Sediment filters on water mixing stations...

[afboundguy]

Does anyone run a sediment filter on the SW bin (or even RODI bin) in their mixing stations? Read some stuff saying it's a good idea if doing AWCs and could help keep the brown muck out of the container and curious who is doing that and what micron filter would be best?

 

[Kens Bees]

I’ve run a RODI canister with a paper filter before to help clean up the reef crystals brown gunk. I sunk the whole thing in the salt barrel hooked up to my standard mixing pump. Looked kind of janky but worked like a charm.

 

[DatReefGuy]

I do but it's been a battle with city water though. They clog up pretty quick IMO. Started with a 1 micron and it was also clogging up the carbon block. I went down to a .5 micron and it still did the same thing. I ended up going back to a 1 micron and have had decent luck on my last run of filters.

 

[Chris.Reef]

I just pour my salt into a filtersock that hangs in my mixing bin. Gets the majority of the brown residue.

 

[afboundguy]

I’ve run a RODI canister with a paper filter before to help clean up the reef crystals brown gunk. I sunk the whole thing in the salt barrel hooked up to my standard mixing pump. Looked kind of janky but worked like a charm.

I just pour my salt into a filtersock that hangs in my mixing bin. Gets the majority of the brown residue.

I'll have to try both as I get the brown gunk as I use Reef Crystals for salt.

 

[afboundguy]

I do but it's been a battle with city water though. They clog up pretty quick IMO. Started with a 1 micron and it was also clogging up the carbon block. I went down to a .5 micron and it still did the same thing. I ended up going back to a 1 micron and have had decent luck on my last run of filters.

My Town's water isn't too bad. It's a about 250 TDS coming in after the filters (or before the filters can't remember) and then the membranes do a great job knocking it down to under 10.

1 micron is the smallest I would put on my RODI setup and thinking 1 micron would be enough for a filter for the SW jug but might start with 5 or do the filter sock trick.

 

[DatReefGuy]

My Town's water isn't too bad. It's a about 250 TDS coming in after the filters (or before the filters can't remember) and then the membranes do a great job knocking it down to under 10.

1 micron is the smallest I would put on my RODI setup and thinking 1 micron would be enough for a filter for the SW jug but might start with 5 or do the filter sock trick.

That's not a bad idea too. I was thinking start with a 1 micron and then a .5 micron after that. The sky is the limit. LOL. How many stage RODI system do you have?

 

[afboundguy]

That's not a bad idea too. I was thinking start with a 1 micron and then a .5 micron after that. The sky is the limit. LOL. How many stage RODI system do you have?

I have a sediment filter followed by two carbon blocks (believe first is 1 micron and second is 5 micron) then two 75 GPD RO membranes (had enough pressure to add the second one without a booster pump and still have 60-65 psi) then a cation resin single stage, anion resin single stage and then mixed resin bed.

The first single stage resin bed (forget which is which) gets used up much faster than the second one and is almost exhausted while the second one is only halfway done. I know it's almost done as the TDS actually goes up after it as I measure before and after each resin stage and it's like 2-4 coming out of the RO membranes and then goes up to 5-7 and then back down to zero after the second single resin bed.

So guess that's an 8 stage setup? Not entirely sure but I have thought about adding another sediment filter and doing a 5 micron then 1 micron sediment before going to carbon blocks.

 

[DatReefGuy]

That's a

I have a sediment filter followed by two carbon blocks (believe first is 1 micron and second is 5 micron) then two 75 GPD RO membranes (had enough pressure to add the second one without a booster pump and still have 60-65 psi) then a cation resin single stage, anion resin single stage and then mixed resin bed.

The first single stage resin bed (forget which is which) gets used up much faster than the second one and is almost exhausted while the second one is only halfway done. I know it's almost done as the TDS actually goes up after it as I measure before and after each resin stage and it's like 2-4 coming out of the RO membranes and then goes up to 5-7 and then back down to zero after the second single resin bed.

So guess that's an 8 stage setup? Not entirely sure but I have thought about adding another sediment filter and doing a 5 micron then 1 micron sediment before going to carbon blocks.

That's a pretty insane setup! What we do for our tanks. That's great you still have all that pressure without a booster pump and all of the sediment you get. How often do you change the sediment filters? Maybe just go big or go home and add a 20" whole house filter.

 

[Jbissell1289]

My Town's water isn't too bad. It's a about 250 TDS coming in after the filters (or before the filters can't remember) and then the membranes do a great job knocking it down to under 10.

1 micron is the smallest I would put on my RODI setup and thinking 1 micron would be enough for a filter for the SW jug but might start with 5 or do the filter sock trick.

Wow! I thought my input water was high TDS! I'm usually running about 90-95 coming from the tap and 1-2 coming out of the RO membrane!

I have a sediment filter followed by two carbon blocks (believe first is 1 micron and second is 5 micron) then two 75 GPD RO membranes (had enough pressure to add the second one without a booster pump and still have 60-65 psi) then a cation resin single stage, anion resin single stage and then mixed resin bed.

The first single stage resin bed (forget which is which) gets used up much faster than the second one and is almost exhausted while the second one is only halfway done. I know it's almost done as the TDS actually goes up after it as I measure before and after each resin stage and it's like 2-4 coming out of the RO membranes and then goes up to 5-7 and then back down to zero after the second single resin bed.

So guess that's an 8 stage setup? Not entirely sure but I have thought about adding another sediment filter and doing a 5 micron then 1 micron sediment before going to carbon blocks.

That is so odd, my DI resin does the opposite! I don't even know the ratio yet. I've changed my 2nd resin 3 times while I can't even tell where the 1st one is used up to...

 

[Cooper2]

In reading the above posts, one mentions a 1m filter in front of a 5m. The 5m will never need replacement if only seeing 1 micron particles thrown at it. You need to take out the big chunks first.....
I run a cheap Home depot housing with a 5 micron filter between my salt barrel and whichever tank needs the new stuff. My RO runs a 5 then a 1 to keep membrane clean and lasts a long time. The 5 on my mix barrel catches any precipition in the mix and anything else that finds it's way in the barrel. Its amazing how quick that one plugs up from regular IO.

 

[SteveDola]

When I mix my salt h2o and perform AWC, I have the drip line into the sump flow over a mesh block and filter pad to catch any particles. It also reduces sound. It's more of a preventive measure, as I don't usually have many issues aside from the occasional film in the mixing tank.

I've seen setups where the return lines run through a RO canister or a 5m sediment filter, or where the RO canister pumps a loop from the mixing tank. They are nice, but I never really felt the need. I guess if I had the extra parts and pump, I would run one, but my RODI is a 7-stage unit with a double RO membrane, and nothing makes it into the barrel.

 

[afboundguy]

That's a

That's a pretty insane setup! What we do for our tanks. That's great you still have all that pressure without a booster pump and all of the sediment you get. How often do you change the sediment filters? Maybe just go big or go home and add a 20" whole house filter.

Not enough! Aim for 3-6 months on most and 12-24 for the RO membranes.

 

[afboundguy]

I ended up finding a 50 micron filter sock I will use to put the salt in and then I'll use the extra housing to put in a 5'ish micron filter before it goes in the tank.

I also found a 20 micron washable pre-filter setup I plan to add to the front of my RODI unit once it gets back in stock!

 

[Cooper2]

Nothing should come out of a good RO system. The junk that gets in the barrel is from the salt mix. I've been using a 5 Micron filter from the mix barrel, and pump it through PEX to a central quick connector in the middle of all my tanks. My RODI output was cleaned down to 1 micron so anything caught in the 5 micron filter to the tanks can ONLY come from the mix. This filter will take on a yellow tint and flow to the tank slows when its time to replace. Might even add a second vessel to run a 1 after the 5 before into the tanks. Is "Over-filtering" even possible?

I mix in 44 gallon Brute barrels because I like how easy they are to clean. I can't see the wisdom in a holding vessel you can't wipe the bottom of easily. Before adding the filter for the mixed salt, I used to fill the barrel about 2-3" from top and run several air stones to oxygenate and help mix it, but found an interesting thing when I placed the lid over the barrel during mixing. The barrel acted like a protein skimmer and the bubbles stuck the gray/yellow residue to the lid. I discovered this by accident one day when the lid was left off and dried out. It was coated with precipitant, like it had outside during a pollen bloom. Kinda trailerparky but it really worked.