Ro Unit

[all_waze]

I had posted a few days back about iron in my well water. Colin_T has suggested either an activated charcoal filter or a RO unit. I decided to go with the RO unit since I can also use the water for the house. The one I will be buying is a TapMaster Iron RO H20 Filter. It will come with a 9 gal holding tank and be able to rum 50 gals a day thru it. It has an upgrade unit that is hooked on the output side of the unit which is supposed to restore the calcium/magnesium minerals back into the water to restore its PH to about 7.0. Will that have any effect on the water as far as the fish or plants are concerned or should I just eliminate that part? Also, can the brine water be used on outside plants, etc., or should it be discarded down the drain? Also, does anyone have any info on TapMaster RO units as per quality, functionality, etc?

Thnx,

JIM

 

[backtotropical]

Hi All_Waze,

The re-introduction of minerals back into RO water is very important. The fish need these minerals and as pure RO water has virtually none, some need to be added back in. Believe it or not, put a fish into absolutely pure water, and it will die pretty quickly.

The brine water can be used on the garden, and well done for considering that. Lots of people just run it down the drain.

Personally, i would re-consider and opt for the activated carbon. It won't de-mineralise the water to nearly the same extent, which means run it through the carbon and its ready to go. No re-mineralisation required.

Cheers

BTT

 

[all_waze]

Hi All_Waze,

The re-introduction of minerals back into RO water is very important. The fish need these minerals and as pure RO water has virtually none, some need to be added back in. Believe it or not, put a fish into absolutely pure water, and it will die pretty quickly.

The brine water can be used on the garden, and well done for considering that. Lots of people just run it down the drain.

Personally, i would re-consider and opt for the activated carbon. It won't de-mineralise the water to nearly the same extent, which means run it through the carbon and its ready to go. No re-mineralisation required.

Cheers

BTT

Hey BTT

Thnx for the info. Actually, I would probably really prefer the activated charcoal over the RO unit as it'll run a bit over $600 with all the add ons. But I guess my real concern is the time frame that the charcoal will remove the iron. The well water has a good degree of iron in it. My starter tank will most likely be either a 40 or 50 gal and will most likely be using a filter with at least a 200 gph flow. Any idea as far as time frame? Would a bigger filter be better considering the amount of water flow that would be generated?

Thnx,

JIM

 

[OldMan47]

I have an RO and can say that $600 is ridiculous. Mine was less than $200 and took about 4 hours for me to install it myself. It is rated at 75 GPD which means I can expect to get maybe 30. If you look up how they are rated you will understand that you are doing well if you get half of the rating. Its like the difference between an engine's horsepower rating compared to the drive wheel power when its mounted in a car. No RO is ever run under the conditions they use to test an RO membrane's ability. The thing about adding chemicals back in is very real but if you use it for an aquarium, use a mix with tap water to get back some minerals. There is no reason for some special extra complication to the system to do that. Complication = maintenance expenses. As drinking water goes, RO without the DI is about what you get when you buy bottled water but it does not cost nearly as much to make your own as it does to buy bottled.

 

[all_waze]

I have an RO and can say that $600 is ridiculous. Mine was less than $200 and took about 4 hours for me to install it myself. It is rated at 75 GPD which means I can expect to get maybe 30. If you look up how they are rated you will understand that you are doing well if you get half of the rating. Its like the difference between an engine's horsepower rating compared to the drive wheel power when its mounted in a car. No RO is ever run under the conditions they use to test an RO membrane's ability. The thing about adding chemicals back in is very real but if you use it for an aquarium, use a mix with tap water to get back some minerals. There is no reason for some special extra complication to the system to do that. Complication = maintenance expenses. As drinking water goes, RO without the DI is about what you get when you buy bottled water but it does not cost nearly as much to make your own as it does to buy bottled.

Hey Oldman

Thanx for the input. Price is definitely a consideration. I looked at several RO units and the one I am/was considering seemed to be what I was looking for as far as ease of installation, warranty, spare parts availability, etc. What brand of RO unit do you have? It would most likely be installed outside on back patio and would need to be sturdy to keep up with the weather. Anything else you have to say would be appreciated.

Thnx,

JIM

 

[OldMan47]

Over the years I have picked up two. After a few years the RO membrane no longer works right and its easier to replace the whole thing. I bought them both on line and paid no attention to who assembled the system. If you look closely at the descriptions, you will find there are only 2 or 3 people who actually make the RO membranes. Other than that they are pretty standard filter systems like you might use to remove particulate from drinking water or for an ice maker. They both have a membrane made by GE. The last one came from an outfit called Aquasafe, a Canadian company that also ships from Washington state so there's no hassle with customs.
A real difference that does help is a larger storage tank. When I got the first one it came with a 3 gallon tank, again that's a nominal size. The 3 gallon tank operates with an air bubble in it to provide the pressure needed for the water to come out of the faucet. The air buble takes up part of the 3 gallon space so you end up with maybe 2 1/2 galolons of water and a half gallon of trapped air. A larger tank would be a good idea if you don't want to have to store up water for a water change.