Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: pure tech on June 04, 2013, 07:54:56 am

Title: Silica in 000tds water
Post by: pure tech on June 04, 2013, 07:54:56 am

My RO membranes are only working at around 65% and are due for replacing but as my tap tds is only around 80ppm I have relied on resin to finish off.
My tds meter seems to be accurate and I only use 000ppm water.
I have recently noticed my own windows are developing a slight stain so sent a sample of 000ppm water away for testing and the result was 002ppm.
BUT I was also advised that my 000ppm water had a VERY high silica content of 80ppm which is not good.
So be aware that silica is not very conductive and does not register on tds meters and resin cannot be relied on to remove it.

Title: Re: Silica in 000tds water
Post by: Spruce on June 04, 2013, 08:29:41 am

Please can you give us a little more detail.

ie. where are you based?

How long have you been cleaning your windows wfp before you noticed this stain?

Is this stain or streek and is it covering the entire window pane?

Were you able to remove this stain/film with another method of cleaning?

Has this same stain/film effected other customer windows that you clean?

Could the high content of silica be because your membranes are in such poor condition? In other words, will replacing them minimise/remove the problem?

I can't recall ever seeing a post on here about silica content in water and it's results in wfp tbh so this is interesting.

Thanks

Title: Re: Silica in 000tds water
Post by: richard jagger on June 04, 2013, 08:52:43 am

+1

Title: Re: Silica in 000tds water
Post by: pure tech on June 04, 2013, 09:58:52 am

Quote from: Spruce on June 04, 2013, 08:29:41 am

Please can you give us a little more detail.

ie. where are you based?
New Zealand

How long have you been cleaning your windows wfp before you noticed this stain?
Five years, noticed the staining just recently

Is this stain or streek and is it covering the entire window pane?
Covers the entire window with a streaky stain

Were you able to remove this stain/film with another method of cleaning?
I used diluted OneRestore which removed it completely 

Has this same stain/film effected other customer windows that you clean?
I have not noticed it on customers windows and it was only noticable on my own windows when viewed from inside with low early morning sun.  My own windows are cleaned much more often than customers ones

Could the high content of silica be because your membranes are in such poor condition? In other words, will replacing them minimise/remove the problem?
I think so. New membranes should remove around 95% of the silica and if the resin does not remove the rest I may try two DIs after RO

I can't recall ever seeing a post on here about silica content in water and it's results in wfp tbh so this is interesting.

Thanks

Once I have replaced the membranes etc I will send a sample away for testing again.
It has surprised me that 000tds water can still be so contaminated.