Adding second tower

[sapman]

Has anyone added a tower purchased from a non-maple supplier? I remember someone posting a website that has vessels available, but I wonder how much trouble it would be to adapt to them. Certainly would be much less expensive, I'm sure.

Thanks

[mapleack]

Check atlantic RO. Definitely cheaper, but... They aren't rated for as high of pressures and you don't get built in recirculation. I'd stick with a maple built unit, but you may be able to save money by hooking up one that's a different brand than your RO. I'd check around.

[tuckermtn]

when I looked in to replacing the existing old fiberglass membrane vessel (not adding, just replacing) I was able to get Joe at Atlantic to quote me a 600psi rated vessel- which is the max my machine is rated to. think it was around $850 plus shipping...stainless with the end ports.

[wiam]

This will get you to Atlantic RO http://www.atlanticro.com/ Joe is a very good resource. What is your RO? How high does the pressure go? The old Memteks like mine and tuckermtn's do not have a recirculation pump on the tower and can run 500-600 psi. It is just a high pressure vessel for the membrane. Atlantic does have lighter duty stainless vessels that can go to 300psi for pretty cheap money, I just don,t dare try one on my machine.:confused:

[3% Solution]

Sapman,
What I would do is match up gph with what you have now. Need both towers / membranes to be same flow rating.
Plumb them in series ... 1st one flows into the 2nd one.
Concentrate to the head tank flows from the 2nd one.
I am going to be adding another one too.
Hope this helps.

Dave

[sapman]

Thanks for the ideas, guys! I bought my last membrane from Joe, and he is great to deal with. I just didn't see the vessels on his site, but I'll call him.

I've got a 600gph Airablo, 7.5hp turbine, and 1 hp feed, which I guess may or may not feed two membranes satisfactorily. My single XLE just doesn't give me enough flow. So I'm trying to decide whether to just go with a faster membrane for now, or try adding a second post with another XLE440. Mounting in series like 3% suggests sounds easy enough. But how do you accomplish the recirculation that way? I obviously need to look at some multiple tower units in series to understand how this works.

Thanks

Tim

[PATheron]

Tim- The vessels from midwest ro are basically just pressure vessells like what were on the older piston pumpt ros only nicer. Ive bought them for those kind of ro machines and it works good. On them the recirc pump is before any vessels and is a 3 horse recirc pump. The newer vessels like what I think yours is has the recirc at the bottom of the tower. I dont think the midwest vessel will work very good for you becouse it will get almost no recirc from the recirc pump on the bottom of your existing vessel. I have a two post modern cdl machine that I added a second tower and if the recirc pump on it happens to trip a breaker or something to it the flow rate goes right in half or worst I think. Ive found on the newer machine you just have to use a standard vessel with recirc on it and itll cost you a lot. Thats been my experiance anyway. Theron

[doocat]

We added a second tower to our Airblo 600 two years ago. The second tower has the recirc pump on the bottom of tower and we get over 900 gph. Of course that drops off as normal but with a rinse it goes right back up. Definately a good investment. The tower was used so price was good. I'm sure a new two tower machine would run faster but we are happy.

Craig

[sapman]

Theron, thanks for the advice. Of course on mine, the pump is external and doubles as recirc and pressure.

Craig, what brand vessel did you pick up? I need to figure out how leader does recirc on two posts in series.

[doocat]

We bought it used from a CDL dealer. I believe it was Mansfield Maple Products. We actually took the RO to them and they wired it, etc. It was worth it to know it was done right.

Craig.

[PATheron]

Tim- I didnt realize that yours didnt have a recirc pump on the bottom of the vessel. With that being the case you may get away with adding a second vessel like the ones atlantic sells. Id call the maker of your ro and ask how many membranes that they figure that pump will service and still provide enough recirc. If your existing vessel is just a vessel with no recirc pump and they say it will work with a second one you could get either the 300 psi or the 600 psi from atlantic ro. Theron

[Mark]

I have a two membrane Ecochem that I added two more vessels to. I had a locale machine shop copy the recirc heads and I welded up two vessels and plumbed in series. I added on to the frame for the extra vessels and also room for a future second pressure pump. I ran it three years like that. Since it is a piston pump ro I just purchased another pump and motor to double the flow. I am cutting the vessels and welding in another 40 inches so I can put two membranes in each vessel. The vessels will now be mounted horizontal on the back of the machine. It will be an eight membrane machine and will be able to pump 2800 gallons an hour. By having more membranes than usual for that size of machine I am not limited when going to a higher brix.