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Reverse osmosis questions

It has become obvious that with my new passion for CPs, I will need to purchase a reverse osmosis unit. I'm know absolutely nothing about them and just looked on EBay - only to be overwhelmed. Would someone please advise on what I should look for? I'm not very mechanically oriented and as such, I'd want something easy to install. I see there are portable/counter top models available. I rent an apartment so would want to be able to take the unit with me when moving. Many of them are rated for 100 gallons per day...I can't imagine ever needing that much.

Many thanks for any advice/recommendations offered,

John
 
Maybe install a rain collection system at the botanical garden? It would be a nice demonstration project and a small amount of roof space can collect an amazing amount of water. Then take a gallon or two home whenever you need.
 
Great Idea Bruce...I'll check on its feasibility. Is water derived from roof runoff usually considered safe for CPs?

We have several bog-like areas on the grounds that have plenty of sphagnum growing in them. Do you think water from them would be sufficiently free of nutrients?

Thanks!
 
I have been using rain water exclusively. One problem, Ma Nature didn't cooperate and we haven't had rain in over 4 weeks. I have wiped out every supplier of distilled water in a 30 mile radius and now know the numbers by heart of who regularly stocks it so that I can be there when the doors open to buy water. I presently have a need for about 25 gallons a day with all the bogs and planters.

I have 2 large rain barrels and I additionally have the water from one of my sump pump pits diverted right to where I want water.  No rain and none in the foreseeable future was a big concern.

The last big rains we had were intense and were accompanied by tornadoes and we haven't had any rain since. We are officially in a drought... again.

The rain barrels with spigots cost about $135 each plus shipping and handling.

We ordered an RO system just recently that cost less than the two rain barrels combined. One that has 100 gpd. That should about cover me and I can use the waste water for other plants.  There is a thread here some where in the past few weeks where I posted a link to the RODI system chosen by my husband with comments as well as a link to the man from whom we purchased it.
 
You came home! I told you I'd stop drinking!
 
Fooled ya, not home until July 5th sometime. It's called wireless laptop. Guess you can start drinking again. Have one or two for me too.
 
here is the system I use. It was easy to install (but i am mechanicly inclined) I also live in a apt. so when i move out I will also take it with me. To repair the "damage" i will need to replace a part of the drain piping and buy a plug for the hole drilled in the sink top. less than 10 buck for these two pieces. 24 GPD produciton has been plenty for me for the past 3 years. Now with the addition of a 3 gph fogger in the green house i have a 75 gph membrane comming... (the part of the ro system you can change to speed up production) it'll be here thursday. i'm soo excited. hehe Anyway, here is the product.
5 stage RO system
Hope I helped.
Andrew
 
100 gallon per is fine.  It won't actually make 100 gallons per day.  That rating is for when the conditions are just right.  Plus, you have it hooked up to a 4 gallon tank, it'll make 4 gallons then stop.  You would have to empty the tank so that it will make another 4 gallons.  So it'd be really hard to actually get 100 gpd.  The ones being sold on ebay are pretty good.  I got the 6 stage 100gpd one.  I hook it up to the hose in the garage.  Beats having to buy RO water from the store.  Don't rain much here, so collecting it isn't an option for me.
 
Hi Hortman -

I use rain. I also use the water collected from the dehumidifier.

Here's a link on rain collecting. Raincollecting I don't have anything like this set up yet. I just use 5 gallon buckets that catch some of the roof runoff for now.

WildBill
 
  • #10
I use the 90GPD system of this type http://www.spectrapure.com/St_line_p4.htm , don't go overkill on stages unless your water is terribly dirty. A 5 stage is uneeded. This one is a 3 stage. 2 sumps and a membrane. The only people that need a 5 stage are reef tank keepers of exotic tropical fish really, or if your a neat freak about clean water..or if you like spending lots of extra money for filters!

I suggest this unit for your purposes, cheap and effective:

http://spectrapure.com/St_line_p2.htm
 
  • #11
Hortman,

   You can check the phonebook and see if there are any local dealers in town.  You can rent or even rent to own.  I do the latter and it costs me $25 a month--well worth it.  They rig up the unit and also do free water tests every month to see how it's working.  

I'd like to use rain water, but here in Southern Montana it rains once every 7 years.


Brian
 
  • #12
I just bought one of those $50 Kenmore 2-stage units on ebay. For a small collection it's still more than I need. Fewer filters to replace later on. I filled up all my old distilled water jugs too.
 
  • #13
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Brian_W @ June 27 2005,2:29)]   I'd like to use rain water, but here in Southern Montana it rains once every 7 years.
except this year.
smile_n_32.gif
i cant seem to go fishing without getting soaked to the bone from rain. i was loading up the boat in pouring rain and hail Saturday night. Wolf creek and the Milk River are running bank to bank and they are usually darn near not running at this point in a normal year.

Laura, 25 gallons a day?!?! wow i use about 10 gallons a week with all mine but im not growing anything outdoors
 
  • #14
Hey, my actual water demand is considerably greater than 25gpd in the heat we've been getting at home.  Fortunately, the water I need for the ponds doesn't need to be distilled. And the day time air temps in the 90's is what the real killer is. The only plants I have inside are a few Pings, my son's Neps, my orchids, and a few African Violets. My total water demand for the inside plants is probably around 10 gallons for the entire week.  It's the outdoor plants and the little bogs I have at home that are the killer in this heat.  Without those rain barrels and without the discharge from one of our sump pump pits... I would have been in a heap 'o trouble in this drought had I not been stockpiling. We are more than 6" below average in rainfall right now. Last year we were 12" above the average and everything was drowning and rotting in the ground. Ugh, feast or famine.
 
  • #15
I think setting up an RO system makes less sense for you because many apartment owners don't like tenants playing with the plumbing. Plus a rain collection system makes so much sense as a water conservation demonstration at the botanical garden.  I remember water supplies in lots of coastal Maine communities were stretched awfully thin.
 
  • #16
Bruce, some come with a faucet connector, like at Spectrapure, if you tell them, they can send the the couplings to connect directly to the faucet, so you can use it when you need it.
 
  • #17
Yeah, what Nep G said. Get the faucet connector. I also got the hose connector. I would never put a hole in my pipes
smile_k_ani_32.gif
 
  • #18
I'd rather put the hole in the drain pipe over have the ro system hooked up to my faucet. The part you drill into for the dain can be easily replaced for a few bucks. Orrr.... extend the drain line and put it outside to water some plants. or even bring that out from under the sink and set it in the sink... I'd just rather not see the whole thing.

EDIT: I would like to clairify, at least for my RO system, the water supply comes with a adapter, so you just remove the adapter to remove the RO system. The only thing you need to drill is the drian pipe, for the disscard water. So that can sit in the sink if you want. I just picked the part of the drain piping that looked the cheepest and drilled into it. lol
 
  • #19
On my RO unit (the kind made for a sink) you just unscrew the hose that connects to the cold faucet, screw in the adapter, and screw the hose back in into the adapter. No damage required... I can easily put the hose back the way it was later on.

As for the waste water hose... I think that required some extra plumbing, but I just let that hose drain into the sink instead.
 
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