Re: [Killietalk] RO Water questions

["Bill Shenefelt" <william_shenefelt at verizon.net>]

First, the waste water did pass thru the carbon block filter so unless the 
carbon filter insert is dead, the water  is dechlorinated. Second it is 
probably roughly a 5 to 1 ratio waste to RO in an as shipped unit so if your 
water from the tap is about 150 ppm TDS, the waste is 30 ppm higher than 
your tap (you took 150 out of a gallon and diluted it with 5 gal of tap). 
This is a ROUGH approximation but close enough for government work.  Thus 
the waste is probably still soft enough for many Fundulopanchax.  If your 
tap is adequate for most fish (meaning there are not some ground water or 
water company additives other than what might be removed by the carbon 
filter that wipes out your fish or stains your tanks) you can use it to 
raise the TDS of your RO.  Here is what I am doing.  Bought an inline TDS 
meter.  Got three "T"s and a plastic valve.  Two "T"s are in the RO out 
line.  The T closest to the RO collection container has the meter probe. The 
T closest to the RO unit is connected thru a valve to a T in the waste line. 
I can thus valve waste into the RO line and measure the impact of the valve 
setting.  To get about 60 ppm TDS, the valve is opened until I read 60 on 
the inline meter.  This gives me about 2/3 RO and 1/3 waste since my water 
runs about 180 out of the tap effectively raising by 50%  my usable RO 
output and minimizing the need for RO right.  Also since the RO storage 
fills twice as fast, I cut water usage by 30%.  I can adjust the valve to 
get whatever TDS content I want in the RO collection container that way. 
Gets it quicker too.
Bill Shenefelt
http://sheneskillies.com 


Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=9.
Archives are at http://fins.actwin.com/killietalk/
Modify your subscription at http://www.actwin.com/mailman/listinfo.cgi/killietalk