High TDS with BRS 6 stage, any recommendations? (1 Viewer)

[rparker2112]

I have a BRS 6 stage with booster pump. It's set at 80 psi. My well water is at 900-950 on a normal basis. Coming out of my RO going into my DI is 35-28 TDS depending on my feed TDS. Called BRS and they said the minimum specs on the DOW 75gpd is 96%, which by my calculations in getting about 97% rejection.

So I knew going into this big tank build that water was my biggest problem. But I made about 60 gallons of DI/0tds water before the resin was spent.

Before I run it thru RO I gas it off for 2 days, so I know it's not C02.

Here's a few ideas I have.....tell me if I'm crazy

1. So run it thru the RO system, THEN gas it off, then back thru the RO system again to get lower TDS before I send it thru the DI resin, so pretty much double filtering it thru the RO.

2. Run it thru the RO, then buying a water saver kit, but running the "clean" water thru the 2nd RO membrane (instead of the waste water)

3. Dealing with the fast consumption of DI resin $25 per 60 gallons (2 canisters)

4. Trying out that BRS triple canister of single bed DI resin, which I am not convinced will help a huge amount, maybe a little.

I'm not worried about "waste water" as I can use that to water the garden and fill up the pond. And seeing I have no water bill, no worries about that honestly. But I still have ALOT of DI water that I gotta make.

 

[Birdman]

Call Spectrapure they can help. I have well water and can go longer than that. They have a 99% filter.

 

[webster1234]

Agreed. I had the same problem with a BRS membrane. Brand new membrane had a rejection rate of about 94%. I was burning through resin like crazy. They told me the advertised rejection rate was 96% give or take 5% due to temperature. I didn't buy that story. Returned it and paid about $20 more for a 99% rejection membrane from Spectrapure. Put it in...problem solved. Call them. They will hook you up.

 

[Ostentum]

Make sure the di resin is tightly packed in also. I didn’t have mine packed in tight enough and I started to get channeling in my resin container which made me get high tds from that chamber my resin wasn’t spent it was just getting through the resin too fast and was unable to remove al the tds

 

[TooSalty]

You shouldn't be burning through DI that quickly even with 25tds. I order from Air water and Ice and use their 75g 99% rejection rate membrane. I believe my TDS out is around 12. I have to double check, but I've made close to 400g and my DI is still pushing out 0 TDS. When you install new filters are you flushing the filters and membrane for 10 minutes? Then you have to make 10g of RO water to throw away.

 

[rparker2112]

My water temp is heated with 100 feet of 3/8 line inside a bucket with a heater. That improved my rejection rate a bit.

The DI resin is packed tight. When I do it, I have a plastic cup that fits perfectly and I smash it down hard. I can get a hair over 1.25 lbs in a Di cartridge.

Yes, I always flush new filters, and do a pre flush for a few mins every time I use it before I send it down thru the DI resin.

As far as a new RO membrane, I have a spectrapure RO system for my drinking water. That was actually the first thing I did was swap out the membranes. The spectrapure unit I have has a RO output with booster set at 75-80ish psi coming out at 16-20 which still isn't 99% rejection.

I'm starting to think my water has something in it that even the RO can't remove, but no idea what that would be. It's not deadly (to humans) because we have been drinking this water for YEARS.

 

[rparker2112]

My spectrapure unit has the maxcap RO membrane. I would if used that for my reef water but it's just 2 stages then the membrane. And I don't think my wife would let me steal her drinking water.

 

[webster1234]

My advice, call Spectrapure. That's all they do is water purification. Their tech guys have always been very helpful to me. I've had them spend 15-20 min on the phone with me trouble shooting my system. Call them and run your situation down to them and let them make some suggestions.

 

[rparker2112]

I called spectrapure, they said to boost the pressure up more to 100 psi (currently at 80) and to buy a c02 test kit to see how much more I have to air off the c02. I don't think my problem is C02 because the TDS rejection is still not close to 98-99%. He said that 96% is probably what I'm gonna have to live with and buy DI resin in bulk.

 

[Birdman]

I have 2 3 TDS after 99% membrane and my TDS is 800-900 out of the well.

 

[rparker2112]

I have 2 3 TDS after 99% membrane and my TDS is 800-900 out of the well.

That's better than 99% rejection!!!!

I rechecked and I do in fact have the spectrapure maxcap RO membrane installed. So thinking it might be a bad RO membrane, it's 6 months old.......

 

[webster1234]

That's better than 99% rejection!!!!

I rechecked and I do in fact have the spectrapure maxcap RO membrane installed. So thinking it might be a bad RO membrane, it's 6 months old.......

This is what they said to me...the maxcap RO membrane is not the same as their 99% rejection membrane. When they hand test their new membranes in the shop, some, for whatever reason, have an extremely high rejection rate, ie. higher than normal. They pull those and set them aside, offering them for sale at a premium to their standard maxcap membranes. These are sold separately from the regular ones. They are the same membranes as the rest, just for some reason, they have a higher rejection rate. They cost about $20 bucks more. But you will save that in resin in your first month. Here is a link:

SpectraSelect Plus 90-GPD RO 99 Percent Rejection Membrane - MEM-SP-0090

I was going to mention how chlorine destroys membranes so it is very important to keep good carbon in there but I think you mentioned well water so chlorine shouldn't be an issue for you.

 

[rparker2112]

My RO membrane has the SP-0090 part number. I'm getting no where close to 99% rejection. The membrane came new in a package when I bought the RO system used, which had a blown RO housing and they had a new housing and new membrane.

So I still think it's either my water has something in it that the RO can't filter out OR the most likely scenario is the SP-0090 is bad. Which could be a possibility.

The BRS membrane that came with the 6 stage system want doing as good as the Spectrapure, but the possibility of TWO membranes that are bad isn't a real high possibility.

So I might try the triple Di system that BRS has now, and bubble off the water longer

 

[rparker2112]

The BRS membrane was getting 28ish TDS
The Spectrapure maxcap SP-0090 is currently getting 22 TDS

That is an improvement but not by much. And the wife also doesn't like the Spectrapure/Dow membrane combo for her water.

So I'm not sure what to do. No use to buying another RO membrane if two isn't working and one is "the best".

 

[printed3dparts]

Maybe a stupid idea but you could possibly send some of the water you make to triton for an icp to potentially pinpoint what's left behind... If i were in your shoes I'd do that and see if it even make sense to go to 0 tds (maybe there's minerals left behind that are not harmful or even beneficial).

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[rparker2112]

You know, I never even thought about that. It might be even something that will benefit my reef!!!

 

[webster1234]

My RO membrane has the SP-0090 part number. I'm getting no where close to 99% rejection. The membrane came new in a package when I bought the RO system used, which had a blown RO housing and they had a new housing and new membrane.

So I still think it's either my water has something in it that the RO can't filter out OR the most likely scenario is the SP-0090 is bad. Which could be a possibility.

The BRS membrane that came with the 6 stage system want doing as good as the Spectrapure, but the possibility of TWO membranes that are bad isn't a real high possibility.

So I might try the triple Di system that BRS has now, and bubble off the water longer

Re-read my post. They test all of their membranes in their shop, which are identical and all roll off the same assembly line. When they are testing them, the ones that (for some unknown reason) have a 99% rejection rate, get pulled aside and sold at a premium. They physically look just like the others, and have the same part number stamped on them. Maybe 1 in 100 make the cut and have 99% rejection. They are like freaks of nature. They can't explain why 1 in 100 do this, but they just do. Trust me, I'm running one now. It's worth the extra $20. My in line TDS meter proved it. Now that I have a good one, I baby it, changing the carbon block more often just to ensure the chlorine doesn't eat it up.

 

[rparker2112]

I'm gonna grab one and see what it does. At this point I'm willing to try it out. If it can get my RO TDS to 10 I would be very happy, if into 5 or less, I will buy you a dinner at a good Mexican restaurant (I love tacos).

This morning my source TDS was over 1000. I was talking to my neighbor and he laughed and said might as well catch rain water and purify it......

 

[webster1234]

My fingers are crossed for you. Nothing better than free Mexican food

 

[Cody]

My fingers are crossed for you. Nothing better than free Mexican food

What he didn't tell you is that I have been giving him this advice the whole time. So really, the free Mexican food is mine, and I thank you very much for it