Installing a R/O-DI unit

[phoenixrising]

Well, I finally broke down and bought a new R/O DI unit the other day. I asked the fella prior to purchase if it was fairly easy to install and was assured that anybody at all would be able to install this unit in under an hour.
An HOUR?????
I know they're kidding! I'm on day 2 struggling with this thing that looks like an alien with multicolor hoses springing out from all over the place!
The instructions are piecemealed over three pages and it doesn't look like any page has anything to do with any other. No picture of the final product to reference to see if you've screwed it up.
Have I ever mentioned that I'm NOT a plumber?
Heading to Home Depot yet again to get yet another part. This time it is a copper pipe for the water line which of course was hard plastic (or rubber). Is it really safe to purposely run the water through a copper pipe when it is going into my reef? Will any of the copper leach into the water?
I am trying to install this thing in my bathroom under the sink so I can tap directly into the cold water line and drain. The plan it to then run the final product through the cabinet wall and into the shower (next to the sink) where the reservoir will be hidden. I don't use this bathroom for showering, so figured I can hide the thing in there.
Don't one of you want to come over here and install this wicked thing for me? I'm not the world's best plumber...although this hobby/obsession is teaching me many lessons about water and the routing and/or disasters of same!

 

[plum70rt]

Why would you use copper tubing? NOT reef safe , use the plastic tubing that comes with it, If I were you I would put a tee fitting in, so as not to use that piercing type setup, Just my 2cents, What kind of unit is it? maybe someone with the same one can help

 

[phoenixrising]

The copper pipe is for the water supply line on the sink and it is of course BEFORE the unit. I am trying to use the supplied multi colored hoses that came with the unit for the rest of the installation. My water supply line on the sink presently is made of hard rubber or plastic. It isn't PVC. I am told by the folks at Kent (whom I talked with twice yesterday) that the piercing saddle unit for the supply line will not work with this type of supply line because as soon as the piercing thingy is removed, the hole will simply seal itself back off. Nothing is ever simple that I try to do around here!
It is a Kent Maxxima Hi-S unit. I bought this one because it was recommended by the dealer. Do you have any experience with these? I have been using distilled water prior to this unit being installed.

 

[plum70rt]

I use a Aqua FX machine, works very well ,I use a TDS meter that gives me readings of 0 ppm , so the water is very pure,
I understand now how it will be hooked up , as long as the copper tube is used before its ok , most home pipe uses copper anyway, What I did is hook mine up in the laundry room , I put a double feed on the water supply and use the washer waste line to get rid of the excess water, store the water in 5 gallon container, use it as I need

 

[plum70rt]

here is what the hookup looks like

 

[plum70rt]

the whole unit

 

[phoenixrising]

Wow! That's a nice setup! Hope mine will end up something like that!
Took your advice and bought one of those T fittings you were talking about for the water supply line so as to avoid (hopefully) piercing directly into the water line. We're about to give it a go. I'll let you know how it turns out! Thanks again for the advice!
P.S. Wish my unit had one of those automatic water testers on it. I think Kent makes something similar...I'll have to check it out.

 

[pyro383]

If you look at the pipes under the sink, do you see the cold water shutoff? Then there is the tubing going up to the cold water handle. So lets start from scratch, HD sells hard plastic?pvc tubing setup, length does not matter since you can bend it and cut it. Shut of the cold water supply line, remove the old connection, install the new tubing, turn on and test for no leaks. Next the saddle piercing valve can be attached to the platic tubing and away you go. If/when you move just replace the supply line with a new one.

 

[phoenixrising]

Okay...got the daggone thing up and running. Sort of! I finally got the drain line and the supply line installed and then removed the third canister contents and am presently flushing the system to waste as suggested by Kent.
Question is...after I have flushed the 15 or so gallons recommended, how do I REMOVE the third cartridge to reinsert the contents without making a huge water mess everywhere? I don't mean to be a dolt, but I'm not the worlds best plumber.
I bought a new huge (45 gal) rubbermaid garbage can...oops...I mean R/O DI reservoir for the job and have yet to install the Kent float valve that is ideally supposed to shut off the system when the reservoir is full so as to avoid a flood. Tomorrows job!
One other quick question. I have the unit sitting on the floor inside my new bathroom cabinet where it is connected directly to the supply line and drain. Do I need to raise it up and bolt it to the inside of the cabinet or is okay as is? Besides being a bit inconvenient. I'm wondering about the weight of the thing hanging on a cabinet wall (it is solid oak).

 

[plum70rt]

after you shut the water supply off , gently remove the 3rd canister so as not to spill anything, easier said than done,
I would say you dont have to mount it , but it will make for easier filter changes, also what water pressure do they recommend for that unit?

 

[phoenixrising]

65psi, although I have no idea if I have this or not. I know Kent makes a gauge to assess this, but haven't gotten it yet. The finished water is trickling out of the end of the blue hose at a fairly steady rate though, so the water pressure must be at least decent.
Actually, I have 4 feet of thick heavy hair and that bathroom has the highest water pressure in the house so I can wash my hair and have any chance of rinsing out the suds. That is one of the main reasons I selected that spot to install the R/O unit. Plus, I can keep the reservoir in the shower in case of accidental overflow so it won't be a disaster (again...sigh) on my carpet.
Do you think the side wall of the bathroom cabinet is strong enough to hold up this unit when it is full? It is solid oak. Maybe an inch or a little less thick. Maybe I could reinforce the wall somehow? It might make getting to the canisters a bit easier.
By the way...thanks for the advice about the T fitting on the supply line (and all the rest of your help). Worked out great!

 

[plum70rt]

Glad I could help , what I suggest is hanging a bracket inside your cabinet and hang the unit on hooks look back at my pic, so the whole thing can be taken out if needed but is out of the way, 65psi wow, I need 45 psi for mine,

 

[reef dude]

Hey, i just purchased a Kent Hi-S Maxxima 35 GPD about 2 weeks ago, i was able to hook mine up in a sinch! i just screwed the main yellow garden hose fitting into the cold spout of the garden hose coming out of the water furnace thingy in the basement and then just plopped the orange waste line into the nearby utility sink. Works great so far! good luck

 

[pyro383]

The back of the cabinet is it drywall, if so then plastic mollys will work or get butterfly mollies. What this does is allow the screws to actually catch on something stronger (plastic) and spread to add pressure to its surrounding. The butterflies have a bolt that ges thru them and at the end is a spring loaded clip. You unsrew the bolt, put it throught your units bracket, punch an apprpriate hole or drill the opening and push the butterfly into the hole, the butterfly pops open behind the drywall and you screw down till it holds the unit secure to the wall.