Thread: Re Cycle RO

I wouldn’t recommend putting the booster pump before the pre-filters- they tend not to like that kind of pressure and start leaking.

I am reading

The next step for you would be setting up a pH controller and bicarb dosing pump to make the whole setup automatic. I have to be honest, I like tinkering with pipes and things so I find recycling RO actually fun to mess with
I will get a pic of my booster pump at some point- I haven’t actually been to the filter house in weeks because of my hip surgery (Simon checks on things for me).

Originally Posted by Feline

I am reading

Thanks, probably the only one

Originally Posted by Feline

I wouldn’t recommend putting the booster pump before the pre-filters- they tend not to like that kind of pressure and start leaking.

I am reading

The next step for you would be setting up a pH controller and bicarb dosing pump to make the whole setup automatic. I have to be honest, I like tinkering with pipes and things so I find recycling RO actually fun to mess with
I will get a pic of my booster pump at some point- I haven’t actually been to the filter house in weeks because of my hip surgery (Simon checks on things for me).

fair point about the prefilters,
i've run the booster after the sediment and infront of the cabon filters when i was using it off the mains in the house for the reef tank.
the clear prefilters have the standard rubber gasket, but also have O rings as well, and i haven't had any problem leaking using them before,

but the blue koi carbon filters leak like a sieve when i pressurised them with just mains water, and a control valve on the outlet...
i struggled to get them to hold 100% so went back to just pushing water through them...
but they just have the rubber gasket no O rings.

to be honest, being a pipe fitter i love swapping and meddling with this stuff too
it's given me something to play with, as there is not really a lot else to do...
the pond virtually runs it's self now, and i got bored with walking in the filter house to see everything 'on' and running (takes all of 10 seconds).... then walk out again...

i have an 'aqua digital' digital pH controller, just using it to monitor pH atm, so just need a solenoid and tank to set up for auto dosing if needed.
but i'd rather the pond just run on the KH from the dechlorinator if it will.
waiting to see if the KH stablises or i need to dose bicarb atm...

You might find you’re ok at this time of year, but when the temps and feeding rates go up in summer the biofilm can chew through the carbonates.

Originally Posted by Feline

You might find you’re ok at this time of year, but when the temps and feeding rates go up in summer the biofilm can chew through the carbonates.

Thanks for the pointer,
I'll keep a close eye on my KH

I used to run calcium reactors and balling dosers on my reef tank,
So would prefer a clear tank to a black F&E tank.
Then its easier to see the bicarb has dissolved.

What rate do you mix your bicarb to water?
For my reef tank i used to mix 1kg to 10 litres R.O.
Suppose it depends on how fast consumption is....

I just mix the bicarb to saturation point. There’s always excess solid bicarb in the container. It doesn’t matter what the concentration is really when the pH controller is doing the top up with it, so long as it doesn’t run out. If you have a ball valve to top up your container with mains water, worst case scenario if the pH fell is the dose pump would be adding mains water instead of a bicarb solution.

Originally Posted by Feline

I just mix the bicarb to saturation point. There’s always excess solid bicarb in the container. It doesn’t matter what the concentration is really when the pH controller is doing the top up with it, so long as it doesn’t run out. If you have a ball valve to top up your container with mains water, worst case scenario if the pH fell is the dose pump would be adding mains water instead of a bicarb solution.

That sounds very similar to a how a kalkwasser stirrer works on a reef tank.
It just has a pulse stirrer every so often to keep the water saturated.
Might stick an aquarium pump on a timer in the tank to stir the bicarb up a couple of times a day....

Just a quick catch up on how the DIY recycle RO is working.
The booster pump is still working nicely, set at 30 mins on 30 mins off. And the auto flush valve 1 min every hour,
both via interval timers the same as used on the Dechlorinator.

The pure RO is running at 0.8 lpm,(576 lpd) and waste water at 0.4 lpm.(288 lpd)
The PH is at 7.38 and KH is 3,
both stable and not varying much, and without adding any sodium bicarbonate, due to the dechlorinated timed trickle in, running at (480 lpd) at 7-8KH
I've replaced the DIY 100 micron cartridge filter I made with a 100 micron string wound sediment filter, to see how it performs.
And I'll clean, bleach, and thoroughly rinse the 100 micron DIY cartridge ready for use again.

hats off to you mate, you have certainly gone the extra mile for sure on your Mk2 installation, i would not know where to start on these matters..... happy with my trickle in

Originally Posted by Colin Harvey

Dave looking good very interesting how I are your water parameters going?

thanks,

ph is around 7.2- 7.3
kh 2-3
tds 140-150

that will change a bit this week as i'm treating for flukes,
so RRO is off, and trickle in is timed at minimum 2 minutes per hour @2.5lpm = 120 lpd just to replace drum water losses.
but i add a small top up dose of a gram a day to allow for this.

Originally Posted by m00ny

Dave, what pump did you use in the end? Wondered how much psi required for 4 membranes? Also have read somewhere no more than 3 recommend? Do you get much out of the last membrane?

sorry i missed this post from last year
the pump i used is a 24V Aquatec 8800
there are different variations though with vastly different outputs my model number is 8852-2J03-B424

http://www.aquatec.com/documents/downloads/8800%20Series%2024VAC%202.6%20LPM.pdf

the psi is variable, as it can be set via the inbuilt bypass on the pump i run mine at around 80-100psi dependant on how much i push to waste.
the more membranes you use the higher the chance of blockage, thats why you need to run them with a higher percentage of waste water, until the pond TDS water is lower so they don't.

thought i'd update this thread where i am at the moment...
i built a new board last August to tidy things up, and changed from recycle to mains fed R.O.
then went back to recycle R.O. as the carbon cost and water use is just too high...

changed over the 3 pod 10" prefilters for a spare 20" 3 pod i had already.
still running the 4 x 150 GPD membranes i replaced in august, but now on R.R.O.
plus a few tweaks here and there. added a 1/2" feed from my shower pump pipework, run in 12mm.
and put the pump on the floor with john guest rubber flexi hoses, so it makes less reverberation noise on the wooden walls...

but this year i'm thinking of upgrading the membranes and pump to 4 x 400gpd and a vane pump.
to reduce my dechlorinated use and cut down on carbon....as i've used half a 25kg sack of GAC in just 2 months!
but have now have 3 big blues 1st Activated Carbon, 2nd Catalytic Carbon, 3rd BoneChar.