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10-06-2002, 04:17 PM
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#1
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Appleton, WI
Posts: 89
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RO/DI problem
After mixed salt in my RO/DI water I detected an odor. I tested it and the Ammonia wa between .25ppm & .50ppm. I empted and cleaned the cantainer and started over, with the same result. I tested the RO/DI water without salt and got 0ppm for the Ammonia. I have a Kent 60 PD Hi-S RO/DI that's about a year old. One thing I did realize is that I should have replaced the filters in the RO/DI by now. The salt is Instant Ocean from a 60 lb. container, over half full and probably a couple of months old. What ever the cause I believe it just happened in the last week. Appreciate your thoughts. By the way the Ph from the RO/DI, before the salt was added, is 9.4. This seems high.
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10-06-2002, 05:04 PM
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#2
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Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 1999
Location: Southern Oregon, Way West of Dimples ;)
Posts: 22,074
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Mike, the trace of Ammonia in new mixed synthetic salt is not uncommon, its due to chem reaction in the mixing. Thats why its really a good idea to mix it warm and well, with areaton for at least 24 hrs, so the Ammonia will outgas and the buffer does its thing to stabilize pH
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The heroism of the losing side rarely gets remembered
but we were all husbands and fathers, sons and bros
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10-06-2002, 05:40 PM
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#3
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Appleton, WI
Posts: 89
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Thanks Doug, that's good to hear, never noticed it before. What about the Ph level of 9.4 for the RO/DI water, before the salt was added? I never checked it before, but was surprised it was that high.
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10-06-2002, 11:27 PM
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#4
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Big Fishy
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Martinez, CA
Posts: 568
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Mike,
DI water is so pure that a reading of pH is often meaningless. A TDS or conductivity test would be better. However, usually a pH test of DI water will give you a low reading and when you get a high reading it is because your DI resin is worn out. Last time my resin was worn out, every time I added water my corals would close for a day. When I checked it with a tds meter, the RO water was the same as the DI water. After replacing the DI it was back to 0-1 ppm and no more reactions when adding water.
Good Luck,
Bill
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10-07-2002, 09:14 AM
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#5
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Appleton, WI
Posts: 89
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Bill, thanks that explains it. As I said above I am late replacing all three filters. They are on order, so I should be OK.
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10-07-2002, 10:36 PM
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#6
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Plankton
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: pittsburgh
Posts: 47
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I have found to get no more than 400 gallons from the carbon and sediment prefilter. Your RO membrane does not necessarily need replaced but could have sustained damage. I great way to test the ouput of the unit is a conductivity meter that measures Micosiemens. A TDS meter, while good only give you a portion of the picture of what the water contains. You can use the Conductivity meter to understand the water quality and the potential quality. First measure your source water, in the city you are likely to get reading of 500 to 650. City water fluctuates also, it ca go up after a storm or perhaps a long draught. The DI can only exchange ions by percentages, so the better your source the better your water, that’s why its in line after and RO and not before.
blane
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Blane Perun
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10-08-2002, 09:46 PM
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#7
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Appleton, WI
Posts: 89
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/what should the Conductivity Meter reading be after the RO?
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11-10-2002, 09:28 AM
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#8
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Reefman
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Ohio
Posts: 68
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You're replacing all three filters?
Which three? You surely have 1 sediment filter, and 1 carbon filter. What else are you changing?
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www.BuckeyeFieldSupply.com
200g tank w/ southdown dsb, ~150 lbs live rock, 2 Maxijet 1200, 2 x 400w MH, 2 x 165w actinic blue; 55g refugium with dsb, grape and razor, normal output on 24 hrs, Minijet 404; 44g rubbermaid brute sump. Iwaki 70 pump.
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11-10-2002, 08:41 PM
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#9
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Little Fishy
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Appleton, WI
Posts: 89
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Unreistible Blue
The 3rd cartidge is a Deion Resin.
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