Loss of back pressure
Hi,
I've just recently assembled a small RO setup for my backyard maple syrup production this year. To my utter surprise, once I assembled everything it did actually work to produce a thin but stable stream of concentrate out of a 3 x 150GPD membrane setup in series...I plan to add a permeate pump and possibly a pressure relief valve to better regulate pressure but it did work for about half a day of sugaring.
The issue became that I realized I was slowly but steadily losing back pressure after achieving the initial balance of about 90-100 PSI via manipulation of a check-valve on the concentrate output line. I have a couple questions for the members on this:
- some of my sap was fairly cloudy at this point, is it possible I was just trapping too much additional "stuff" along with the sugar on the concentrate side?
- my membrane housing kits came with a check-valve style elbow fitting for the permeate output port...could these possibly be impacting the efficiency / pressure of the system? Or, maybe a better question, do I need them on the permeate output at all? Should they go on the concentrate side instead perhaps?
- lastly, I am using an open-top, refillable canister style filter at the front end of the line (in front of the pump) and just jammed some filter paper in there...is there anything people find works especially well in these?
Thanks in advance...I am very, very slowly learning how all this works.
--
2015: 8 bucket taps (7 red, 1 sugar) on DIY barrel evaporator
2016: 13 taps (bucket and tube) on block arch and hotel pans
2017: SAME
2018: 25 taps on 2x3 flat pan and resurrected barrel arch
2019: 25 taps...same setup plus DIY 3x150gpd RO filter
2020: 50 taps, all buckets..."new" oil tank arch setup
2021: 100 taps (50/50 buckets/3-16 tubing) on 2x4 divided pan
2022: 150 taps (50/100 b/t) on 2x4 pan with sap warmer pan
2023: SAME
2024: 150 taps, added single-post 4x40 RO system