TDS METER

[sh4n]

I got a RO unit last week, im trying to work out how to use the TDS meter,
ro water with salt was 660
ro water was 081
tap water was 071
my tank water with tap was 571
im so confusedd!! i havent calibrated it, theres no instructions too.
what should it be?
this is what i have :
http://www.psifilters.com.au/di-reef-systems/81-psi-019b-di-4-stage-reverse-osmosis-unit.html

 

[prh123]

I bought a few of them, this may help, but doesnt answer the specific question. I would fill a 45 gallon rubber maid and not use the RO as often, I read you have to store the membrane “under” pressure, or put it in the freezer. I went to home depot and they had some fittings for water lines to refrigerator water filter (similar) but not the same quality, that took care of line out, then I looked at garden hose fittings and found one for that end, circuit closed.
I think you don’t have to worry about all that, I certainly don’t understand it, I just tracked the hours of use per week and did the math on replacement using the storage method suggested. The day it doesn’t work you will start to get brown algae immediately after a water change, just a little at first. Then you know you have some phosphates and nitrates and membrane needs replacing. I hope that helps, once you change allot of water that is the best solution, just the math on starting a large tank justifies the cost.

 

[flower]

I don't know about the TDS meter...however if your RO unit is anything like mine, (5 stage filtering) then the more water you use the lower the TDS. Something about the pressure against the filters. The less pressure the less junk is pushed through the filter and into the RO water. My TDS test read 4 last time it was checked. We use the RO water for both of my tanks top offs, water changes, plus we cook with it and use it for coffee and drinking.

 

[prh123]

Sounds smart. One of my managers told me her childrens teeth had less cavities then her because they started to add fluride to public water. In the states where the public water is generally considered safe it makes sense. South of Texas, not so much, I lived in Mexico city for work for two years they said you "had to" only drink bottled water. You bought the 25 gallon water cooler jugs at the grocery store. There has been some terrible lawsuits on cancer cases from chemical companies polluting ground water (local wells) in the states though.

 

[bang guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SH4N http:///forum/thread/387172/tds-meter#post_3404448
I got a RO unit last week, im trying to work out how to use the TDS meter,
ro water with salt was 660
This should read somewhere around 53,000. Most TDS meters don't go high enough to test saltwater. Use a refractometer for this instead of your TDS meter.
ro water was 081
This should read between 0 and 20. Make sure you're not testing the RO waste water.
tap water was 071
That's some REALLY good tap water. I question the accuracy. As you mentioned it may not be calibrated. Tab water is typically 150 - 400.
my tank water with tap was 571
Again, this should read somewhere around 53,000.
im so confusedd!! i havent calibrated it, theres no instructions too.
what should it be?
this is what i have :
http://www.psifilters.com.au/di-reef-systems/81-psi-019b-di-4-stage-reverse-osmosis-unit.html

 

[sh4n]

Thanks everyone for your replies.
Pretty much with my readings of RO water (81) my RO unit is not set up properly?
@ Bang Guy, sorry for the dumb question, How will I know if Im using the correct water (ro water, not waste).

 

[flower]

I was looking at your unit...why does it say not suitable for drinking water?

 

[prh123]

Too dramatic, I just used a two stage RO, remove fine particles, carbon for chorine and chloramine, membrane removed metals, nitrates, phosphates. The tank redox potential (ability to handle waste) is still low. To get to even just 300 I ran Ozone with a controller, Sanders and Red Sea. The reef guys said if I changed my water running Ozone it would be the same water. It’s expensive, Rea Sea equipment failed twice in less than one year, Sander is lab quality from Germany can’t find anyone selling it.
Maybe thats three stage, I never read that much about I got the results I wanted "no phosphates and nitrates". That I did test in the RO water mixed with salt.

 

[sh4n]

im not sure, I talk to a experienced guy via facebook who told me he uses this ro unit and its good so i purchased it, I heard that its unsitable for drinking water because its made for a reef/marine tank and takes so much out of the water it makes it unsafe for consumption, but im not sure if thats true

 

[prh123]

I was afraid to drink water from RO also, the membrane for a RO and a refrigerator drinking water where both expensive, so I got hit twice. Sure thing for drinking water it leaves a little nitrate and phosphate, tested that water, and store water called “drinking water” which says RO and Ozonation.

 

[prh123]

Sounds like you would love Ozone and controller also, everything about it is expensive though, did it for years and years, let’s you do the impossible and still have great water quality. You have to double the size of the Ozone to account for not using an air dryer. Guys I went to high school with created Ultra Life in CT, they made one up 325 MG unit no air dryer. I bought a commercial unit from Sander 1000 MG an hour. Basement was finished with allot of moisture, just enough to be annoying creating Ozone with Sanders solutions.

 

[bang guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SH4N http:///forum/thread/387172/tds-meter#post_3404460
Thanks everyone for your replies.
Pretty much with my readings of RO water (81) my RO unit is not set up properly?
@ Bang Guy, sorry for the dumb question, How will I know if Im using the correct water (ro water, not waste).
The RO has two outputs, have you tested the other one?
That's a REALLY expensive unit. It should come with some REALLY good setup instructions and customer service.

 

[prh123]

Coralife is red is waste, blue is good. I see what you mean though (comment) connect on the wrong outlet you get a negative result, I remember reading the instructions many times now that you mention it. Reminded me of putting a grill together and wanting to hit it with a sledge hammer (funny). Going to have to read instructions, read it five times to understand it, ten times to explain it to someone else, just like college courses on things you never thought about before and your ears start to bleed.

 

[sh4n]

im quiet young so i got my dad to set it up because no way i can understand that stuff!,
blue = washing machine - ro system
black = sink
white = ro water
instruction book:
blue - feed water to ro system
black - waste water to sink
white = pure water

 

[bang guy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SH4N http:///forum/thread/387172/tds-meter#post_3404490
im quiet young so i got my dad to set it up because no way i can understand that stuff!,
blue = washing machine - ro system
black = sink
white = ro water
instruction book:
blue - feed water to ro system
black - waste water to sink
white = pure water
I just had another thought. Did you toss out the first 10 gallons of RO water before you tested?

 

[sh4n]

My dad said he had it running though the washing machine for a few hours before I used it
i did make 60 litres.... well make that 70litres in a 60 litre tub >< had a nice clean up

 

[prh123]

I read some books from Albert J Thiel in CT on reef keeping, my best answer is still on very complex matters you read the material five times to understand it and 10 times to explain it. An IBM instructor told us that, lectures, lab work, review, reading, I saw his point after ten times you “got it”. Well, its good your father is helping you, just mention politely you believe something is wrong and he should help you go through it carefully. I build computer infrastructure on enterprise class servers so everything I read is complicated at first, then it becomes quite normal. The authors, many of them have a PHD in a very unique discipline.
That last comment was smart, on first use you are supposed to disgard some of the initial output, which would have negatively influenced the results.

 

[bang guy]

It's very possible it's the TDS meter that's wrong.

 

[sh4n]

thanks everyone for your replies and imput, i think ive got it sorted out, i put 2 buckets out with new ro going into 1 and bad water going into another, ro water tested as 0 and bad water was 134.
seems to be working ok now, thanks all!

 

[prh123]

I had read about how you store the membrane when not in use when I had one, the bare bone models at least did not come with a means to manage that. I managed to hook up valves on input and output; when I was done I could store it still under pressure which is what they suggested but it did not provide a means to do just that. Just had to turn off outputs first, and then turn off hose connection keeping the water pressure.
Bare Bones is a nice expression for cheap, maybe that’s not a factor with your equipment for RO. I read the public water report every quarter and knew I just really had to eliminate chorine, chloramine, nitrates, and phosphates. So maybe the fish had cleaner teeth from the fluoride in the water.
It's very cost effective once you get past a mini reef.