CO2 scrubber for RODI

[marc nichols]

My well water source is high in CO2 and DI is therefore used up very quickly. Are there any inexpensive ways to scrub the CO2 from the RODI input water. I use a pressure pump so could draw from an intermediate water storage source.

[bertoni]

A DIY degassing tower might be the best bet, but I don't have any experience with them. There are various plans available.

[marc nichols]

Jonathan,

Any ideas where I may find DIY info? I was not successful searching the DIY forum.

[bertoni]

Here's one link:

http://www.spectrapure.com/CO2_SYSTEM.pdf

[marc nichols]

Johnathan,

thanks. curiously, I had queried Spectrapures site and came up with nothing. Anyway, looks like quite a bit of investment for my 90 gal system. Can you think of any reason why (well) water input couldn't go directly to the aeration chamber with output water (trash can) then going to the RODI unit via pump? Any idea the purpose of the 3 gal storage tank?

[kgross]

It could be done just how you discribed it. The reason for the 3 gal storage tank is so the pump does not have to turn on every time you need a drop of di water. The pump can fill up the storage, turn off, hold water until you need it.

[marc nichols]

kgross,

that being the case, this would be a possibility for me. IF anyone has diy'd a workable scrubber, I'd like to hear details.

oh, an additional question: can the "scrubbed" water in the storage container (trash can in this instance), revert to high CO2 or should it be used soon after it's production?

Thanks all for the input.

[kgross]

The water in the trash can will not revert to a high co2 level, it will be close to stablised with atmospheric co2 levels, what you are doing is allowing the extra co2 to off gas out of the water, so unless you have some putting pressurized co2 into the water or generating co2 it will not go back up, unless the atmospheric co2 levels go up in the top of the can.

[marc nichols]

Got this back from one of the RODI system merchants. So, from a chemistry perspective, is there a supporting rationale? For simplicity, I had planned to aerate the raw water before sending though the RODI unit. ;

You need to strip the water of minerals through the RO process in order to be able to drive off the CO2 levels. (before sending it to the DI)

[bertoni]

I don't think that's accurate. I think it's quite possible to drive off the carbon dioxide before it goes through the RO unit. That said, if you did the RO straight from the tap, it'd save you from having to buy a pressure pump to feed the RO membrane from a container.

[marc nichols]

Good. Exactly what I was thinking, one less pump.

Thank you.