Hot RO water

I accidently used hot water through my RO

It made water twice as fast, this does not sound like it worked well

Does hot water damage RO filters and can I use that water even though it passed through twice as fast


Thanks

 

Was the water scalding hot or just warm? By increasing the temp of the water, the TDS in the water will go up which exhausts your membranes/filters much quicker.

If the water was really hot you could risk damaging your membranes/filters. It's all subjective to how much water you made, how long it was running for & the temp it was at. I think 77degrees is an optimal temp for my RO/DI unit but I never fiddle with trying to raise the temp, always use cold water.

AZ will chime in I'm sure.

 

Yes it was hot. Not warm.

I made 25 gallons.

Which filter was compromised.

I also have a DI filter attached its a 4 in unit from BRS.

Should I dump the water ?

 

Personally i wouldnt use it. I would dump it and switch back to the cold water line. I dont know alot about ro/di. I just come here and read posts of AZ's and learn about whatever I need. Somewhere along the line i read that hot water will damage the filters. and I'd assume all of them.

 

RO membranes are an extremely thin plastic film wrapped or wound around a core and glued together. They cannot take anything over 113 degrees F for any length of time or it melts the fabric and glues.

ALWAYS use cold water only, NEVER try to temper or blend hot and cold ever. Rember being in the shower with the water temperature set just right and someone flushes the toilet or starts the washing machine or dishwasher? You got your tush scalded and thats just what happens to the membrane if it is making water too.

113 degrees is not all that hot, you can keep your hands in it or shower in it so it does not take much to ruin the membrane.

Make some new water and test the TDS of your tap water, RO only water and RO/DI water to determine the rejection rate of the membrane. If its still in the 96-98% range you may still be OK but I would monitor it for awhile. Also check your waste ratio, if the membrane is shot or bypassing the waste ratio could change from its normal 4:1.


Cold water treats much better than hot or even warm water anyway, its more dense and will give you lower TDS than warm. If the GPD has dropped off signficantly in the winter months due to cold water, increased pressure will overcome that and more. A booster pump is an excellent investment even if you don't have cold water. When you increase the pressure from 40 to 60 or 80 psi the rejection rate or removal efficiency goes up significantly. This is important since for every 2% you can increase your membrane efficiency you DOUBLE the life of your DI resin. Imagine the cost savings in DI replacements. It can pay for a booster pump quickly.

 

Id rather just replace the membranes

I have a .6 micron and 5 micron, should I order a new DI filter, not sure what to order.

I used the hot water by mistake i always use cold water.

The ratio is about the same, I also need a TDS tester

Thanks

 

I would get the TDS meter first or borrow one and test your rejection rate first. it may save you $45-$50 or so plus shipping on a new membrane.
The membrane is not rated in microns, those are the sediment filter and carbon block. The membrane is rated by GPD and rejection rate such as 75 GPD and 96%-98% rejection or in the case of Spectrapure, 90 GPD and 98+% rejection rate.

The hot water probably did not affect the sediment and carbon block filters so if they are less than 6 months old, have been taken care of and you don't have a lot of pressure drop as indicated by an inline pressure gauge then they are OK. If they are 6 months old or older it is recommended they be replaced and the RO/DI system disinfected according to the vendors instructions.

 

Sorry AZ im confused..

There are filters and membranes in the same canister or is the membrane in the DI unit.

What do I need to purchase ? DI resin or a membrane ?

I assume but a whole new filter, it was only 129 at BRS.

if its contaminated I dont want it , its not worth the headaches it can bring

 

It depends on what unit you have but most reef quality RO/DI systems have three vertical canisters under the top bracket and a horizontal RO membrane housing above the bracket. The first filter on the bottom will be a sediment filter, the middle a carbon block, then the water travels up to the horizontal RO membrane then back down to the final or DI filter.
Tell me what brand and model RO/DI do you have and I can tell you how it is configured and what should be in each position.

 

Thanks for a quick response

Its a 4 stage economy RO DI unit from BRS

heres a pic