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whipmark
08-12-2006, 11:53 PM
Hello all
I want to buy an ro unit but I will have to use it in my laundry room which isn't a problem but I really don't understand the waste water and the actual ro water will I need 2 different storage containers?
thanks in advance
LizStreithorst
08-13-2006, 12:57 AM
The answer will depend on the hardness of your waste water. Before I moved here I was able to use my RO waste for grow outs and adults. Where I am now the waste is too high in kH to use, so I just discard it. Some people save the waste to water flowers or the lawn. Some just run the RO waste down the drain.
whipmark
08-13-2006, 01:06 AM
ok lets say my water is not hard could I run the waste water into on storage barrel and the ro water into another?
sleonard
08-13-2006, 01:55 AM
Yes. I essentially do the same thing but instead of saving it in a barrel I have a constant drip system to some of my tanks.

Scott
Timbo
08-13-2006, 08:16 AM
also remember that you will probably have ALOT more waste water than product. my old unit was like 20:1, therefore to keep all the waste water, your storage container would have to big 20 times as big as the vessel for the product water (if your rejection ratio is the same)
sleonard
08-13-2006, 10:08 AM
Timbo, most RO units produce a ratio more like 1:4, RO to waste water. It sounds like something was wrong with yours. Maybe an incorrect flow restrictor in the waste water line.

Scott
whipmark
08-13-2006, 10:34 AM
so most people just let it run down the sink?
and since its waste water how can you use it? wouldn't it have all bad stuff in it?
gators111
08-14-2006, 02:44 PM
I use my waste water to fill up drinking pitchers and fill up my other non-discus tanks. My waste water is 270 TDS so its fine to drink and dechlorinated. Some people use it to add a measured amount back into their RO to reconstitute it with the neccesary trace minerals. The prefilters dechlorinate the water and remove the metals and particulate matter.
Alight
08-14-2006, 04:29 PM
If your water is not hard (over 100 ppm) you may not need to use an RO unit except for breeding purposes. If your water is under 5 GH (~80 ppm), you may not need it even for that. Many at simply discus raise their discus in water even harder than 100ppm, quite successfully.

If you have some real nasties in your water (toxins, etc), then using the waste water for mixing back with your RO is probably not an option.