DI filter question

[~northwind~]

Hi.

Greetings all.

First post on this forum but I've been lurking around for awhile soaking up all the great info, there's alot of good stuff here, thanks for that.

Anyway, sorry if this is a repeat question, but I can't ever seem to get the search engine to work...

I am upgrading from a 55 FOWLR to an 80. I am looking for a RO unit. I have well water and have a water softener. I already have a fine sediment filter ahead of the softener. The question is, is the resin bed in the softener the same as the resin in a DI filter? If this was the case, I would get the RO unit without the DI section.

The water softener is the type that regenerates with salt.

TIA

[Buckeye Hydro]

Hi Northwind. The resin in a softener is a cation resin - design to pull the cations, primarily calcium and magnesium, from the feed water.

You will want a mixed bed resin cartridge after your RO membrane.

Russ @ BFS

[~northwind~]

Thanks Russ.

I think I will go with the premium system from your site, specifically the BFS160.

Should the RO/DI unit be plumbed in before or after my softener? If after, I would think that I would need to rig up a timer and valve to disable flow to the RO/DI when the softener is regenerating so it can't suck salt water.

Also, how much water goes to the waste line, and is this constant any time water is supplied to the unit or a function of how many gallons are being filtered? Is this the reason for a solinoind valve?

I'm thinking if it's a significant amount, I can plumb it to my swimming pool for evaporative make up water.

Thanks!

[Buckeye Hydro]

You should plumb it in AFTER your softener.

The waste water to permeate ratio is about 4:1 - so about 4 gallons waste water for every gallon purified water.

Waste water is produced anytime water is supplied to the system. If you'd like to add an Auto Shut Off Valve (and quick connect check valve) to the system the waste water will run only when purified water is produced.

Russ @ BFS

[~northwind~]

Thanks, Russ.

Now I get it.

Thats alot of waste water! It's definately going in the pool. Also going the auto shut off route.

Thanks again.