mike31154
07-06-2016, 06:57 PM
A heads up on some troubles with my RODI unit after changing out the membrane, carbon block & pre-filters..... and why it helps to have 2 water pressure gauges. I keep detailed info on water thruput on my RODI using a spreadsheet in order to aid with deciding when to change out components rather than relying on an arbitrary calendar based schedule. You would think that after my recent wholesale change out early in May, things should hum along nicely for a good while.... not so!
I mentioned the 2 pressure gauges. One monitors source pressure, the other shows pressure before the RO membrane (after pre-filters & carbon block). This gives me a pressure differential that is a good indicator of fouled pre-filters, although with clear housings I also get a good visual & generally change them out when they're looking funky. Prior to changing everything in May I was seeing a differential of about 5 to 6 PSI. After the change it was 9, no biggy, new membrane, better rejection rate. 23 May the pressure diff. is suddenly up to 17 and then 50 by the end of June. Clearly something's up, but I haven't made that much water so what could be fouled up so bad?
Pretty much disconnected everything at one point to see where I was losing pressure, starting with flush valve, check valve, pre-filters & housings. Even tried the old RO membrane at one point, but no difference. Logically I should have figured that it had to be in the pre-filter area of the system due to the crazy high pressure differential. That would have saved me a bit of work messing with all the other components....
Anyone think a carbon block could be fouled?? and how does that happen? The new carbon block I put in turned out to be the culprit. It's the 3rd one since I purchased the system way back when & it's not something I would have suspected. I purchased both replacements locally at Andrew Sheret & although they are different brand names, the specs on them are similar, if not identical. 0.5 Micron carbon block. The original one that came with the system was "0.5 Micron Thick Wall Carbon Chlorine guzzler. Model MAXCL-975 good for 20,000 gals @ 1 gpm". Ran that puppy from April 2009 to August 2012 with an estimated 15,200 gallons thruput. I tested the output at that time with a chlorine pool testing strip & it was still negative, so could have left it in.
Carbon block #2 performed similarly, going from August 2012 to May 2016 with around 17,000 gallons through it. Don't have the brand name info for that one, but as with many of these items, I suspect they're made by only a handful of manufactures & suppliers/distributers put their name on them.
#3 lasted less than 3 months?? So yeah, I'll be buying a new carbon block now, perhaps being a bit more selective?? Maybe I just got a dud?
Pressure gauges aren't expensive.... not a bad investment to help troubleshoot..... if you use the information logically....
I mentioned the 2 pressure gauges. One monitors source pressure, the other shows pressure before the RO membrane (after pre-filters & carbon block). This gives me a pressure differential that is a good indicator of fouled pre-filters, although with clear housings I also get a good visual & generally change them out when they're looking funky. Prior to changing everything in May I was seeing a differential of about 5 to 6 PSI. After the change it was 9, no biggy, new membrane, better rejection rate. 23 May the pressure diff. is suddenly up to 17 and then 50 by the end of June. Clearly something's up, but I haven't made that much water so what could be fouled up so bad?
Pretty much disconnected everything at one point to see where I was losing pressure, starting with flush valve, check valve, pre-filters & housings. Even tried the old RO membrane at one point, but no difference. Logically I should have figured that it had to be in the pre-filter area of the system due to the crazy high pressure differential. That would have saved me a bit of work messing with all the other components....
Anyone think a carbon block could be fouled?? and how does that happen? The new carbon block I put in turned out to be the culprit. It's the 3rd one since I purchased the system way back when & it's not something I would have suspected. I purchased both replacements locally at Andrew Sheret & although they are different brand names, the specs on them are similar, if not identical. 0.5 Micron carbon block. The original one that came with the system was "0.5 Micron Thick Wall Carbon Chlorine guzzler. Model MAXCL-975 good for 20,000 gals @ 1 gpm". Ran that puppy from April 2009 to August 2012 with an estimated 15,200 gallons thruput. I tested the output at that time with a chlorine pool testing strip & it was still negative, so could have left it in.
Carbon block #2 performed similarly, going from August 2012 to May 2016 with around 17,000 gallons through it. Don't have the brand name info for that one, but as with many of these items, I suspect they're made by only a handful of manufactures & suppliers/distributers put their name on them.
#3 lasted less than 3 months?? So yeah, I'll be buying a new carbon block now, perhaps being a bit more selective?? Maybe I just got a dud?
Pressure gauges aren't expensive.... not a bad investment to help troubleshoot..... if you use the information logically....