Is this RODI setup correct?
 

Help! After setting up my AquaSafe 7 stage 100GPD RODI unit, I turned on the water just to find that it shoots right back out of the reject tube (Yellow) with lots of pressure.
Not a single drop goes out the RODI tube. The cartridges are used but still have good life left.

Is this set up correctly? Any thoughts?

Heres a pic: Red is water in, Yellow is waste water, Blue is RODI water

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...m/IMG_0410.jpg
http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...m/IMG_0411.jpg

Your variable flow restrictor which is on the front of the unit with black handle ( I believe) needs to be adjusted. Adjust it until you get a 4 (waste) to 1 (ro) ratio. Its either 4 to 1 or 3 to 1. I cant remember. You probably have the flow restrictor open all the way so right now you are essentially flushing the membrane.

These instructions may help:
http://www.aquasafecanada.com/aquari...allation-page/

How would he "flush" his membrane?

Piped wrong, look at sphelps's picture.

You are coming out of the prefilters and through the flow restrict and into the membrane with no restrict or on the waist line.

By opening the valve on the flow restrictor, the item with the black lever. In his photo, the lever is shown in the 'flush' position. To make water, the lever goes 1/4 turn, much like any conventional ball valve. Having the valve open reduces backpressure in the membrane housing so all the water bypasses along the outside of the membrane, flushing it. Once the handle is turned 90 degrees, the built in restrictor creates the required amount of backpressure in the waste line to cause some of the water to get pushed through the membrane and purifying it.

Thanks guys. I bought the item used and this is how it was setup. I will try to re-plumb it.

So I should turn the black valve (quarter turn) 90 degrees to the close position for it to function?

Although it probably came that way from the vendor, there is no need for the GAC "Taste and Odor" filter that is plumbed in after the DI cartridge. After the water leaves the DI stage it is as clean as your system can make it.

Also, contrary to how your vendor originally made the system, a horizontal DI stage is a fundamental configuration error. Remove the DI stage from its clips, and orient it vertically with bottom up flow.

Additionally, we recommend against running the DI out put to a pressurized storage container. Be happy to explain why if needed via PM - not interested in educating the ebay vendors!

Russ

I re-pumbed the unit and closed the valve. I hear pressure inside the unit and water is flowing out the YELLOW waste tube slower but still at a pretty fast rate. Nothing is coming out of the GREEN tube where the arrow is.

Any more ideas? I almost gave up and am on the fence of using tap water.

Take some new pictures. if you have it plumbed right and the restrictor is closed and nothing coming out the supply, then possibly something is wrong with your membrane. Measure the waste water over time. At 100 g per day product at a 4:1 waist that would be 400 gallons waist per day or a quarter gallon a min. Check if you are around that.

Snap a couple of pics to show how you have it plumbed now.

I don't see an auto shut-off valve in your photo & the diagram sphelps provided has one of these just to the right of the valve/restrictor assembly. Another photo would help troubleshooting for sure, perhaps a couple showing the system from more than one angle.

Heres another pic. Sorry I didnt get any from more angles. Correct, there is no auto shutoff valve.

Nothing is coming out of the green tube, only the yellow. Im stumped!

Red: In
Blue: Out
Yellow: Waste
Green: RO out

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...m/IMG_5114.jpg

Chief - you still have it plumbed incorrectly. Look again at the diagram someone posted earlier in this thread. You have the second carbon stage feeding the flow restrictor - it should be feeding the RO membrane.

Also - get rid of the pressurized storage tank if you have one, and get rid of the taste and odor filter that is above the DI resin stage.

Good eye, it's actually evident in your first two photos as well. The flow restrictor/flush valve is supposed to be plumbed into the yellow waste line. The white tubing from the prefilters should go directly to membrane. Looks like you'll need a longer piece for that (or flip the membrane housing into the other direction). This is where the auto shut off valve would normally be plumbed in.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/s.l.s/rosetup1.jpg

ok lets see if I can help you. first undo the line from #1 and plug it into number #2.

unplug the line from #3 and plug it into #5 and the end of the blue line you took out of #5, sould be plugged into #6

take your red line you just removed from #6 and plug it into #1

the line you unpluged from #2 and plug it into #3

make these first and maybe a new pic to clear up the mess :mrgreen:

Steve

Thanks to all who helped thus far. I dont know why something so simple is so hard for me :frusty:

Here is what I have. Hopefully it is finally correct and I can start filling my tank!

Red: In
Blue: Out
Yellow: Waste

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...m/IMG_5364.jpg

I think it is still incorrect.

First: look in the white filter housings below the bracket. Need to know what is in each of those. The way you have it plumbed now, you should have a sediment filter in the right housing, carbon block in the center, and carbon block (or leave empty) in the left hand housing. These three prefilters MUST be in this order. I think your's are not.

It looks like you have the tubes on the right hand end of the RO membrane housing reverse. Figure out which of the two ports is your waste water, and which is your purified water. Here's a way to understand it rather than memorize it:
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...ingcutaway.jpg
The water purified by the RO membrane exits the center stem of the membrane. Identify the port that comes from almost dead center on the end of the housing. The other port contains waste water and is located on the edge of the end of the RO membrane housing:
http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/d...braneports.jpg

Once you get it hooked up correctly,
1. Remove the clear DI stage from its clips and orient it vertically with flow going through it from the bottom up.
2. Remove and do away with the final stage that comes after (is on top of) the DI stage.

Russ

double check on the bottom three filters that your red line is going to a port that says "in" if there is no "in" on either end then you have to open them and see what the filters are as mentioned. there might be an in/out on the top two filters also, so you might have to change the direction of thoes around also, mind you DI and carbon stages shouldn't matter if you enter the center or the outside. realy you don't even need the very top filter.

I think the membrain is set up right, the yellow line should be on the port closest to the outside, an easy way to confirm its right is put the water on and open the valve that the yellow line goes to. if it blasts out of the waist line it should be good, if it just dribbles then it may be backwards.

Steve

Yeap pretty sure bottom is backwards as Steve said. Also keep in mind you have no auto shut off so you'll have to manually turn off the SUPPLY water when not in use.

Ok I will try again. I was just going off what StirCrazy said but maybe I messed up his instructions.

remember I can read the sides from your picture.. so adjust 1 and 6 acordingly. which ever says in, make that your water from the tap to the unit. which ever says out make that to the inlet of your membrain (#7)

Steve

Very good point! The top of the lids to the housings below the bracket will be labeled "in" or "out"

Russ

Sorry for the late response. I still cant figure it out for the life of me.

Lets make it easy. Please tell me which numbers should connect and ill try not to screw that up. I indicated red arrows of what it says on the unit.

Thanks again guys!


http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...11123-2208.jpghttp://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...11123-2209.jpg

Assuming that your red arrows on the housing lids indicate which one says "in" and which one says "out":

First (left most) housing should contain a sediment filter
Middle housing should be another sediment or a carbon block
Third housing (right most) should be empty or have a carbon block

Tap water comes in to 2 and comes out 8.
Connect 8 to 3 on the RO membrane housing.
Connect 7 on the RO membrane housing to 4 on the DI housing
Rotate the DI housing so 9 is at "12 o'clock" position rather than "4 o'clock."
Water coming out of 9 will be your final DI water for use in your tank.
Remove the top, white "taste and odor filter" from your system. It does more harm than good in this position.
Connect 6 to the un-numbered port on the black-handled flow restrictor.
Connect 1 on the flow restrictor to a drain.

Russ

Here you go Russ. Thanks for all the help! He offered me to call him for a step by step guide.

Correct, the red arrows indicate IN and OUT
From left to right: Sediments 5 Micron, GAC, CCB 1 Micron

http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/b...11124-0112.jpg

Success! Thanks so much Russ.

I am filling the 180 now :)

BTW anyone know where to get a cheap TDS meter? Home Depot doesnt have them.

Got mine from BRS.

That's some real dedication btw... problem solving at 2am so you can start filling your tank. Respect!

Yeow. Someone sold you a less than ideal set of prefiltes. Assuming you are on city water w/o chloramies, a good combo is a 1 micron sediment filter and a 0.5 micron carbon block. GAC prefilters really have no place in the high capacity systems we use in this hobby. Really no need for a third prefilter, but you could use a second sediment filter or a second carbon block if you'd like.

If not mistaken, Buckeye Field Supply has them. Not going to find that much difference in price through various vendors, a dollar or two here or there. BFS was kind enough to walk you through getting it working, that probably has some karma.

Mike - you are a scholar and a gentleman!

They were included with the unit. So its not a good idea to use the ones included? So 1 micron sediment filter and two 0.5 micron carbon block?

BFS is definitely getting some business from me!

Yeah, pretty hard to beat service at midnight. This was a good teamwork thread, lol.

Carbon blocks do a much better job than GAC in this application - so much better that the GAC isn't really worth having in that position.

If you don't have chloramines in your water, you only really need one (1) good quality carbon block. You can lease the other (third prefilter) housing empty. I wouldn't use two 0.5 mic blocks because you'll lose a bit of pressure with each. If you DO have chloramines, go:

1. 1 mic sediment
2. Catalytic GAC (CGAC is much superior than plain old GAC)
3. 0.5 mic block

OR

1. 1 mic sediment
2. 0.5 mic block
3. 5 mic block

Russ

Awesome, thanks again. I know you recommended better alternatives but does it hurt for me to use the 3 I presently have? I dont want to spend if I dont HAVE to. Tight budget haha. Plus I already started filling the tank and it got me all excited.

Won't hurt to use what you have, no.

Your carbon block may clog faster than you'd like because it has a pore size smaller than the pore size of the sediment filter.

Russ

I haven't seen any evidence of a pressure gauge on your system. If you don't have one, it would be a good idea to include that on your shopping list. Great way to monitor how your system is performing, along with the TDS meter. I actually use two pressure gauges, one at the source/input so I know what pressure is going in, and the second in the customary position between the pre filters & RO membrane. By comparing the two readings I can pretty much tell when the sediment filter needs attention or replacement. That's one of the items that gets changed out quite regularly on my system with 210 TDS source water. Good thing it's one of the less costly consumables.

Mike is right on. A TDS meter and a pressure gauge are two tools we tell cutomers are critical to successfully run/troubleshoot/maintain these systems over time.

Russ