Recommendations for RO System

[BrewKaiser]

I'm researching RO Systems. Questions that come to mind are:

1) 3 or 4 stage
2) What to do with "waste" water
3) which RO System brands are recommended
4) do I still need a charcoal filter to remove chlorine or chloramine

Currently looking at the WATTS system available on Grainger.

http://www.grainger.com/product/WATTS-Reverse-Osmosis-System-4TMF7?s_pp=false&picUrl=//static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/image/Grainger/4TMF7_AS02?$smthumb$

My tap water as tested by Ward Labs back in October 2013 is as follows:

pH 7.9
TDS 44
ppm
Na 2
K <1
Ca 8
Mg 2
CaCO3 28 (Total Hardness)
N03-N <0.1
SO4-S 2
Cl 3
CO3 <1
HCO3 28
CaCO3 23 (Total Alkalinity)
P 0.01
Fe <0.01

Any advice appreciated.

As an aside question, how often do you all have your tap water tested? I would think the water profile changes seasonally. I live in Northern CA and am thinking with the El Nino effect we should see more TDS in our tap water.

 

[mblanks2]

http://www.buckeyehydro.com/premium-ro-systems/

Awesome equipment, good pricing, excellent service before and after the sale. Call them and they will answer all your questions and guide you to an educated decision.

Comes with a sediment filter, carbon block to remove chlorine/chloramine and the RO membrane. I purchased a roto mold tank for storage of up to 35 gallons and this entire kit for less than what you're looking at at grainger.
I could filter up to 75 gallons per day with my system. order tubing and get an in-line TDS meter to monitor the performance of your system.
You won't regret Buckeyehydro.

 

[Beezer94]

The tap water you had tested could be used to brew any style as it's so low in minerals you could turn it into anything. I would check out your local water service and they should be able to tell you if you have a big change in TDS.

Campden tablets for chlorine/chloramine (cheap and more effective than charcoal) and you are good to go from there.

 

[BrunDog]

Beezer is spot on. You could just dechlorinate and act like its RO.

 

[mblanks2]

The tap water you had tested could be used to brew any style as it's so low in minerals you could turn it into anything. I would check out your local water service and they should be able to tell you if you have a big change in TDS.

Campden tablets for chlorine/chloramine (cheap and more effective than charcoal) and you are good to go from there.

Beezer is spot on. You could just dechlorinate and act like its RO.

I agree with both these comments. Your tap water isn't much different from mine however, our water starting changing on a frequent basis so rather than deal with the constant fluctuations and unpredictable results from my brews I purchased my system.

 

[BrewKaiser]

I agree with both these comments. Your tap water isn't much different from mine however, our water starting changing on a frequent basis so rather than deal with the constant fluctuations and unpredictable results from my brews I purchased my system.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

Yes, we have some great soft water, but our supply is Folsom Lake which at the end of this Fall reached an all time low It's filling up again quickly, but I fear this seasonal ebb and flow will seasonally change our profile. By how much it's hard to say, but like mblanks2 I'ld rather start from a known' product rather than constantly monitor. Even if the changes don't amount to much.

So with this said, would a 3 stage filter be enough since I already have low TDS? Or, is there something else the 4th stage filters out?

I do use campden already. Despite our soft water, we have enough chloramine or chlorine to ruin one of my batches. Learned that the hard way.

 

[mblanks2]

Look at the one I linked above. That should work just fine. I got the 75 gpd maxr version and do not use the campden anymore. Beer tastes as good if not better than ever.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

I'm researching RO Systems. Questions that come to mind are:

1) 3 or 4 stage
2) What to do with "waste" water
3) which RO System brands are recommended
4) do I still need a charcoal filter to remove chlorine or chloramine

Because you mention you have chloramines in your tap water, I'd go with a 4 stage:
1 mic Sediment
Chloroguard carbon block
Chlorine Grabber
RO

If you want a pressurized storage tank, then you'll also need an inline taste and odor filter after the tank.

There's an endless number of uses for your waste water. Ralize that your waste water will be better than most tap water. Some ideas: route it to your washing machine, your landscaping, your lawn, your swimming pool, or just send it down the drain.

We like our own brand of RO systems, but, yes, I'll admit to more than a little bias here!

You want carbon blocks in the system to remove the chlorine and/or chloramines BEFORE the feedwater water reaches the RO membrane. That's why, along with the sediment filter, the carbon blocks are called "prefilters." "Pre" here meaning "before" the RO membrane.

Russ

 

[gspot]

Im not trying to steer you towards this particular company--just relating my experience. I bought a 5 stage system around the year 2000 from spectrapure.com when I had a reef aquarium, and it is still going strong 16 years later.

I've since removed the last two stages (deionization filters) and replaced them with a polishing filter (carbonized coconut shells ) because DI isn't necessary for brewing and the resins aren't food safe, giving me a four stage filter: sediment->carbon->RO->polishing.

I tell you this because you don't necessarily have to buy from any particular company since most of these filters use standardized parts available from Amazon or the hardware store. I regularly purchase replacement filters from Amazon. It'd be very easy for you to buy some 1/4" polyethylene tubing, fittings, and standard 10" filter housings and construct your own (and save some dough).

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Good point, but...

I field technical support telephone calls every single day from people who unknowingly purchased systems with proprietary (very expensive) filters. Take home message - regardless of where you buy - make sure all filters and fittings are of a standard size.

Just for reference - all our filters and filter housings and membranes and membrane housings and fittings and refillable cartridges, etc... are all standard-sized.

Russ

 

[mabrungard]

Take home message - regardless of where you buy - make sure all filters and fittings are of a standard size.

I can't emphasis that point strongly enough. Make sure you buy standard-sized filters and you will be far better off. Don't buy proprietary filters and don't buy the mini-sized filters either. Use the 10" or 20" filters along with name brand membranes such as Filmtec.

 

[gspot]

Here's the system I bought 16 years ago. Notice how I removed the two right-most housings and replaced them with an inline polishing stage. I kept the housings in case i ever want to revert to its original configuration. These are all standardized parts and replacement filters. I replaced some of the tubing with 1/4" polyethylene from Home Depot, and all the filters, including a 75gpd Filmtec, are new and were ordered from Amazon. You could very easily build this system that originally cost me around $300 (can't remember exactly, but it has more than paid for itself) yourself for less. If interested in going that route, I would gladly suggest some product links from Amazon to get you started.

View attachment 1454777144937.jpg

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Probably no need for the polishing filter (inline GAC) after the RO membrane. The water is already as pure as the system can make it.

Unless you have the RO water routed to a pressurized tank. In that case, the inline filter should go between the tank and the outlet.

Russ

 

[gspot]

Thanks for the advice! Truth be told, I just put it there because it came with a set of replacement filters, and I didn't want to just throw it away. When it's exhausted, I'll throw it away and not replace it.