RO/DI why am I testing Phosphates?

[the6goat6man6]

I have this beautyfull algae garden going on right now, thanks to some PO4. I really noticed the algae after I started using RO/DI, before I bought distilled, gallon by gallon. I saw a thread saying it may be the salt, sounded good, so I tested my RO/DI water. My heart sank, why? PO4? No nitrates? just PO4?

I have a Spectra pure, 60gpd, all .5 micron cartrages. All brand new! maybe two months, maybe 300-350 gals made.

I have some PO4 remover coming to put in a reactor. But wht do I have it in this supposed 99.9% pure water?

 

[akunochi]

Do you have DI on your RODI? How hard is the water in your area? THe DI portion would remove all PO4, but if it isn't there or is exhausted then there's your answer/

 

[akunochi]

Other thoughts that may be contributing.

What is the TDS on your source water?

What is the TDS on your output water prior to storage?

What type of container are you storing in? Some rubbermaids leak phosphates.

How long are you waiting to test if you are testing newly mixed salt water? Should be at least 24 hours of solid aeration.

What is the PH of the water you are testing as this can effect how test kits will read sometimes based on the kit and could give you a false reading.

 

[the6goat6man6]

Yes I have DI, that is why I put RO/DI. All are new, replaced at the same time.

I am testing PO4 right out of the RO/DI unit. First I tested,twice, the water right out of the RO tube, then I ran out 5gal into a bucket and tested it.

The water in my area is hard, not sure about TDS, don't have a meter yet. That is my next toy.

I am storing the water in rubbermaid, ones I used before, but I stilled tested the water right out of the RO filter. I haven't tested it in my holding tanks, yet, because it is coming out of the RO filter.

How can my DI be exhausted so quikly? I just put it in, new, out of the package. I installed new cartrages at the same time, .5uM-sediment & .5uM carbon block, TFC Membrane 60gpd w/ new flow restrictor, Mixed bed multi-layer DI cartrage.......Humm....While getting the info on what I bought, I see the DI cartrages don't really last that long. It says about 200 gal, if the TDS is only 25ppm!

So what is the real deal with these RO/DI filters? begining to sound like alot more $$ than it is suppost to be if I have to change the DI cartrages so often or add more stages.

Now I am very confused about this. So I should try changing the DI cartrage again?

 

[returnofsid]

Where are you reading that the only last 200 gallons?

I change my cartridge filter about every 18 months and just prior to my last change, my TDS was reading 1ppm. I make over 200 gallons every month.

 

[akunochi]

The only thing I can think is that if your water is too hard like well water hard...it may just be smoking your cartridges....but that is just my opinion.

 

[the6goat6man6]

Where are you reading that the only last 200 gallons?

I change my cartridge filter about every 18 months and just prior to my last change, my TDS was reading 1ppm. I make over 200 gallons every month.

On the spectra pure site, I was looking for the one I have and read it somewhere in there. So, what should I do? Kind of put off by this, do I need a wate softener now? If I have to replace filters this fast it almost don't seem worth it

 

[capdippe]

I tested the TDS out of the tap and got a reading of 50. I've put 2,500 gallons through the system in the last 6 months on my 6 stage RO/DI, and still get a reading of 0 TDS. That reading is from the RO/DI units TDS meter, and a TDS pen. I dont think your exhausting the DI stages. What kind of salt are you using?

 

[the6goat6man6]

Reef Crystals, but I tested the RO/DI water right out of the tap! no salt

 

[NC2WA]

Unfortunately, hard for us (me) to give you a definite answer until the TDS reading of your Tap water AND made RO/DI water has been established. If your TDS reading of your tap water is off the chart, this could be a reason why you are going thru the sediment filters so fast, however it is the membrane filter that does all the work and the life of it is determined by how *hard* your tap water quality is. It is possible that the membrane filter needs to be replaced as well.

 

[eww]

Unfortunately, hard for us (me) to give you a definite answer until the TDS reading of your Tap water AND made RO/DI water has been established. If your TDS reading of your tap water is off the chart, this could be a reason why you are going thru the sediment filters so fast, however it is the membrane filter that does all the work and the life of it is determined by how *hard* your tap water quality is. It is possible that the membrane filter needs to be replaced as well.

Kirk, I am curious what an "off the chart" reading is for TDS. We run about 160 here.

 

[akunochi]

WHOA...really? I am just south of you and run 25 from the tap! Crazy...

 

[Scooterman]

First question, what Phosphate test kit are you using and have you checked it against another? New system, what are your TDS coming in and the the final product out, also what is the incoming water pressure? I suspect your testing improperly or you have something hooked up wrong with your RO/DI unit. I think you either have a cheap test kit or reading it improperly, get the water checked from someone else, make sure your containers are super clean.

FYI all salts will provide some phosphates.

 

[DonW]

No RODI is 100%. This means if your incoming tds is 100 the the output is going to be the difference, for example 80% efficiency will leave you with 20 tds output prior to the DI resin. The DI resin will usually take up the difference. This is not always the case especially if you have very high incoming TDS. Now the catch. NO home rodi is running at the manufacturer rated efficiency.
If your P is elevated above the efficiency level you will never get it all with a RODI. You can however add a second or even a third DI chamber to increase the contact time with DI resin. RODI systems are not a universal one size fits all device. They need to be tailored to the supply water.

Don

 

[NC2WA]

Eric,

In my short search on the Internet, I was able to find this article about hardiness and water:

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/VAiWebDocs/WSCDocs/1683274HARDNESS.PDF

The section, How do I test for Hardness, gives acceptable levels.

I am sure there are better articles out there, but didnt have time to research it.

 

[eww]

Seth, it's probably due to the fact that we are in a 1971 home with rusting galvanized steel pipes. Sometimes we turn on the water and it runs orange for several minutes. I have to clean the strainer screens on each individual faucet once a year and it looks like a sand and metal trap. Kinda disgusting really but the house is on a concrete slab and a lot the plumbing is buried in the concrete. I would be curious to test it before it comes into the house though but I don't think there is anywhere like that to get water to test.

 

[eww]

Eric,

In my short search on the Internet, I was able to find this article about hardiness and water:

http://www.watersystemscouncil.org/VAiWebDocs/WSCDocs/1683274HARDNESS.PDF

The section, How do I test for Hardness, gives acceptable levels.

I am sure there are better articles out there, but didnt have time to research it.

According to that article we are in the "Hard" catagory. I wonder how much is caused by our pipes in the home?

Sorry guys... didn't mean to hijack the thread.

 

[Scooterman]

I can't imaging systems with such low TDS right from the tap, with all the pipes it has to travel to get to your home, it is amazing they are on average so slow as it is.
i would start at the source testing then the after and get it second tested just to be sure, then from there step into what Don was saying and maybe having to add more polishing if it is that much of an issue. Once you figure the culprit out it should be easy to deal with it.

 

[Scooterman]

Seth, it's probably due to the fact that we are in a 1971 home with rusting galvanized steel pipes. Sometimes we turn on the water and it runs orange for several minutes. I have to clean the strainer screens on each individual faucet once a year and it looks like a sand and metal trap. Kinda disgusting really but the house is on a concrete slab and a lot the plumbing is buried in the concrete. I would be curious to test it before it comes into the house though but I don't think there is anywhere like that to get water to test.

If your talking about the same system in question, then yes you have a big issue you need to deal with up front.

 

[eww]

If your talking about the same system in question, then yes you have a big issue you need to deal with up front.

Scooty, I was referring to my own house, not the goatman's. I have been wondering if these pipes could be causing some of our previous issues and now I will do a little further testing to see how bad they really are.