RO/DI Safety Help

[Craigdillman]

Hey guys,

Well just caught my RODI just in the nick of time 4th time in the last few months ( 3 of them my wifes doing but ..I digress) to see one my 40g barrels on the verge of overflowing and the lid floating ... So time to see what everyone else does to prevent this from happening because ( setting an iPhone alarm apparently doesn work for my wife cause she was busy "multitasking" to remember the RO machine she started lol )\
And sooner or later this is going to cause a flood under my stairs where it is set up and we all know where that goes... into the hallway carpet ... bathroom floor.. cause im sure it wont all flow down into the sump pump ...

So what do you guys do with your RO machine to fill your holding buckets up as a safety stop so to say?

[Myka]

Add an auto shut off valve and check valve to the RO system and a float valve to the container. It will shut off automatically when it's full.

[whatcaneyedo]

A mechanical float value and automatic shut off valve does the trick. Have you never heard of them? The two will cost you around $50 and are sold virtually everywhere that sells RO/DI systems. Here is what J&L carries: http://www.jlaquatics.com/aqua-fx-fl...t-off-kit.html Electric float switches and solenoid systems can also be built if you're into that sort of thing. I personally put more faith in the manual type.

[Craigdillman]

Ok sweet yea I have a pressure shut off for the drinking water side of it but never installed anything for the buckets

Problem is I usally bring the buckets upstairs And use them to mix salt and do the change in, ( they have wheels and I move them up the stairs when I do the change)

That sounds like a awesome idea lol I don't know why didn't think of that, now that I think of it I should find a way to plumb it directly to my ato container

[intarsiabox]

Even though I use float valves on my RO system I've seen and had enough of them fail to have an emergency drain line near the top of the barrel that goes to a floor drain.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by Craigdillman

now that I think of it I should find a way to plumb it directly to my ato container

Although lots of people do that, it's a really scary idea. If the shut off ever fails your tank will be pumped full of a never-ending supply of RO/DI water.

[Craigdillman]

Well yea I was thinking of plumbing rodi into the ATO tank which is controlled by the Tunze ATO so if it did over flow the ATO tank would flood .. both equally bad lol and my RO machine is down stairs and tank up stairs so i would have to route it threw some stuff which could also be a challenge

[Craigdillman]

Just found this video which is solving my problem even if i don't hook up directly to my ATO tank something in here should work for my situation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XPKLrU6LEo


Thanks for all the input ( hoping to never have a flood )

[gregzz4]

I used to have a mechanical float valve in my RO drum to shut off my system.
After some issues, I found that during shut-down, before the pressure valve closes, water pressure is greatly reduced. This caused some TDS to get through my system.

I've removed said float valve, and have run the RO drum overflow to a drain.
Drilled a hole as high as possible in the drum and away goes the leak.

If it overflows, oh well. Then close the valves and shut off the source water.
Next time it runs I flush the membrane and start all over.

If I were to ever spend some money here, I'd get a float/solenoid setup that would shut off the system instantly. Then I'd consider trusting it on it's own.

[mike31154]

One of those dilemmas. I've learned not to trust any kind of automated shut off, mechanical or otherwise when making RODI. I only make water when I'm home & doofus that I am, I've still had a couple of mini floods overfilling both my fresh & waste water vessels. I collect the waste water to use around the house & in the garden since our water rates are quite high & continue get jacked up by our good officials here in Vernon. Need to make the most of every drop coming down the city pipe. I set the timer on my gas range when I make RODI as a reminder. Nevertheless, several times I've forgotten even that when I decided to go outside & tool around. Now I set the timer on the gas range & my mobile when I go outside!

No way I'd ever plumb a RODI system directly to a sump or display as an ATO solution. I'd be terrified by the thought of that screwing up on me & greggz has already mentioned the TDS creep associated with that kind of set up. I can ill afford any kind of water disaster in my basement since the sewer exits the house only about a foot below the top of the basement concrete. There's no drain in the basement floor, so if something breaks, I'm knackered if I don't catch it in time. Thinking of breaking thru the concrete floor & installing an emergency sump to pump water up to the sewer line in the event of such a calamity. Recently installed a laundry tub with small sump underneath to catch the washer water. The washer used to have to pump about 6-7 feet up to the sewer line through a check valve. There was often residual water in the bottom of the washer after cycle was complete. Works much better now with the sump under the laundry tub doing the work. Anyhow, that little sump won't help if there's a water pipe break down there, the level in the whole basement would have to rise more than a foot before that started filling up & pumping.

All that to say, reiterate, a major mishap in my basement will have dire consequences, so I don't rely on any manner of automated water shut off on my RODI.