Getting frustrated!!!

ILLBKING · 08-15-2006, 10:18 AM

Ok so here is my deal. I had less trouble with phosphates before I bought a R/O unit (8weeks ago). I tested the water from my unit after I noticed the increase in algee in my tank. the readings where 344ppm with a friends TDS meter. My tap water is 294ppm. I checked the water before the DI filter, right out of the membrain and it was 34ppm.
what i did then was replaced all the filters except the DI and run it for 2 days ,120 gal. the water out of the membraind was 3.9ppm, and after the DI it was 33ppm. I replace the DI and it droped to 1.3 after a couple of gallons of production. this was all 3 weeks ago.
After going on hollidays for 10 days, I returned to a tank that was a carpet of green and now bright red algee on every thing. the water out of the di is 400ppm TDS. its 4ppm out of the membrain.
What could cause the DI filter to become so contaminated so quickly, and give reading higher then the tap water going into the unit?
The only thing I have done in the last couple of months, was add a float valve to the storage tank and a auto top off from that storage tank, that pumps about 2 gal/day into the sump. I do leave the water on all the time, can the low production be the cause of the contaminates, a friend says that only producing a small amount of water every couple of hours could be the problem?

Fly Guy · 08-15-2006, 11:00 AM

That sucks....im sorry
a new filter shouldnt do that no matter hwo bad your tap water is i dont hink.

What is your waste to product ratio and what is your water pressure?????

ILLBKING · 08-15-2006, 11:19 AM

The house prssure is about 80psi and the waste is about 3 to1.
It never seemed to do it till I put on the float valve and left the water pressued up to the unit all the time.

hng · 08-15-2006, 12:03 PM

Does your DI filter change colors? If it changed colors quickly, then that means that the resin bed was used up too quickly and is leaching stuff back into the water. If it hasn't changed colors, I would think that the meter is wrong or waste water is getting into the di chamber. I would find it hard to believe that water coming out of the DI chamber is higher in TDS than water coming into it. There must be somthing very wrong with the meter or the filter. Maybe someone else will chime in soon.

ILLBKING · 08-15-2006, 12:06 PM

The resin changed from green to rusty brown, from the bottom to the top over the coarse of 3 weeks.
I have checked the water several time and it is most certainly higher after it sits in the DI pressured up for a while.

ILLBKING · 08-15-2006, 12:09 PM

What about the shut off system that came with the float valve? I don't know how it works, is there any chance that it could allow the waste water to go into the DI. It is mounted on the end of the membrane housing, as per the instructions.

Fly Guy · 08-15-2006, 12:52 PM

I dont know Brad, but im going to tag along........

i was thinking of doing a similar thing when i move my ro/di in the next week or so. Im ogin to be topping off two different systems with it, but i may just get a little bigger container and fill it manually.............let the tank top offs be automated but not the reservoir filling itself......

ILLBKING · 08-15-2006, 12:56 PM

I think I am going to go get a new DI and remove the auto off switch, and just use the float to prevent overflow of the container.