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Which RO System

P4dstar

Premium Member
Messages
3,956
Location
Gloucestershire
Firstly, sincere apologies, I'm sure this has been posted several times but I can't find what I need by searching. So i need to move to RO because DI vessels are costing me a fortune. I don't really understand how an RO system works or the particulars of the set up.

I've just checked I get approx 15 litres a minute from the tap i'll be using. I checked last week and it was similar.

I have space to store a 1000 litre tank (2 if required)

My TDS is between 145 and 175 regularly

I am considering the 40/40 version of this;

https://www.windowcleaningwarehouse.co.uk/facelift-zero-ro-systems/action/null/

Am I wasting money with this or is it the easiest way of doing it? It seems to be a simple plug in and use system. I spoke to a young lad who started up in Birmingham who went for cheaper system and he ended up struggling to make 250 litres over 2 days.

I want this system to last for the next few years and be future proof and able to be used for more than one van etc eventually (I need to walk before I can run of course)

 
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No idea but @spruce  and @doug atkinson  of http://daqua.co.uk pretty sure doug could custom build a ro system if required, but most likely not needed and no doubt the cost will be quite a bit less, He is a top guy and will go above and beyond to help any which way he can. 

I went gung ho when changing ro membranes in the past and messed my ro up doug responded to my emails and spent time on the phone with multiple calls to get me sorted 

 
That t-zero ro is expensive! You really need to see what pressure your water is before you spend out. I have a mains pressure of around 60psi and with a 4021 ro bought from daqua produces around a litre of water in 50 seconds with pure to waste ratio of 50/50. A 4040 ro would produce water quicker than this. A lot of company's supply ro membranes with there units that are made in china and these are not great quality. Daqua sell good quality products and there customer service is great

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No idea but @spruce  and @doug atkinson  of http://daqua.co.uk pretty sure doug could custom build a ro system if required, but most likely not needed and no doubt the cost will be quite a bit less, He is a top guy and will go above and beyond to help any which way he can. 

I went gung ho when changing ro membranes in the past and messed my ro up doug responded to my emails and spent time on the phone with multiple calls to get me sorted 
They are playing on Ionic Zero ppb system.

So basically they are offering a bog standard 4040 r/o with a cheaper HF4 membrane, twin 20" prefilters, a frame and a di vessel with resin. I'm confused by the 4040 option for £725.00 + VAT

I agree with @marc674. Ask around for quotes. I do like the 20" prefilters though.

You will only need a single IBC tank unless you are producing for a number of cleaners. We still managed with 3 drawing water but it meant me filling my tank in the evening.

I would also add a float switch and solenoid valve so the r/o switches off when the IBC is full, even if its in the middle of the night.

.

 
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Where are you based@p4dstar ? If your not far from Burton On Trent I will happily show you the ins and outs of a 4040 system including boosted and Even in-boosted. I also have one for sale
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Haha, in Gloucestershire mate. 2 and a half hours to Burton on Trent... Took that trip once before to buy a car back in my boy racer days haha.

 
They are playing on Ionic Zero ppb system.

So basically they are offering a bog standard 4040 r/o with a cheaper HF4 membrane, twin 20" prefilters, a frame and a di vessel with resin. I'm confused by the 4040 option for £725.00 + VAT

I agree with @marc674. Ask around for quotes. I do like the 20" prefilters though.

You will only need a single IBC tank unless you are producing for a number of cleaners. We still managed with 3 drawing water but it meant me filling my tank in the evening.

I would also add a float switch and solenoid valve so the r/o switches off when the IBC is full, even if its in the middle of the night.

.
Yeah I am gonna run on one IBC initially, just thinking of future proofing.

How do I test my pressure though? If I use the adapter to plug the pole in directly it comes out faster that 99psi I have on my pump if that helps haha.

Think i'll give Daqua a call on Monday. Selling my xBox X to fund this so gotta get it right haha  :1f602:

 
To test the water pressure you need a mains water pressure test gauge, you connect it to the outside tap. These can be found on ebay for around £10 maybe screwfix or tool station sell them? If you have a friend who is a plumber they should have one. When I started I had a 350 gpd ro I always found this very slow and in the winter months was even slower! Only went for the 4021 ro due to lack of space.@spruce why do you like the 20" pre filters ? I currently have 10"pre filters


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To test the water pressure you need a mains water pressure test gauge, you connect it to the outside tap. These can be found on ebay for around £10 maybe screwfix or tool station sell them? If you have a friend who is a plumber they should have one. When I started I had a 350 gpd ro I always found this very slow and in the winter months was even slower! Only went for the 4021 ro due to lack of space.@spruce why do you like the 20" pre filters ? I currently have 10"pre filters


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Because a fiberdyne c/b filter lasts twice as long It means I don't have to change it as often. :1f602:

 
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Why did I choose a 4040?

I did consider a 4021 which is half the size production wise of a 4040, but it isn't half the cost. In fact a 4040 wasn't that much more cost wise than a 4021 when I started looking at this 6 years ago.

At the time there were 3 of us drawing water. My van has a 650 liter tank and the other 2 vans had 500 liter tanks. My concern was that if the 4021 was too small I would be back where I started with the 450gpd I originally had. Yes I could add an extra 4021 membrane and have the output of a 4040, but further down the road the cost of replacing 2 x 4021 membranes was much more than a single 4040 membrane.

Had there been 2 of us then the 4021 would have been an OK solution and adequate for our needs. But that's with hindsight.

I also had no idea how long a membrane would last. Although my 3 x 150gpd membranes lasted 6 years, this was no guarantee that the 4021 membranes would also last the same time.

I also considered that most suppliers fitted 4040 r/os to their van systems so this was another reason for going the 4040 route. Purefreedom was one of them.

I also choose to go the HF5 route even although a couple of suppliers said I wouldn't see a difference between the HF4 and HF5 at 50 psi.

Once the r/o was assembled and fitted I realised how little info was out there on the forums. So I made a special note of reporting my figures hoping it would help someone else.

Our water pressure is 50psi and our flow from the tap is 13lpm. (When I first started this decision our water pressure was 40psi so that might have 'forced' me into a booster pump.)

At 50psi I use an HF5 membrane and I do not have a booster pump. The sweet spot of the r/o is a 50/50 pure to waste ratio on my r/o. It produces 2lpm of pure and 2lpm of waste. So in production it uses 4lpm of tap water. When flushing it draws nearly 12lpm of water. It is still producing water at 98% rejection rate and the membrane is 5 1/2 (5.5) years old. Out tap water tds fluctuates between 90 and 140ppm. It used to be 254ppm but the water board has done work on the system.

For me, going 4040 was a big step into the unknown especially as I had limited funds. But looking back it was a good decision I should have taken years previously. I didn't realise how much stress I caused myself worrying and planning our water usage so we each had enough. But there were times when I didn't have enough water for myself so couldn't work that day - the lads always came first.

Yes I could have bought another di vessel and used that, but I felt it was plastering over the bigger issue which I knew a 4040 would solve.

.

 
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So i've tested my water pressure. Its showing 50PSI with the tap on full.... The only issue was the tester was leaking a little so I have checked with a plumber I know and he says I will be getting higher than this then. Stupid thing!! It doesn't leak on the garden hose so I assume the seal on this tester is dodgy.

Either way, I shouldn't need a booster which is good news...

Thanks to @Tuffers I have seen a working RO now. Obviously Daqua have been recommended and i've looked on Purefreedom too. Anyone got any other suggestions? Tryna stick to a bit of a budget here but I really want 20'' pre-filters and a HF5 membrane, In line TDS and auto shut off. Ideally I would like the lot of it to be pre wired up so I can just plug and go.

 
Daqua do Aexon membranes. My HF5 has performed faultlessly. I understand when you say you are on a budget. It you can't afford it right now, do what you are doing for a few months until you can.

The auto shut off is important, but you could fit the inline tds meter later. You have a hand held one and we used that for many years.

Unless PF have changed their minds, they will tell you an HF4 will do just as well as an HF5 at 50 psi water pressure. I haven't used an HF4 but I went with my gut and ignored their HF4 advise. I'm more than happy with the decision I made, despite the HF5 costing more.

 
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 Tryna stick to a bit of a budget here but I really want 20'' pre-filters and a HF5 membrane, In line TDS and auto shut off. Ideally I would like the lot of it to be pre wired up so I can just plug and go.
 

If you skimp now, you will regret it later as it will end up costing you more longterm. 

 
 

If you skimp now, you will regret it later as it will end up costing you more longterm. 
Agreed... I just want to get the right unit. If it costs me a grand so be it but I don't want to find out in a month that i've spent a grand and could have spend 800 for the same thing is all.

 
Agreed... I just want to get the right unit. If it costs me a grand so be it but I don't want to find out in a month that i've spent a grand and could have spend 800 for the same thing is all.
Then you won't go wrong chatting with Doug at Daqua.co.uk

County Durham Lad

 
Daqua do Aexon membranes. My HF5 has performed faultlessly. I understand when you say you are on a budget. It you can't afford it right now, do what you are doing for a few months until you can.

The auto shut off is important, but you could fit the inline tds meter later. You have a hand held one and we used that for many years.

Unless PF have changed their minds, they will tell you an HF4 will do just as well as an HF5 at 50 psi water pressure. I haven't used an HF4 but I went with my gut and ignored their HF4 advise. I'm more than happy with the decision I made, despite the HF5 costing more.
Yeah I have heard so much from you about HF5 I'm going with one of these. You are the man when it comes to RO

 

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