TDS question...

[afboundguy]

Well today I finally picked up a TDS meter at a LFS to see what the RO/DI I get from the LFS has for a reading...

I store the water in 5 gallon gas containers (2 red and 2 yellow) and usually a few white 5 gallon buckets that have never had anything in them when I bought them...

I took a reading from the gas containers and it was at 8 for all 4 of them. I filled up 2 or 3 this morning and 1 or 2 a week ago (already forget how many I filled up this morning ) I don't know what the reading is at the LFS as I didn't think to test it first. Also is it kosher to whip out your portable TDS meter and test the water from a LFS before filling up your jugs?

I measured the white 5 gallon buckets and they were all in the 140ish range and one that I filled up this morning because a gas container was less than 1/4 full was over 200... Now I use these 5 gallon buckets for making new saltwater and putting the water change water into.

I'm assuming (hopefully correctly) that such a high TDS reading could be salt residue left over from the old saltwater or could it be that the buckets could be leaching? I usually use the water out of the 5 gallon buckets before I use the water out of the gas containers but now I'm not even sure I want to use the 5 gallon buckets at all.

I've never had a problem with algae really in my tank except for this recent white algae/slime. It's not perfect and I have a little HA in a low flow corner of a tank that doesn't grow at all.

 

[marine mike]

I would say everything you have said is correct IMO. The buckets you use to mix salt water definitely will register high tds due to salt residue. It is almost not even worth testing any water that comes out of those. The readings in your gas containers s/b as close to zero as possible, but 8 may just be something the water is picking up in transit or may just be what the water is that the LFS is giving to you. I would say it is absolutely kosher to test their water before buying it. They sell it as RO so it should be very close to zero, it would be a good way to see if they keep up with their cartridge changes on a regular basis.

 

[Joel A]

I would say everything you have said is correct IMO. The buckets you use to mix salt water definitely will register high tds due to salt residue. It is almost not even worth testing any water that comes out of those. The readings in your gas containers s/b as close to zero as possible, but 8 may just be something the water is picking up in transit or may just be what the water is that the LFS is giving to you. I would say it is absolutely kosher to test their water before buying it. They sell it as RO so it should be very close to zero, it would be a good way to see if they keep up with their cartridge changes on a regular basis.

i know that the LFS i used to work at sold "ro water for 1 dollar a gallon" sure it was run through an RO filter even DI too.. but boy those filters were so brown and full of crap... tds coming out of it had to be the same as tap, if not worse... if you're not producing your own water i'd say def. check the LFS source.... because even if it's good water at 1 dollar a gallon (seems to be standard price) that's still a rip off, but even more so if the water is crap.

 

[wilfx]

At a dollar a gallon, it wouldn't take long to pay for an RO/DI unit. You would make your money back in a short time.

 

[Miller]

RODI water is so pure that if you are not testing it as it comes from the product water line of your RODI unit it will always read above 0 for TDS because it is absorbing from the air. Not sure how high it would get, I believe Greg or Randy have an article about it somewhere.

I'd have no problem checking the TDS if I were buying it. $1/gallon....that sucks. I was paying 50 cents/gallon and decided pretty quickly to get a RODI unit. If they complained about you pulling out a portable TDS meter I would politely say no thanks and walk out never to return again. Thats my opinion!

Dave, I know this next peice of advice will be tough to swallow. Skip the next Acan or two and set that money aside, then buy an RODI unit. It pays for itself crazy fast.

 

[afboundguy]

I would say everything you have said is correct IMO. The buckets you use to mix salt water definitely will register high tds due to salt residue. It is almost not even worth testing any water that comes out of those. The readings in your gas containers s/b as close to zero as possible, but 8 may just be something the water is picking up in transit or may just be what the water is that the LFS is giving to you. I would say it is absolutely kosher to test their water before buying it. They sell it as RO so it should be very close to zero, it would be a good way to see if they keep up with their cartridge changes on a regular basis.

That's what I thought but it's good to hear it from other people. I did run a little experiment last night and filled up an empty salt container with the water from the gas can at 8 TDS and then tested it (there was some visible salt) and it went up to 175ish so that made me feel better... And I'll def be keeping the TDS meter with me on the LFS trips...

i know that the LFS i used to work at sold "ro water for 1 dollar a gallon" sure it was run through an RO filter even DI too.. but boy those filters were so brown and full of crap... tds coming out of it had to be the same as tap, if not worse... if you're not producing your own water i'd say def. check the LFS source.... because even if it's good water at 1 dollar a gallon (seems to be standard price) that's still a rip off, but even more so if the water is crap.

Well I know this LFS is a very reputable one and they just got a new system to keep up with the demand and all their tanks are algae free and I've never had a problem before... I think my recent white algae/slime was due to vinegar and the sudden drop off in vinegar similar to what happens when you stop dosing vodka...

RODI water is so pure that if you are not testing it as it comes from the product water line of your RODI unit it will always read above 0 for TDS because it is absorbing from the air. Not sure how high it would get, I believe Greg or Randy have an article about it somewhere.

I'd have no problem checking the TDS if I were buying it. $1/gallon....that sucks. I was paying 50 cents/gallon and decided pretty quickly to get a RODI unit. If they complained about you pulling out a portable TDS meter I would politely say no thanks and walk out never to return again. Thats my opinion!

Thanks Barry... I was thinking along the same lines that 8 TDS after the 45 min drive and the possible dust or anything that could have gotten in the container when it was open or like you said contact to air...

Dave, I know this next peice of advice will be tough to swallow. Skip the next Acan or two and set that money aside, then buy an RODI unit. It pays for itself crazy fast.

At a dollar a gallon, it wouldn't take long to pay for an RO/DI unit. You would make your money back in a short time.

Kim has put the kabosh on this. (and I kind of have to agree) We rent and our apt is def on the smaller side and I don't really have anywhere to put it. I'm sure I could find a spot but I'm not sure how my landlord would like it but I think he'd be ok with it. I would be concerned about the increase in the water bill but like you guys have said I'm sure it's cheaper than $1 a gallon and the gas wasted driving there although I try to time it when I right past the LFS on my way up to my chiropractor in Manchester NH... Plus we have really high metals in our tap water and probably really hard water as we get metal stains in the sink and hardcore brown hard water/metal stains in the dishwasher that needs to be cleaned out with CLR which is a royal PITA...

Anyways I'll investigate a little more and spend some of the bday/frag money on equipment... I've been meaning to upgrade the PH's for a while...

 

[Miller]

Stuff the RODI unit under a sink, they are not that big. Then use a faucet adapter and then just stick the waster line down the drain. That's how we did in when we lived in Providence in a small place, it didn't take up much room and didn't alter the appartment any. I don't figure the landlord would notice an increase in water usage.

 

[afboundguy]

Well we pay the water bill anyways so he wouldn't care that way... I would just be more concerned about the permanent stuff but that faucet adapter sounds like a good fit...

 

[Miller]

Well we pay the water bill anyways so he wouldn't care that way... I would just be more concerned about the permanent stuff but that faucet adapter sounds like a good fit...

Dave you have 4 weeks to get a RODI unit.....then you are dead to me if you are still paying for water. 4 weeks and counting till Dave joins three people on my ignore list jk

 

[Joel A]

Well we pay the water bill anyways so he wouldn't care that way... I would just be more concerned about the permanent stuff but that faucet adapter sounds like a good fit...

i don't use any permanent fittings.. i use a "laundry tub adapter" and then i just threw the drain line down the sink... works perfectly with no permanent connections.

 

[Mini4x]

Well we pay the water bill anyways so he wouldn't care that way... I would just be more concerned about the permanent stuff but that faucet adapter sounds like a good fit...

I hard mounted mine in my apt.

I got a "Tee" from home depot that connects to the cold water feed, right at the feed valve. and just used the "saddle" that came with the RO-DI for the drain, and mounted it on the outlet from the garbage eater which is replaceable.

All can be un-done in about 5 minutes.

 

[Greg Hiller]

After exposure to air I think the reading of water coming out of an RO/DI system should not be a lot higher than 1 ppm unless some salt residue is getting into it.

 

[bigdog]

if coming out is 000 then what does the in mean y dose that read hire

 

[Miller]

if coming out is 000 then what does the in mean y dose that read hire

Eric did you hit you head today? If that or I must have hit mine because that reads like gibberish to me...

 

[bigdog]

on the rodi the tds meter has an in and out out should be 000 or001 at the highest (in) runs high on my tds

 

[afboundguy]

Dave you have 4 weeks to get a RODI unit.....then you are dead to me if you are still paying for water. 4 weeks and counting till Dave joins three people on my ignore list jk

I already broke the news to Kim that that's what the next purchase from money I make on the tank... It might take more than 4 weeks for me to save up but I'm working on it...

I hard mounted mine in my apt.

I got a "Tee" from home depot that connects to the cold water feed, right at the feed valve. and just used the "saddle" that came with the RO-DI for the drain, and mounted it on the outlet from the garbage eater which is replaceable.

All can be un-done in about 5 minutes.

Nice to know that it's this easy but it has to be temporary, that would be the trade off... Gotta keep Kim happy so I'm happy which I would fail at if I did it permanently

 

[deuceb]

i highly recomend air water ice for rodi systems