RO/DI unit troubles

[burrows14]

I'm trying to set up my aquasafe unit and can't get it to work properly. Ive went thru the forums and found a sketch on how it should be set up and everything is connected properly. I bought the garden hose adapter in hopes i could feed it off that and have the discharge water go into a garbage can and the filtered water go into another. I have lots of presseure and water is getting to the unit just fine but i am getting no filterd water. All the water is shooting out of the waste line. i only way i can get the water to go thru the DI resin is if I hold my thumb over the waste line and only then i get a few drops out of my unit. any idea's what im doing wrong here?

cheers
Ray

[hillegom]

You need a flow restrictor in the waste line. It needs to be matched up to your RO membrane, ie, if you have a 100gpd membrane, you need a 100gpd flow restrictor .
Did you put in new 1/4 inch lines? If so, look at the old ones, sometimes the FR is pushed into the line.(drain line)

[mike31154]

Also check if your system has a 'flush' valve on it. Some systems incorporate the flow restrictor and flush valve in a single unit. It will have a lever similar to a ball valve to open and close the flush feature. This lever should be in the horizontal (not inline) with the assembly for producing filtered water. Otherwise all the water bypasses and 'flushes' the membrane.

If you could provide a little more info on the system, such as model number or gpd rating etc. we'll be better able to assist & provide advice.

[burrows14]

It's a 7 stage aquasafe aquarium 2 unit rated at 100gpd. I'm pretty sure that I need the flow restrictor I don't see a flush valve so I don't know if that's what it's doing.

Ray

[hillegom]

I just replaced my 100 gpd membrane and put a new flow restrictor valve in. You could have my old one which was 2 yrs old.

[burrows14]

Thanks for the offer but at the moment me and my girlfriend are sharing a car and she is working latethe next couple nights so I won't have the car to pick it up. Where did you get your flow restrictor? There is a home depot within walking distance of my house. Do you they would have them?

Thanks
Ray

[hillegom]

I don't know if HD has them or not.
the kind I have inserts into the drain line, so it is small enough to be mailed in an envelope

[untamed]

You didn't say how you obtained this RODI unit.....but it doesn't work without the flow restrictor so whomever sold it to you owes you one.

[mark]

with the Aquasafe the flush is combined with the flow restrictor



http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h316/das75/ro-1.jpg

http://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h316/das75/flush_jpeg.jpg

[burrows14]

bought it direct from aquasafe. The unit didn't come with any instructions but they do have the manual online but it's no help at all it says something along the lines "you can figure most of it out on your own"

[burrows14]

I used that diagram last night as my instructions. I didn't see any flow restrictor/flush valve anywhere. It came with a auto shut off tho

[mark]

I used that diagram last night as my instructions. I didn't see any flow restrictor/flush valve anywhere. It came with a auto shut off tho

time to be giving Aqua-safe a call

[burrows14]

ive been sending emails back and forth.not much progress.....

[e46er]

Im pretty sure i have the sam. Unit and i'm not impresssed with it I only get 20 gal over 24 hours and it's rated for a 100 gpd and out water in the lower mainland is good and now I'm only getting 10 gpd and the filters arnt even 6 months old

[burrows14]

Im pretty sure i have the sam. Unit and i'm not impresssed with it I only get 20 gal over 24 hours and it's rated for a 100 gpd and out water in the lower mainland is good and now I'm only getting 10 gpd and the filters arnt even 6 months old

i got a flow restrictor now seems to do the job. do you only get a slight trickle too?

Ray

[e46er]

Yea just a slight trickle my house pressure isn't great but I bypassed the prv so I have street pressure going into it but I was still expecting more than 20% efficiency

[burrows14]

yeah i have really good pressure too and i cant figure out why i only have a trickle

[burrows14]

ok now im just PO'D!!!!!:microwav: ive spent the last 2 hours trying to tweak the system to run properly and i go to tighten one of the elbows by hand and it SNAPPED!! leaving the whole unit useless! anyone know how to get a broken fitting out?? please before i loose my mind over this thing!

thats my vent!
Ray

[e46er]

20 lb sledge?

[mark]

can get extractors but even the tapered square end of a file (part for the handle) works

[hillegom]

Sometimes you can wedge the right sized tapered screwdriver into the hole and turn it out

[burrows14]

20 lb sledge?

+plus falme thrower! lol

[burrows14]

ended getting it out witha kitchen knife. got it working again but still a bit on the disapointed side of things.

[mike31154]

Sorry to hear about all the troubles.

Sometimes the flow restrictor is integrated into the elbow fitting at the output of the RO membrane housing... I think. Hard to imagine they would sell you a system without a flow restrictor. Make sure this is not the case with your system, 'cause if it is, you may now have two flow restrictors. That could explain the trickle scenario. My 5 stage 75 gpd system produces slightly more than a trickle with the input pressure at close to 60 psi after the pre filters. A 100 gpd membrane should obviously produce more than a 75. Are you sure you need 7 stages? Might work more efficiently with fewer stages. What's the configuration, i.e., how many pre filters, carbon filters etc.?

[hillegom]

Was the auto shut off valve (ASOV) plumbed in by the Co, or did you have to do it yourself?

[burrows14]

Was the auto shut off valve (ASOV) plumbed in by the Co, or did you have to do it yourself?

it was done by aquasafe. i had a 15 min conversation with them today and they thought it would be my water pressure so i tested it and it was 80psi so that wasnt the problem. they offered to replace the unit or give me a full refund. i said ill try another unit before i decide to return it. they are actually very good to deal with and said he would personally come to my house to switch units and help.

Ray

[hillegom]

Thats very good of them