2016 Pro Homemade RO for 4-500 taps Invested $1500 so far

I am a hobby maple producer entering my 4th year. For my retirement entertaiment I have built my own equipment so far with the exception of the Smoky Lake pans I use for my 2x6 Pro evaporator for a 32gph boil. Second year I built the arch, third year was the arch expansion, and my tubing vacuum system.
Now it is time to build the RO! I will update periodically over the next few weeks with pictures for future reference material for others. I have sure used previous posts.

I have spent again, many hours on the sites and researching others successes and failures. Now I am ready to make my own! I have invested a grand total of $1519 in parts to begin assembly of my unit. I still need to build the structure, and purchase what plumbing parts, and wire that I do not have on hand.
This unit will have a low press feed pump, 3/4 HP Elec motor driven Procon Series 5 pump, 2 ea 4x40 MES membranes, a 6 gallon wash tank with a 220V 3500W heater.
The electrical system will be a 220V supply that I will plug into my connector in my 8 X 14 sugarhouse, or my portable generator. I have an electrical box CB holder, and 2 ea 25A 220v contactors for my pumps, with panel switches and a low pressure cutoff for the Procon protection. I have not decided to install a high pressure cutoff switch. The wash tank heater will be controlled by my $15 STC-1000 digital temp controller. I also will have a TDS meter.
I have not made a real drawing of how I am planning this. I have most of it in my head, and need to draw it out again. I will come up with some ideas of how I want to plumb everything as I assemble this thing.
Here is my list. All prices include tax and shipping (if applicable).
Sources were ebay, Zoro, Forever Pure for flow meters and press gauges, Procon from Amazon warehouse deals (someones return).


1. 3/4 HP Marathon 48Y Motor $135
2. Procon Series 5 SS 265gph $99
3. 1/2 HP Shallow Well Pump $63
4. 2ea SS 4" membrane housings $200
5. 2ea MES 4" membranes $430
6. Pentek 150071 Filter Assy w/bracket $33
7. 12ea 5 micron cartridges $43
8. Low Press switch $25
9. 0-100 press gauge $31
10. 0-300 press gauge $31
11. LZT-1002-M .2-2.0 flow meter $33
12. LZT-1005-V .5-5.0 flow meter w/vlv $44
13. TDS Monitor $30
14. 3 ea SS flex lines $100
15. 2 ea SS 3 way valves $30
16. 30 QT SS Stock Pot $42
17. 220V 3500W Heater Element $10
18. Heater Controller STC-1000 w/probe $20
19. 10" x 10" NEMA 1 Electrical Box $31
20. 2ea 220V 25A Eaton Contactors $33
21. 2ea SPST switches $12

Total Cost $1519

Attachment 12232

Wash tank heater installed...Attachment 12234Attachment 12235Attachment 12236

I have already made an error. My STC-1000 is only rated at 10A. I have another controller rated at 30A I can use instead.

Eric

Just use a relay.

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Originally Posted by wiam

Just use a relay.

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Thanks, but no need. The controller I have will work as a stand alone unit.

So, looks like a good start. Why no high pressure switch? Pressure will surely build over even a pretty short time as you're using it (and maybe doing other things too).
Your plan/list has some bells and whistles that some home built ROs don't have, and this is just my opinion, but if you have the other stuff, why not add the high pressure switch? It could save your RO, and probably would give you some peace of mind.

good luck!

Mark

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MapleMark753

So, looks like a good start. Why no high pressure switch? Pressure will surely build over even a pretty short time as you're using it (and maybe doing other things too).
Your plan/list has some bells and whistles that some home built ROs don't have, and this is just my opinion, but if you have the other stuff, why not add the high pressure switch? It could save your RO, and probably would give you some peace of mind.

good luck!

Mark

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Very good advice. I blew my endcap of twice last season when my pressure crept up on me when I got preoccupied. First time it did it the end cap was damaged and I had to scramble and drive 6 hours to get a replacement. My RO will be retrofitted with a high pressure switch before the beginning of this coming season.

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Originally Posted by Clinkis

Very good advice.

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I mentioned the high pressure switch because I have been balking. With you two advocating it, I am going to order this one I had on my saved links, unless someone has a good alternative.
http://www.omega.com/pptst/PSW-581.html

Hello, cool setup.

I'm curious about your calculations for the system ? Did you just ballpark it or did you calculate feedflow with a certain GPH permeate and recovery rate to chose the pump and membranes ?

1 - I'm just saying, but looking, for exemple, at the HP requirements for the Procon Series 5 265GPH pump, the pump needs a bit more than 3/4HP if you plan on running it anywhere higher than 200 PSI psi (at wich pressure it would output 259 GPH). https://store-c59cb.mybigcommerce.co...0Pump_spec.pdf.

2 - For the membranes, one 4x40 seem to be rated at 2400 GPD at 77F under 225 psi and 15% recovery rate. To reach these specs for 2 membranes (4800 GPD), with a feed flow at 225 PSI, I calculate the needed feed flow to be 1333 GPH (15% = 4800 GPD permeate, 100% = 32000 GPD feed flow). A bit more than 5 times the GPH output of your Procon pump for that pressure.

With the current pump, at 225 PSI (assuming 3/4 HP) the pump should output around between 228-232 GPH of feed flow (lets assume 230GPH) (see pump specs link higher), at 15% recovery rate, this would get you a permeate flow of 34,5 GPH (witch is not bad if thats where your needs are) but only one membrane would have done the same job. I would suggest you use your membrane in series, because I suspect the low feedflow (230GPH compared to the needed 666 GPH membrane spec) would fool the membranes faster if the're setup in paralell.


3 - Also, the serie 5 pump seem it can be set to a max relief pressure of 250 PSI. Looking at some of the 4x40 membranes available on the web, the ones I could find have rated max pressures of 600 PSI, therefore the pressure relief valve on the pump will open and protect the membranes much before the max pressure of the membranes could be reached.

Unless other parts of the setup are not suited to whitstand 250 PSI I would think you already have a high pressure switch built in the pump relief valve ? I'm not sure but I would think there should be a way to set the relief valve to the lowest max pressure rating of any components in the system.

I'm brand new to this RO thing/setup, so if anybody would like to conterverify my points and come up with some other explanations/remarks, I'd be more than happy.

Thanks

Hello again,

1- Looking at your parts list, I found that the Pentek 150071 Filter seems rated at 125 psi max pressure :( .

I'ts not saying that you cant run it higher, but I would think it's a bit asking for trouble. So if you went with the pressure switch as you state in your last post, I would think you would need to set it not verry much higher than 125 PSI, to avoid possible break-ups.

2- Oh (again not an experts advice) but if my last calculations are right, and the best permeate flow available with the setup is 34.5 GPH or about .5 GPM (thats @ 77F, 225 PSI), then the permeate flow meter LZT-1002-M would be usefull.

But, IF your sap temp is lower then 77F or the runnig pressure is set lower than 225 PSI (because of the 125 max PSI cartidge pressure) then I would think the permeate flow could be lower then the .2 GPM minimum reading capbility of the LZT-1002-M. Rendering the flow meter somewhat useless.


Just My 2 cents, absolutly not from an expert, again if anybody would like to verify this it could be interresting to read other thaughts from experienced RO users.

Some people tell me I tend to think too much before doing a project, and they verry might be right, I admire people that sometimes just decide to go with it. So please keep us in touch with the developpements and possibly the results from the setup.

Thanks

Hope you kept the receipts for all the components so you can swap some of them out. You have to start with a design basis before you buy equipment. How many gallons of sap do you want to process per hour? Do you want to feed directly into the evaporator or do you want to recirculate back to a sap storage tank? Make sure you understand the membrane cleaning requirements before you design the washing system. While temperature is important pH is even more important.

The pump you've purchased really isn't big enough for two 4 inch membranes in parallel. You need about 700 GPH of pumping capacity including recirculation for two 4 inch membranes in parallel. You could probably get by with running them in series although the pump is still a little small. These membranes are probably not the best option for a low pressure sap (250 psi) RO system. Nano Filtration or Filmtec XLE's are designed to operate at lower pressures and might be a better choice. You can build the system with the components you have, but the performance may be disappointing.