Help me im an idiot.

« **on:** July 30, 2017, 12:31:59 pm »

So i've been mega busy this week and i must confess i haven't been monitoring my TDS very much this month, i just got so used to it coming out of the RO at 5-7ppm into Resin and then coming out at 0-3ppm.

This week i wondered why my IBC tank was taking longer to fill up using my 450GPD RO. Ive been that busy i didn't bother checking though. Ive just realised im pretty sure ive had the ro on FLUSH for the best part of 4 days filling up about 1500L of Pure. What an idiot... Will that of damaged membranes/prefilters at all?

I've just checked what my water is now coming out at before going into di and its 30!!!! Usually its been between 6-10 for about the last year and i've changed the prefilters once earlier this year. So i'm wondering why the hell is it coming out at 30? The system isn't even a year old, and up until about a month ago it was coming out at 006 before di, now it seems its shot up, as i say though i haven't really monitored it properly the last few weeks, but this week i definitely know it has gone up alot.

Should i just change the prefilters? Or will this make no difference to the fact its now coming out at 25-30 before going into DI. So is this happened because i flushed the system for literally 4 days straight, or is the membranes gone or something else?

I'm a bit clueless as you can probably tell, just want to get it back to normal asap as next week im stacked with 5 solid days work, need to make sure i can get it back down to 000-003ppm ideally!

Cheers

« **Reply #1 on:** July 30, 2017, 12:51:33 pm »

Can't be certain but if you are running loads more to waste by flushing, wouldn't that drop the water pressure going into the RO? That would usually mean a higher TDS coming out of RO. I suggest running it as normal for 10-15 minutes (i.e. not loads running to waste) and re-checking TDS.
Changing pre-filters wouldn't hurt anyway. If a sole trader, 20" pre-filters should last 4 months (to be safe), but 10" ones rather less. They can last 6 months or so, but that might be a risk.

« **Reply #2 on:** July 30, 2017, 01:16:31 pm »

Just changed prefilters leaving them to run normally for 20 minutes check straight away and it was down to 25 from 30, but shall wait and see. It has been 6 months since they were changed, im wondering if that has had an affect on the membranes, once again membranes are just under a year old. Maybe the membranes are damaged now from this and i need to change them, il wait and see for an hour or two.

« **Reply #3 on:** July 30, 2017, 01:24:43 pm »

The only pre filter that could slow down your production would be the sediment but it would need to be really blocked up,
unfortunately it looks as if the membrane has gave up.
Have you checked that your tap tds hasn't got higher ?

« **Reply #4 on:** July 30, 2017, 01:45:34 pm »

If you've had it on flush, you've pushed loads of water through the filters, like super loads. They probably are no longer performing and you're membranes are knackered as a result.
I change my filters monthly regardless of water usage. Costs about a fiver.

« **Reply #5 on:** July 30, 2017, 01:50:54 pm »

Let it run for a couple of hours and it should sort itself out.

« **Reply #6 on:** July 30, 2017, 02:11:54 pm »

So ive left it running for about an hour and its still coming out at 25 before DI. If i turn it back on to flush as the water is coming through slower its coming out at 12 which seems odd. Ive changed the resin but thats only going down to 004/005ppm now aswell. Which is fine i can work with that, but really i want my RO back down to about 5-10 before going into DI. I'll phone Pure Freedom tomorrow ask what they think, i'm certain it's probably the membranes are knackered don't know what else it can be. Checked my tap tds it's the same as it always has been.

In future i need too take better care of my system, last month or too just haven't been checking it at all properly or maintaining it.

« **Reply #7 on:** July 30, 2017, 02:22:20 pm »

Yes as the membrane starts to give up you need to run more water to waste to bring the tds down therefore a slowdown in
production which is basically what your doing in flush mode, it wouldn't have caused your membrane to fail.
New membrane needed and a bit of detective work to see what's causing them to fail so quickly, try changing you carbon filters
more often as chlorine could be getting to the membrane, does your water have a strong chlorine smell and taste ?

« **Reply #8 on:** July 30, 2017, 02:33:06 pm »

Dont know if its any bearing but when i replaced my 450gpd membranes it took a couple of days to get them running efficiently.
Youve been back flushing for days, so loads of tds im guessing at the wrong side of membranes (dont know if that makes any sense but hey ho). Its gonna take more than a couple of hours for them to be running smoothly. Give it 24 hrs running and then see what they are like.

I dont know too much about the science of it all, but for me a couple of days and my new membranes were working nicely.

« **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2017, 03:20:12 pm »

Quote from: Dry Clean on July 30, 2017, 02:22:20 pm

Yes as the membrane starts to give up you need to run more water to waste to bring the tds down therefore a slowdown in
production which is basically what your doing in flush mode, it wouldn't have caused your membrane to fail.
New membrane needed and a bit of detective work to see what's causing them to fail so quickly, try changing you carbon filters
more often as chlorine could be getting to the membrane, does your water have a strong chlorine smell and taste ?

Heres a picture of the filters i have taken out, are they supposed to look like this, or have i really left it too long? My water has alot of chlorine in it and tastes horrible, hence why i dont drink tap water from my house anymore.

« **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2017, 03:35:14 pm »

That sediment filter looks well clogged, plenty of peat sediment in your water so you may need to change them more often than even the recommended intervals, same with the carbon filters if your at the top chlorinated water levels.
That said maybe with the quality of your tap water your just going to have to replace your RO membrane more often as well,
high Iron levels in water can also shorten the membrane lifespan.

« **Reply #11 on:** July 30, 2017, 03:42:38 pm »

Quote from: Dry Clean on July 30, 2017, 03:35:14 pm

That sediment filter looks well clogged, plenty of peat sediment in your water so you may need to change them more often than even the recommended intervals, same with the carbon filters if your at the top chlorinated water levels.
That said maybe with the quality of your tap water your just going to have to replace your RO membrane more often as well,
high Iron levels in water can also shorten the membrane lifespan.

Should of seen the last time i changed it the sediment was really green aswell was absolutely disgusting and that was changed 6 months ago. Maybe ill have to change every 2-3 months? Possibly same with membranes but for now il change the prefilters more often, after i have ordered new membranes. The water here where i live is absolute Sh^t3. Thanks for the advice though appreciate it.

« **Reply #12 on:** July 30, 2017, 03:57:58 pm »

Josh l change these every month for a tenner.
Change the memebranes every 6 months.

« **Reply #13 on:** July 30, 2017, 04:29:16 pm »

Quote from: paul alan on July 30, 2017, 03:57:58 pm

Josh l change these every month for a tenner.
Change the memebranes every 6 months.

Paul, where do you get your pre filters from for a tenner? Membranes too and roughly how much for those.

« **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2017, 06:22:59 pm »

Ebay for the both of them.

Filters £10 with postage and membranes around £50 for the 150gpd ones. I think it says you must replace them once every 6 months.

Works out at £420 a year before resin,or £35 a month!

With a litre of resin per week it comes to £150 per year, all in for pure water its roughly £48 per month.(2k ltr per week)

0.6 pence per ltr(does that sound right?)

« **Reply #15 on:** July 30, 2017, 06:59:24 pm »

Try this place , i think they do a triple pack of 150's for £95 , i have been using them for a while now .

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/scwaterproducts/r-o-systems-/_i.html?_fsub=1790742012

« **Reply #16 on:** July 30, 2017, 07:13:44 pm »

Quote from: P @ F on July 30, 2017, 06:59:24 pm

Try this place , i think they do a triple pack of 150's for £95 , i have been using them for a while now .

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/scwaterproducts/r-o-systems-/_i.html?_fsub=1790742012

Cheers p@f ! And thanks for 18v drill/power reel idea, have copied it and love it.

« **Reply #17 on:** July 30, 2017, 07:18:58 pm »

Quote from: jo5hm4n on July 30, 2017, 03:20:12 pm

Quote from: Dry Clean on July 30, 2017, 02:22:20 pm
Yes as the membrane starts to give up you need to run more water to waste to bring the tds down therefore a slowdown in
production which is basically what your doing in flush mode, it wouldn't have caused your membrane to fail.
New membrane needed and a bit of detective work to see what's causing them to fail so quickly, try changing you carbon filters
more often as chlorine could be getting to the membrane, does your water have a strong chlorine smell and taste ?

Heres a picture of the filters i have taken out, are they supposed to look like this, or have i really left it too long? My water has alot of chlorine in it and tastes horrible, hence why i dont drink tap water from my house anymore.

Thats not your sefiment filter, its your chlorine filter

I'd suggest you've damaged your membranes as your chlorine filter looks screwed and has probably let some through...

I'm assuming its a 450gpd R.O?
Just change the membranes and filters, they're cheap as chips; once changed, keep a better eye on it

http://www.collinswaterproductsltd.co.uk - where I used to get mine from before I went to a 4040

« **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2017, 07:25:50 pm »

I fear that it was not my idea for the drill ....it was done a long time ago by a member on here so i cant take the credit , i tried it at the time but it did not work with the drill i use as back then i was using 100m of microbore , it was just too much for the drill to pull , i use the same drill now but its only pulling on 100m of gardiner green pole hose .

As for the ebay link , its a case of try it , i only use them for my twin 50GPD's so dont have first hand with their 150's , they are the same brand so see no reason why the quality would be different , i get 12 months out of the membranes and i am a lazy git for flushing

« **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2017, 07:32:12 pm »

Thats better pricing than some of the gear on my link , its a case of study it i think as ebay has free postage , and i assume colin has a delivery charge , its nice to see new names chucked into the mix all the same !

« **Reply #20 on:** July 30, 2017, 07:34:11 pm »

You get what you pay for with membranes. Try daqua.

« **Reply #21 on:** July 30, 2017, 08:00:50 pm »

I'm pretty sure Collins do free delivery with purchases over a certain amount, just cant remember what the amount was or how much delivery was!!!
(It wasn't much though from memory)

Use Daqua for my 4040 membranes & resin Og, but for the 150gpd membranes I have to say that Collins performed at a decent level (and I have tried a few different brands and suppliers) and are pretty cheap to boot

« **Reply #22 on:** July 30, 2017, 08:22:35 pm »

If its cheap and works then im all over it , kinda like my bird