5 Stage RODI Question

Slombardi

Well-Known Member
BRS Member
I have a Spectrapure 5 stage that I have been using for the last year in a half. It has 2 stages of DI. When I look at other 5 stages, they have two carbon blocks and 1 DI. I'm sure their is no "wrong" way, but what is everyone else running on a 5 stage? My thought is with color changing DI, it is easy to tell when it is depleted and be able to change it on time. Contemplating changing of the DI to a second carbon.

This is the system I have. It actually has two different types of DI cartridges.

 
Mine goes sediment, carbon, chloramine/carbon, 2 75gpd membranes then single DI color changing of course. Thanks for posting as I need to buy more DI media.
 
Mine goes sediment, carbon, chloramine/carbon, 2 75gpd membranes then single DI color changing of course. Thanks for posting as I need to buy more DI media.
Thanks Paul, how often are you changing your sediment and carbon? Do you change both carbon or just rotate one to the front?
 
It's been over 6 months since I changed them all at least, maybe more. I usually try to change them at about the 6 month mark though.
 
Sediment depends on your water source, example: my RODI needs new sediment every 20-60 gallons, depending on my neighborhood water supply conditions. I get lots of rust deposits from occasional flushing and repairs I suspect. It kind of stinks, as our town water is well supplied and super clean. TDS varies seasonally and is never over 120 or so. If we get lots of rain and groundwater is up it is below 100 all the time, like 83-90. I just change each sediment when it needs it (when it looks like the sediment nears the center of the cartridge). Carbon I change every six months. DI is color change, that seems to last forever. I changed it one year in just to be safe. I have a Spectrapure too with booster pump due to low 40 psi incoming pressure. I have a dual membranes with three way TDS meter and get 0 TDS post membrane consistently and have been on same membranes for over two years. I make at least 30 gallons weekly or more. I also run a small fine booster pump protection strainer before the sediment cartridge to catch the big pieces if there are any, have not caught that yet.
 
I run two DI color change cartridges, the spent one then the new one and swap when necessary. I was told that there is more life than the color indicates and it seemed there was no hard to this arrangement
 
Sediment depends on your water source, example: my RODI needs new sediment every 20-60 gallons, depending on my neighborhood water supply conditions. I get lots of rust deposits from occasional flushing and repairs I suspect. It kind of stinks, as our town water is well supplied and super clean. TDS varies seasonally and is never over 120 or so. If we get lots of rain and groundwater is up it is below 100 all the time, like 83-90. I just change each sediment when it needs it (when it looks like the sediment nears the center of the cartridge). Carbon I change every six months. DI is color change, that seems to last forever. I changed it one year in just to be safe. I have a Spectrapure too with booster pump due to low 40 psi incoming pressure. I have a dual membranes with three way TDS meter and get 0 TDS post membrane consistently and have been on same membranes for over two years. I make at least 30 gallons weekly or more. I also run a small fine booster pump protection strainer before the sediment cartridge to catch the big pieces if there are any, have not caught that yet.
Every 20-60 gallons, thats crazy! You must buy those buy the dozen lol So you have 1 carbon and 1 DI correct? If you had room to double up on one, which would it be?
 
I run two DI color change cartridges, the spent one then the new one and swap when necessary. I was told that there is more life than the color indicates and it seemed there was no hard to this arrangement
I guess this is the argument to run 2 DI. I never considered how accurate the color change was vs actually be depleted.
 
Every 20-60 gallons, thats crazy! You must buy those buy the dozen lol So you have 1 carbon and 1 DI correct? If you had room to double up on one, which would it be?
I think I would not double up anywhere. My conditions do not warrant it. My town puts out a water report each year and discloses additives. If I lived in a place where chloramines were used I would double up on carbon, to protect the expensive membranes. I would also test to be sure I was not killing membranes. Put a tee in after each carbon and draw samples there. Otherwise, I see no real need to double up on anything. I buy the sediment filters by the case. It sounds worse than it is because I am a natural seawater user. My RODI is top off and for my freshwater systems. If I had to make my seawater, then it would be pretty crazy, so would my water bill.
 
I have run an Air Water & Ice Typhoon III Extreme for about 9 years now. I was not able to use their 1 Micron Carbon in the third stage as my pressure would drop from around 60 PSI to 2 PSI after about 15 gallons of RO\DI water. I just use two 5 micron carbon filters after the sediment filter.
 
I doubled up on carbon once I found out that my town uses chloramine. I wish I knew it before, made a big difference in terms of overall health of my tank. It is worth checking on town's water supply. I wish there was color changing carbon. I go for about 4-5 months to be on safer side
 
Ive done some research recently when I re-setup an older RODI unit. I found that the typical 5 stage will have a prefilter ( 1 micron sediment), 2 x .5 micron carbon block, RO membrane then lastly a DI polishing filter.

I have my RODI filter set up with a second RO membrane to achieve high yield and less waste water however I will be adding another filter canister for a second carbon block to help save my RO membranes and Di filter (which are typically the most expensive to replace). The drawback can be if my pressure is poor but I think Im pushing about 70psi through the membrane currently so I should be okay introducing another prefilter (even if it drops me 5psi or something).
 
I run a BRS 6 stage>

6 Stages of Filtration
Stage 1 -
GE ROSave.Z 1 Micron Depth Sediment Filter
Stage 2 - BRS 1 Micron Universal Carbon Block
Stage 3 - BRS 1 Micron Universal Carbon Block
Stage 4 - Dow Filmtec Membrane
Stage 5 - Nuclear Grade Mixed Bed Color-Changing Deionization Resin
Stage 6 - Nuclear Grade Mixed Bed Color-Changing Deionization Resin

At the time of purchase I was in Braintree so I was targeting town/city water at the time. Felt the system did its job incredibly well, replaced the carbon blocks, and DI resin every 6 months mainly on the DI color changing schedule, but in my current location in Plymouth I have my own well. I don't treat my water obviously, but the DI was only lasting 3 months, and after putting in a new bladder tank, and water softner system I feel like I could go over a year, in fact I think I have at this point without changing the DI. Unit 1 is half changed, unit 2 maybe just the bottom portion has, like 4mm worth. So to me it showed things do get past unit 1 if using 2 DI units. A 6 stage just gives a little more customization then a 5, and you can always add 1 more unit to your system then you can set yours up however you want, and target what you think you should. I do reverse flush 10 minutes each week.
 
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