To RO or not ?

[sstainba]

Hi guys... So I have a 125G and I use a 3-stage RO unit to auto top-off the tank. However, I'm moving and I'm setting up the new tank now. I bought new filters for the RO and a new membrane and hooked it up to fill the new tank with clean water. Though, I realized that I'm wasting 3x more water than I get out of the RO unit - it's one of those self-cleaning ones. So now I'm wondering if this is just overkill.

Should I keep my RO unit as is, with all its waste... OR

Should I bypass the membrane and just add another carbon filter and maybe a phosphate/silicate chamber to it?

(currently, there is a 1 micron prefilter, CAG filter and deionizing filter).

Thanks for the input.

 

[dnjan]

First, if you are only wasting 3x as much water as your RO unit is producing, you are doing well.

Second, don't bypass the RO unit. The particulate, Carbon and RO filters are doing separate things (removing particulates, organics and disolved ions, respectively).

Unless your water is very clean, you will exhaust your DI resin very quickly.

If you have a silicate problem, you would exhaust a silicate filter fairly quickly by omitting the RO and using a silicate filter. Same for a phosphate fiter. And I do not think that either removes nitrates.

I am currently running my waste line from my RO unit out to a rose bush at the corner of the house. Doesn't feel as wasteful that way.

 

[Scooterman]

Self cleaning, how is this done?