Another homemade 100 gph ro unit

[ronintank]

Yes another thread on homemade ro unit. 240 gph procon with a 3/4hp, 3/4hp centrifugal feed pump, big blue 4-1/2 × 10 filter with 5 micron filters, mes 4" membrane, couple flow meters. I plan on pipeing in a recirculation loop and needle valve. Controls will be power coming into a pump switch with a low pressure cut off, then the output power will power the plug box. The pressure switch will be piped in after the filter to protect the procon. Then both pumps can plug into the power plug on the ro. The pump also has the high pressure by pass. Gauges before and after the filter and on the concentrate outlet. I am just waiting on the fitting now and should finish it up next weekend. My
Arch evaporateso at 15 gph so I should be able to recirculat a bit to bring the percentage of sugar higher. 17297 1729717298

[millscrest]

Nice work, looks great. What do you figure you have invested in that unit?

[ronintank]

1300 bucks.

[sweetvt]

Looks like a nice/ clean set up. I am considering something very similar to build as my evaporator currently boils off about 20 gals. and I am thinking the smaller versions like the RO Bucket and the one that hodorskib's build is similar too will not process fast enough as these are processing less than 10 gals an hour of concentrate.

Would be interested to see the parts list and source where the materials to build this can be found or purchased.

[ronintank]

I found most of the information here in these 2 posts. http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?20142-Homemade-RO-suggestions&highlight=osmosis
http://mapletrader.com/community/showthread.php?29171-100-GPH-RO-Build-for-2-000-Pics-Video-Diagrams...-Oh-My!

[SSJaneczek]

Real nice homemade RO, looks like exactly what I'm shooting for.
Please keep the post updated with actual numbers when the sap starts running.
And, if you think of it, post some pic's of the controls and power, too, when you get it done. (or even better, PM me so I can put them on file)
I was up in Gaylord the past two weekends in a row, beautiful up there.
Keep up the nice work!

[ronintank]

Beautiful here but we need some snow. I will be getting some work done on it this weekend. May even have it done. I will post More pics and up dates.

[ronintank]

Getting the bugs worked out of the ro unit today. I have all the big leaks stopped and just a couple little dippers to go. Ran 200 gallons of 1 % sap and using the recirculating line that runs the sap back in after the filter I made 5.5% sap. I will never boil 1% sap again. The only thing that has not worked to plan is the low pressure cut off pump switch. My feed pumps runs right up to 80 psi and the pump switch starts cycling off and on, so I just ran it today plugged into an outlet. All and all very happy.

[TreeTapper2]

What pressure are you running at? Before you crank the needle valve down and both pumps are running what does the high pressure gauge read. Trying to do some comparison to mine. I think I have an issue.

[ronintank]

I am still learning how to run it. I ran most of the time around 185 psi. I don't have a flow gauge on the recirc. Tuesday I will get another chance to run it and will write down what my flow gauges are running and measure my flow to the evap. For a gpm fiģure. My evap only runs 15 gpm rate and I kept up easy today.

[ronintank]

So ran the ro again last night processed 150 gallons sap in 3 hours. permeate running .55 gpm, concentrate running .275 gpm pressure exiting membrane at 175psi with the feed pump running supply at 80 psi.
I have no way of telling how much re-circulation i have on my by-pass valve. my by-pass is tee'd after the membrane and back in between the filter and the high pressure pump. the ro is making 6% sap from 1.1% sap.
I am quite happy with the results so far.
I took approx. 6 gallons syrup (2 days production 7 hours evap. time) off the pan last night and it looks to be lighter than in years past.
not bad for a pan that only runs at 15 gph evap rate.