Testing RO water

I will be hooking up a small RO unit in the near future..
I would like to test the water Befor the RO unit, and After...
Is a TDS METER .. what I need..

Thanks, Larry

 

A TDS (total disolved solids) meter is exactly what you need. It measures minerals and disolved solids in parts per million (ppm). Use it to check your input water as well as your output water to prove to yourself how well the filter is working. I have an RO-Di system that takes my ~230ppm tds and reduces it to around 2. An RO system probably won't reduce it to single digits, but you'll see a huge difference.

 

Thanks a bunch.. !!

Later, Larry

 

shipbear, are you getting an RO setup or an RO/DI setup? If its just RO it won't be much better than treated tap water for a reef tank of any kind. Spend the extra money and get the DI. If you plan on getting RO/DI, then its a good choice to do so.
An inline-TDS meter and a hand-held TDS meter. It allows you to double check the two meters against one another to make sure they stay calibrated. The hand-held also makes it easier to test water anywhere besides in the setup but the inline is a lot simpler/easier. Just look at it, have an instant reading.

Put an inline between the RO membrane housing and the DI housing, use the hand-held to test the DI water and to test other water that isn't coming through your system. Other peoples water, stored water, LFS water, etc..

 

Thanks for the info ODH...

Looks like I screwed up again... I bought an RO unit.. not with DI ..
My LFS closed for good.. I was buying it there 50 gal drum a month..
Do you think I can get an DI unit and Run it inline with my RO Unit..??
Or do they not work this way..??

Well back to the drawing board..!! LOL

Good to see another member from Alabama..

Thanks for any info, Larry


OK I done some searches.. Found www.thefilterguys.biz/di_systems.htm

They have a DI unit I think will go inline, and the price isn't to bad..?

What you think.. I was looking at the 2 stage.. unless I could get by with 1 stage..
All I need to make is 50 Gal. a month..


.

 

Hi, if you are getting 2 going out you need to replace your filters. Not the DI or membrane just the first stage filters. With a RO/DI you should be getting 0 going out.

 

I know we all want to cut expenses, especially in this hobby, but if you can afford it get at least a 3 stage RO/DI unit. You got the right company though, I got their 5 stage. Great guys there to help you out. Talk to Jim and ask him what he would recommend.

 

A single DI stage is all you need. The only thing dual DI does is double the time between refilling them but then it costs you twice as much to refill it. It doesn't make "purer" water or anything else. The second stage is wasted (not even used) until the first stage is exhausted since the water coming out of it is 0 TDS and there is nothing for the second DI stage to do. Some people say it helps with TDS creep but I am not sold on that idea yet. The easiest/best way to deal with TDS creep is to discard the first 5-10 gallons after the unit has been idle for a while, not adding a second DI chamber.

Huh? Replace the sediment filters? Sediment filters have absolutely no impact what so ever on TDS. They remove suspended sediments, not dissolved sediments. And they won't make any difference on a TDS reading either. If you have 2 TDS coming out of the DI, then the DI is going out on it. And possibly the RO membrane. But its definitely not the sediment filters.

 

Here is a good read; About.com: http://www.actwin.com/fish/reefkeepers/reefkeeper1.html#1.1.2

 

Got anything based on current technology instead of 12 years old? Not bad for an outdated document but with RO/DI, outdated information can be worse than no information.