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Changing RO membrane (1 Viewer)

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gregg

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i have a vertex 150 gallon per day and it has 2 RO membranes... my question is, after replacing the membranes how much water should i flush through the system before i start to use the water?

same question for DI resin?
 

ITreefer

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The instructions on the membranes I use say to flush for an hour, though thats for a single membrane.
I don't flush DI resin either.
 
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Well, were your membranes wet or dry when you installed them?

Plumbed in series or in parallel?

It's good practice to dispose of the first 10 minutes of DI water out of a new cartridge.
 
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gregg

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Well, were your membranes wet or dry when you installed them?

Plumbed in series or in parallel?

It's good practice to dispose of the first 10 minutes of DI water out of a new cartridge.
They where dry right out of the bags and are parallel.
 

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Instructions Spectrapure emailed me per my request.

Flushing Filters

Some filters should be flushed when first installed. “Flushing” is no more complicated than running water through the filter without delivering the flush water to other stages in your water purification system.

Hint: An easy way to flush new filters is to temporarily install it as the final stage in your system and allow the flush water to go to a drain.

Sediment Filters No need to flush sediment filters unless otherwise specified on the filter label.

Carbon Blocks: Manufacturers recommend flushing carbon block cartridges for at least 10 minutes.

RO Membranes: Manufacturers recommend flushing at least 5 gallons of water through new dry RO membranes to remove preservatives before using the product water. Don’t run flush water through later stages in your system, run it all down the drain. SpectraSelect Membranes don’t need to be flushed since they already have been flushed.

DI Resin: SEE BELOW vvvv (replacement of filters)

Replacement of filters

Put the sediment and carbon in first. Leave DI housing(s) empty. Run a gallon of water through the empty DI housing(s). Add the MegaMaxCap cartridge. Run it until the TDS IN on the right meter reads 0. Add the Enduro DI, Run it until the TDS OUT on the right meter reads 0. Once complete your system is good to go.

A Sediment/Carbon Filter will usually last approx. 4-6 months, depending on the quality of the tap water and quantity of water being produced. The best way to determine when your Sediment/Carbon Prefilter needs replacement is to monitor the Pressure Gauge. When you have a drop in pressure of 15-20% below your normal gauge pressure, replace the filter. To verify this, run water through the system without the filter in its housing. If the pressure returns to your normal house pressure without the filter, you will know the filter you just took out was plugged up and causing the pressure drop.

Sediment: The best way to know when the sediment is in need of replacement is by using the pressure gauge, when pressure drops your sediment filter is going bad. Replace it when you get a 15% pressure drop! (example; I have 60 PSI, after much use my PSI is now 48 PSI. That’s a 20% pressure drops! Your flow rate will slow down and your carbon will start doing some heavy work by taking our sediment.

Carbon: Use our Chlorine Test Kit (https://spectrapure.com/Total-Chlorine-Test-Kit-w-10-tablets&filter_name=chlroine) to test the chlorine levels going to your membrane. This test will tell you when to change your carbon block ( or you can change it every 6 months) but by using this Chlorine test kit, you can get an estimate of how long your carbons will last with your water. If you’re on a well, you probably don’t have much or any chlorine and can get a longer life of the carbon blocks. If you’re on city water then chlorine levels can be between .5 to 4.0 which will vary if the life of your carbon block.

Use these two methods for pre-filters and you’ll be set. After 1700 gallons of processed water (6800 total gallons through the system), the prefilters could be plugging up.

Membrane: Replace the membrane when rejection rate is less than 96% or if production comes to a halt. Use the calculator below (Membrane Rejection Calc) to figure out your rejection!

**Rule of thumb with the MaxCap and Silicabuster(MegaMaxCap and Enduro) (this will save you $$$ too)**

Once you replace your filters, keep an eye on the LEFT TDS METER - OUT reading and your RIGHT TDS METER - IN reading. This is essentially your POST membrane RO water and the MegaMaxCap DI ppm going into your Enduro DI.

Once your RIGHT TDS METER – IN reading is HALF of your LEFT TDS METER - OUT reading, you can replace the MegaMaxCap DI but your Enduro should still be putting out 0ppm water. You can essentially change the MegaMaxCap DI 2-3 times before needing to change your Enduro
.
Example; your LEFT TDS METER - OUT reading is 10. Once your RIGHT TDS METER - IN shows 5, change the MegaMaxCap. You should be able to do this 2-3 times before needing to change the Enduro.


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Gregg:

I have the 200GPD Vertex. I just unplug the RODI line going to the reservoir for about 30 minutes draining outside, then connect it back.
Remember that our units have auto-flushing, so it takes care of it pretty often when producing water.
 
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Gregg:

I have the 200GPD Vertex. I just unplug the RODI line going to the reservoir for about 30 minutes draining outside, then connect it back.
Remember that our units have auto-flushing, so it takes care of it pretty often when producing water.
Seems to be some confusion...
The OP is talking about rinsing NEW filters when they are first installed.
You're talking about a flush valve on the concentrate line that operates AFTER filters have been installed, rinsed, and are operating normally.
Two different things.

Russ
 

TriggerFan

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Russ:

Apologies, that's not what I read that he asked initially. That's the question I provided an answer to. (See below)
Guess I should have read the other responses. ;)

i have a vertex 150 gallon per day and it has 2 RO membranes... my question is, after replacing the membranes how much water should i flush through the system before i start to use the water?

same question for DI resin?
 

decimal

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the process matters too. run water for 10 mins and drain before hitting RO membrane. You don't want to flush the carbon cartridges etc. into the RO membrane. so.. flush the membrane pre-stages for 10 mins, hook up RO membrane and flush for an additional 10 mins (can flush through DI after membrane as well since there will not be any particulate contamination.

hope that helps
 
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gregg

gregg

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Ok so I flushed the carbon for 20mins, then went on to flush the membranes for an hour ... hope I did it right... tds says zero but I’m not sure I believe that since after i transfer that water to a bucket it says tds is 2, bucket was clean. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 

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TDS should not be 0 input at carbon block stage. Your meter is off


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Don't run the RO membrane rise water through the DI.
Russ

good catch... duh.. makes no sense wasting DI capacity on rinse. sorry.

tds should be around 3-5ppm coming out of the RO and Zero coming out after DI. so either something is not hooked up right or meter is not right.
 
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gregg

gregg

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Maybe I should clarify... tds is zero coming out of the di... but once it travels through the 1/4” tubbing about 30’ and comes into my house it reads 2
 
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Maybe I should clarify... tds is zero coming out of the di... but once it travels through the 1/4” tubbing about 30’ and comes into my house it reads 2
Please tell us what your THREE readings are:
TDS of tap water: ?
TDS of RO water: ?
TDS of DI water: 0

Are you making these readings with a TRM1 inline triple probe TDS meter?

After you rinse up a new RO membrane, TEST the TDS of the RO water before you start sending that RO water to the DI stage. If it is higher than it should be, there's no sense sending it to the DI - instead do some troubleshooting on the RO to get the purity of the RO water where it needs to be... and THEN send it on to the DI.

How pure should the RO water be? I can't give you a specific TDS number. Take your rejection rate (for a Filmtec 75 gpd membrane that's 99%) and subtract that from whatever your feed water TDS is. For example, let's say your feedwater is 278 ppm TDS. If your membrane removes 99% of that, you'd have:
278 - (0.99*278)=
278 - 275=3 ppm So 3 ppm would be your goal for your RO water.

You're unlikely to achieve that goal however due to how most RODI systems are configured in this hobby. But that is a topic for another discussion...

Russ
 

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Now I am using ro water that comes in a big jug. I make the water go through a di membrane before entering the aquarium when i do my partial water changes. I pay 2 can dollars per big jug of water. I am thinking of just getting an ro membrane that has the water go in and out on opposite sides instead.
 
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Well dangit...I’ve never flushed a single filter. LOL.

Although I do bleed off the TDS creep for the first 90 seconds or 2 minutes. Does that count for a flush for all filters?? :LOL:

That being said...I always have zero TDS water on the other end.

May I ask a question as to what may get into the tank if the filters are not flushed even if we’re seeing zero TDS on the other end?

Or what exactly are we flushing out? It sounds like a good thing to do because just like Carbon and GFO have fines, I’m sure these new filters carry a bunch of junk that probably wouldn’t be good. It still has to make it through the DI stage right?
 
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