RODI questions

southern wolf

southern wolf

Member
I am looking at a few different units and I had a couple of questions that popped into my head.
I know you can get an auto shutoff for the RODI units. Question I have is can you run multiple shutoffs on one RODI unit. Here's my thought process. I'd need an auto shutoff in the can for my RODI water and I'd also want a shutoff in the can that is going to catch the waste water. Don't really want either of those overflowing. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have a third on the salt mixing can. So can you run multiple shutoff's on one RODI unit?
Now for a question about waste water. Instead of just running it into the plumbing and washing it down the drain I want to use it. I'll be using it mostly for my gardens but I was also wondering if there would be a problem for using it as animal drinking water?
 
xcali1985

xcali1985

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf http:///t/390939/rodi-questions#post_3464640
I am looking at a few different units and I had a couple of questions that popped into my head.
I know you can get an auto shutoff for the RODI units. Question I have is can you run multiple shutoffs on one RODI unit. Here's my thought process. I'd need an auto shutoff in the can for my RODI water and I'd also want a shutoff in the can that is going to catch the waste water. Don't really want either of those overflowing. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have a third on the salt mixing can. So can you run multiple shutoff's on one RODI unit?
Now for a question about waste water. Instead of just running it into the plumbing and washing it down the drain I want to use it. I'll be using it mostly for my gardens but I was also wondering if there would be a problem for using it as animal drinking water?
Dont think your understanding the shut off valves. The valves work by pressure and when the line cant flow forward it pushes down a valve that stops feeding the RO. You can T off from your RO out as much as you want.
Once the float valves reach there fill level they will start back pressuring the line. Once the line gets so much pressure it stops.
Youtube for a video on how to hook one up and it will better explain.
 
sagxman

sagxman

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Southern Wolf http:///t/390939/rodi-questions#post_3464647
so I could run multiple foats and just T into the main line?
Do a search for Aquasafe in Canada. They manufacture RODI units and can answer all of your questions. They're customer service is fantastic. If what you want to do will work they can add and take away parts from their setups to give you exactly what you need out of your system. There products are great and they have the best priced systems available. I'm about to get another one.
 
jerthunter

jerthunter

Active Member
I would advise against putting a shutoff or float valve on the waste water. If that were to shutoff by the pure water was still open you could damage your membrane.
Depending on how complex you want to get you could use individual sensors and one control valve upstream of the unit that shuts off the supply if any of the levels are reached.
Something easier would be to T off the drain line with one line going to your drain and the other going to your bucket and set up a 3 way valve to switch between dumping to the sewer and dumping to your bucket.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Yeah I think your not fully understanding how the units operate.....You only need 1 auto shut off valve. That unit would be installed around the unit itself....You could bring that main "good" water line off of the unit and "T" it off to numerous float valves. If 1 container would become full the float valve on that particular container would close and not allow water to continue to enter the full container and therefore the water would be directed to where the float valve is still "open" allowing the container to fill until full and so on. Once all the float valves create enough back pressure it would automatically force the auto shut off valve to shut the RO/DI unit down..... Not sure exactly where the mention of a valve on the waste line came into play at.
 
acrylic51

acrylic51

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerthunter http:///t/390939/rodi-questions#post_3464714
I would advise against putting a shutoff or float valve on the waste water. If that were to shutoff by the pure water was still open you could damage your membrane.
Depending on how complex you want to get you could use individual sensors and one control valve upstream of the unit that shuts off the supply if any of the levels are reached.
Something easier would be to T off the drain line with one line going to your drain and the other going to your bucket and set up a 3 way valve to switch between dumping to the sewer and dumping to your bucket.
Any example of a good; dependable, economical cost of a 3 way switch.....Most switches have a life cycle as well, and aren't cheap......
 
jerthunter

jerthunter

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/390939/rodi-questions#post_3464720
Any example of a good; dependable, economical cost of a 3 way switch.....Most switches have a life cycle as well, and aren't cheap......
No, I doubt this would be cheap, however it would be possible if that is what the user desires. Personally I just route the waste to my regular drain.
Another option would be to put an overflow in the waste water bucket, it it gets to that level it won't shut anything off but the water could then overflow to a drain or even your basement sump (if you have one).
The most important thing I would like to say is do not run your RO unit with the drain line closed, this can potentially damage your membrane.
 
southern wolf

southern wolf

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by acrylic51 http:///t/390939/rodi-questions#post_3464718
Yeah I think your not fully understanding how the units operate.....You only need 1 auto shut off valve. That unit would be installed around the unit itself....You could bring that main "good" water line off of the unit and "T" it off to numerous float valves. If 1 container would become full the float valve on that particular container would close and not allow water to continue to enter the full container and therefore the water would be directed to where the float valve is still "open" allowing the container to fill until full and so on. Once all the float valves create enough back pressure it would automatically force the auto shut off valve to shut the RO/DI unit down..... Not sure exactly where the mention of a valve on the waste line came into play at.
Im sure your right about the not fully understanding. As to the mention of a valve on the waste line. I plan on plumbing the waste line into a collection bucket just like everything else. I want to use that water for other purposes, but I don't need the waste bucket to overflow. So I wanted an auto shut off on each bucket.. .if one got full it would shut everything down.
 
icedtc

icedtc

Member
Yeah I believe the typical loss is around 3 to 4 gallons of waster water for every 1 gallon of Rodi. So you would need a lot of buckets!
 
jerthunter

jerthunter

Active Member
On the topic of water conservation. One idea I am planning to use for my own system is to setup a line from the wastewater to a few of my trees. Basically I would bury the 1/4 line and run it to my trees. I would have a manual threeway valve so in the winter or extremely wet period I could send the water to my drain, but the rest of the time it would water by trees via drip irrigation.
 
gojosie1

gojosie1

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jerthunter http:///t/390939/rodi-questions#post_3464753
On the topic of water conservation. One idea I am planning to use for my own system is to setup a line from the wastewater to a few of my trees. Basically I would bury the 1/4 line and run it to my trees. I would have a manual threeway valve so in the winter or extremely wet period I could send the water to my drain, but the rest of the time it would water by trees via drip irrigation.
that is how i have mine set up. i just run the waste through a drip line to my palm trees and lawn
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member
Heres a simple way to do it, yet you can Tee your line off and feed it to your fresh tank and your saltwater tank, put a ball valve on each line, and then install your float. Which ever one you want filled up just open the ball valve and let it do its work, the float valve will shut it off when its full, then simply just shut your ball valve again, and so on so forth.
For the waste line, tee that off, make it so your waste collection bucket is lower than where it would normally drain, put a ball valve on the line to the waste bucket along with a float valve. When its making water, the waste water will follow the path of lease resistance, into the wastebucket, once that is full, the float valve will shut it off, and it will flow out the normal waste line.
On my setup, I have a sink mounted spigot and a brute trash can, the line is teed off with two ball valves, the trash can has a float, when I need it filled I open the valve and let it go, I leave the other valve open at all times, unless needing to disconnect, and I use that to fill up my jugs for top off water. Simple and effective.
I have a garden too, and want to use my waste water, but the problem with mine, its the whole way down in the basement

So to carry all those buckets of water up and out to my garden would be a bit of a pain.
If only I could figure out a way to just get my waste line to drain to the outside, then I could fill buckets up all the time!
 
jerthunter

jerthunter

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/390939/rodi-questions#post_3464775
Heres a simple way to do it, yet you can Tee your line off and feed it to your fresh tank and your saltwater tank, put a ball valve on each line, and then install your float. Which ever one you want filled up just open the ball valve and let it do its work, the float valve will shut it off when its full, then simply just shut your ball valve again, and so on so forth.
For the waste line, tee that off, make it so your waste collection bucket is lower than where it would normally drain, put a ball valve on the line to the waste bucket along with a float valve. When its making water, the waste water will follow the path of lease resistance, into the wastebucket, once that is full, the float valve will shut it off, and it will flow out the normal waste line.
On my setup, I have a sink mounted spigot and a brute trash can, the line is teed off with two ball valves, the trash can has a float, when I need it filled I open the valve and let it go, I leave the other valve open at all times, unless needing to disconnect, and I use that to fill up my jugs for top off water. Simple and effective.
I have a garden too, and want to use my waste water, but the problem with mine, its the whole way down in the basement

So to carry all those buckets of water up and out to my garden would be a bit of a pain.
If only I could figure out a way to just get my waste line to drain to the outside, then I could fill buckets up all the time!
You could use a sump pump to pump your waste water up and outdoors. Either dump the waste into your sump and use your regular sump pump (if you have one), or get a cheaper aquarium pump that can pump to the height needed to get out from your basement and pump it from a container in your basement to a bucket or rainbucket outside.
 
xandrew245x

xandrew245x

Member

You could use a sump pump to pump your waste water up and outdoors.  Either dump the waste into your sump and use your regular sump pump (if you have one), or get a cheaper aquarium pump that can pump to the height needed to get out from your basement and pump it from a container in your basement to a bucket or rainbucket outside.
 
I do have a sump, but its on the entire other side of my basement, and the basement is finished, so it would be difficult to run a line over there.
Your second option would work, but I would probably need to wire the pump to some sort of solenoid that it would only come on when I open the valve outside.:%%:
 
southern wolf

southern wolf

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Icedtc http:///t/390939/rodi-questions#post_3464751
Yeah I believe the typical loss is around 3 to 4 gallons of waster water for every 1 gallon of Rodi. So you would need a lot of buckets!
Then I see me always being in the nano relm. I refuse to waste that much water for a fish tank. I'll just stick to a small nano and my large freshwater tanks. I can fill those right out of the tap with no problems.
 
southern wolf

southern wolf

Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by xandrew245x http:///t/390939/rodi-questions#post_3464775
Heres a simple way to do it, yet you can Tee your line off and feed it to your fresh tank and your saltwater tank, put a ball valve on each line, and then install your float. Which ever one you want filled up just open the ball valve and let it do its work, the float valve will shut it off when its full, then simply just shut your ball valve again, and so on so forth.
For the waste line, tee that off, make it so your waste collection bucket is lower than where it would normally drain, put a ball valve on the line to the waste bucket along with a float valve. When its making water, the waste water will follow the path of lease resistance, into the wastebucket, once that is full, the float valve will shut it off, and it will flow out the normal waste line.
On my setup, I have a sink mounted spigot and a brute trash can, the line is teed off with two ball valves, the trash can has a float, when I need it filled I open the valve and let it go, I leave the other valve open at all times, unless needing to disconnect, and I use that to fill up my jugs for top off water. Simple and effective.
I have a garden too, and want to use my waste water, but the problem with mine, its the whole way down in the basement

So to carry all those buckets of water up and out to my garden would be a bit of a pain.
If only I could figure out a way to just get my waste line to drain to the outside, then I could fill buckets up all the time!
You gave me a few ideas... thanks.
 
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