So i was reading about different grades and types of resin filters and I have seen where people say they add a softener to their filters, I believe before an RO/DI setup and it helps with the production yield of their filter setup, resulting in fewer changes. I was working down in Casa Grande today and was getting 82 TDS out of my RO due to the quality water they have there and my resin went bad so fast it hurt. So I’m willing to try whatever there is to maximize the money I spend on filtration.
None of the places I read about using a softener were directly about window cleaning, more scietific lab type use. There are many different softeners so it could get expensive just trying things.Anyone familiar with this kind of thing or better yet used a softener and know if it gets results at all?
Also wondering what a second DI filter cartridge or a bigger one might change as far as galllons per resin amount in the setup. Anything that would stretch the resin out longer would be of great help. Phoenix and the surrounding area is just so high in tds it gets crazy expensive sometimes.
Im using a xero pure right now. It works pretty well for most of the places I clean. Been trying to find ways to make the resin last a little bit longer though.
A water softener isn’t going to help much. What is the tds going into the xero?
Seems like the tds out of the xero should be lower, is it time to change the RO membrane?
At 82 tds I wouldn’t think it would burn through your resin that fast.
Our tds is average 150 and I used to use DI only and it would last for months.
Ionics tried adding a water softening cartridge to the Quattro system years ago but have now removed it from the system. As you said it is dependent on the types of minerals in the water that determines what type of softening system you use. The most common is a salt exchange system. In your case I think you are dealing more with silicates in the water. They are able to pass through the membrane and cause the TDS to go up. AZ also has silicates in the water in some areas more than others. The Xero pure has the 2nd largest DI cartridge (21 inch) next to H2Pro and Tucker4060 (30 inch)
How much water will 21 inch filter of resin clean? It holds 1/4 cubic feet of resin. At a TDS reading of 100 it can clean 750 gallons. You could add another DI filter to your system to increase the volume but you would need to load and unload it each job and hook it up. If you decide on that the easiest one would be a Hydropower Stage one from Unger. Very small and compact with nice handles on top.
Im actually thinking I might just put my gear on a small trailer with a 35 or 50 galllon tank. I noticed that at my house I get 7 tds out of the ro filter on average. I am currently limited by my vehicle to probably 50 gallons max on the tank but if I have the xero pure with me I could start filling the tank if it gets low. I think this is my best option for now until I can get a better vehicle for using for work. I have a 35 gallon tank i use sometimes that seems to get me about halfway or 3/4 of the way through most of the jobs I do.
I use the heck out of my system probably about 250 or 300 gallons a week. Going forward I plan to price jobs up just a tad to help with resin costs. I went through around 2 cu ft of resin last year which isnt too bad. Always looking to improve overhead though. I looked into regenerating resin and it seems a bit much for an operation my size. The xero pure has been a game changer for me though, cut my work hours in half at least.
I appreciate all the help, Im addicted to learning about this type of thing so I come across things that bring up questions now and then. Spend countless hours on learning random things, some help and others dont. Figured someone knew about softeners so thought Id ask. Thanks again.
