NEW TDS METER,,These #'s ok?

[Junkzoo]

got my new Hanna TDS meter today, and tried it out,,,
here's the results:
tap water=190 (shallow well water)
RO=005
DI= 001
sounds good enuf for me,,,these's numbers ok?more concerned about the end result #'s.
is the tap water # "normal"?
Thanks

[Spanky]

More than likely Jeff, our tap runs in the 200's.

It's just me, but I wouldn't take that DI of 1 though. Check your filters.

[Junkzoo]

Originally posted by Spanky
More than likely Jeff, our tap runs in the 200's.

It's just me, but I wouldn't take that DI of 1 though. Check your filters.

Why Jerel,,,oughta be 000?
just wonderin,,,

[Spanky]

We try to keep ours on zero. I start changing filters when it hits .05.

[Junkzoo]

Originally posted by Spanky
We try to keep ours on zero. I start changing filters when it hits .05.

Gotcha Jerel,,Thanks!
PS: are the RO #'s ok too?
if i need to order everythang,,,,,,lemme know, if not , prob a DI cart., and mebbe a new pre and carbons,,,,,membrane is prob OK
THANKS!

[Spanky]

Lord have mercy, you're asking the wrong person about which filter. I just call Mr. Gibbs at Spectrapure and tell him my numbers are going up. He keeps a recond of what filter we bought when and knows what to send me.

[Junkzoo]

Originally posted by Spanky
Lord have mercy, you're asking the wrong person about which filter. I just call Mr. Gibbs at Spectrapure and tell him my numbers are going up. He keeps a recond of what filter we bought when and knows what to send me.

Easy Bomber!
sounds like i need to replace the DI,just wonderin' if the RO part is in params.sounds like , due to the big % of "takedown" from tap.
BTW: my unit is from "Natures Way" up in Sarasota,,,,had it for 9-10 yrs or so.everything replaced yearly,(membrane, pre,and carbons,DI) and everything but the membrane replaced every 6 mos.

[mikeMersot]

my tap runs from about 650 in teh summer to over 1000 in the winter, I no longer use DI as I burned up a cartridge every 30 gallons or so. My Ro brings it down to about 10-15 and I am happy with that I guess. Its about time to change the membrane though, I love to see 000 on my meter, but just not feasible for all the water I go through.

[SAT]

Rule of thumb is RO removes about 90% and the DI removes almost all the rest. So 5/190 is pretty good. A cheap meter won't be accurate in the last digit, so I wouldn't worry about the difference between 0 and 1. 190, by the way, seems pretty clean to me.

I'd start thinking about an RO membrane replacment when the RO output gets over 20 in your case. That probably won't be for a long time. Make sure you always run the unit for a few minutes before testing... the initial output from an idle unit will normally read high.

The other reason to change an RO membrane is if you stop getting output. That would indicate either the membrane or a pre-filter stage is clogged. Regular use of a flush kit can delay clogging of the membrane.

With well water you don't need to worry too much about the carbon stage. The main purpose of the carbon stage is to neutralize chlorine, which damages the RO membrane, and which you don't have. Change the sediment & carbon stages when they start getting clogged up (or every 6 months if you have city water). If you have a pressure gauge on the RO stage, you can tell the pre-filters are clogged because the pressure will drop.

If you have a typical well setup, your pressure tank will be set to a range of 30-50psi. 30 is too low for an RO filter to run efficiently (35-40 is the usual recommended minimum). A booster pump will increase the useful output relative to the waste.

[Junkzoo]

Stuart, thanks a lot for the info,,,,learned a lot!
BTW: my well is running at 40-60(on-off)
and i do replace my pre, and carbon filters every 6 mos. anyway.
membrane yearly
pretty much was wondering on the DI end of things,,,,
Thanks!

[SAT]

You're welcome!

If I had a professional conductivity meter like Jerel's, I'd probably change the DI stage at 0.05 too. With the Hanna, I'd change the DI when you start to see it creep up (assuming there's no indication the meter is out of calibration). That will probably happen well after any color change is complete if you have that kind of resin. BTW, mine reads 1 too.

In practice, unless you have high phosphates or something else bad in your water, the DI stage is really just extra insurance. Don't stress over it.

[Junkzoo]

Thanks, Stuart!

[RWD]

OK Got my inline dual probe tds meter today from AquaFQ. Here are the numbers:
tap water: 220
After RO: 065
After DI: 040
Looks like I need to change the membrane. Looking through my notes the membrane is 3 years old. I called up AquaFX and ordered another one. Hope this explains the hair algae problem I've been having lately. Bob

[SAT]

Before you change the membrane, let it run for a few minutes and test again. The water sitting in an idle system will normally read high... you have to flush it out before you can tell how the membrane is working.

[Junkzoo]

Originally posted by SAT
Before you change the membrane, let it run for a few minutes and test again. The water sitting in an idle system will normally read high... you have to flush it out before you can tell how the membrane is working.

No problem,test were done on water that was collected already,,,,