TDS/EC meter

[LizStreithorst]

Here's the link to the one I bought.  The shipping is fast and free.  Mine will arrive Friday, due to the holiday tomorrow, but the meter costs a dollar more that having P4  send one to you.  http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270384763374

[BallAquatics]

Thanks Liz and Lori.  I'll probably just do without one.  I'd just lay it down somewhere and spend more time looking for it than I would using it.....

Dennis

[LizStreithorst]

If you know your water you really don't need one.  I need one because all my eggs were turning white over 3 days.  Something for sure is wrong.  I did find a kink in the line between one or my RO membranes and the other.  I fixed that.  I'm still looking forward to having the meter.  My membranes are new, my prefilters are new.  This shouldn't happen.  I just need the darned meter as a diagnostic tool.

[BillT]

I got one of these from Bulk Reef Supply for my RO machine Liz.
It has two sensors for upstream and downstream of the RO. You can switch between the sensors with a switch. Let you know if your membranes are still good or not. Costs about $40.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/catalog/product/view/id/399/

[LizStreithorst]

Thanks, but that's too smart for me.  All I want is a meter I can dip into the RO water storage container.  I'm doing low tech diagnostics. 

[Mugwump]

Thanks, but that's too smart for me.  All I want is a meter I can dip into the RO water storage container.  I'm doing low tech diagnostics.

Ah, "high Tech in it's lowest form".  ....My tds pen lost calibration, I know...but I know the faulty readings and can still use changes to that number as an indicator of variance.  

[LizStreithorst]

So now I know why all my pair's eggs are turning white.  TDS of my RO is 129.  Now I have to figure out if it's because I have the flush valve turned the wrong way (easy to check) or if one or the other of my membranes is bad which will be harder for me because RO units confuse the hell out of me.  My ace in the hole is that Boozer has a 50 gallon per day unit that arrived with a broken fitting that he never bothered fixing I might be able to get cheap.

[BallAquatics]

Normally you have only 1 membrane preceded by one or more filters (sediment, carbon block, etc.).

Dennis

[LizStreithorst]

Mine has a particle filter, a carbon filter and 2 membranes.  I used to do a ton of breeding.

[LizStreithorst]

The problem is not because I had the flush valve the wrong way, damn it.  It would have been so easy to fix.  It must be one or both of the membranes.  And here I am with 3 pairs beating the crap out of breeding cones.  I've followed all the lines and I'm quite sure they're not screwed up.  Testing the membranes will be next.  The housings  of the two membranes are designed differently.  I'll check the first in line first and if I still come out with a high TDS I'll pull it and replace it with the membrane from the second housing.

What a pain in the ass for someone who has to figure everything out as she goes along!  My membranes should be good!  I can't imagine what I could have done to mess them up! I shouldn't bitch.  Having a problem with my RO filter beats the hell out of the problem being with the fish.

[Barb]

Hi Liz, I remember long ago when I had an RO unit, I was told the membrane would need changing every few months since we had such hard water.  Don't remember if this was true, I hardly used it due to all the waste water produced, but how old are your membranes?  This sounds weird to ask, LOL.
Barb

[LizStreithorst]

  My water isn't bad.  My membranes last forever.  The only way I've ever killed them is by replacing my prefilters with an off brand that didn't fit snugly in the housing.  That was about 4 years ago.  I replace my prefilters every 6 months with correctly fitting ones.  They always look clean when I replace them.

I miss RandalB, the RO guy on Simply.  Lovely man...do you remember him?  There's a guy I've delt with before who is also very nice.  His company is Water Anywhere.  If I can't figure it out for myself I'll get with him.

[PaulineMi]

I got one of these from Bulk Reef Supply for my RO machine Liz.
It has two sensors for upstream and downstream of the RO. You can switch between the sensors with a switch. Let you know if your membranes are still good or not. Costs about $40.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/catalog/product/view/id/399/

I ordered my RO unit from BRS, purchasing the one with TDS meter on it.  Super convenient.

[BillT]

Membranes are susceptible to breakdown if chlorine in the tap water gets to the RO membranes. This kind of problem will result in water going through unfiltered resulting in higher conductivity (or TDS readings). The charcoal removes chlorine but can eventually get maxed out. I have three charcoal filters in series before my RO membranes. The first one does most of the work and the others (which were given to me) will take out any chlorine that might get through when the first one is used up. I have little valves between the different filters and can test each with a chlorine test after each filter (you could also just detach the tubing to do the same thing). I try to test things every couple of months.

Hard water can make deposits on the inside of the membranes. This will not necessarily increase conductivity, but will clog up the membranes and reduce the yield of good water and probably increase the reject water.

The water where I live is very soft (30-40 micro Siemans). I have been running my current set of membranes for about 5 years (output is between 0 and 2 micro Siemans according to my little meter). I think their longevity is due to the combination of soft water and charcoal filters. I would guess I make about 50 G/day.
There is also some color changing absorbent media (ion exchange resin?) which I just got a replacement for because its about 2/3 changed. Soft water would use this up more slowly.

[LizStreithorst]

That must be the problem, darn it.  I'll order new membranes as well as new prefilters today.  I'm down to my last two pre filters anyway.