[jk999]

I saw posts a while back someone was using washed carbon before filters does this work or is it a waste of time if it does can someone  tell me how it benefits if not tell me why not

[SeanK]

I very rarely change my carbon pre filters maybe once a year even less but when I remove them they tend to be covered
in green slime, maybe this might slow production down so if I washed them every four months or so I might get a quicker
production.
I honestly don't know what makes a carbon filter go done as they don't store anything they just stop the chlorine getting
though.

[slap bash]

I have been told they have an attraction  and absorb chlorine.

[jk999]

What system do you use Sean n what's your tds reading from tap

[SeanK]

I have a 4040 RO and tap is around 220ppm there doesn't seem to be a lot of chlorine in my tap water though as it doesn't
have that chlorine taste and smell that you get with highly chlorinated water.
Chlorine is added to water at certain points in the system, the closer you are to one of these points the higher the
chlorine level will be, it will go from the highest levels permitted to almost nothing depending how far along you are on the
line its nothing to worry about as it will have killed anything long before it reaches your tap.
So if you have the top levels then I wouldn't recommend letting your carbon filter go as long as would let mine.

[Smudger]

Vin, uses it

I plan to change to acid washed carbon shortly as like vin the volume we produce means changing a carbon pre filter every two to three weeks.

Vin gets his from daqua I believe, but after a bit of research I've found it on fleabay for less than half the price

Darran

[jk999]

So if I used the wash carbon would this protect the filters more and how often would the washed carbon need changing

[SeanK]

Totally misread this but if what your talking about is granular carbon or GAC then I was reading an article a while
back that said the solid block offered better protection than the GAC filters for protecting RO membranes, it said that the
water can cut channels through the granular filters and leak the chlorine to the RO even before the recommended usage limit.
Don't know if this will work but here's the link www.purewaterproducts.com/articles/carbon

[Smudger]

Gac is slightly different to the acid washed as its natural flakes not pellets and you fill something like a 11 ltr DI vessel, it's supposed to last much longer

Darran

[Spruce]

Vin, uses it

I plan to change to acid washed carbon shortly as like vin the volume we produce means changing a carbon pre filter every two to three weeks.

Vin gets his from daqua I believe, but after a bit of research I've found it on fleabay for less than half the price

Darran

Last time I heard he was getting it from GAPS but that was a long time ago.

[Smudger]

You are most likely correct,  brain not really functioning tonight

Darran

[SeanK]

Gac is slightly different to the acid washed as its natural flakes not pellets and you fill something like a 11 ltr DI vessel, it's supposed to last much longer

Darran

Google acid washed carbon and it will show lots of different shapes and sizes from powder to flakes, but they all look as if
they have the potential to channel if anything a bigger container could make it worse.

[SeanK]

Vin, uses it

I plan to change to acid washed carbon shortly as like vin the volume we produce means changing a carbon pre filter every two to three weeks.

Vin gets his from daqua I believe, but after a bit of research I've found it on fleabay for less than half the price

Darran

Have you experimented with not changing the carbon pre filter every three weeks just to see if it has an effect on your
membrane ?
If I was going through the amount of pre filters you are I certainly would take a chance on a membrane just to see if I was
saving or wasting money.
I have said this on here many times, some are that paranoid about damaging a membrane they end up spending more
on pre filters than would cover the cost of a new membrane.
They spend more protecting the membrane than it would cost to replace.

[Smudger]

my last membraine it was producing 005 for the first eight months, when I got a little lazy and left the carbon filter for 3 months the tds started to rise, even after changing the carbon filter it then kept going up until I had to change the membraine at 040 - I think the carbon filter expired allowing chorine contamination.

I produce at least 10k pure per week, so that's 20k through the filters, it should mounts up

Darran

[SeanK]

my last membraine it was producing 005 for the first eight months, when I got a little lazy and left the carbon filter for 3 months the tds started to rise, even after changing the carbon filter it then kept going up until I had to change the membraine at 040 - I think the carbon filter expired allowing chorine contamination.

I produce at least 10k pure per week, so that's 20k through the filters, it should mounts up

Darran

To be honest I'm not convinced that the carbon filters we use really stops all the chlorine getting to the RO membrane
as the water goes through them too quickly.
But I don't blame you for being cautious would do the same in your position.

[Smudger]

They should be pretty effective as I've used them for my marine setup where chorine contamination would be a big disaster

Darran