Welcome to the UK Window Cleaning Forums

Starting or own a window cleaning business? We're a network of window cleaners sharing advice, tips & experience. Rounds for sale & more. Join us today!

Register Log in

40/40 Ro help …….

ECLM
WCF

Help Support WCF:

CHWS

CHWS

Well-known member
Messages
2,457
Location
Bangor
Over this last month I’ve noticed more water usage on my ro. An example from last night..

300 or so left of pure water in the ibc

6837 litres on the counter 

this morning..

750 litres of pure water in the ibc 

9268 litres on the counter.

I’ve always had the waste opened to the so called sweet spot. TDS in is 70 or so and it’s being brought down to 2.

Usually my prefilters are lasting me 3 months. I had to change them in a month the last time. Is it a case my membrane isn’t performing as efficiently and basically I’ll have to open the waste valve more ?? It does seem to be operating at 40 pure to 60 waste 

 
CHWS said:
Over this last month I’ve noticed more water usage on my ro. An example from last night..

300 or so left of pure water in the ibc

6837 litres on the counter 

this morning..

750 litres of pure water in the ibc 

9268 litres on the counter.

I’ve always had the waste opened to the so called sweet spot. TDS in is 70 or so and it’s being brought down to 2.

Usually my prefilters are lasting me 3 months. I had to change them in a month the last time. Is it a case my membrane isn’t performing as efficiently and basically I’ll have to open the waste valve more ?? It does seem to be operating at 40 pure to 60 waste 
Click to expand...
Is there any reports of large mains water leaks in the area? And large building works going on near by? Do you have a pressure gauge on the r.o!

If that’s ok all, then I would give it a good 3/4 hour flush this evening, completely open it and give it a clean out. If the pre filters have also been changed within the last month that’s fine, if not a pre-filter change & 4 hour flush will only do it good. If it’s still the same after all that, then yeah it’s probably your membrane. How old is it? And how much water do you make?

@Part Timer is right. I feel like I have to run mine for maybe 20% longer in the cold weather, just to make the same amount of pure water compared to a mild or hot weather. 

 
RWCleaning said:
Is there any reports of large mains water leaks in the area? And large building works going on near by? Do you have a pressure gauge on the r.o!

If that’s ok all, then I would give it a good 3/4 hour flush this evening, completely open it and give it a clean out. If the pre filters have also been changed within the last month that’s fine, if not a pre-filter change & 4 hour flush will only do it good. If it’s still the same after all that, then yeah it’s probably your membrane. How old is it? And how much water do you make?

@Part Timer is right. I feel like I have to run mine for maybe 20% longer in the cold weather, just to make the same amount of pure water compared to a mild or hot weather. 
Click to expand...
No leaks as far as I know of. The pressure gauge is showing what it usually would. It’s only a couple of years old from memory. When doing a flush for so long does that also count for usage on the prefilters ? 
 

just strange my water meter is counting so much water passing through and only so much waste and pure is coming out. I would have put it down to it being faulty but when I changed the pre filters on Sunday the pressure was right down so I knew it corresponded to it actually working.

 
The water in winter is usually around 5-6 degrees in the winter and can be 16c upwards in warmer weather, as mentioned above work in the local area can effect production we suffer fluctuating water pressure and sediment issues and my white sediment filter can go brown within 3-4 weeks sometimes 

 
Iron Giant said:
The water in winter is usually around 5-6 degrees in the winter and can be 16c upwards in warmer weather, as mentioned above work in the local area can effect production we suffer fluctuating water pressure and sediment issues and my white sediment filter can go brown within 3-4 weeks sometimes 
Click to expand...
When I changed my sediment this time it had like jelly on it. It wasn’t overly as brown compared to usual either 

 
Do you use a booster pump? Is it getting the pressure to what it should be? My first thought would be to check that if you do use one. It could be a problem with the pump itself or there is not enough water getting to the pump for it to work well. 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
CHWS said:
Like 16000 litres of water for 2000 pure ?? 
Click to expand...
My focus would be on the waste valve. If you are using a wheelhead gate valve to restrict the water to waste, then I would remove the gate valve and inspect the movement of the paddle inside. The paddle is operated on the threaded rod. As you rotate the wheel the paddle either opens or closes depending on which way you rotate the wheel.

https://www.bes.co.uk/wheelhead-gate-valve-brass-1-2-bsp-f-9290/

There is a possibility of that paddle unscrewing from the threaded rod. Water pressure would then push that paddle into the fully open position.

The company I worked for some 50 years ago had a valve division, and we came across this occasionally. When I fitted one to my 4040 I was amazed at how the design hadn't changed in all those years.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
CHWS said:
No leaks as far as I know of. The pressure gauge is showing what it usually would. It’s only a couple of years old from memory. When doing a flush for so long does that also count for usage on the prefilters ? 
 

just strange my water meter is counting so much water passing through and only so much waste and pure is coming out. I would have put it down to it being faulty but when I changed the pre filters on Sunday the pressure was right down so I knew it corresponded to it actually working.
Click to expand...
Yes.

 
scottish cleaning service said:
Why do they use gate valves? I always thought stopcocks were far better.
Click to expand...
The seat of a gate valve and paddle or gate are solid brass material. The paddle is wedge shaped as is the housing. The seal is made when those two wedged surfaces are 'forced'  together.

A stopcock uses a hard  replaceable washer to seal against the seat. Although it's hard, this washer does have some give. A stopcock is usually fully closed or fully open. When fully open water flowing through the stopcock will take a long time to erode the washer away. This washer does deteriorate over time rather than erode away.

A gate valve will work better when partially closed. It will be subject to erosion by the restricted water flow over time. I have found that to keep my pure to waste ratio correct, my gate valve is now closed a little more than when it was new. In time, I will need to replace it when my pure to waste ratio is wrong when the gate valve is fully closed.

My gate valve has been in operation for around 8 years so I can't complain.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
doug atkinson said:
Time how long does it produce a litre of pure and waste. The 750 litres is that over 24 hours?
Click to expand...
I had to half pints and have it running 50/50 at the minute. The filters only lasted 3 weeks this time. There seems to be a fault with the gate valve. Do you stock spare gate valves ? Also I’m getting the pressure with new filters just changed but I’m not getting the flow that should Be coming. It’s literally passing through at half a litre per minute just, when I changed the filters the flow reader was reading 12lpm until it eventually levels off to 0.5lpm ? 

 
CHWS said:
I had to half pints and have it running 50/50 at the minute. The filters only lasted 3 weeks this time. There seems to be a fault with the gate valve. Do you stock spare gate valves ? Also I’m getting the pressure with new filters just changed but I’m not getting the flow that should Be coming. It’s literally passing through at half a litre per minute just, when I changed the filters the flow reader was reading 12lpm until it eventually levels off to 0.5lpm ? 
Click to expand...
Have you checked the supply to the filters? i.e. has the hose connecting to the mains supply collapsed internally or is it pinched/crushed? Start at the supply end and verify flow and pressure at each point till you find the restriction. Don't assume just because you changed something that it's OK, check all connections.

 
CHWS said:
I had to half pints and have it running 50/50 at the minute. The filters only lasted 3 weeks this time. There seems to be a fault with the gate valve. Do you stock spare gate valves ? Also I’m getting the pressure with new filters just changed but I’m not getting the flow that should Be coming. It’s literally passing through at half a litre per minute just, when I changed the filters the flow reader was reading 12lpm until it eventually levels off to 0.5lpm ? 
Click to expand...
What filter do you have and from where

 
ched999uk said:
Have you checked the supply to the filters? i.e. has the hose connecting to the mains supply collapsed internally or is it pinched/crushed? Start at the supply end and verify flow and pressure at each point till you find the restriction. Don't assume just because you changed something that it's OK, check all connections.
Click to expand...
No kinks at all anywhere 

doug atkinson said:
What filter do you have and from where
Click to expand...
Hf5 from yourself 

CHWS said:
I’m going to have a look now 

Hf5 from yourself 
Click to expand...
Sediment and a fiberdyne 20inch

 
Last edited by a moderator:

Similar threads

S
DI vessel only question
Replies
2
Views
256
southcoastkev
S
D
Pressure gauge on RO.
Replies
3
Views
379
Iron Giant
Iron Giant
T
Waste/pure ratio
2 3
Replies
48
Views
2,361
doug atkinson
doug atkinson
B
Help with new backpack set up
Replies
18
Views
756
Chris M
C
M
Ro observation
Replies
1
Views
494
Iron Giant
Iron Giant

Latest Posts

Back
Top