question for those with RO units

[acrylic51]

Originally Posted by pohtr
Matro - why do you not reccommend using the "dirty" method of connecting right to the water pipe? Why is it "dirty"?
Also, someone on another (old) thread said something about using a tank for the DI water was a bad idea....anyone know why?
I'm about to get a RO/DI unit also but just don't get the picture yet. Um...or the picture I'm getting is very very scarey.....big vats of water overflowing....sloshing water from one vat to a smaller one to splash through the house with.....hmmmm

You can get shut off kits for your RO unit.....You can replace the whole pressure vessel housing which has the automatic shut off built right into it, instead of buying the little kits the sell and have the stuff hanging off the RO unit.....The upgrade on the pressure vessel cost me $10, and the only thing additional you need would be a Kent plastic float valve, so the thought of water overflowing would diminish.....I do check my float valve weekly though.....Trust me I've been through the overfilling the water vats many times......

 

[pohtr]

This whole RO/DI plumbing thing boggles my mind...
If you put the R.O. unit under the sink for example, then where do you put the tub? Under the sink? Or if you put the unit in a closet that has water pipes already in it then do you have to put some sort of tub in there with it? Why can't the thing be installed in this closet or somewhere and have a tank next to it with a faucet? Then you turn on the faucet when you want the nice water?
WHY IS THIS SO COMPLICATED!?!?!

 

[acrylic51]

It's not complicate!!!!!!!! You can mount the unit anywhere and just run your good supply water line to where you need the water or your water container for that matter. You can dream up any setup you'd like

 

[pohtr]

Really?? Hmmm, so people who have top off set ups have one of those lines running to a container under the main tank somewhere with a float valve? And then you can also have another one running to a closed tank with a faucet for drinking water? And maybe another one that goes to wherever you store the water change water?
Do most of you store this good water in buckets? or in big barrels? Or tons of gallon jugs?
I dunno, it still sounds complicated to me!!

 

[acrylic51]

You can get RO units that come with storage tanks that hold just drinking water.....Then you can take your good supply water line from your RO unit and put it or split it to where it needs to go to supply you water needs with a float valve.....I must add that you want to have an automatic shut off valve on the RO unit to relieve the pressure, and just adding a float valve doesn't cut it

 

[dskidmore]

Originally Posted by acrylic51
I must add that you want to have an automatic shut off valve on the RO unit to relieve the pressure, and just adding a float valve doesn't cut it
Shouldn't an RO unit with a tank come with such a valve?

 

[acrylic51]

It depends on what models you look at....I'm not sure about the ones being offered on the famous auction site if the shut off valve is included or not....I know the Typhoon's have the shut off valve built into the pressure vessel.....I originally bought a Kent, and you can buy the add on shut off valve, and still need the float valve as well....Doing it this way you have a tangle ugly mess hanging off the RO unit.....I did a little homework and found a place that you can get direct snap in replacement pressure vessels (this is what houses the membrane) for around $11.00....I already had the float valve.....Just using the float valve alone doesn't shut the water flow off to the RO unit.....
The float valve causes back pressure on the output line and is plumbed to the automatic shut off valve built into the pressure vessel which in turns triggers the RO unit to shut down the flow of water to the membrane.....You can see if you have a pressure gauge on your pressure vessel.....
So basically it depends on what your needs are.....You can purchase the units with holding pressurized tanks for your drinking needs, but I can't honestly say that all the units out there come with the automatic shut off valve built into the pressure vessel....That might be a question you ask the person your buying from....That's what I did when I was looking at the Tyhoon III

 

[pohtr]

I think I need a picture or sketch of all this....anyone know where one is???
Acrylic51, are you a plumber?