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!

Help with osmosis

WCF

Help Support WCF:

Don

Member
Messages
20
Location
hersham
Hi guys need some advice installed osmosis system with 100gpd membrane after membrane tds35 after DI 6 tap tds 320 also installed PSI gouge which showing 20psi do I need to do anything else or this is it maybe put two DI vessels. Wate water runs with the stream but pure water some times I can count drops . Is this is normal?Also maybe some one have wiring diagram with flush valves I ordered waiting for them IMG_2417.JPG

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 
Hi guys need some advice installed osmosis system with 100gpd membrane after membrane tds35 after DI 6 tap tds 320 also installed PSI gouge which showing 20psi do I need to do anything else or this is it maybe put two DI vessels. Wate water runs with the stream but pure water some times I can count drops . Is this is normal?Also maybe some one have wiring diagram with flush valves I ordered waiting for them View attachment 14523

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app
The first thing you need to address is your waste to pure water ratio. It would appear from your description that you are in flush mode (stream of waste water and a few drops of pure.) The r/o I had had a restrictor valve in the waste line which gave 1 liter of pure to 3 liters of waste. Had I removed the restrictor and fitted a small gate valve I could have reduced that ratio to around 1 waste to 1 pure and I would have produced water much faster.

Once you have got the ratio better, say at around 2 waste to 1 pure, then you will see a small increase in water production with a higher pressure showing on your gauge. If the pressure doesn't come up much then you need a booster pump.

Secondly, a 100gpd isn't going to produce much water even with a booster pump.

Thirdly, if you are using the tiny 10" di vessel that comes as part of some r/o's, then you need to invest in a bigger di vessel.

The minimum that a wfp window cleaner needs imho is a 300gpd and preferably a 450gpd. As these r/o's produce water very slowly, you really need to process water into an IBC tank and draw it when required.

My 450gpd used to take about 28 hours to refill my ibc tank in summer and about 34 hours in winter with 40psi water pressure and no booster.

Things to consider about membranes. 100 gpd = 100 US gallons over a 24 hour period. 1 US gallon is 4 liters. The performance of the membrane is done by the manufacturer with the water at the ideal temperature and water at the right pressure, two factors you are never going to replicate in your garage. I would imagine it may only be half that, probably less in winter when water is colder.

.

 
The first thing you need to address is your waste to pure water ratio. It would appear from your description that you are in flush mode (stream of waste water and a few drops of pure.) The r/o I had had a restrictor valve in the waste line which gave 1 liter of pure to 3 liters of waste. Had I removed the restrictor and fitted a small gate valve I could have reduced that ratio to around 1 waste to 1 pure and I would have produced water much faster.
Once you have got the ratio better, say at around 2 waste to 1 pure, then you will see a small increase in water production with a higher pressure showing on your gauge. If the pressure doesn't come up much then you need a booster pump.

Secondly, a 100gpd isn't going to produce much water even with a booster pump.

Thirdly, if you are using the tiny 10" di vessel that comes as part of some r/o's, then you need to invest in a bigger di vessel.

The minimum that a wfp window cleaner needs imho is a 300gpd and preferably a 450gpd. As these r/o's produce water very slowly, you really need to process water into an IBC tank and draw it when required.

My 450gpd used to take about 28 hours to refill my ibc tank in summer and about 34 hours in winter with 40psi water pressure and no booster.

Things to consider about membranes. 100 gpd = 100 US gallons over a 24 hour period. 1 US gallon is 4 liters. The performance of the membrane is done by the manufacturer with the water at the ideal temperature and water at the right pressure, two factors you are never going to replicate in your garage. I would imagine it may only be half that, probably less in winter when water is colder.

.
I'm not using much water what if I add another 100gpd membrane and add booster pump if this works? also I ordered restriction valve Thanks for info

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 
I'm not using much water what if I add another 100gpd membrane and add booster pump if this works? also I ordered restriction valve Thanks for info

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app
They are simple to expand, just another housing, membrane, some piping and John Guest T pieces. One of the suppliers once said that 4 membranes are the maximum you can go to using 1/4" piping. For me the biggest upgrade was replacing 3 x 75GPD membranes for 3 x 150GPD membranes with a different restrictor unit.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
They are simple to expand, just another housing, membrane, some piping and John Guest T pieces. One of the suppliers once said that 4 membranes are the maximum you can go to using 1/4" piping. For me the biggest upgrade was replacing 3 x 75GPD membranes for 3 x 150GPD membranes with a different restrictor unit.
And how many waste flow did you have one or 3 ?

Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 
Can anyone help me out? I've been using this for 2 months now without an issue, was just checking TDs reading yesterday and it came to my attention for the past day it's not producing water, waste water is coming out fine, I'm baffled as to were the rest of water can be going, I haven't touched anything for it to stop producing water, any advice would be great

Sorry for hijacking the post.
453238e7006024ab0a70f53f4a06138b.jpg


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app

 
Can anyone help me out? I've been using this for 2 months now without an issue, was just checking TDs reading yesterday and it came to my attention for the past day it's not producing water, waste water is coming out fine, I'm baffled as to were the rest of water can be going, I haven't touched anything for it to stop producing water, any advice would be great
Sorry for hijacking the post.
453238e7006024ab0a70f53f4a06138b.jpg


Sent using the Window Cleaning Forums mobile app
The system looks older than 2 months so you must have got it second hand.

To trouble shoot this you need to start at the r/o and work towards the IBC tank. With the system running remove one of the pure outlet pipes from the housing to see if there's water coming out. If there is then you need to trace the pipe work back to the tank to discover if there is a blockage somewhere.

First place to start is the flush valve. If that's open then water is going straight to the drain and not being forced through the membranes.

I used to process water directly into my trailer tank to start with. On a couple of occasions the r/o was running but there was no pure filling the tanks. When I removed the filler cap there was a rush of air leaving the tank like I had unscrewed the cap for a bottle of Coke. There was a vent in the cap. The answer was to drill a tiny hole through the vent and the problem never occurred again. To this day I have never been able to explain that. I later bought an IBC tank and processed water into that like you do.

Have you got one of those manual shutoff valves with a ball c o c k on the iBC tank side. If so then check its operation. They sometimes stick closed.

If water is going to waste then you must have water to and 'through' the r/o membranes. It seems strange that neither membrane is producing water, but I guess there is always the option that the membranes are blocked, but that doesn't make too much logical sense right now.

 
Last edited by a moderator:

Latest Posts

Back
Top