- Location
- Jackson Heights, Queens
It seems like i'm going through pre-filters about every 3 months. This time clogged to a stand still in about 2 months. Damn NYC silt!! anyone else have this problem? anyone find a way around it?
rodi longevity
- Thread starter JavyJaverson
- Start date
scarf_ace1981
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- San Juan, PR
it all depends on how many stages the unit is, if you are using it for a nano or a large tank, where you live... etc. there isn't a specific answer to this question.
- Location
- Brooklyn, NY
That is the good and the bad of NYC water--it is very "chunky" from silt and rust etc. and pre-filters clog quickly. On the other hand, the TDS is very low (typically 35-40 TDS out of the tap) so RO and DI filters last much longer than in most other locales. It is a lot cheaper to replace sediment cartridges, so really, we can't complain too much.
DrHarryLopez
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Ozone Park, Queens
I change out my sediment stage as soon i see a decrease in the output.
- Location
- Far Rockaway
Your lucky you don't live in LI there water is the worse
DrHarryLopez
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- Ozone Park, Queens
LOL quoting myself. In queens i change out my filters yearly, however in bklyn every two maybe three yrs!
When I visited Queens, there were times that I saw brown junk coming out of the faucet. Without a doubt I would not drink that water without a filter.
As the reefer says, some cartridges are cheaper than others.
Good luck.
As the reefer says, some cartridges are cheaper than others.
Good luck.
- Location
- East Stroudsburg, PA
I dont think Long Island water is any worse than NYC water, maybe in TDS might be higher but all in all its no worse than the city- if not a little better. Ive had my RO goin since October, I still have no TDS so I know my filters are still good and I havent had to change them yet.(But I can only truly speak for the Hicksville area and what the Hicksville Water District does)
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- Location
- Far Rockaway
LI still uses well water and still has septic tanks
- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
Long island is good mine reads 40-70 tds
there are people out west with 230+ tds
there are people out west with 230+ tds
i can only handle about 2 40 gallon drums before the first stage starts turning red and then pressure drops to about 30 psi. any good links for filters in bulk. still have 0 tds but the flow is horrible. Naturally DEP says the test they conducted is within limits.
- Location
- NY
Believe it or not, it's good to see that people understand that the pre-filters (sediment & carbon), as well as the RO membrane and DI resin do need to be changed when performance diminishes. I've seen quite a few people think they get a certain amount of time as opposed to gallons from their filters. When people say they get 12 months from a filter as opposed to getting 1,000 gallons of permeate (good) water they are not changing their pre-filters often enough.
As Prattreef said, it's much less expensive to change your sediment filter and even your carbon as opposed to changing your membrane or DI resin.
BTW, I know people in Poughkeepsie, NY that have over 800 TDS!!!! They use a 5 micron into a 1 micron into a .5 micron pre-filter before they get to the carbon, membrane and 2, sometimes 3 DI cartridges. Sick systems.
Russ
As Prattreef said, it's much less expensive to change your sediment filter and even your carbon as opposed to changing your membrane or DI resin.
BTW, I know people in Poughkeepsie, NY that have over 800 TDS!!!! They use a 5 micron into a 1 micron into a .5 micron pre-filter before they get to the carbon, membrane and 2, sometimes 3 DI cartridges. Sick systems.
Russ
- Location
- Flushing, NY
I use the 5 micron sediment, to the 1 micron sediment, then a .6 micron carbon. I probably use it about 400 gallons or so before changing because the pressure drops too low, not to mention the sediment filter looks like mud at that point
Same here, TDS is rarely above 60 and PO4 always tests below 0.02.
Buckeye Field Supply
Sponsor
- Location
- On the Internet
If your sediment filters are clogging with sediment - they are doing exactly what you asked them to do - trap suspended solids (TSS). If you want to increase the time span between sediment filter changes, you can add a second sediment filter. For instance, use a 5 mic sed filter followed by a 1 mic sed filter (and then on the the carbon).
Another thing you can do is increase the size of the sediment filter you are using. Cartridge filters come in 4 "standard" sizes, and housings to match (listed in order of increased surface area):
10" x 2.5" (this is what is considered "standard" in this hobby)
20" x 2.5"
10" x 4.5"
20" x 4.5"
Sediment filters with bigger surface areas can hold more sediment before they clog.
You might want to install a big 20" x 4.5" 20 mic or 10 mic sediment filter on the water pipe as it comes in your house to treat all water delivered to all faucets in the house.
Also - be careful with the configuration of your prefilters. There is a misconception in the hobby (initiated by a previous owner and perpetuated by the current owner of an RODI outfit in Florida) that each prefilter should have a smaller pore size than the filter before. This is a good approach, but should be applied only to multiple sediment filters. Carbon blocks should have a pore size about equal to or larger than the smallest pore size on the sediment filters.
So:
Bad idea: 10 mic sed-> 5 mic carbon
Bad idea: 10 mic sed->5 mic sed-> 1 mic carbon
Good idea: 1 mic sed->0.5 mic carbon
Good idea: 5 mic sed->1 mic sed->0.5 mic carbon
Good idea: 5 mic sed-> 5 mic carbon
Russ
Another thing you can do is increase the size of the sediment filter you are using. Cartridge filters come in 4 "standard" sizes, and housings to match (listed in order of increased surface area):
10" x 2.5" (this is what is considered "standard" in this hobby)
20" x 2.5"
10" x 4.5"
20" x 4.5"
Sediment filters with bigger surface areas can hold more sediment before they clog.
You might want to install a big 20" x 4.5" 20 mic or 10 mic sediment filter on the water pipe as it comes in your house to treat all water delivered to all faucets in the house.
Also - be careful with the configuration of your prefilters. There is a misconception in the hobby (initiated by a previous owner and perpetuated by the current owner of an RODI outfit in Florida) that each prefilter should have a smaller pore size than the filter before. This is a good approach, but should be applied only to multiple sediment filters. Carbon blocks should have a pore size about equal to or larger than the smallest pore size on the sediment filters.
So:
Bad idea: 10 mic sed-> 5 mic carbon
Bad idea: 10 mic sed->5 mic sed-> 1 mic carbon
Good idea: 1 mic sed->0.5 mic carbon
Good idea: 5 mic sed->1 mic sed->0.5 mic carbon
Good idea: 5 mic sed-> 5 mic carbon
Russ
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It just so happens that I believe that i am dealing with said owner in Florida. I have now gone from the sugested 10mic-5mic-1mic config to a 5mic-5mic to 1mic. within a week or so the pressure drops from 50-60 psi to 30 most likely affecting the asov. i have ordered about 40 filters to sustain me until the solution can be found. In the meantime i have been reading that Hydrochloric acid can be used to clean ro membranes. any thoughts on this?
- Location
- Pennsylvania
i know some members might be against this but I actually clean the pre-filters with my hands under running water till the whole thing is competely white again. And my tds still read zero. I've been doing this for since i got my ro/di. ( a couple of months now ).
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