Regarding RO systems

[WarBux79]

Hi, so I am looking at RO systems for my new Grow Room and came across some that have nice big storage tanks and booster pumps that are supposed to keep the water flowing in a high usage system. I dont want to have to wait for water like my brothers RO system. Does anyone have suggestions? I was looking at one like the one in this link with a nice big storage tank

AP-RO5P

 

[PitViper]

I dont use RO but that looks very comprable to others Ive seen

 

[WarBux79]

Yes, my concern is not enough pressure to keep water flowing at a good rate. I dont want to have to wait 3-5 minutes to fill a jug of water.

 

[Tyrone Hamilton]

I paid around $200 for one with a 2 gallon res - I kinda like the simplicity of the passive type, but it does take forever once the res is empty... I guess res size is key for you - might just be worth buying a simple system and adding your own large reservoir.

I guess if your water pressure is too low to operate the standard kind then you might have to buy this one with the boost pump... I guess it all depends on how much water you need over time.

 

[WarBux79]

I paid around $200 for one with a 2 gallon res - I kinda like the simplicity of the passive type, but it does take forever once the res is empty... I guess res size is key for you - might just be worth buying a simple system and adding your own large reservoir.

I guess if your water pressure is too low to operate the standard kind then you might have to buy this one with the boost pump... I guess it all depends on how much water you need over time.

how many gallons per day can you get out of yours?

 

[Tyrone Hamilton]

how many gallons per day can you get out of yours?

I can't remember the specs - not much though, I'd guess 20 gallons since it seems to take over two hours to fill the two gallon res.

I only need around 20 gallons a week though... I just let it fill up a big tote so I have enough when the water change is needed.

I was also concerned about the cost and availability of replacement cartridges, and the lifetime...

I didn't look closely at that system, but it does seem pretty sweet, especially if you need it for uses besides hydro.

 

[Baja Big Dog]

I have one of these units for the sink, and Im getting one of the "reef" systems for the grow room, they are cheaper, since you dont need the facet set up for the reservoir, you can run on of the float set ups, and pump directly into the reservoir, and let it shut off automatically when full.

My home unit takes about 1 min 20 seconds a gallon, so a 25 gallon resi will take about 30 minutes to refill, but you can improve that with a Permeate pump, this is kinda new technology for RO systems, and I have heard they work well. below is a write up on permeate pumps.

Clear Reef 6st 100GPD Reverse Osmosis RO Water Filters - eBay (item 110444844958 end time Oct-18-09 2051 PDT)

Aquatec Permeate Pump

"Permeate" is industry jargon for product water: the purified water that has passed through the reverse osmosis membrane, the water you will drink. The water that is rejected by the membrane, the waste water, is called "brine."

A permeate pump is a special device for undersink reverse osmosis units that uses the hydro power of the brine, or waste water, to pack the permeate, or product water, into the storage tank.
Permeate Pump Ordering
Part # Description Price
RP100 Aquatec Permeate Pump. Includes instructions, screws and mounting bracket. $77
RP101 Permeate Pump Upgrade. Aquatec Permeate Pump added to Black & White, Gold Series, Q Series RO unit at time of purchase. $70

All prices include shipping!
90% Shut-off Valve
for Permeate Pumps

Although the pump controls the unit completely and does not need a shut-off valve to shut down the unit, some prefer performance with a shutoff valve. There are special "90% shutoff valves" on the market sold to work with the permeate pump. It shuts the unit down when tank pressure reaches 90% of the inlet pressure. We haven't yet found a "90% shutoff valve" that we recommend. You can run the unit with any standard shutoff valve and it will improve the unit's efficiency and the quality of the product water, but you will still have only about 60% of your input pressure in the storage tank.


A standard reverse osmosis unit is controlled by an automatic shutoff system that shuts down water production when pressure in the storage tank reaches about 2/3 of the inlet water pressure. In other words, if your city water pressure is 60 pounds (psi), your reverse osmosis unit will stop producing and storing water when pressure in the storage tank reaches about 40 psi. For most household purposes, this is plenty of pressure and the RO unit will run wonderfully.

The same RO unit with a permeate pump and 60 psi coming in will continue to produce water until pressure in the tank reaches almost 60 psi. This is especially helpful for low-pressure installations. If, for example, you have a well system that provides only 40 psi, a standard RO unit will run, but it won't run well. The unit will shut down when tank pressure reaches 25 psi or so. With a permeate pump, the unit will put almost the full 40 psi into the storage tank.

What's best about the permeate pump, though, is the increased efficiency. With a standard shutoff system, as the storage tank fills, the RO unit must push against an increasing amount of storage tank pressure. With the permeate pump, the unit is shielded from this pressure and the membrane works in a virtually pressure-free situation, even when the tank is almost full.
Permeate Pump Pros & Cons

Among the pump's disadvantages are:

*

A slight intermittent thumping noise–not really loud, but you'll know when it's running.
*

It's not easy to install on an existing RO unit (it makes new units no harder to install). We don't recommend that you attempt to retrofit an existing RO unit to permeate pump operation unless you're willing to go to a little trouble. We can provide instructions.
*

A slight increase in TDS (total dissolved solids) reading under normal household operation. Because the pump starts the unit literally every time you take a thimble-full of water from the unit, overall rejection of dissolved solids may not be quite as good as with a standard unit. This is normally not a significant disadvantage, and it is offset by the greatly enhanced pressure performance, especially with low-pressure installations. And, if you take lots of water out of the tank at one time, you'll actually experience improved TDS performance.

Advantages to the permeate pump are:

*

The greatly improved water pressure from the RO tank, especially in low-pressure installations.
*

No electricity used, and no electrical connection (as compared with electric booster pumps).
*

Much greater efficiency. The unit does not have to push against the pressure of storage tank. The ratio of product water to waste water improves significantly.

 

[WarBux79]

Thanks! I think I will get one with a pump then.