Ro unit

Hey i just set up my 75gpd 5 stage ro/di unit from the filter guys. All im getting is a fast drip/small stream of water and alot of waste water is that normal. its taking forever just to fill up a 2gal bucket

 

yes thats the norm sollie. alot of waste to make a little.

 

The unit will produce slower the lower the incoming water's temperature is.

 

I don't have a RO unit, but I've read about them (in the interest of buying one) and I've read that it takes a long time to get much water and there is a lot of waste water.

 

all youve read is true kc. lol. but well worth it.

 

That's what's held me back from buying one...it sounds like a pain in the 'you know' just to get some water!

 

This is why many people set up a seperate container of 20 - 30 gallons which they use for their ATO and waterchange needs and then allow it to fill at its own pace.

 

thanks for the replies its gonna take forever to fill my tank

 

Yeah it takes a long time. Look into the auto shutoff kits that are sold at places like bulkreefsupply. They really make making water less annoying because you can just turn it on and come back a few hours later without worrying about floods.
I just make water once a week on a Sunday or something when I'm not busy and just keep the water in a big trashcan that I can use whenever I need to over the course of the week, works great.
I think most RO units generally produce something like 4 times the amount of waste as filtered water, the winter is killer too because the tap water is a lot of times a lot colder. You can look at running a long run of RO tubing through a water pitcher or something with hot water in it to try and warm it up a little bit, just don't overheat it or you can damage your membrane.

It is a hassle but IMO it's the only way to do it. It's the best water and in a hobby where water quality is everything it's worth the hassle.

Also, patience is the name of the game in this hobby. Without it you may be dooming yourself to a frustrating experience. Good luck.

 

ok ill try the pitcher thing and I plan on getting some of those big blue jugs for drinking water from walmart to hold my ro water. Can I use the waste water for my planted freshwater tanks?