Choice between Bulk Reef Supply RO/DI, Spectrapure RO/DI, or Buckeye Hydro

[devildog1986]

Im down to these three for a Ro/DI filter, and need some help.

Pros and Cons with experience and quality of equipment would be great.

Also. How often do you change filters.

Looking into the Chloramine Models.

Thanks Guys

[SABOB]

Had a Buckeye Hydro RODI for years....change filters about every 6 months,DI resin when I get above 1 on TDS meter.Russ is awesome to deal with(if needed).Dont have Chloramines but they have those filters available.Heard good things about Spectrapure models also.


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[FarmerTy]

I don't think you could go wrong with any of the models. The utility is more in the filters, membranes, and resin from that point since hardware should all be similar.

We have to run a chloramine filter in Austin as the City occasionally decides to flush with chloramines if bacterial counts are high.

The only difference is just buying a chloramine filter along with my sediment filter. So I run a 5-micron sediment filter in the first chamber, a carbon filter in the 2nd, and a chloramine filter in the 3rd, followed by my membrane and then DI resin.

[devildog1986]

Thanks FarmerTY,

Where I live water sucks. I already have a culligan full house filter and softener. Im thinking of installing the RO/DI. In the out feed of the softener and use the same drain. Just to save on filter replacements. they pump chloramines year round here.

I don't think you could go wrong with any of the models. The utility is more in the filters, membranes, and resin from that point since hardware should all be similar.

We have to run a chloramine filter in Austin as the City occasionally decides to flush with chloramines if bacterial counts are high.

The only difference is just buying a chloramine filter along with my sediment filter. So I run a 5-micron sediment filter in the first chamber, a carbon filter in the 2nd, and a chloramine filter in the 3rd, followed by my membrane and then DI resin.

[devildog1986]

Thanks SABOB,

I originally had a Buckeye Hydro. somehow it was misplaced. don't ask me how, Been through several arguments over it with the wife. Im mainly caring about the filters used in either of the 3 systems. thats what it comes down to. Thanks for the reply.


Had a BuckeyeHydro RODI for years....change filters about every 6 months,DI resin when I get above 1 on TDS meter.Russ is awesome to deal with(if needed).Dont have Chloramines but they have those filters available.Heard good things about Spectrapure models also.


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[FarmerTy]

Thanks FarmerTY,

Where I live water sucks. I already have a culligan full house filter and softener. Im thinking of installing the RO/DI. In the out feed of the softener and use the same drain. Just to save on filter replacements. they pump chloramines year round here.
I'd have a chat with the crew at BRS. They might be able to help you decide which filters are best for the amount of chloramines in your system. I know they sell something of much higher capacity than my regular filter cartridge. I only need the filter cartridge because they only flush with chloramines and don't use them full-time. If your system always has it present, you may need their higher volume solution.

[JimH]

I've been very happy with my Buckeye Hydro 'chloramine special' unit. They are very helpful and have answered every question promptly and will sell me the smallest little replacement part even if not on their website.

[alton]

devil dog you must be on Green Valley? I run two sediment, two chloramine, sediment, booster pump, membrane, and finish with two DI. All my filters come from Russ at Buckeye. Because of all the unknowns in our water I change out my membrane every year. DI last forever, membranes don't. I quit guessing why and just change it.

[FarmerTy]

devil dog you must be on Green Valley? I run two sediment, two chloramine, sediment, booster pump, membrane, and finish with two DI. All my filters come from Russ at Buckeye. Because of all the unknowns in our water I change out my membrane every year. DI last forever, membranes don't. I quit guessing why and just change it.
Maybe I misunderstood Alton but membranes should generally last you 3-5 years with proper prefiltering, which on your setup, you are prefiltering way more than most so you're even more protected than the average user. I don't see why you would need to replace your membrane annually.

Have you tested your TDS going into the membrane and then tested going out of the membrane to see if you're still getting a proper rejection rate of 95% or greater? If you are, there is no need to replace the membrane.

For DI resin, it'll typically exhaust way faster than your membrane. My resin will exhaust after 8-10 months. I still have the same membrane from 5 years ago and its still giving me > 95% rejection rate.

If you guys do have higher chloramines in your water, chloramines will actually eat up your membrane so perhaps that's why you have to replace the membrane more often? I'd test the TDS going in/out like mentioned above just to make sure either way.

[alton]

This started a few years ago when I started losing Membranes very fast, I actually contacted Russ and he couldn't figure it out so I got a little mad and ordered the best from Spectrapure and bam 1 ppm before DI awesome! And then slowly it went up to 8. At the time with my 300 and and other three tanks I was going through probably 40 gallons a week minimum. So I went back to Russ for a new membrane along with new Chloramine and sediment filters. Like I said I am not sure what is in our water that eats membranes because the TDS is like 110. The booster pump was the best thing I ever added to my RO setup. My water pressure at its best was like 50 psi.

[FarmerTy]

Wow, TDS at 110 after the prefilters? That's crazy clean.

Yeah, any PSI below 40-50 would benefit from a booster pump for sure. Good call on getting one.

I still think if your water source is using chloramines full-time, that it is the culprit. I've heard chloramines will degrade membranes very quickly.

[alton]

Oh yea over the last 32 years I went from a TDS of 400+ killing water heaters when GV used only Edwards Aquifer Water to Lake water and Chlorine levels up to 4 ppm, to now Chloramines and our water source coming from who knows where and who knows how far. As this area continues to grow along with SA will have to go farther east to get new water sources running through 100's of miles of water pipe. Sorry I got off of the subject but in this area every ones water will be different, depending on the source.
http://www.buckeyehydro.com/chloraguard-chloramine-carbon-block/

[FarmerTy]

Maybe it's time for this monster! :)

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-reverse-osmosis-chloramines-monster.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwlNy8BRC676-W0JezxbwBEiQA4Ydg0aXrchjztrtgvJUxpguAmtYkCQ0MYxm8L YFRKP3okFgaAvrx8P8HAQ

[alton]

Very nice but for the cost I can buy 5 years of membranes?

[FarmerTy]

Very nice but for the cost I can buy 5 years of membranes?
In the scenario that chloramines are eating up your membranes, doesn't that mean that they are getting into your tank? DI resin doesn't scrub chloramines from my understanding and they are your last line of defense after the membrane.

I'd think you'd notice chloramines getting into your system though as it would have a pretty adverse affect on some corals.

Sorry, I'm just mentioning for point of discussion. I wasn't trying to sway you to do one thing or the other. Your process is obviously working for your scenario Alton.

Here's a cheap, easy test for anyone to see if the City water has it and if it's getting through your RO/DI system.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/insta-test-free-total-chlorine-strips-lamotte.html

[alton]

okay ordered it this morning, that way I can quit guessing when to change filters

[FarmerTy]

okay ordered it this morning, that way I can quit guessing when to change filters
Yeah, that's crazy with the amount of chloramines in your City water. You would have two criteria, TDS and chloramine level, that would dictate your filter/membrane change schedule versus most others would only be dictated by their TDS level.

Another thought is to process all your produced RO/DI water in a brute trash can first and then add a water treatment product such as Prime that removes chloramines from water before using it in your reef. We have some guys in the club from Geogetown that have to deal with chloramines in their water and that is their exact process as well.

[devildog1986]

well guys,

After long debate, I went with spectrapure. Where i Live my ppm levels are in the 600's. so my strategy will be to connect the ro/di after my softener and full house filter. I hope the ppms are low enough not to really affect my membrane, and longer life on my filters. thanks for all the feedback. Ill start a thread with my current build soon.

[alton]

So you are one of the lucky ones still getting great Edwards Aquifer water? It is super hard because of all the limestone and calcium. Bad on water heaters but good to drink. Hobogoto actually ran his tank using Edwards water unfiltered. I would of not but he did.

[alton]

Sorry for borrowing your thread devil dog but after testing my water with test strips I have a level of two to three in, 1 and 1 after two chloramine filters, and almost 0 after DI. So maybe I need that big filter after all? Maybe Russ will chime in

[devildog1986]

So you are one of the lucky ones still getting great Edwards Aquifer water? It is super hard because of all the limestone and calcium. Bad on water heaters but good to drink. Hobogoto actually ran his tank using Edwards water unfiltered. I would of not but he did.


Hey there,

The hard water is not the problem for me. It's the amount of chlorines and chloramines that they use. Phosphates go up a lot too. I use green valley in Marion, Tx. So whoever they use is what I have at home.


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[alton]

I believe there original well was close to garden ridge in the Edward Aquifer and then pumped all the way down to homes in southeast Bexar and Guadalupe counties. But in time and with so many moving in they get most of there water from canyon regional.

[devildog1986]

I believe there original well was close to garden ridge in the Edward Aquifer and then pumped all the way down to homes in southeast Bexar and Guadalupe counties. But in time and with so many moving in they get most of there water from canyon regional.

I love the area, but the water reports are horrible. I think my biggest expense was a culling ham softener and whole water filter. I'll let you know how everything goes once I install it. I have a ppm meter before, and after the water is filtered.


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[devildog1986]

It was suppose to be "Culligan" **** you auto correct!

[glarior]

Im down to these three for a Ro/DI filter, and need some help.

Pros and Cons with experience and quality of equipment would be great.

Also. How often do you change filters.

Looking into the Chloramine Models.

Thanks Guys

Ive had all three of those. Currently i have spectra and buckeye going with a booster pump. Average about 1 gallon every 4 minutes. My choice is the high end model of spectra pending your budget. Max cap 5 with auto flush. The auto flush system has paid for itsself over and over. I use to replace media every 1-2 months. Now maybe once a year. I change when my output tds is 10-15. My tap water tds is 450 and enough chlorine to smell it.

[devildog1986]

Ive had all three of those. Currently i have spectra and buckeye going with a booster pump. Average about 1 gallon every 4 minutes. My choice is the high end model of spectra pending your budget. Max cap 5 with auto flush. The auto flush system has paid for itsself over and over. I use to replace media every 1-2 months. Now maybe once a year. I change when my output tds is 10-15. My tap water tds is 450 and enough chlorine to smell it.

This is the one I ended up going withhttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160801/38ab3fe4a5437f64c10a2f4180b12257.jpg
I was told it was probably the best one for my water quality.


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