What do spent resin/filters look like?

[Hoops]

Hi lads, 

just wondering if any of you had pictures of what spent resin and filters look like. My sediment and carbon pre filters are apparently needing to be changed every 9-12 months but the last time I changed them they were pretty much as white as the day I installed them. Also I’ve had 11L of DI resin for nearly a year now on my RO/DI system and I’m only changing it because it’s gone up to 007ppm but once it’s settled it drops to 005ppm. My RO filter takes around 300ppm down to just 008ppm (once settled) so I know that’s keeping my resin alive. 
I’ve seen videos of people changing out the resin and filters and they look absolutely filthy. Mine didn’t look like that last time and I’m only changing them out because they’ve been in there so long and production has slowed ever so slightly. 
 

 

[Pjj]

Resin won’t look any different when it’s worn out , but generally pre filters 5 micron will look dirty carbon ones again due to there dark colour don’t  look a lot different 

 

[Deleted member 7446]

Hi lads, 

just wondering if any of you had pictures of what spent resin and filters look like. My sediment and carbon pre filters are apparently needing to be changed every 9-12 months but the last time I changed them they were pretty much as white as the day I installed them. Also I’ve had 11L of DI resin for nearly a year now on my RO/DI system and I’m only changing it because it’s gone up to 007ppm but once it’s settled it drops to 005ppm. My RO filter takes around 300ppm down to just 008ppm (once settled) so I know that’s keeping my resin alive. 
I’ve seen videos of people changing out the resin and filters and they look absolutely filthy. Mine didn’t look like that last time and I’m only changing them out because they’ve been in there so long and production has slowed ever so slightly. 
 

Good morning.

Your initial question will be one that will not give you a definitive answer as many live in different areas of water quality and images of the aforementioned spent resin will not accurately determine how spent yours is. 

If you are in a hard water area with a PPM reading of around 300 for example and you are eating through pre-filters and resin there is evidently an issue with your system or mains water supply quality 

There's my tuppence worth of friendly opinion. Have a great day 

 

[spruce]

Hi lads, 

just wondering if any of you had pictures of what spent resin and filters look like. My sediment and carbon pre filters are apparently needing to be changed every 9-12 months but the last time I changed them they were pretty much as white as the day I installed them. Also I’ve had 11L of DI resin for nearly a year now on my RO/DI system and I’m only changing it because it’s gone up to 007ppm but once it’s settled it drops to 005ppm. My RO filter takes around 300ppm down to just 008ppm (once settled) so I know that’s keeping my resin alive. 
I’ve seen videos of people changing out the resin and filters and they look absolutely filthy. Mine didn’t look like that last time and I’m only changing them out because they’ve been in there so long and production has slowed ever so slightly. 
 

If your first filter, your sediment filter, is white after a year then your water is pretty much sediment free.

Let's consider your next filter, your carbon block filter. That's sole purpose is to remove chlorine from your water as chlorine eats away r/o membranes. A carbon filter doesn't last forever and a spent carbon block filter will not look any different to a new one.

Inside the pack of each new carbon block filter there should be an advice slip informing you of its service life in litres. Some prefilters are good for 10,000 litres and others more depending on the manufacturer and the size. For example, a 20" Fiberdyne filter will last about twice as long as a 10" filter. Your service life is the total amount of water your r/o uses, both pure produced and waste sent to the drain. If your r/o sends 3 litres of tap water to the drain while producing 1 litre of pure, then your service life is reduced by 4 litres.

The service life of a carbon filter will be calculated on a specific or fixed amount of residual chlorine in the water. Here is a copy of the small print from a Fiberdyne spec sheet ; Estimated capacity using 2 ppm free available chlorine at 0.5 ppm breakthrough. Service life of a 20" Fiberdyne CBF 20 Plus is expected to be 75700 litres.

If the chlorine in your water is less then your carbon block will last longer. But as I have no idea of what my chlorine readings are at my tap I have found that working to the Fiberdyne change schedule works for me. On average, I change my prefilters every 3 to 4 months when the 75700 litres is used. Pure to waste ratio is about 45 pure to 55 waste.

Our sediment filter can be really red with sediment where the carbon block is clean. Our water isn't good sometimes. On occasion, I have changed the sediment filter twice within the service life of a single carbon block filter = 3 sediment filters to 1 Fiberdyne filter.

My di vessel polishes off my pure to 0ppm. I will let it climb to 2ppm before changing the resin. I usually change a 6 litre di vessel's resin once a year.

 

[windowsurfer]

I'm in a soft water area usually about 80ppm, tulsion resin looks more like brownish slush puppy consistency, when spent, not golden.

 

[Jango]

I'm in a soft water area usually about 80ppm, tulsion resin looks more like brownish slush puppy consistency, when spent, not golden.

Once the water goes through the resin, it’s obviously wet, so you lose that golden look when dry. The only way to tell it’s no good is by the TDS coming out of the DI vessel. 
I needed to change my stuff more regularly, but we had a lot of work done by the water board the tap TDS is loads lower now, so things are lasting longer especially the resin. Having said that I always keep a check on everything. My sediment doesn’t change much in colour but I still change it. I have fibredyne like @spruce. Find them very good. 

 

[Robt100]

The service life of a carbon filter will be calculated on a specific or fixed amount of residual chlorine in the water. Here is a copy of the small print from a Fiberdyne spec sheet ; Estimated capacity using 2 ppm free available chlorine at 0.5 ppm breakthrough. Service life of a 20" Fiberdyne CBF 20 Plus is expected to be 75700 litres.

If the chlorine in your water is less then your carbon block will last longer.

Interesting to see this, according to the water supplier's website the latest water test came out at 0.18ppm of free chrlorine. So would that mean im looking at 750,000 litres before changing?!?

 

[Hoops]

If your first filter, your sediment filter, is white after a year then your water is pretty much sediment free.

Let's consider your next filter, your carbon block filter. That's sole purpose is to remove chlorine from your water as chlorine eats away r/o membranes. A carbon filter doesn't last forever and a spent carbon block filter will not look any different to a new one.

Inside the pack of each new carbon block filter there should be an advice slip informing you of its service life in litres. Some prefilters are good for 10,000 litres and others more depending on the manufacturer and the size. For example, a 20" Fiberdyne filter will last about twice as long as a 10" filter. Your service life is the total amount of water your r/o uses, both pure produced and waste sent to the drain. If your r/o sends 3 litres of tap water to the drain while producing 1 litre of pure, then your service life is reduced by 4 litres.

The service life of a carbon filter will be calculated on a specific or fixed amount of residual chlorine in the water. Here is a copy of the small print from a Fiberdyne spec sheet ; Estimated capacity using 2 ppm free available chlorine at 0.5 ppm breakthrough. Service life of a 20" Fiberdyne CBF 20 Plus is expected to be 75700 litres.

If the chlorine in your water is less then your carbon block will last longer. But as I have no idea of what my chlorine readings are at my tap I have found that working to the Fiberdyne change schedule works for me. On average, I change my prefilters every 3 to 4 months when the 75700 litres is used. Pure to waste ratio is about 45 pure to 55 waste.

Our sediment filter can be really red with sediment where the carbon block is clean. Our water isn't good sometimes. On occasion, I have changed the sediment filter twice within the service life of a single carbon block filter = 3 sediment filters to 1 Fiberdyne filter.

My di vessel polishes off my pure to 0ppm. I will let it climb to 2ppm before changing the resin. I usually change a 6 litre di vessel's resin once a year.

You are by far the most knowledgable guy on here Spruce. Reading through a lot of your comments I’ve learned a lot from you and continue to! Thanks again for the reply mate as that’s cleared it up a little more! I do so much digging to learn more and more about everything windows cleaning related and it can be mine field with all the different opinions etc etc but every time you’ve answered it’s precise, to the point and from experience! 

Thanks again buddy! 

 

[spruce]

You are by far the most knowledgable guy on here Spruce. Reading through a lot of your comments I’ve learned a lot from you and continue to! Thanks again for the reply mate as that’s cleared it up a little more! I do so much digging to learn more and more about everything windows cleaning related and it can be mine field with all the different opinions etc etc but every time you’ve answered it’s precise, to the point and from experience! 

Thanks again buddy! 

There are a lot of very knowledgeable guys on here. I'm just one of many cogs. I think I can talk for us all when I say we get encouragement from the guys who come aboard, work hard, ask questions and eventually build a successful business.

Most of us learnt this trade listening to others, receiving help from others and making our own mistakes - the school of hard knocks.

Many who have become window cleaners have come from specialized fields of expertise such as auto electricians, engineers, salesmen, office workers and many others; each bringing an element of expertize we all benefit from.

 

[Deleted member 7446]

There are a lot of very knowledgeable guys on here. I'm just one of many cogs. I think I can talk for us all when I say we get encouragement from the guys who come aboard, work hard, ask questions and eventually build a successful business.

Most of us learnt this trade listening to others, receiving help from others and making our own mistakes - the school of hard knocks.

Many who have become window cleaners have come from specialized fields of expertise such as auto electricians, engineers, salesmen, office workers and many others; each bringing an element of expertize we all benefit from.

Don't forget armed forces ?

 

[spruce]

Interesting to see this, according to the water supplier's website the latest water test came out at 0.18ppm of free chrlorine. So would that mean im looking at 750,000 litres before changing?!?

The thing is that you never know how much chlorine is in your water at any given time. There are times when our tap water smells of chlorine and other times it doesn't.

If you speak to a certain supplier (name begins with a B) they say a carbon block filter isn't necessary as there is no residual chlorine (I'm using residual to mean left over chlorine) in our water supply, so it's not needed. They even supply new r/o systems with just a sediment filter. Every other supplier says a carbon block filter is necessary so please draw your own conclusions. (Hint - chlorine destroys membranes.)

There was a big debate on another forum a few years ago regarding the cost of replacing carbon block filters when compared to the cost of replacing a membrane. Some disagreed with me changing my Fiberdyne filter every 76,000 litres. My 4040 Axeon HF5 membrane was fitted in August 2012 and is still working at a 97% rejection rate. So for me sticking to this replacement schedule has worked for me. However, others could argue that the cost of replacing filters has outweighed the cost of replacing a membrane prematurely. In the end, its up to you to decide what works for you. If it doesn't work then tweak things, so they do work for you.

 

[Robt100]

Looking at the results over the last year its fluctuated between 0.15 and 0.22 apparently, so I would think even with a little variance it shouldn't be too far off. Still keep to schedule though just to be safe?