Tank moved, new journal

Delphinus · #1 05-09-2007, 06:27 PM

Danny, where did you get the picture of my electrical setup???

Anyhoo, yeah, you'd be fine with what you're describing. Basically as long as you have a valve (in this case probably just a ball valve like the ones pictured on melev's setup that Drew showed there), all you have to do is close the valve when you're done, the line pressures up and the input valve closes. Open it up and the unit turns on, close it up and the unit turns off.

Drew, FWIW, what you have pictured there is exactly how I have mine setup, except that instead of ball valves at the end of each line, I have float valves on reservoirs (since I'm somewhat bad at forgetting that I have water on and tend to create large pools of spilled water - see signature

). I just use the $10 humidifier float valves from Home Depot/Rona/etc.

danny zubot · #2 05-15-2007, 02:37 PM

Well, I got the auto shut off valve last night. After several hours of scratching my head and the odd curse word I got it installed and working. The instructions are for the Kent filters and utilize parts existing on them. Long story short, it works, so no more wated water.

Pescador · #3 07-11-2007, 07:51 PM

Here's a pic of my RO/DI rats nest with the Kent shutoff, flush kit, and pass-to-drain unit (to prevent TDS creep). I use a 20g can with a float valve as a reservoir like Tony but I'm wasting alot more water. There is another tee to a float valve in a 50g can for saltwater mixing.

danny zubot · #4 07-11-2007, 09:33 PM

I'm debating using a resevior on my new sump too.

The problem I'm finding with the direct feed setup, is that the float valve is so sensitive that every few minutes it opens up to fill the sump. It probably only fills like 50 ml at a time, but it takes another minute for the line to build up enough pressure for the Kent valve to shutoff the water. So, although I believe that I'm conserving water, its not as effective as I'd like.

I wonder if there is anyway to rig the float valve to not be so sensitive, so that it takes 200-300ml to trigger instead of the 50ml I estimate?

Delphinus · #5 07-12-2007, 04:07 AM

I'm not sure I follow, how does using a reservoir mean wasted water (except for the evaporation from the reservoir, but really this is minimal compared to the tank..) ??

Danny, I really have to say this, but get a reservoir on there pronto!! Don't debate, just do it!

Hooking the RO/DI directly to the float valve is going to lead to premature RO membrane failure. When I moved into my current house in 2004, I hooked my RO/DI directly to the sump like that. That constant on/off cycles are murder on the membranes. I went through 3, maybe even 4 membranes in the first year before I realized why they were failing. Since hooking up the reservoir (and filling the reservoir manually), I haven't had to replace a membrane yet (at least two years on this membrane).

Pescador · #6 07-12-2007, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delphinus

I'm not sure I follow, how does using a reservoir mean wasted water (except for the evaporation from the reservoir, but really this is minimal compared to the tank..) ??

No I didn't mean I was wasting more water using a reservoir I thought I was wasting more water than you. My top off sends about 5 gals at a time from my reservoir and the pass-to-drain flushes it every time it opens the auto-shutoff.

It sure is nice not having to worry about overfilling the reservoir or saltmixing barrel. Like you say when it's full and the float in either container shuts off the solenoid I can shut the valve to either one later without a spill.

danny zubot · #7 07-18-2007, 06:15 PM

Please don't yell at me Tony, but ofted not to do the reservior. I just can't bring myself to fill one every week or what ever. I had to go automated.

So I got the sprinkler timer like you said, and found the fittings to reduce it to 1/4"

I have it set to come on every 2 hours for 10 minutes. When I get home from work I can adjust the duration or intervals as required.

This whole thing has gotten completely rediculous. My friend has the identicle RO setup but with the tank, and his came from Aquasafe already set up to shut off when the tank was full. I should have gone that route 2 years ago.

Delphinus · #8 07-12-2007, 04:13 AM

Actually, there's something you can do besides a reservoir. You can hook your RO/DI up to a sprinkler timer and time it so that it only goes on for about an hour or two at night. That way, it will only fill during that period. Kind of not a perfect solution because once the sump is refilled it will still do that on/off/on/off thing but at least it's not doing it all day.

The reservoir idea is easier and cheaper

a 5g bucket if nothing else, will work fine, or a rubbermaid, or whatever you can make work.

danny zubot · #9 07-12-2007, 05:04 PM

Any idea how to hook up a sprinkler timer to 1/4" line? Or is there something available specifially for that size?

Delphinus · #10 07-12-2007, 05:43 PM

Just .. get. .. a reservoir already !!!!

Do it do it do it do it do it!!!!!!

But for the sprinkler valve, I was assuming that you had an RO/DI hookup the same as a garden hose or washing machine. If that were the case then you could just get a sprinkler valve with the garden hose hookups, and you just hook it inline between the RO/DI feedline and the tap. If that's not how you have it, then you'd have to, I guess, get a sprinkler valve with PVC hookups, and then get an assortment of various PVC bits and step down the piping from whatever it is (probably 3/4" or 1") down to the 1/4". You'll have to get some of the pieces from Home Depot/Rona (the valve), and some of the pieces from Western Pool and Spa (because I don't think HD/Rona typically carry bushings down to 1/4"

). Bit of a PITA this way.

Do the reservoir -- really, don't wreck a membrane if you don't have to. At $100 a pop I can think of better ways to spend money.

If you need a hand with it, let me know, maybe we can work on something together..