Buckeye RO Unit Problems solved- I think

[Dewman]

I posted on a another thread, but I wans't getting any responses.
So I decided to start my own.

I was having problems with water pressure (40lbs maybe a little higher) and water temperature ( around 58 degrees).
The Premium Unit I bought recommended that the water be 70 degrees and around 55 lbs of pressure.

I turned up the water pressure in my house lastnight to 60lbs.
This is my first time being a home owner and I didn't realize there was a valve. I just thought low water pressure was a curse i would have to live with. BTW... I had a GREAT shower this morning :lol:

Then, I bought 2 garden hose splitters with dual ball valves and hooked them to both of the washing machine outlets. With two garden hose to 1/4" adapters, and a couble of John guest "T" fittings, I was good to go.
I opened each ball valve and then tuned the openings until the water I was getting was around 90 degrees.

I attached an inline thermometer to the inlet tube. By the time the mixed water gets to the unit it is about 88 degrees. The pressure guage on the RO unit reads 58 lbs.

Now... let's see if it works...

 

[Anonymous]

I hope you used metal fittings and not plastic, for the washing machine hook up. Having worked in appliance repair, I can tell you one of the major things that happens with washers, is the supply line burst and wreck havoc in the room. This is why you see woven metal wrapped houses and auto-shut off unit for washers. The hammerring action by the on/off of washers is really hard on fittings/pipes/house/etc. Just a FYI

 

[Dewman]

Unfortunately, I didn't. I used plastic "Y" splitters.
They are pretty beefy though.
We turn off our faucets when were not using the water in the laundry room.
It makes me feel better for when I am not at home...

Metal fittings huh... I will have to go to an appliance store. Lowes only had plastic.

 

[Anonymous]

Your a step ahead of most by turing those off, you rock you can get the metal splitters at garden/irrigation supply stores. Dunno about Lowes, I rarely make it there

 

[Buckeye Field Supply]

I was having problems with water pressure (40lbs maybe a little higher) and water temperature ( around 58 degrees).
The Premium Unit I bought recommended that the water be 70 degrees and around 55 lbs of pressure.

I turned up the water pressure in my house lastnight to 60lbs.
This is my first time being a home owner and I didn't realize there was a valve. I just thought low water pressure was a curse i would have to live with.

Then, I bought 2 garden hose splitters with dual ball valves and hooked them to both of the washing machine outlets. With two garden hose to 1/4" adapters, and a couble of John guest "T" fittings, I was good to go.
I opened each ball valve and then tuned the openings until the water I was getting was around 90 degrees.

I attached an inline thermometer to the inlet tube. By the time the mixed water gets to the unit it is about 88 degrees. The pressure guage on the RO unit reads 58 lbs.

Your Filmtec membrane is designed to reach its rated capacity with 77 degree F water and 50 psi.

Turning up the pressure is a good thing for the system - you'll get more production and the water produced by the membrane will be cleaner.

Be very careful with the way you've elected to warm up the water. Warm water will decrease the rejection rate of the membrane, and hot water will ruin a membrane - I'd crank the water back down to 70 F to give yourself a margin of error. What happens when you set the temperature just right and walk away, then someone runs a load of laundry using cold water?

Russ @ BFS

 

[Dewman]

Thanks GreshamH
Yeah, I have heard stories about people coming home to flooded houses because the hoses on the washers burst. I want to install a new head unit with one of those single on/off levers for both H and C. But it may be a while since I think I would have to tear up the wall there.

Luckily (or unluckily) for me, I do the Laundry most of the time.
And I can't use the washer at the same time because it decreases the pressure too much. So I should be OK with the timing of running the washer and the filter.
I will only be running the filter a couple times a week for makeup water and topoff.
I'll take your advice and I'll decrease the temperature though for sure.
:wink:


Russ,
Does it sound like a flow reducer would be of any use to me?
I thought it came with one, but I later read that it said "available upon request at no additional charge".

Anyway, I am going to be ordering some colored tubing from Buckeye because I have the unit housed in a cabinet in the Laundry room and only the tubing is visible coming through the holes drilled in the bottom of the cabinet. If I need anything extra, I can order it at that time...

 

[Buckeye Field Supply]

I think you mean an "adjustable flow restrictor," right? Those are useful for advanced users in adjusting for cold water temperatures. Since you have that issue otherwise handled, you probably don't need one.

Russ

 

[Dewman]

Yep, sorry. Flow Restrictor is what I meant.
I guess I am not an advanced user... :roll:

Just ribbin' ya :wink:

Thanks for all of your help guys....