RO/DI waste won't shutoff

[DonW]

Don, what do you make of the fact that my incoming water pressure is 90psi before my first prefilter, and 53psi after passing through all three prefilters? That seems like a huge drop.

All prefilters are new. I'm using 10/5/1 micron in that order.

That is one heck of a drop. That is while the unit is running right? Mine looses about 10psi. Disconnect the last filter (carbon block) from the membrane then check pressure running into a bucket or waste. Do not run water to the membrane without the carbon block.

Don

 

[Slickdonkey]

Ok I'll have to take a look at it. My unit has the three integrated canister things and it may not be so easy to just unhook one of them.

 

[DonW]

Ok I'll have to take a look at it. My unit has the three integrated canister things and it may not be so easy to just unhook one of them.

Do that, but make sure your measuring the pressure while its running.

Don

 

[Slickdonkey]

Ok Don, turns out I'm an idiot... my pressure problem wasn't a problem at all. My incoming pressure to the unit is almost the same as it is at the membrane (about 53 psi). So I'm planning to add a booster pump to get that pressure into a usable range for a dual membrane setup. Is 75 psi about right? Can the pressure be too high? Not sure how to adjust the pump when I get it.

From what I've read it looks like the best place for the pump is right after the initial sediment filter? I can't really do that the way my canisters are hooked together, so I'll probably get a single standalone canister and move the sediment filter into it. That'll give me an extra slot in my unit so maybe I'll add another GAC filter or something. Currently I have 10/5/1. Should I add an 0.5 to the end or will this cause more problems than it solves?

I'm still not sure why my membrane isn't producing. Maybe the combination of having run it at low pressure and the incoming water temperature these days means it's shot.

 

[Slickdonkey]

Ok I'm now set up for two 75gpd membranes. I'm still waiting on my booster pump to arrive. My water output is definitely a lot better; I think my 100gpd membrane was shot even though I only had it for 6 months.

However, even though I replaced the ASV and almost everything else I can think of, my waste water is still not shutting off when the float valve is closed. I realized I wasn't using the same flow restrictor that they sent me with the dual membrane kit, so I am going to try replacing that and see if it makes a difference. The one I was using was labeled "800" and the one they supplied me is labeled "550". I'm not sure what the difference is. If this fails, I'll have to wait and see if adding the booster pump helps by giving me a little more pressure.

 

[Slickdonkey]

Well not surprisingly, replacing the flow restrictor didn't help. I really hope the booster pump does, because I think I've replaced every single component in my system!

 

[DonW]

Boy thats quite a pile of spagetti you have there. Are you sure youve got the asv hooked up correctly? Did it work hooked up the way it is now?

Don

 

[mattseattle]

Do you have checkvalves on both of your membranes?

I see a checkvalve on the bottom membrane but don't see one on the top membrane.

One other thing is to look on the auto-shutoff valve and make sure you have the IN's going on the IN side and the OUT's on the Out side. It's marked but hard to see on the white valve.

 

[DonW]

Here is the diagram. Make sure our matches this.

 

[Slickdonkey]

Boy thats quite a pile of spagetti you have there. Are you sure youve got the asv hooked up correctly? Did it work hooked up the way it is now?

I'm pretty sure it's correct. There are two inputs and two outputs (two on either side of the ASV) and apparently it DOES matter which input goes where, because I had them backwards before and it wasn't producing any water at all.

Do you have checkvalves on both of your membranes?

I see a checkvalve on the bottom membrane but don't see one on the top membrane.

No, I only have one check valve. The diagram they sent me only says to do one. So does Don's above it looks like.

One other thing is to look on the auto-shutoff valve and make sure you have the IN's going on the IN side and the OUT's on the Out side. It's marked but hard to see on the white valve.

Yeah, I do have this correct. Like I was saying not only do you have to get the input side right, but it also seems to matter which of the two inputs you use.

 

[Slickdonkey]

Here is the diagram. Make sure our matches this.

I'm pretty sure it does. You can kind of see it in my "spaghetti picture" above.

 

[Slickdonkey]

Ok I think I know what the problem is. I need a check valve between the combined outputs of membrane 1 and membrane 2, right before it goes into the ASV.

 

[Slickdonkey]

Well that didn't work either; I thought it might be the problem because in some dual membrane diagrams I've seen a check valve there.

But now I'm pretty sure the problem is my float valve. I have one of the Spectrapure ones, and even though the reservoir looks full, I can still push up on the float just slightly and the water shuts off. It's just not allowing that final bit of water to fill the reservoir to the point the water will be shut off.

 

[Scooterman]

One suggestion if you don't find the float a problem is to temporarily remove the ASV & just the RO/DI unit running in the simplest form, eliminate as much as you can just to see if the basic equipment is working properly, this will help you debug the unit. I know it is might sound difficult but you should be able to reduce it down to just the pre filters & the One membrane.

 

[Slickdonkey]

Well at this point I think it's the float valve. It's either faulty or poorly designed.

I think I also need to look into some sort of system that won't just keep cycling my RO unit on and off to do sump topoff. Every 10 minutes or so my Litermeter will turn on the topoff pump and this will cause the valve to drop and the RO to turn back on. From what I've read this results in lower pressure on my membranes and will also be hard on my booster pump.

I know Don was working on something like this but his setups usually look a little over the top for me.

 

[DonW]

Well at this point I think it's the float valve. It's either faulty or poorly designed.

I think I also need to look into some sort of system that won't just keep cycling my RO unit on and off to do sump topoff. Every 10 minutes or so my Litermeter will turn on the topoff pump and this will cause the valve to drop and the RO to turn back on. From what I've read this results in lower pressure on my membranes and will also be hard on my booster pump.

I know Don was working on something like this but his setups usually look a little over the top for me.

You need a latching set-up for the rodi holding tank.

Don

 

[Slickdonkey]

You need a latching set-up for the rodi holding tank.

Can you elaborate on this a little? Currently I am using a Brute for ATO and not a pressurized tank.

 

[DonW]

Can you elaborate on this a little? Currently I am using a Brute for ATO and not a pressurized tank.

What you need is a latching controller. There is a float at the top and a float at the bottom of the rodi holding tank/bin. Water level is allowed to fall until the lower float falls the rodi turns on refilling the bin unti the top float rises.

This means the bin is emptied then refilled. The rodi runs for however big your brute can is.

Make Sense
Don

 

[Slickdonkey]

What you need is a latching controller. There is a float at the top and a float at the bottom of the rodi holding tank/bin. Water level is allowed to fall until the lower float falls the rodi turns on refilling the bin unti the top float rises.

This means the bin is emptied then refilled. The rodi runs for however big your brute can is.

Make Sense
Don

Makes perfect sense, now where can I get one? :lol:

 

[DonW]

Makes perfect sense, now where can I get one? :lol:

I have a solid state version comming in the next week. Two different versions one with floats and one that the user installs floats.

Don