How To: RO system

jmoore1197

jmoore1197

Member
hello all, let me start by saying im new to the saltwater world. have a 30 gal going for about 6 months. I want to get a RO system going but i have no idea on how to do it. I need some help here. I understand that some people set it up in the laundry room. so how do you connect the bad water to the drain and what do you use to hold the "clean" water? how do you stop making "clean" water. is there some kind of cutoff where you can tell it that your "clean" water container is full so the RO can quit until the water level drops? something like that? i only have a 30 gal so i don't need that much water but im going to upgrade to a 177 soon so im gonna need a lot in the future. also how are you getting the water out of the holding tank so you can add it to the tank. the laudry is too far away to run hose from tank to aquarium and just pump it there so i was thinking of haveing some sort of tap on the container inorder to fill bucket to add water. better ideas??
any advice would be great if someone knows any good how to videos those would be great also. also im thinking about adding a sump but that is a whole different story. I need to know all about that too.
sorry if these are dumb questions but i have no idea where to start. any info would be great!!! im sure ill have many many more questions for all you guys
thanks a lot
Justin
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Welcome!

I have a large system so most of what I do might not apply. I'll wait for someone else to respond but I wanted to welcome you.
If nobody responds soon then I'll chime in.
 
jmoore1197

jmoore1197

Member
Thanks. Yea hopfully someone will chime in. If not, any info u could provide would b greatly appreciated. I'm getting a bigger tank some time in the future so a bigger setup would b good knowledge to have also
again thanks for any info
Justin
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by jmoore1197 http:///forum/post/3104075
Thanks. Yea hopfully someone will chime in. If not, any info u could provide would b greatly appreciated. I'm getting a bigger tank some time in the future so a bigger setup would b good knowledge to have also
again thanks for any info
Justin
Hopefully I can help...lol and again...WELCOME
I bought a 75gpd ro/di unit from airwaterice...I'm sorry I could not figure out how to get the pic out of this thread...lol...so click on link and go to post #'s 87 and 88
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/362380/new-to-the-hobby-need-help/20
 
jmoore1197

jmoore1197

Member
yes that does help a little. I was hoping for a more in-depth approach if possible though. little more detail would be great - Im very new at this!!
thanks for the response!!!!
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
OK...I'll try...lol...
The unit I got from airwaterice...came with the fittings necessary to hook into my waterline by my washer. I purchased a Y from the hardware store, and hooked it up to my water line behind washer.
Put the adapter from airwaterice on one side of Y...and attached the thin white hose supplied from airwaterice to the adapter.
Attachment 229293
That thin white hose goes from water line to ro/di unit.....(red arrow)
The other white line goes to white trash can (black arrow)
Inside the trash can, there is a float...when the water hits the level that the float is at...it automaticall turns off...
OHHHH....the drain line (green arrow)...goes back to the washer drain...I have it stuck in there
Attachment 229294

 
jmoore1197

jmoore1197

Member
Now we're talkin!! thanks again for the response. U just siphon the water out of the garbage can then when you need it?
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Yeah, I just use a bucket...I have to manually top off my 54g, and 29g....I have another line running from the ro unit to my 225g...I think That was in one of the earlier pics...
When I do water changes. I use a 35g trashcan for my big tank, and I just add it as it is made...for the 54g and 29g my ro is done since I keep 10g's made at all times.
Pretty easy, and no electronics pumps or devices were required...
If you go to airwaterice website, look on the accy's page and you will see the float bottle
 
jmoore1197

jmoore1197

Member
Hanks for the info!! I'm going to have a go at it this weekend I think. Seems somewhat straight forward. Your setup seems very practical and doable Anyone else with other ideas would b welcome. Again thanks
 
D

dragonzim

Active Member
I set mine up in my basement next to my clothes washer. I put a $5 hose splitter that you can get at Home Depot or any hardware store on the water line going to my washing machine. The splitter has a shut off valve for each side so I just leave the one for the washing machine on all the time and use the valve on the side that is hooked up to the RO unit as the "onoff" switch. I have a 50 gallon rubbermaid brute trash can that is used for the clean water. For the first month or so I had the drain line from the unit draining directly into my washing machine tub and then I would just run a spin cycle to empty it. After overflowing the washing machine once I decided to drill into my drain pipe and silicone the drain line from the RO unit into the PVC drain pipe. Not the most elegant solution but it worked just fine. I usually set a timer for myself when I made water so that I would remember to go and turn it off when the can was full but you can add a float valve similar to what is in your toilet tank that will cut off the water supply when the water reaches a certain level.
 
jmoore1197

jmoore1197

Member
thanks for the response. I think i have it figured out. the previous poster pointed me to airwatericedotcom and i think im going to buy their premium RODI unit. it comes with float valve and everything else. Should be a pretty easy thing to accomplish i would think, going to find out soon. ordering RO unit this weekend
 
jmoore1197

jmoore1197

Member
Now for the sump portion of my setup. anyone care to share how they set theirs up. Keep in mind that i only have a 30 gal tank but im going to upgrade to a 150 or so soon so i will probably be using whatever sump will be in the 150 for the 30. i imaging my sump will be bigger than my tank for the time being but that is ok. lol
but i really don't know where to start. I would like to DIY it so ill buy the plexi and cut and do it myself. any sump plans would be great. I know i want a refugium included. my question is where to put skimmer, macro algae, liverock, heater, in other words in what order do you place the items in the pump. any and all info would be GREAT
Thanks again for all of yalls advice!!
Justin
 
jmoore1197

jmoore1197

Member
thanks, yea the ro im gonna get comes with meter. let me ask this on side note. what pump are yall using in your auto top off. im going to make top off system this weekend but i need to know what type of pump to get to get water from container to tank. pump name? where to get it? thanks guys
 
meowzer

meowzer

Moderator
Originally Posted by jmoore1197
http:///forum/post/3104930
thanks, yea the ro im gonna get comes with meter. let me ask this on side note. what pump are yall using in your auto top off. im going to make top off system this weekend but i need to know what type of pump to get to get water from container to tank. pump name? where to get it? thanks guys
The way my ato is hooked up I do not need a pump..
re-read how I did it.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by jmoore1197
http:///forum/post/3104930
thanks, yea the ro im gonna get comes with meter. let me ask this on side note. what pump are yall using in your auto top off. im going to make top off system this weekend but i need to know what type of pump to get to get water from container to tank. pump name? where to get it? thanks guys

It's best to topoff using your sump. Since the sump should be low, you won't normally require a pump, just a float valve (or 2).
 
jmoore1197

jmoore1197

Member
Well the ato project is two fold imgoing to make one using the ro unit. And other one will b for brothers freshwater tank. I'll have his extra water under his tank and I want to make ato in his tank. Put float valve directly in tank. I need to know what pump to get to move the water
 
scsinet

scsinet

Active Member
A note to the folks on here using those "Y" adapters on their washing machine connections...
It would be best (and hence I'd highly recommend) spending the extra few bucks on a solid brass "Y" adapter. Those plastic ones are pretty cheap and are not intended to be under pressure 24x7 which they are in this application.
The few extra bucks is well worth it compared with the cost of flooding your home when one breaks during the night or while you're at work.
The stainless steel braided washing machine hoses are also a good idea...

In Meowzer's pic, for example, all someone has to do is lean against the washer and push this thing against the wall, it'll break for certain and send water everywhere...
 
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