RODI back flush

[reefin]

Just curious to see how many people here use a membrane back flush on their RODI systems?

 

[Salty Cracker]

Yes.

 

[BIGSHOW]

Also yes.

I usually flush once  for about 20 min every month.

 

[unibob]

Yes, do it but not religiously. Just figure I  might as well to save membrane.

 

[harleymike]

How do youn do a back flush.

 

[Salty Cracker]

How do youn do a back flush.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/membrane-flush-kit.html

That even has a little video on how to install and operate. Can't beat it for $11.  I have found I am extending the life of pretty much everything in the system by doing this.  I can go much much longer between resin and filter changes and still get 0TDS output water.  I used to get maybe 6 months out of a DI cartridge, I'm now at  13 months and am only now swapping out the pre, post, and DI. 

 

[TORX]

I have an extra flush kit. If you were closer would be great. Pretty sure you are a good drive away though.

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[reefin]

I was just looking to see if it did make a differance and how many hobbiest use one!

haha thanks for the offer Torx but yeah a little bit of a drive!

No worries though I made an order with BRS this morning for a few other things and had it thrown in as well! Don't know why my unit didn't come stock with one. I bought it used and maybe they took it off the system. It was purchased for aquarium use by the previous owner.

 

[Darryl_V]

Everyone should flush the membrane to prolong the life and rejection rate of the membrane.  It wont have any effect on the prefilters...in fact it will most likely shorten the life of the prefilters a little.

Im probably gonna buy one of the spectrapure autoflush thingys one of these days.

 

[TORX]

... haha thanks for the offer Torx but yeah a little bit of a drive! ...

Once I start work again next week, I go past 19 every day as I head down the 401 and once a week go to Otterville which would have been nice and close.

 

[Duke]

I had never done it, I had read that chlorinated water for flushing causes the membrane to break down? my new system has a flush setup tho so I do plan on flushing it now I guess.. some people believe in not flushing them at all, I don't know whos right.

 

[Petercar (RIP Dec 2017)]

dukes always right

 

[Salty Cracker]

I had never done it, I had read that chlorinated water for flushing causes the membrane to break down? my new system has a flush setup tho so I do plan on flushing it now I guess.. some people believe in not flushing them at all, I don't know whos right.

Since chlorinated water goes through the membrane to begin with...I can't see how it would make it break down.  In fact the only thing I've seen wreck one has been letting it dry out.

 

[Duke]

[quote author=Duke link=topic=3879.msg34485#msg34485 date=1356913152]
I had never done it, I had read that chlorinated water for flushing causes the membrane to break down? my new system has a flush setup tho so I do plan on flushing it now I guess.. some people believe in not flushing them at all, I don't know whos right.

Since chlorinated water goes through the membrane to begin with...I can't see how it would make it break down.  In fact the only thing I've seen wreck one has been letting it dry out.
[/quote]

doesn't it go through the cartridges first and then through the RO membrane? then through the DI?

 

[Salty Cracker]

[quote author=Salty Cracker link=topic=3879.msg34489#msg34489 date=1356914805]
[quote author=Duke link=topic=3879.msg34485#msg34485 date=1356913152]
I had never done it, I had read that chlorinated water for flushing causes the membrane to break down? my new system has a flush setup tho so I do plan on flushing it now I guess.. some people believe in not flushing them at all, I don't know whos right.

Since chlorinated water goes through the membrane to begin with...I can't see how it would make it break down.  In fact the only thing I've seen wreck one has been letting it dry out.
[/quote]

doesn't it go through the cartridges first and then through the RO membrane? then through the DI?
[/quote]

Yeah but I think the prefilter is more or less just a sediment filter, I don't think it does anything for chlorine. 

 

[reefin]

hey Torx! that would have been close! Thanks anyway!

I thought the charcoal was to take out the chlorine?! 

 

[Duke]

I think the 2nd stage carbon filter takes out the chlorine, a quick google search says chrlorinated water is bad for ro membranes.. not sure if it applies to the ones we use or not.. like I said my new system has a flush valve built in but I haven't used it yet, I probably will.. seems most people are flushing them here.

 

[Reef Hero]

I have never flushed my membrane.......I change it every year.....
I run two carbon filters before my RO membrane as well as a 0.5 micron sediment.

This is a pic of the three filters I run before RO membrane.....filters are aligned so that first stage is on left, 2nd stage is middle, and 3rd stage is the one on the right......


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[Victoss]

Here's some RO/DI FAQ from Reef Central: http://www.reefcentral.com/index.php/rodi-faq

The carbon, typically a block of powdered activated carbon, filters out smaller particles (ideally down to 1/2 micron or smaller), adsorbs some dissolved compounds, and deactivates chlorine. The latter is the most important part: free chlorine in the water will destroy the RO membrane.

With that said though a flush kit does not bypass the pre filters on our RODI units (at least not on the BRS units) but actually bypasses the flow restrictor on the waist line from the membrane letting a rush of water clear it off. So I don't think any damage is done.

 

[Reef Hero]

Although I don't like the idea of flushing the prefilters as well, you really have no choice....you definitely should never flush or pass unfiltered water through the membrane.....
I know it is off topic but has anyone or should we be replacing the flow restrictor?


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