RO shopping list

Right think I've decided to take the plunge and get an RO system. It can go under my sink and I have a spot in the kitchen I could put a storage tub. My tap water is just too bad and I'm getting algae in my planted tank and this is what I am putting it down to.

Please can someone help me put a shopping list together of what I need to buy as I have no idea.

Wills

@seangee is the only U.K. poster I’m aware of who’s ROing regular. He pointed out a few kits to me on amazon and eBay.

We're looking at similar. Something like this -

If I had to do it again I would do this https://www.directwaterfilters.co.u...direct-flow-reverse-osmosis-pumped-system-LCD
Can do it without any actual plumbing as I described here. If you buy a full kit the only other thing you would need is a tap splitter (about a fiver) and a push fit adaptor to connect a 1/2" tube to the tap.

You can get far more expensive versions. Main difference is they come in a case (bit like a computer tower case) which may keep er indoors happier

This one has pics

Thanks @seangee thats absolutely perfect! Might need to save up but think thats what I need. Planning to get a tub that fits under the breakfast bar and one of those things you can hang in water that beeps when it gets wet. If I use an over size bucket (eg need 40 litres and use a 60 litre bucket.) I should be able to get to it before the water over flows. Is it a drip rate or more of a standard flow?

In terms of getting RO water suitable for use are there any mineral sets I should look at? I dont really want to put my tapwater into it because its so high in nitrate and phosphate and its so hard finding stock is difficult at the best of times (hense my other thread).

Thanks Wills

Wills said:

Thanks @seangee thats absolutely perfect! Might need to save up but think thats what I need. Planning to get a tub that fits under the breakfast bar and one of those things you can hang in water that beeps when it gets wet. If I use an over size bucket (eg need 40 litres and use a 60 litre bucket.) I should be able to get to it before the water over flows. Is it a drip rate or more of a standard flow?

In terms of getting RO water suitable for use are there any mineral sets I should look at? I dont really want to put my tapwater into it because its so high in nitrate and phosphate and its so hard finding stock is difficult at the best of times (hense my other thread).

Thanks Wills

Click to expand...

Its just a flow. If you get one of the so called direct flow versions it will be quite a decent rate. Mine is only 100GPD and that does 10 litres in 40 minutes. I do have the little tank that holds some water so the first bucket is always a bit quicker. I just use a timer because it is pretty constant - 39 minutes for a 10 liter jerry can and 93 minutes for 25 means I have about a minute to go before they are full. 600GPD means 1/6 of the time. The main reason I linked to the 600GPD unit is it goes through 3 membranes so will waste less water.

Just FWIW I always fill my jerry cans in the sink (after learning the hard way what happens if you miss the timer ). The 10l one fits under the tap and I use a piece of hose for the 25l. If you are going for a DIY storage tank make sure you fit an auto shut off valve - same principle as a cistern. You don't want accidents.

Oh and if you did literally mean bucket... don't forget that 60 litres of fresh water weighs 60kg

Wills said:

In terms of getting RO water suitable for use are there any mineral sets I should look at? I dont really want to put my tapwater into it because its so high in nitrate and phosphate and its so hard finding stock is difficult at the best of times (hense my other thread).

Click to expand...

Missed the other thread. I use salty shrimp GH/KH+. One teaspoon in 10 litres of RO gives you dGH=6, dKH=3 and should keep your pH neutral. The plants in that tank seem to thrive but I have never measured or checked what is in it. If you are going for hard water fish you may be better off with rift lake salts. In another tank I am experimenting with Dennerle GH+ which does exactly what it says on the tin (and nothing else). Jury is still out on whether that is actually better for the fish than straight RO - all my fish are from soft water, but my plants may be better off with some calcium in the water.

Thanks so much this is exactly what I need. Not sure what I will do with the water as it opens up so many options for me.

The device in the link would be roughly 10 litres in 5 mins right? Do you have it connected to your main drinking tap? And is RO water safe to drink directly? Or should I get a second tap fitted?

seangee said:

If I had to do it again I would do this https://www.directwaterfilters.co.u...direct-flow-reverse-osmosis-pumped-system-LCD
Can do it without any actual plumbing as I described here. If you buy a full kit the only other thing you would need is a tap splitter (about a fiver) and a push fit adaptor to connect a 1/2" tube to the tap.

You can get far more expensive versions. Main difference is they come in a case (bit like a computer tower case) which may keep er indoors happier

This one has pics

Click to expand...

You're first link there is like what I'm looking at & videos to install too.

Sorry to drag this thread back up but I'm back with more questions @seangee

The 600 is out of stock now and has been for a while - so should I get the 400 or the 800? I will need 70-50ltr per change for my 100ltr and 15ltr per change for my 30ltr.

Is it just me or are there no dimensions on the measurements on the site? I need to work out if they can fit in the cupboard or not.

Since it just comes off the cold water feed - what do you use to heat the water up with? Do I need to use a certain type of tub and heater combination? I use big builders buckets at the moment so if I put a heater in I think it would melt the tub.

When it comes to re-mineralising given how terrible my tap water is (high nitrate, high phosphate, rock hard) should I consider using some kind of off the shelf product and if so any recommendations?

Many thanks
Wills

Can't say for that particualr one but 10" filters are a standard size. This is mine in a normal cupboard in the utility room.

Chances are the 400/800 units are identical and its only the membranes that are different - so its down to how much you spend vs how fast you want the water to come out.

I use Salty Shrimp GH/KH+. Not the cheapest but it does not discolour the water and dissolves instantly. Also has the convenience that I don't need anything else. Recommended dosage gives me 6dGH and 3dKH - you can adjust according to your needs, but if you want hard water may be better off using rift lake salt.

seangee said:

Can't say for that particualr one but 10" filters are a standard size. This is mine in a normal cupboard in the utility room.
View attachment 122099
Chances are the 400/800 units are identical and its only the membranes that are different - so its down to how much you spend vs how fast you want the water to come out.

I use Salty Shrimp GH/KH+. Not the cheapest but it does not discolour the water and dissolves instantly. Also has the convenience that I don't need anything else. Recommended dosage gives me 6dGH and 3dKH - you can adjust according to your needs, but if you want hard water may be better off using rift lake salt.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this - I'm ok with the remineralising side of things then I'll look into the products you said about Not sure what I want to do about hardness as its always been an issue for me and I would probably prefer to keep it softer and keep softer water fish. Tempted by either blue or green neon rasboras and some lampeyes, thought not sure if my tank is too bright for the lampeyes to really show their full effects.

Please can you talk me through your water change process? I'm wondering how I go about heating the water in particular? I have a couple of options where I put the unit. If I put it in the kitchen I would need to use it pretty much instantly as there isnt anywhere to store the water or I could put it in my basement and work out how to store a larger volume but I might need to work out a shut off valve... probably going to get a plumber to instal the unit for me so that could be possible.

Wills

Sure. I have 4x25 and 9 x 10 litre plastic jerry cans. No reasons behind the numbers, its just the pack sizes I got on Amazon. I also have taps similar to these https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KCNH6MJ/?tag=

I refill each can immediately after use so tend to have the water sitting around for a week before I use it (my RO unit is not one of the high flow versions).

I use 2 pieces of wood (2x2") balanced on top of the tank, lift the jerry can up into place and open the tap to refill the tank. Whatever minerals I add get added directly to the jerry cans. For most of summer I don't bother with temp and just put it straight in. Last winter I stood the cans in a sink full of hot water to get the temp up - standing them in front of a radiator the night before makes this go quicker.

I still found this method too slow as my weekends were spend waiting for water to heat up. So this year I am just using a kettle - RO water is the only thing that ever goes in the kettle. Last weekend that meant around 700ml (1/2 a kettle) in the 10l jugs and 1500ml, or a full kettle, in the 25l jugs. I'm not hung up about exact matching - somewhere close is good enough.

The 10l jugs fit under the tap in the sink. The 25l jugs don't so I put these into the sink and use a clear hose between the tap and the jug. That way if I miss the moment the jug is full it doesn't matter. My low tech control mechanism is a timer. I know how long it takes to fill the jugs so I can just get on with my day while they are filling. And if I happen to be going out that's fine - I have a whole week to get them refilled.

Edit: I have little marks on my tank to indicate how far to drain the tank. So for example in the community tank I have a mark for 120l and another for 100l. So I just drain down to the mark and then I know exactly how much water to put back to get to the correct level without having to correct for evaporation or worrying about overflowing.