QUESTION FOR ALL RO/DI USERS

[Katchupoy]

I just purchase a used 4 stage RO/DI unit from a fellow reefer from this board.

1 sediment filter
1 carbon filter
1 ro membrane
1 di filter

I have 3 tubes/hoses...

Black = Input from source
Blue = Output from DI
Yellow = from RO membrane

Question:

1 What is the yellow tube? (from my research, it is waste water line)
2 If it is waste water line, do you just let it go to drain? I mean, can I put a valve or something to shut it off.

2a. If you cannot shut it off. What to do with it. Dont want to waste precious water.

3 Is it safe to drink DI water? (they said only drink RO water)
4 The water coming from the yellow tube. Is it after RO membrane or before RO membrane? (it looks like after).

5. If it is after then is it safe to say that it is clean? (more or less, and safe to drink?)

Thanks,
Forgive me for asking to many questions, first time user of RO/DI here...

 

[MtnDewMan]

Question:

1 What is the yellow tube? (from my research, it is waste water line)

That is the waste water.

2 If it is waste water line, do you just let it go to drain? I mean, can I put a valve or something to shut it off.

I let it go to the drain. But I have an automatic topoff on this system. When the topoff clicks off, the RO will still run water through the waste without a shutoff kit. I use this kit from Kent Marine to shut off the RO unit when the topoff is not delivering water to the sump.

http://www.kentmarine.com/html/sok.html

2a. If you cannot shut it off. What to do with it. Dont want to waste precious water.

See above

3 Is it safe to drink DI water? (they said only drink RO water)

You can drink DI water, but the water will basically be more pure than you want for you to have a nutritious glass of water. I would drink the RO water personally, but DI water is fine too.

4 The water coming from the yellow tube. Is it after RO membrane or before RO membrane? (it looks like after).

Waste water comes out of the membrane.

5. If it is after then is it safe to say that it is clean? (more or less, and safe to drink?)

The waste water basically contains a lot of nasty stuff. I would water your garden with it instead of drinking it

Hope this helps. If I said anything wrong, someone will chime in

 

[Minh Nguyen]

Best if you get a diagram of the unit. These color tube can be change so I would not necessary rely on the tube color.
The unit cannot auto shut off unless it have an auto shutoff valve. It is cheap and very easy to install.
There is no reason not to drink RO/DI water. It is not toxic. However, the DI resin occasionally has these binding molecules leak through. You may be drinking a very small concentration of DI resin in DI water. Is this toxic? Who know but it is not recommended due to this reason.
Minh

 

[tamarindthai]

Ceasar,
if you have time ,stop by my place ,,and i will give you whole diagram how to hook up through auto shut off.
dang

 

[jazznreef]

It sounds like I have the same unit as you and my yellow is the line to the faucet. orange is my waste water line, so be careful.

 

[jazznreef]

as for drinking... they say not to drink the ro/di because the filteration process has stripped the water of all minerals and additions that are added for our general well being. i don't think that means it's unsafe just that you will be missing stuff that is good for you by stripping it out.

 

[csleeman]

RO/DI

Funny My waste is black, Yellow is RO and my DI is blue and red is dirty water in.


-Chad

 

[Glenlivet]

From my studies of Nuclear power which uses a lot of DI water, you do not want to drink DI water due to the fact that all the minerals have been stripped it will leach the Minerals from your body, causing different affects, some people get sick from it. Especially when you make coffee with it for your boss.