Two or More RO tanks?

[AlexKay]

Maybe @Buckeye_Hydro will see this, or maybe someone else knows the answer?

Is there any reason I can’t put a tee in the line to my RO system’s storage tank and hook up a second tank? I don’t have room under my sink for a larger tank, but I do have room for a couple of smaller ones.

 

[day_trippr]

There's no reason that won't work.

Cheers!

 

[IslandLizard]

One thing I can think of is how the system stops generating when both tanks are full.

 

[Bobby_M]

You can bank multiple pressure tanks together no problem, but if the reason is to generate enough water for a brew day, a float valve in a bigger open top bucket or your brew kettle works a treat without spending a ton on bladder tanks.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Maybe @Buckeye_Hydro will see this, or maybe someone else knows the answer?

Is there any reason I can’t put a tee in the line to my RO system’s storage tank and hook up a second tank? I don’t have room under my sink for a larger tank, but I do have room for a couple of smaller ones.

That will work fine. Your auto shut off valve will turn your system off when the pressure in all tanks reaches about 66% of whatever your feed water pressure is.

Bobby hit on a good point above. Have you considered mounting a float valve in your kettle rather than using pressurized storage tanks?

Russ

 

[AlexKay]

I’m sure I could make the float work, too, but I think it will be nice to have more RO water always on hand (or more like under the sink.) Sometimes I need to fill a humidifier instead of a kettle. Or a fermenter, directly. Of course I could fill the kettle and then pour into the humidifier…

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

I’m sure I could make the float work, too, but I think it will be nice to have more RO water always on hand (or more like under the sink.) Sometimes I need to fill a humidifier instead of a kettle. Or a fermenter, directly. Of course I could fill the kettle and then pour into the humidifier…

So you'll want a tank, tank valve, and quick connect wye or tee fitting

 

[JohnDBrewer]

Like this. I use the mash paddle so the top won't float up and not stop the water flow.

 

[matt_m]

Been running 2 of the little tanks tanks that come with many home RO systems for over 12 years, added a 20 gallon tank when I got serious about brewing several years ago with check valves to separate home and brewery water, each with its own finishing filter. Has worked out well.

 

[AlexKay]

Reporting back after everything has been hooked up.

It works fine. I did notice that when I started both tanks filling, flow from the open faucet stopped completely. With only one tank, there was always at least a trickle. I don’t think this is much of a problem, and having more water on standby is worth it.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Now, if you want to up your game (fill the tanks in a fraction of the time, send much less water down the drain, and fill the tanks with water that is more pure), add a permeate pump with a high pressure auto shut off valve.

 

[matt_m]

An upgrade I also did a couple years ago. Not only does it refill the tanks faster but the water flow is significantly better which is a nice quality of life improvement in the kitchen.

 

[Indian_villager]

Now, if you want to up your game (fill the tanks in a fraction of the time, send much less water down the drain, and fill the tanks with water that is more pure), add a permeate pump with a high pressure auto shut off valve.

+1 for the permeate pump

 

[JohnDBrewer]

Now, if you want to up your game (fill the tanks in a fraction of the time, send much less water down the drain, and fill the tanks with water that is more pure), add a permeate pump with a high pressure auto shut off valve.

Would the permeate pump only work on a pressurized system, as opposed to my system above, where it fills my boil kettle above? My filling is painfully slow this winter, not sure if it's the cold water temp, or I've had a drop of water pressure in the neighborhood.

 

[beerjournl]

I would stop thinking about more tanks made for home use and plumb in a “T” with a valve to deliver RO water to a separate tank with a float valve. This can be very cheap and easy, and no need to buy something listed for an RO system. I have a simple and cheap float valve in my hot liquor tank that shuts off the flow when full. While I never leave it running overnight or while I’m away for generating brewing water, it has never failed in about two decades, and I can collect more than enough RO water for brewing in a day. My membrane is a simple and cheap one that is also an option after my carbon and particulate filters. No need to buy an RO system made for a home at all. Keep it simple.

 

[matt_m]

I would also agree with that. My RO system predates my brewing hobby. I put in 2 of the little tanks because we would run out too often with one when filling a jug or stuff like that. That virtually never happens now. When I started brewing, I'd obviously run the whole house out of water so my logic was adding a tank large enough to fill my kettle but based on misunderstanding of the usable capacity of a pressure tank. Since I do use RO water for other uses in my brewery including locating a DI filter there I use to fill a jug for my CPAP I still want a pressure tank. However if that tank ever fails, I'll replace it with a small one. You do want check valves after the T or you'll still draw down your storage tank.

I built a nice float valve setup that fits through the CIP hole in my kettle lid for filling.

 

[Indian_villager]

Would the permeate pump only work on a pressurized system, as opposed to my system above, where it fills my boil kettle above? My filling is painfully slow this winter, not sure if it's the cold water temp, or I've had a drop of water pressure in the neighborhood.

Permeate pump is an optimization for pressurized systems in order to maximize the dP (change in pressure) across the membrane. As your open tank system is dumping to atmospheric pressure, it is as good as it gets, unless you want to seal your tank and run vacuum on it like a lunatic.

 

[Buckeye_Hydro]

Would the permeate pump only work on a pressurized system, as opposed to my system above, where it fills my boil kettle above? My filling is painfully slow this winter, not sure if it's the cold water temp, or I've had a drop of water pressure in the neighborhood.

Correct. Permeate pumps only work on systems with a pressurized storage tank