upgrading the RO unit and maintenance

[Iurie]

ive got few questions regarding my RO unit : )

Bought it about 4-5 years ago and I think it is a small 200gpd?! Over the years I only replaces the filters and membranes . Today I had a look at the whole system and realised that from my new and fully functional RO I've got an old leaking unproductive ro unit

so

1) what maintenance should a ro unit get periodically ? may be is clogged ?! and that's why produces about 20/80 pure water ? even if the tap pressure is the same

2) Can the flow restrictor / flush valve be the problem ?

3) Will this booster pump be suitable for my small ro unit ?

and

4) Do you see any visual differences if you would look at a 75GPD and 150 GPD new membrane ? Sometimes I am not sure that I get what I bought . Both 75gpd and 150gpd look the same , weigh the same and even on the sticker it doesn't say 75 or 150 lol

cheers

Iurie

 

[spruce]

ive got few questions regarding my RO unit : )Bought it about 4-5 years ago and I think it is a small 200gpd?! Over the years I only replaces the filters and membranes . Today I had a look at the whole system and realised that from my new and fully functional RO I've got an old leaking unproductive ro unit

so

1) what maintenance should a ro unit get periodically ? may be is clogged ?! and that's why produces about 20/80 pure water ? even if the tap pressure is the same

2) Can the flow restrictor / flush valve be the problem ?

3) Will this booster pump be suitable for my small ro unit ?

and

4) Do you see any visual differences if you would look at a 75GPD and 150 GPD new membrane ? Sometimes I am not sure that I get what I bought . Both 75gpd and 150gpd look the same , weigh the same and even on the sticker it doesn't say 75 or 150 lol

cheers

Iurie

There's a size difference between the 75GPD membranes we removed from our r.o many years ago and the 150's we replaced them with. The 150GPD were a bigger diameter. The outside daimt of the membrane wasn't much less than the inside diamt of the housing. I noticed the difference as I can remember wondering if they would fit.

I know this was 10 years ago but the 150GPD membranes came with little round stickers on the packaging which I transferred onto each of the housings.

In the 7 years I run that r/o I had to replace all the 1/4" piping as it deteriorated. The John Guest fitting were fine, but they are not expensive so might as well be replaced as well. The bracket is cheaply replaced; the price of a tin of paint, sand paper and the effort is probably more than the replacement part.

But to be honest, I would probably just buy a new one.

For us the decision was to upgrade as our 450 GPD wasn't keeping up with the requirements of 3 cleaners. The membranes were due for replacement so the cost of those was put toward a 4040.

I still have the 450GPD under the workbench in the garage. I couldn't believe how slowly it produced water when I plugged it in a year or so ago. I doubt anyone would be able to identify which membranes are in their r/o just by looking at the pure trickling out. We process water into an IBC tank and that r/o just about ran nonstop.

There were different ways of restricting the waste. One of them was an inline restrictor which should be replaced with every membrane change. There are different restrictors for each of membrane capacity.

RoMan sell a combination flow restrictor and flush valve. The idea is that the inline restrictor is not interfered with when the r/o is flushed.

You quote 20/80 as a figure. If that's 8 liters waste to 2 liters pure then that ratio should be more like 60/40 for most tap water supplies.

That booster pump is fine for r/o's up to 450GPD, but I would suggest you try not to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear as my Dad used to say.

.

 

[Iurie]

There's a size difference between the 75GPD membranes we removed from our r.o many years ago and the 150's we replaced them with. The 150GPD were a bigger diameter. The outside daimt of the membrane wasn't much less than the inside diamt of the housing. I noticed the difference as I can remember wondering if they would fit.

I know this was 10 years ago but the 150GPD membranes came with little round stickers on the packaging which I transferred onto each of the housings.

In the 7 years I run that r/o I had to replace all the 1/4" piping as it deteriorated. The John Guest fitting were fine, but they are not expensive so might as well be replaced as well. The bracket is cheaply replaced; the price of a tin of paint, sand paper and the effort is probably more than the replacement part.

But to be honest, I would probably just buy a new one.

For us the decision was to upgrade as our 450 GPD wasn't keeping up with the requirements of 3 cleaners. The membranes were due for replacement so the cost of those was put toward a 4040.

I still have the 450GPD under the workbench in the garage. I couldn't believe how slowly it produced water when I plugged it in a year or so ago. I doubt anyone would be able to identify which membranes are in their r/o just by looking at the pure trickling out. We process water into an IBC tank and that r/o just about ran nonstop.

There were different ways of restricting the waste. One of them was an inline restrictor which should be replaced with every membrane change. There are different restrictors for each of membrane capacity.

RoMan sell a combination flow restrictor and flush valve. The idea is that the inline restrictor is not interfered with when the r/o is flushed.

You quote 20/80 as a figure. If that's 8 liters waste to 2 liters pure then that ratio should be more like 60/40 for most tap water supplies.

That booster pump is fine for r/o's up to 450GPD, but I would suggest you try not to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear as my Dad used to say.

.

Thanks very much for such a detailed reply

Appreciate

 

[adamangler]

I have a 100 GPD R.O 100gpd reverse osmosis water fed window cleaning system di and booster pump | eBay

@spruce is it possible to just swap the membrane out for a 300 g.p.d one ?

or is it not that simple

 

[spruce]

I have a 100 GPD R.O 100gpd reverse osmosis water fed window cleaning system di and booster pump | eBay
@spruce is it possible to just swap the membrane out for a 300 g.p.d one ?

or is it not that simple

If Its a single membrane housing with one 100GPD membrane then you can only go to a single 150GPD membrane in that housing.

The 300GPD housing is bigger as the 300GPD membrane is much bigger.

I don't know much about the single 300GPD and twin housing 600GPD supplied by Cleaning Spot and others tbh.

.

 

[steve garwood]

There's a size difference between the 75GPD membranes we removed from our r.o many years ago and the 150's we replaced them with. The 150GPD were a bigger diameter. The outside daimt of the membrane wasn't much less than the inside diamt of the housing. I noticed the difference as I can remember wondering if they would fit.

I know this was 10 years ago but the 150GPD membranes came with little round stickers on the packaging which I transferred onto each of the housings.

In the 7 years I run that r/o I had to replace all the 1/4" piping as it deteriorated. The John Guest fitting were fine, but they are not expensive so might as well be replaced as well. The bracket is cheaply replaced; the price of a tin of paint, sand paper and the effort is probably more than the replacement part.

But to be honest, I would probably just buy a new one.

For us the decision was to upgrade as our 450 GPD wasn't keeping up with the requirements of 3 cleaners. The membranes were due for replacement so the cost of those was put toward a 4040.

I still have the 450GPD under the workbench in the garage. I couldn't believe how slowly it produced water when I plugged it in a year or so ago. I doubt anyone would be able to identify which membranes are in their r/o just by looking at the pure trickling out. We process water into an IBC tank and that r/o just about ran nonstop.

There were different ways of restricting the waste. One of them was an inline restrictor which should be replaced with every membrane change. There are different restrictors for each of membrane capacity.

RoMan sell a combination flow restrictor and flush valve. The idea is that the inline restrictor is not interfered with when the r/o is flushed.

You quote 20/80 as a figure. If that's 8 liters waste to 2 liters pure then that ratio should be more like 60/40 for most tap water supplies.

That booster pump is fine for r/o's up to 450GPD, but I would suggest you try not to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear as my Dad used to say.

.

I never knew about changing the inline restricted! I've changed my membranes twice since owning my 600 GPD and never changed it

 

[spruce]

I never knew about changing the inline restricted! I've changed my membranes twice since owning my 600 GPD and never changed it

The suppliers say you should change it. Its a bit of plastic tube with a small diamt hole in it that restricts the free flow of water in the tube. They say the diamt of the pipe will wear in time from the water rushing through it. That waste water will contain minute particles that are smaller the 5 micron so wear will be very small, but hey, the restrictor doesn't cost much anyway.

In theory it seems very plausible to me. I'm certainly not going to check to see if they are right or if its just sales talk. If it does wear fractionally then it will change your waste to pure ratio.

 

[Den]

The suppliers say you should change it. Its a bit of plastic tube with a small diamt hole in it that restricts the free flow of water in the tube. They say the diamt of the pipe will wear in time from the water rushing through it. That waste water will contain minute particles that are smaller the 5 micron so wear will be very small, but hey, the restrictor doesn't cost much anyway.
In theory it seems very plausible to me. I'm certainly not going to check to see if they are right or if its just sales talk. If it does wear fractionally then it will change your waste to pure ratio.

Could this also have th opposite effect, as where I live we have a lots of limescale build up I now that normally happens on metallic things such as kettle elements for example do lu think the flow could get clogged up also.

 

[spruce]

Could this also have th opposite effect, as where I live we have a lots of limescale build up I now that normally happens on metallic things such as kettle elements for example do lu think the flow could get clogged up also.

That's an interesting thought. I don't know the answer to that. Whilst water at speed won't allow anything to settle, the opposite could happen when the water is switched off.

 

[Den]

My RO is off more than it's on ATM, so when the membranes are due a change I'm defo going to change the flow restrictor and glad you pointed that out nice one spruce.

 

[spruce]

Certainly if you are upgrading your membranes to another spec then you should definitely include the correct restrictor for that membrane.

I found this this morning

Flow Restrictors & Controls for Reverse Osmosis Systems | Waterfilters.net

 

[adamangler]

If Its a single membrane housing with one 100GPD membrane then you can only go to a single 150GPD membrane in that housing.
The 300GPD housing is bigger as the 300GPD membrane is much bigger.

I don't know much about the single 300GPD and twin housing 600GPD supplied by Cleaning Spot and others tbh.

.

Can I not get a 200/300 gpd membrane and housing and put that into my current system in place of the 100 gpd?

Even a 200pd

 

[Den]

I believe the biggest you can get for your housing is a 150gpd you can add another housing or two and upgrade to either a 300 or 450gpd.

Can I not get a 200/300 gpd membrane and housing and put that into my current system in place of the 100 gpd?
Even a 200pd

 

[Iurie]

I checked the unit this morning and could not locate the restrictor : ) I reckon is a plastic insert restrictor not inline and very probably is located in the flush valve itself ?

 

[Iurie]

now I realise what mistake ive done : ) over the years I swapped the membranes between 75 / 100 / 150 without even checking the type or size of the flow restrictor : ) I would not be surprise if the current flow restrictor is damaged and doesn't built up pressure for the membrane , that's why I get a 20/80 ratio

anyway , a new ro unit is on the way together with a booster pump