My plan 2022/23

[Swingpure]

Do no reuse flush water/ permeate. Once you use it, discard of it.

Use MOST of your permeate each day for flushing. It will really help keep your system performing best. If you get 25, use it. If you get 50, use it. Even when needle valve is wide open on a flush cycle, you will get some permeate flowing out. I run that permeate trickle right back into permeate tank i am drawing from to prolong the flush.

Ro soap is NAOH. It's a base solution and there are instructions for how to mix it up before use. Goggles and gloves are a must. Most indicate a PH around 11 (check membrane limits as well). RO bucket and mattatock madness site have good cleaning instructions. Basically recirc that for a while and then flush liberally with as much permeate as you can, ensuring your PH returns to neutral. You won't need to wash daily if you are running your RO with low recovery rates on the membranes (recovery rate per membrane = permeate out / inlet flow) and are flushing regularly with liberal amounts of permeate. Probably a couple washes per season and one at year end is good depending how much sap you run thru it etc.

Initial rinse of new membranes requires a fair amount of water. Be sure to have a pre-filter in your housing. The membrane manufacturers typically specify how long to flush them for when brand new. Most residential membranes say 1 hr. With 3 membranes (400gpd + 2 x 150gpds) in series running 1 hr --> 700gpd/24hrs = 30 gallons...I'd recommend 50 gal or more.

Thank you very much, that is helpful.

[eustis22]

Where am I going to get 50 gallons of water pure enough for flushing?

[DRoseum]

You can use tap water. If using city water with chlorine in it, be sure to use an active carbon block 5 micron pre-filter for that initial flush.

[eustis22]

thanks...my city water does indeed have chlorine in it. I'll pick up some of those filters

[Swingpure]

You can use tap water. If using city water with chlorine in it, be sure to use an active carbon block 5 micron pre-filter for that initial flush.

There is no chlorine in my water. I will buy a 50’ extension to my water hose so I can reach my RO.

Thanks

Gary

[Swingpure]

Do no reuse flush water/ permeate. Once you use it, discard of it.

Use MOST of your permeate each day for flushing. It will really help keep your system performing best. If you get 25, use it. If you get 50, use it. Even when needle valve is wide open on a flush cycle, you will get some permeate flowing out. I run that permeate trickle right back into permeate tank i am drawing from to prolong the flush.

Ro soap is NAOH. It's a base solution and there are instructions for how to mix it up before use. Goggles and gloves are a must. Most indicate a PH around 11 (check membrane limits as well). RO bucket and mattatock madness site have good cleaning instructions. Basically recirc that for a while and then flush liberally with as much permeate as you can, ensuring your PH returns to neutral. You won't need to wash daily if you are running your RO with low recovery rates on the membranes (recovery rate per membrane = permeate out / inlet flow) and are flushing regularly with liberal amounts of permeate. Probably a couple washes per season and one at year end is good depending how much sap you run thru it etc.

Initial rinse of new membranes requires a fair amount of water. Be sure to have a pre-filter in your housing. The membrane manufacturers typically specify how long to flush them for when brand new. Most residential membranes say 1 hr. With 3 membranes (400gpd + 2 x 150gpds) in series running 1 hr --> 700gpd/24hrs = 30 gallons...I'd recommend 50 gal or more.

Again thanks.

I was in the garage tonight going through my head what I need to do all this. I will need my 55 gallon raw sap barrel, my 55 gallon concentrate barrel, my 55 gallon permeate barrel, my 40 gallon barrel with a rain barrel spigot and hose for the flushed fluids and another one to hold the soap solution, I have a 16 gallon barrel and a 27 gallon gallon barrel for that.
My soap says ph11 for daily washes and ph12 for mid season and end of the season washes and says to flush 200 gallons of water/permeate after the soap wash.

I will have a rain barrel spigot on the 40 gallon waste water barrel and will connect a dedicated 50’ hose to it and have it drain while I am flushing in the 200 gallons into it.

I still have to read how to do the wash. Unfortunately the instructions sheets that came with my membranes were thrown out with the packaging.

I have my raw sap barrel raised above the Aquatec pump, but I will have to trust that the Aquatec pump will be able to draw the permeate up from the permeate barrel for flushing. I could raise the permeate barrel, but then the output of the RO system would have to be able pump up the permeate to the barrel.

[Swingpure]

Gary your weekend forecast is almost identical to ours.

There is no snow on the ground at the moment, but we will have a little overnight. Right now in our forecast we could receive 50 cms (20”) of snow between Thursday and Monday. I doubt it, but it will be a dramatic change from the current snow free landscape.

I think you have a decent amount of snow heading your way as well.

When I see the snow, it will be the start of the pre season for the maple run. Approximately 112 days to go before the sap flows here.

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0411...3IDuDM36FCISIg

[DRoseum]

A 5 gallon bucket is all you need for soap wash. Just recirculate for an hour and then let it sit a bit. Put all 3 hoses in that bucket when recirculating.

As for flush water... keep the first gallon or 2 and check sugar content. Might be worth throwing into your boil.. the rest, don't worry about a tank, just dispose of it down the drain or out on the ground. You will want to neutralize soap wash solution and that rinse water to safely dispose of it.

[Swingpure]

A 5 gallon bucket is all you need for soap wash. Just recirculate for an hour and then let it sit a bit. Put all 3 hoses in that bucket when recirculating.

As for flush water... keep the first gallon or 2 and check sugar content. Might be worth throwing into your boil.. the rest, don't worry about a tank, just dispose of it down the drain or out on the ground. You will want to neutralize soap wash solution and that rinse water to safely dispose of it.

Thanks

Do you check the ph with ph paper?

Do you neutralize it with water or some other solution?

Thanks

Gary

[Pdiamond]

We've got about 2





































































We've got about 2 inches so far. According to the weather report it's supposed to snow all week.