trackerguy
03-17-2010, 05:52 PM
2 days ago...
The RO seemed to be running smoothly, but was having a bout of pressure releif valve (how i control the psi) chatter at 320 psi. I adjusted down a little, making 8.5% from the 1.8% in. Kids dumped some buckets into the tank, etc. etc. Looked over and 120PSI! Uh ohhh... Lots of permeate flow, sugar in permeate... blew the 4 yr old membrane. OK, emergency mode, only 150 gals sap, re-configure to 1 membrane and turn things on. Very low permeate flow, dropping, pressure rising. Notice the recirc valve closed, reach up, turn it on w/o thinking. Whump! 300 psi air trapped in line enters membrane, pressure drops to 100PSI. 2 membranes down, boil what concentrate was made, go to bed.
Yesterday...
Talk with Bill at midwest RO (good guy), he sends me to his brother Joe at Atlantic RO (great guy). Joe says NF270-4040 may be better suited than the XLE4040 I was thinking of, $90 more, I say ship it overnight. Dump 450 gals of 1.6% on the ground, 55 degrees and it's spoiling fast, clean tanks, go to bed.
Today...
Get home, membrane on front steps (yay Bill!!). Put membrane in, flush 1 hr and..... no psi, sugar in permeate. Can't be, I say. Confused, I break down the housing and.... Twisted O ring on permeate seal!! So, possibly, I now have 3 good membranes - 2 xle 4040 and 1 NF270-4040 that I paid $100 to ship.
The really interesting news is that 1 NF270-4040 outperforms 2 XLE-4040's AT LOWER PRESSURE!! Right now she's pulling in 125GPH making 7.5% from 1.5% at 260PSI on 1 4" membrane.
This has been expensive...
The RO seemed to be running smoothly, but was having a bout of pressure releif valve (how i control the psi) chatter at 320 psi. I adjusted down a little, making 8.5% from the 1.8% in. Kids dumped some buckets into the tank, etc. etc. Looked over and 120PSI! Uh ohhh... Lots of permeate flow, sugar in permeate... blew the 4 yr old membrane. OK, emergency mode, only 150 gals sap, re-configure to 1 membrane and turn things on. Very low permeate flow, dropping, pressure rising. Notice the recirc valve closed, reach up, turn it on w/o thinking. Whump! 300 psi air trapped in line enters membrane, pressure drops to 100PSI. 2 membranes down, boil what concentrate was made, go to bed.
Yesterday...
Talk with Bill at midwest RO (good guy), he sends me to his brother Joe at Atlantic RO (great guy). Joe says NF270-4040 may be better suited than the XLE4040 I was thinking of, $90 more, I say ship it overnight. Dump 450 gals of 1.6% on the ground, 55 degrees and it's spoiling fast, clean tanks, go to bed.
Today...
Get home, membrane on front steps (yay Bill!!). Put membrane in, flush 1 hr and..... no psi, sugar in permeate. Can't be, I say. Confused, I break down the housing and.... Twisted O ring on permeate seal!! So, possibly, I now have 3 good membranes - 2 xle 4040 and 1 NF270-4040 that I paid $100 to ship.
The really interesting news is that 1 NF270-4040 outperforms 2 XLE-4040's AT LOWER PRESSURE!! Right now she's pulling in 125GPH making 7.5% from 1.5% at 260PSI on 1 4" membrane.
This has been expensive...