hodorskib's Small Scale RO Build

[Mark B]

Thank you for investgating and answering.

[hodorskib]

Mark B:
I contacted the company and the membranes can go up to 300psi without damaged. They also recommend for maximum performance to keep it at 150psi or less. Interesting part is on the ebay site they also offer 400 gallon per day membranes with housings for around 75 dollars. In theory you could use two of these and should be in good shape and save a little money.

[Mark B]

I found them in 300s and 400s. One of the auctions offers the housing with them. I think the 300 with housing was $63 and the 400 was $72. I was actually thinking of buying the 300s. I could then set all 4 in series like your build or parallel plumb two sets of 2 (in series). That then led me to consider plumbing the whole thing in 3/8 for better flow. Would the 8800 pump still be able to maintain​ pressure on this system plumbed in 3/8?

[eustis22]

How do you keep your outside ROs warm?

[Mark B]

I don't know about the rest here, but I plan on mounting mine to a wood Dollie and making it portable. I will keep it in my mudroom entry which hovers in the low to mid 40s. Im making it portable so it can do time between my home and my bro in law who also sugars.

[hodorskib]

The aquatech 8800 is rated for 1200gpd I was also looking at plumbing larger membranes and housings with 3/8" tubing to increase the flow. Just not sure when it will reach its capacity. A lot of folks have mounted theirs to hand trucks to make them portable with the pump mounted to the bottom plate this way you just move it inside to keep from freezing. Others have built a simple box out of insulation boards duct taped together then put a small lightbulb or other heat source inside. Possibilities are endless you just want to make sure it doesn't freeze.

[Mark B]

Hoping I can push the 2x4 into the 12-15 gph for evap rate and I can get the ro into the 14-18 gph rate at about 7-8%. Theoretically, I could contacentrate into my warmer and stay just about even with the boil. It would be much nicer next year to have 4-6 hour days as opposed to 14s.

[eustis22]

What needs to be kept warm, the water filter and the membranes? Would it be possible to have those with quick connects so I just need to hook them up during RO time?

[hodorskib]

Everything is put together with quick connects and I wouldn't let anything freeze but the membranes in particular.

[Ken18621]

I finally got all the parts together to make this ro. I was doing a test run with straight well water and noticed water coming out of both permeate and concentrate lines. This doesn't make sense to me, it's just straight well water, why is it coming out of both lines?