400-450 GPD Reverse Osmosis Unit

[Geoffrey Rea]

Hi everyone.

Currently running a 150 gallon per day RO unit with a booster pump. Looking to upgrade to either a 450 GPD unit with three 150 GPD membranes or a 400 GPD system with one larger membrane.

Two questions really:

- Can anyone recommend a high output system they use?

- From personal experience, is running multiple RO membranes and recycling water superior to having one larger membrane for a) conserving water and b) speed of production?

Thank you in advance for any input 🙏🏽

 

[Nick potts]

I have always been told that multiple membranes are superior to one, mostly for the reduction in waste.

Rather than a new system, can you not just upgrade your current unit? You would need a couple of membranes and a new flow restrictor and possibly a new booster pump but should still be cheaper.

I have bought my last 3-4 units from Welcome To Collins water products Ltd, always had good service.

 

[Wookii]

Hi everyone.

Currently running a 150 gallon per day RO unit with a booster pump. Looking to upgrade to either a 450 GPD unit with three 150 GPD membranes or a 400 GPD system with one larger membrane.

Two questions really:

- Can anyone recommend a high output system they use?

- From personal experience, is running multiple RO membranes and recycling water superior to having one larger membrane for a) conserving water and b) speed of productIon?

Thank you in advance for any input 🙏🏽

I have the Vyair RO-200 unit which is a 200GPD unit - smaller than you are looking at (you’d probably need the 400 or 600 unit) but uses two membranes and has good output.

I can thoroughly recommend Vyair, their customer service and support have been excellent!

Have to ask though, why do you need such high output? Are you not able to store sufficient quantities in your blue barrel?

Also, I assume you are aware that output is temperature dependent, so adding a thermostatic mixer valve with hot and cold water feeds can increase your output, especially at this time of year - I’ve yet to install mine though.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Thanks for the replies @Nick potts and @Wookii

I have always been told that multiple membranes are superior to one, mostly for the reduction in waste.

You could run them in series or parallel. Depends on what you’re after. The reduction in waste is a big plus so opting for series and potentially shorter membrane life.

Have to ask though, why do you need such high output? Are you not able to store sufficient quantities in your blue barrel?

Not looking to store water anymore @Wookii will make it up, heat and remineralise as it fills on the day, do the WC and put the barrel away. The water will be pumped to the tank from the barrels location so won’t involve any lifting either.

That’s the mature answer really. The real answer is because I can if being honest. Also, if I decide to customise our small kitchen for RO stores the wife will customise my face 😂

 

[Wookii]

Not looking to store water anymore @Wookii will make it up, heat and remineralise as it fills on the day, do the WC and put the barrel away. The water will be pumped to the tank from the barrels location so won’t involve any lifting either.

That’s the mature answer really. The real answer is because I can if being honest.

Fair enough. You'll need to go big then if you're looking to cover the 50% waster changes on your EA1200. Here are some stats Vyair gave me on their RO units:

RO-200: This would produce 40L within 1.27 - 2.54 hours (depending on the temperature of your incoming water supply).
RO-400: This would produce 40L within 0.64 - 1.27 hours (depending on the temperature of your incoming water supply).
RO-600: This would produce 40L within 0.42 - 0.85 hours (depending on the temperature of your incoming water supply).

So even with the bigger 600 GPD unit would take 1.6 - 3.2 hours to refill from your 50% W/C, depending on water temp. Is that quick enough for you without exposed plants drying out?

Maybe you need something like this that does 3 litres a minute: 4040 Continuous Operation Commercial Reverse Osmosis RO System 😆

. . . if I decide to customise our small kitchen for RO stores the wife will customise my face 😂

Sounds like your wife was given the same 'marriage manual' as mine at 'Wife School' 😂

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Sounds like your wife was given the same 'marriage manual' as mine at 'Wife School' 😂

The facial reconstructive surgery consultation would cost more than the faster RO system so it really is economical if you think about it...

Fair enough. You'll need to go big then if you're looking to cover the 50% waster changes on your EA1200.

Yup 👍🏽 Just arrived:



Booster pump and TDS monitoring to sort today as well. Will run the three TDS probes at mains input, post RO membranes and post DI. Once the second one of the DI sections is looking exhausted will replace with a clear cartridge and colour changing mixed resin on the second stage for warning when to change DI resin.

So even with the bigger 600 GPD unit would take 1.6 - 3.2 hours to refill from your 50% W/C, depending on water temp. Is that quick enough for you without exposed plants drying out?

Unit installed under the sink in the kitchen, fill the barrel in the kitchen, heaters in, powerhead on, salts in.

Once the barrel is full, do maintenance, drain tank, pump water from kitchen to the tank, put everything away.

So the water will be ready to go before any maintenance begins @Wookii . This is the plan and we’ll see what production rate and efficiency is soon enough. Will only ever use cold feed to prevent any risk to the membranes, will take the hit on efficiency with temperature and just use high pressure.

 

[Wookii]

That's a beast of a unit! Full DI as well - what's the thinking there?

Did you get a float valve for the barrel - I suspect partial flooding of the kitchen might see you needing a full body cast and bone pinning! . . . I still can't walk properly after I forgot I was filling a jug with RO for the 3rd time on the bounce. 😂

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

@Wookii



And that’s cold winter tap. Feel like an utter fool for not upgrading sooner.

1 minute 24 seconds to make a litre of RO.
1 minute 37 seconds to make a litre of waste.


Pretty close to 1:1 in winter, colour me impressed 😎

 

[not called Bob]

pond folks do the recycling option, tend to be running kit aimed at window cleaners to get to that sort of almost 2 cubes a day of ro water

are you just sending the reject to waste or running your loos etc from it?

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

are you just sending the reject to waste or running your loos etc from it?

It’s feast or famine with regards to rain here @not called Bob . In the summer months I grow a fair few vegetables now and you can count the days it rains on one hand. The bigger plan is to fit a waste water tank in the garden disguised as a bench. Can water the beds from the waste tank using an irrigation system.

The old unit produced far too much waste to product to store all the waste. This new RODI system produced 240 litres of waste to 220 litres of product today which is definitely a useable amount in the summer on top of tank water from WC’s. In the winter moving forward I’m storing some waste in a spare rain barrel and using it to wash the cars before it rains. Only recently switched the 1200 over to RO so will find other uses no doubt.

 

[DTM61]

I like the idea of hiding a tank in a bench, it could work well in my small garden, the bins and logs got their own shed, why not the water butt!