm...that's how I flooded the garage twice last week - okay it was more like the 45g trash can tipped twice. Hmmm I'll finish the story on the other thread.
 
[quote author=tuberider link=topic=4137.msg49589#msg49589 date=1216696867]
If you are referring to the initial "fire up", I usually make up a bucket of clean water and chuck it on my POS truck (it's the only wash it gets) to be safe. I'm sure it's fine, but my borderline OCD won't allow me.
[/quote]

I was thinking I'd have a plastic tank with a float valve. There's be a pump in it, so when I need some RO/DI water, I'd just switch on the pump and pump it into a bucket. Then the float switch would kick in and top off the tank so it would be full next time I need it.

I guess that wouldn't work if I need to throw away the first bit of water every time, though. Or maybe it's good enough to only flush the unit when changing cartridges?
 
That is sort of how mine is set up. Kind of hard to describe.

I have the water line into my 5 stage Maxcap with the waste line into my utility sink. The "good water" line is t-d off (one goes to a 20G Brute outside that I use to mix salt water, one goes to a 20G Brute that I have in a closet in the garage which is my top off). I have the top off hard plumbed into my sump with a JBJ auto top off. There is a switch at the bottom of the Brute and one at the low water on my sump so that when the level drops the water from my RODI reserve fills the sump back to the desired level.

In addition. I have a float valve at the top of the RODI Brute that shuts of the "good water" once it reavches a level near the top. There is an ASO and check valve on the unit that shuts off both the "good water" and the "waste water". However, the issue is that since I have it hooked to an ATO the unit was constantly turning on and off and thus the waste water still added up during the day.
 
[quote author=Raddogz link=topic=4137.msg49607#msg49607 date=1216701874]
I think Jeremy is referring to the initial fire up when you put in new filter cartridges into the system
[/quote]

Ah, okay. I guess I'll just not worry about flushing it every time the float switch is activated. I got the impression from my friend that it might be necessary, but I think it had more to do with how he had it set up. (he'd pull out the lines and connect them to the faucet and drain any time he needed to make water) It doesn't sound like anyone else worries about it, so I won't either. :->
 
[quote author=seminolecpa link=topic=4137.msg49608#msg49608 date=1216702108]
That is sort of how mine is set up. Kind of hard to describe.

I have the water line into my 5 stage Maxcap with the waste line into my utility sink. The "good water" line is t-d off (one goes to a 20G Brute outside that I use to mix salt water, one goes to a 20G Brute that I have in a closet in the garage which is my top off). I have the top off hard plumbed into my sump with a JBJ auto top off. There is a switch at the bottom of the Brute and one at the low water on my sump so that when the level drops the water from my RODI reserve fills the sump back to the desired level.

In addition. I have a float valve at the top of the RODI Brute that shuts of the "good water" once it reavches a level near the top. There is an ASO and check valve on the unit that shuts off both the "good water" and the "waste water". However, the issue is that since I have it hooked to an ATO the unit was constantly turning on and off and thus the waste water still added up during the day.
[/quote]

I see. I think my setup will be simpler for the time being. Since the only tank I have at home right now is my QT, I won't be doing any sort of auto top off direct from the RO/DI reservoir.

Could you solve the problem of the excess waste water by putting a timer between the JBJ and the top-off pump? You could set it to be on for, say, an hour twice a day. Then it would run for a slightly longer period of time but less often.
 
I am sure there is a better way, but I am thinking it would be better to somehow do it with the float switch vs. the auto top off. The latter kind of dulls the intent of the auto-topoff, that is to keep your salinity as well as your sump at a constant level. Still a work in process though, will probably try to mess with some of it as soon as I have my RK Elite run down to the garage.
 
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