Ro/DI question again

Hey everyone, I think I may have found the source of why my RO/DI unit isn't spitting out any waste and only product, I dont believe there are any flow restrictors anywhere, and my pressure gauge only reads at about 20 psi, that's too low for a Maxxima Hi-S isn't it? Where could I find an inexpensive booster pump to install on here?

thanks!

--Miles

 

I would say 20 psi is far too low, optimal would be 65 psi, and it should work down to about 40. The flow restrictor should be located inside of the waste line, it is just a small piece of plastic inside of the tube, clipped to a specific length to restrict water. If you do not feel you have this piece, and that is the cause of your problems then you can always put a ball valve (available at home depot or the like ) and try adjusting it to produce 4:1 ratio. (4g waste to 1g fresh) However, having no restrictor would likely give you opposite results (100% waste 0% fresh) It could be your restrictor has not been trimmed to the appropriate size resulting in no water moving down the waste line.

Booster pump Puroflo Reverse Osmosis Booster Pump

or Ebay link for it RO Booster Pump Assembly Reverse Osmosis water system on eBay!

 

Yeah I don't think it's the restrictors mow cause I took the hose off entirely and now there is barely a dribble coming out of the waste and all the rest is still coming out the product line. And the pressure reading is actually more like 15 psi... What should I do about that?


--Miles

 

With pressure that low, I don't think any RO unit will work properly. You can buy a booster pump as one option. Another option and probably my 1st recourse would be to contact your water supplier and see what the unregulated water pressure at your address should be. I know in my case our address pressure was 110 psi but regulated to 40 at the main, which can easily be adjusted.

 

Sounds like your lines are crossed. Can you post a picture of the plumbing arrangement? If yoy remove the waste and everything comes out the product line its definitely backwards, it should all come out the waste line. Post a pic.
The reason the pressure is low is everything is going out the waste and not through the membrane.

 

Yeah I'll post a picture today, when I put my thumb over the product line the pressure reads at about 40.

 

Sould like the lines are switched, when you block the waste line the pressure should rise.

 

Little late but it's still today!

 

Its kind of hard to tell but what do the red and yellow lines on the one end of the membrane connect to. I say the red is actually the product or treated line and the yellow is the waste if it were plumbed correctly. Take a look at the End View diagram on page 7 here.
http://www.spectrapure.com/manuals/PRINTER_FRIENDLY/memRepGuide.pdf
Note how the product or treated line is a larger piece and close to the centerline of the housing and the waste is a smaller protrusion and closer to the outer edge.

Starting from the tap water in, tell us where each line goes. it should go something like this
1. tap water to first or prefilter housing, I assume thats the one on the right in your photos.
2. From the back of the prefilter housing to the back of the carbon block or center housing.
3. From the front of the carbon block housing up to the RO membrane housing on the threaded and capped or screw off end with a single fitting.
4 Out of the center or larger fitting on the opposite end of the membrane housing back down to the back of the DI or last vertical housing on the left.
5. Out of the front of the DI housing to your RO/DI water storage container.
6 The waste will exit via a flow restrictor from the smaller of the two fittings on the rounded end of the membrane housing and at approximately 4:1 waste ratio or four times faster than the RO water.

It looks like you have more than one line crossed up. This is a simple diagram if you take the ASOV out of the picture and imagine the lines run straight thru.
http://www.spectrapure.com/huds/ASO-SYS.pdf