# Watergeneral RD-102 RO system from Filter Direct?



## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Does anyone have any experience with the Watergeneral RD-102 RO system from filterdirect.com? 

http://filterdirect.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=29
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EFhbZaSNDk

Thanks,
Kelly


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## pandapr (Nov 10, 2008)

I have the one with RO/DI+ 3 gallon tank and water faucet and so far (1 year) no problems.


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## Mini4x (Feb 3, 2004)

Nothing bad to say.. I've had two of these (still have one)

It was relatively cheap.. they newer ones have the clear filter housings as well, decent customer service from them as well.

I did upgrade mine with the add on dual DI, once the resin that came with it got dirty, it was a cheap upgrade, and no more mucking with loose DI resin.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Mini4x said:


> Nothing bad to say.. I've had two of these (still have one)I did upgrade mine with the add on dual DI, once the resin that came with it got dirty, it was a cheap upgrade, and no more mucking with loose DI resin.


Yeah, I'm not crazy about the horizontal DI tubes on the RD-102. How do you like the DM-1 and why do you have two?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

pandapr said:


> I have the one with RO/DI+ 3 gallon tank and water faucet and so far (1 year) no problems.


The RD-106? May I ask why you decided to go with the tank version? I was considering that as well.


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## Mini4x (Feb 3, 2004)

kcrossley said:


> Yeah, I'm not crazy about the horizontal DI tubes on the RD-102. How do you like the DM-1 and why do you have two?


I had tanks in two places.. (reef tanks tho).. got tired or trucking water around, but I don't use RO/DI on my FW tanks.

The DM-1 is a nice upgrade, I only have two because they sent me 2 by accident.. SHHHH.


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## Mini4x (Feb 3, 2004)

Also usually they are cheaper on eBay.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Mini4x said:


> The DM-1 is a nice upgrade, I only have two because they sent me 2 by accident.. SHHHH.


Nice. Your secret is safe with me. Not sure about the other 12,000+ forum members though.


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## pandapr (Nov 10, 2008)

kcrossley said:


> The RD-106? May I ask why you decided to go with the tank version? I was considering that as well.


Not sure on the model number. I got it because of the faucet. It fits nicely on the kitchen sink plus it has a separate outlet for the DI water. The 3 gallon tank works great because we dont have high flow pressure so I have always those 3 gallon ready (it shuts down when its full)


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

pandapr said:


> I got it because of the faucet.


Do you have to hold the faucet trigger down to fill the bucket when you need water or can you set it and leave it? If so, how long does it usually take to fill up a bucket from the tank?


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## pandapr (Nov 10, 2008)

Set it and leave it. If the tank is full it will take a few minutes to empty those 3 gallons (I would say ~5 minutes maybe a little more)


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Hmmm. I was going to simply store the water I need in 5 gallon Home Depot paint buckets with lids. I wonder if having the tank would make that process easier?


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

If you want a nice system check these guys out:

http://www.thefilterguys.biz/ro_di_systems.htm

if I ever upgrade to a bigger system this is the place I would get through.

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I called these guys today. Nice people. The only problem is everything is ala carte, which makes something comparable to what filterdirect.com offers a lot more expensive.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

pandapr said:


> It fits nicely on the kitchen sink plus it has a separate outlet for the DI water.


So does this mean that the water that comes out of the faucet doesn't go through the DI filter?


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## Burks (May 21, 2006)

pandapr said:


> Not sure on the model number. I got it because of the faucet. It fits nicely on the kitchen sink plus it has a separate outlet for the DI water. The 3 gallon tank works great because we dont have high flow pressure so I have always those 3 gallon ready (it shuts down when its full)


I thought about getting one of those, or setting one up so that it will fill a 30g barrel. Just not sure how auto-shutoffs quite work with RO/DI systems. Autotop offs, yeah.....but not this.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Burks said:


> I thought about getting one of those, or setting one up so that it will fill a 30g barrel. Just not sure how auto-shutoffs quite work with RO/DI systems. Autotop offs, yeah.....but not this.


Having a storage barrel sounds like a good idea, plus it would eliminate the tank. However, having a tank would allow me to use the RO system for fish and drinking water. Decisions. Decisions.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Basically, I'll likely install the RO system under our laundry room sink, which is adjacent to the garage, and run the pure water line through the wall and into to garage to a Rubbermaid Brute trash can, which is roughly 6' to 9' from the RO system, depending on where I place it.

How long do you think I can run the pure water line? 

Also,does it matter if the pure water line is above or below the RO system?

Thanks,
Kelly


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

My pure water line runs about 15 feet. It leave the unit and goes up about 4 foot then through 2 walls and back down to my storage tank.

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Excellent. I thought about getting the pressurized tank, but at three gallons, what's the point of that, unless you intend to use the system for drinking water, which I doubt we'll do. Just out of curiosity, are you using a Rubbermaid trash can for storage or something else? Also, how large is your storage tank?


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## pandapr (Nov 10, 2008)

The reason I got this one was for my discus. The reason I told my wife was to save $ in drinking water...LOL


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

pandapr said:


> The reason I got this one was for my discus. The reason I told my wife was to save $ in drinking water...LOL


Nice. That RD-106 is tempting. Plus, it's only $20 more.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

pandapr said:


> The reason I got this one was for my discus. The reason I told my wife was to save $ in drinking water...LOL


I just got off the phone with filterdirect.com and it seems that with the RD-102, the water runs through a total of 6 filters, including 2 DI filters. With the RD-106, the aquarium water only runs through 1 DI filter. The last DI filter on the RD-106 is reserved for drinking water. FD suggested that I purchase an additional DI filter if I wanted to purchase the RD-106.

UPDATE:
I just got off the phone again with a more knowledgeable FD rep, who said the two DI filters on the RD-102 are not really required for a freshwater aquarium. He suggested that I go with the RD-106, which he felt was a much better value for freshwater aquarist. Plus, I can use the same excuse pandapr did when my wife asks why I spent so much $$.


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

My experience with RO/DI 
I have a 45 gallon barrel (old water softener brine tank) for H2o collection, with a shutoff for when it is full (got tired of wet socks in the morning). I have a 20 foot line run from the laundry room (ro unit) to the equipment room (barrel), and love it, no more hauling water.

I am in MO and my H2o has about 350 TDS at the faucet, after the particulate filter, 2 carbon stages and RO, it has a TDS of 25, after the DI stage TDS=0
I do use the RO/DI for all my tanks, but don’t see why you would need the DI stage for fresh water. It sounds like the salesman is pointing you in the correct direction. That being said, I purchased form “the filter guys” in the past and will continue to. No affiliation, just a satisfied customer. 

As to the auto shutoff question, Solenoids, the most appreciated DIY I have done yet (according to my socks, anyway:icon_cool). I do put a 2 gallon water container with RO/DI in the fridge for drinking, cooking and coffee (coffee, make a pot with RO/DI, you’ll never go back):thumbsup:
Hope this is helpfull


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Thanks patrock. It was helpful.


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

Your welcome. If you are interested I can go into more detail on how I set up my shutoff system


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

patrock said:


> Your welcome. If you are interested I can go into more detail on how I set up my shutoff system


Absolutely. I can use all the help I can get.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Okay, I ordered the RD-106. Occasionally, I'll need to rinse things off (media, equipment, etc.) I'd like to use RO water for that. Instead of using water out of the pure water spout connected to the garage holding tank, I'd prefer to use the drinking water faucet that comes with the RD-106. The only difference is water running through the faucet goes through a 6th stage carbon filter, which I believe is for taste. Is that a problem?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Also, do RO systems affect pH?


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

RO systems will affect PH. The closer you get to pure water the closer you will get to a neutral PH (7). My PH at the tap is around 8, after running through the RO/DI it is at 7. REMBER that at the same time you loose the buffering capability of the water. I add seachem equilibrium to “re-mineralize” the water and to add buffer for water changes, I use straight RO/DI for top off.

Are you still planning on having a barrel (brute can) to store pure water for W/C?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Yes, I'll probably get a 30 gal Brute trash can.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

patrock said:


> REMEMBER that at the same time you loose the buffering capability of the water. I add seachem equilibrium to “re-mineralize” the water and to add buffer for water changes, I use straight RO/DI for top off.


I didn't know that. I thought the whole point of using RO water was to minimize water variables and contaminants. Is adding Seachem Equilibrium really necessary?


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

kcrossley said:


> I didn't know that. I thought the whole point of using RO water was to minimize water variables and contaminants. Is adding Seachem Equilibrium really necessary?


You are correct; it does minimize contaminants and variables. I am on city water and they add chloramines and fluorides, 2 things I do not want in my systems (fish tank or in my body). In fact RO/DI removes 99% of everything including the waters ability to remain stable (GH/KH). The GH of RO/DI is extremely low; lower then our test kits can detect. RO/DI gives us the ability to have only exactly what we put into it and nothing more. People that require soft water for there tanks still need stability in there PH. 
You do not need to use the equilibrium, but you do need to add something to act as a buffer and replace the ferts. There are multiple products out there specifically for use with RO/DI that are designed to replace the essential minerals/GH we pull out when we run an RO unit. For me I go for the seachem because I am assured that when I mix up water for a W/C that this batch will be the same as the batch I will mix for the next week and the week after, so on and so on. it gives me a consistent baseline to “reset” the parameters to without having to measure out a bunch of stuff (ok I’ll admit it, I’m lazy ). 
regarding the brute; If you plan to move the Trash Can, go for the dolly attachment, costs a bit ,but worth it IMHO. 

Lid, Rubbermaid made a change to there lids to better accommodate there (ahem, other) customers. If you can get the old style get it. Here is a link to the lid you DON’T want. Speaking from experience here, the old lid helps to keep water in the can. Evaporation condensate collects on the lid and drips back in, where as the new “vented” lid channels water to the edge and it drips on the floor:icon_cry:.


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## Craigthor (Sep 9, 2007)

kcrossley said:


> I didn't know that. I thought the whole point of using RO water was to minimize water variables and contaminants. Is adding Seachem Equilibrium really necessary?


Yep water out of the RO should have NO measureable GH/ KH and all other minerals will have been removed. The TDS of my water from teh tap is 120-125 depending on the day, it leaves my RO unit at 0-1 ppm TDS and that is with out a DI unit.

You will have to use GH Booster to adjust the GH, Baking Soda to adjust the KH. Some plants aren't as picky as others on what your water has. 

I bet if you searched this forum there are 100 topics of using RO water alone in the planted aquariums, would provide basic information that we all have repeated over and over again.

Craig


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

patrock said:


> You are correct; it does minimize contaminants and variables. I am on city water and they add chloramines and fluorides, 2 things I do not want in my systems (fish tank or in my body). In fact RO/DI removes 99% of everything including the waters ability to remain stable (GH/KH). The GH of RO/DI is extremely low; lower then our test kits can detect. RO/DI gives us the ability to have only exactly what we put into it and nothing more. People that require soft water for there tanks still need stability in there PH.
> You do not need to use the equilibrium, but you do need to add something to act as a buffer and replace the ferts. There are multiple products out there specifically for use with RO/DI that are designed to replace the essential minerals/GH we pull out when we run an RO unit. For me I go for the seachem because I am assured that when I mix up water for a W/C that this batch will be the same as the batch I will mix for the next week and the week after, so on and so on. it gives me a consistent baseline to “reset” the parameters to without having to measure out a bunch of stuff (ok I’ll admit it, I’m lazy ).
> regarding the brute; If you plan to move the Trash Can, go for the dolly attachment, costs a bit ,but worth it IMHO.
> 
> Lid, Rubbermaid made a change to there lids to better accommodate there (ahem, other) customers. If you can get the old style get it. Here is a link to the lid you DON’T want. Speaking from experience here, the old lid helps to keep water in the can. Evaporation condensate collects on the lid and drips back in, where as the new “vented” lid channels water to the edge and it drips on the floor:icon_cry:.


Great information. Thanks! I'll try to get the old fashioned Brute trash can lid. BTW, do I need to clean or sterilize the Brute trash can prior to its use? If so, what do I use to do that?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Craigthor said:


> Yep water out of the RO should have NO measureable GH/ KH and all other minerals will have been removed. The TDS of my water from teh tap is 120-125 depending on the day, it leaves my RO unit at 0-1 ppm TDS and that is with out a DI unit.
> 
> You will have to use GH Booster to adjust the GH, Baking Soda to adjust the KH. Some plants aren't as picky as others on what your water has.


If I'm using the EI macro and micro fertilizer system will I still need to add the stuff above?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Craigthor said:


> I bet if you searched this forum there are 100 topics of using RO water alone in the planted aquariums, would provide basic information that we all have repeated over and over again.


Unfortunately, that has proven to be a problem for me. There seems to be many ways to achieve the same results. For me, the simpler the better. So what exactly is my goal with water?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

patrock said:


> Lid, Rubbermaid made a change to there lids to better accommodate there (ahem, other) customers. If you can get the old style get it. Here is a link to the lid you DON’T want. Speaking from experience here, the old lid helps to keep water in the can. Evaporation condensate collects on the lid and drips back in, where as the new “vented” lid channels water to the edge and it drips on the floor:icon_cry:. [/FONT][/COLOR][/FONT][/COLOR]


So, this is what I want correct? http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

It also comes in green.  http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053 Actually, maybe not. Green reminds me of algae. 

BTW, for a 29 gallon tank, will a 32 gallon Brute can be okay? I've never done this before, so I just want to make sure. The dolly is a great idea!


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

kcrossley said:


> Great information. Thanks! I'll try to get the old fashioned Brute trash can lid. BTW, do I need to clean or sterilize the Brute trash can prior to its use? If so, what do I use to do that?


I used distilled vinegar to wash mine and then rinse with the RO/DI. when newly installed the filter should be run for 15 minutes before collecting the water, I just used the first 15min of water for the trash can rinse


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Sounds good. Thanks patrock.


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

> So, this is what I want correct? http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053


Yes. I went with a cheaper one for starters, (bad ,BAD idea)no dolly, thinner (did I mention that 32 gallons of water hitting the floor all at once has a very distinct sound  . funny thing, I had never herd that sound before in my life, but I knew exactly what it was, even from upstairs.:eek5: you may need to look in local hardware stores for the "old" lid, the lid comes w/ the can so take it anyway, if your in good with a store they may let you swap the new lid for the old style lid if you can find one.



> BTW, for a 29 gallon tank, will a 32 gallon Brute can be okay? I've never done this before, so I just want to make sure. The dolly is a great idea!


yes it should. Some say that one should have enough H2o on hand to do a 100% change incase something bad gets in the tank by accident. that said this hobby is addictive. I started with a 120G I now have well over 300 gallons of water running in my basemen er um fish room.:wink:

I do like the dolly


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

> For me, the simpler the better. So what exactly is my goal with water?


 that will depend upon what you want to keep. :icon_conf


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

patrock said:


> I started with a 120G I now have well over 300 gallons of water running in my basemen er um fish room.:wink:


Wow! 300 Gallons? Is that what I have to look forward to?


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

> Wow! 300 Gallons? Is that what I have to look forward to?


More or less , yes 
I had little tanks as a kid and always wanted a larger tank, so when I started back in the hobby after a 10 year break I decided to go with a 120 g reef tank. ripped down a wall in my basement, and made an in-wall tank, rebuilt the wall, put in a sump slapped up a MH light on a track. that was cool for a while, but then people started giving me tanks(and It's just no good to have an EMPTY TANK no way). a few 20's a 30' then a 55 with a stand. Humm I can just plumb this into the 120. but now I need another sump, so I put in a sump. then I went to a friends house that lived in the Bahamas and found mangrove pods, Well I can put them into the 55. now I need lights for the mangroves, so more lights went in. then my clown fish (Gold stripe maroon) started laying eggs, Ooh I need to start a culture of algae to feed rotifers so I can raise the fry (=more tanks+a culture station with air and more light). took another trip to the Bahamas and thought "I wonder if I can get more biodiversity with a cup of sand collected next to the reef" so now it's another tank, filter, light, and a powerhead, Got it, now I just need room, not much, ooh I know ware I can put it..................:biggrin:

that was just with saltwater, I started fresh again when a buddy abandoned his tank(fathered a child had a change in his priority's), so I took over his tank with a clown loach and a few bala sharks in a 10 gallon:angel:. well I can't have them in a 10 now I must put another big tank in, planted perhaps, with Co2. now I need a QT for that, a 20 will work, but now I need............................
at some point I will run out or room and will need to buy a bigger house to put all these tanks in.

so you see the word "hobby" doesn't do it justice maybe "addiction" is more accurate:icon_twis.
I do love my addicti, er um, hobby a lot, something about looking in a tank and going WTF is that, I'm gonna find out, humm maybe i can set up another....:hihi::hihi::hihi:


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

patrock said:


> Yes. I went with a cheaper one for starters, (bad ,BAD idea)no dolly, thinner (did I mention that 32 gallons of water hitting the floor all at once has a very distinct sound  . funny thing, I had never herd that sound before in my life, but I knew exactly what it was, even from upstairs.:eek5: you may need to look in local hardware stores for the "old" lid, the lid comes w/ the can so take it anyway, if your in good with a store they may let you swap the new lid for the old style lid if you can find one.


32 Gallons hitting the floor.  Holy crap! Just out of curiosity, where was your storage tank located? Hopefully, someplace easy to clean up.

BTW, thanks for your help. I just got back from Home Depot and I was able to find the old style lid you recommended. The HD employee looked at me a little funny as I rummaged through 15 trash cans trying to find an unblemished one.


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

patrock, where did you drill the hole in your Brute trash can for the float? Can you post a picture?


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

kcrossley said:


> 32 Gallons hitting the floor.  Holy crap! Just out of curiosity, where was your storage tank located? Hopefully, someplace easy to clean up.


Basement, with a concrete floor and a floor drain (cleanest the floor has ever been) the water went 15' from the can and hit the wall, it would have gone further.



> BTW, thanks for your help. I just got back from Home Depot and I was able to find the old style lid you recommended. The HD employee looked at me a little funny as I rummaged through 15 trash cans trying to find an unblemished one.


glad to help, this is a great community 
Excellent, the HD here only had the new “vented” lids left I drove around to 5 hardware stores before giving up, heck I even called Rubbermaid to see if they still made them any more, the rep said no. BOOOO 
FYI I put a little powerhead in the trash can to keep the H2o moving, maintain gas exchange, and it helps to keep the temp close to tank temps (not the ro water, the conditioned water awaiting the next W/C). If you set the cord ware the handle to the lid is, then the lid should go all the way on. 
HD employees look at me funny all the time! Go into plumbing and ask them for a “bulkhead”, but make sure you have plenty of time!:icon_twis Had one guy who was insistent on helping me (aka pestering) so I said I needed a bulkhead, he looked at me like I had 2 heads 



> patrock, where did you drill the hole in your Brute trash can for the float? Can you post a picture?


I did not drill a hole; I rigged something up w/ PVC. My ro shutoff setup is solenoid/electric based and it will be quite a bit different then yours. Yours has a shutoff that is operated by a buildup of pressure, if I understand it correctly. 
Ware to put the hole, if you plan to roll the full can around, give yourself some “splash room”. If not, then as high as possible with a little room for warping plastic, I think next to the handle the plastic may be more ridged. I’m thinking here that the float valve will tend to bend the plastic somewhat as it starts to “float” more so over extended periods of time. A nice thick and ridged nylon washer may help to minimize warping. 
ooh I almost forgot, make sure the lid will NOT touch the float when it fills up!
I will post some pics for ya later (I’m at work, shhhh)
slightly off topic, an old pic of my SW tank


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I noticed a small ridge inside the Brute trash can where the handles are. That looks like a good fill line. How high do you fill yours?

Also, I wonder where I can get a decal that says "Aquarium Water" to place on the outside of the can so people will know what it is, or a waterproof laser printer paper so I can make my own?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

patrock said:


> FYI I put a little powerhead in the trash can to keep the H2o moving, maintain gas exchange, and it helps to keep the temp close to tank temps (not the ro water, the conditioned water awaiting the next W/C).


You mean you have two Brute cans? One with RO water and one with conditioned water? What do you condition the RO water with?


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

> I noticed a small ridge inside the Brute trash can where the handles are. That looks like a good fill line. How high do you fill yours?


that will work , enough room for the float and the lid won't interfere with it.
I will fill mine 2-4 inches above that ridge. 
Decal, no idea. Sharpie is my labeling system of choice 



> You mean you have two Brute cans? One with RO water and one with conditioned water?


:hihi: ooh heavens no, I have (1) 32 gallon brute (2) 44 gallon brutes and (1) 50 gallon vessel (from a water softener system). the 50 is RO/DI only, one 44 is filled up with salt water for the reef tank W/C, the other 44 is for the fresh water W/C. the 32 gets used for various tasks sometimes for fresh W/C sometimes saltwater W/C (rinsed well, mind you) other times for holding the water that got removed from a W/C to rinse bio media, filters etc.




> What do you condition the RO water with?


Seachem flourish for fresh, instant ocean salt mix for SW 
pics coming.....


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

OK you asked for it,so here ya go.:wink: Here is the solenoid (pink thingy) the other little box with all the wires going to it is a DPDT relay, the solenoid is 120V I don't want 120V over my RO tank so relay drops to 12 V DC for the run to the 50G ro storage tank. the speaker wire carries low voltage to the float switch, H2o level drops and completes the circuit and energizes the relay, relay sends 120 to the solenoid and opens the valve from the tap and sends water to the RO/DI. By default the solenoid is closed so if I loose power no water will be made on accident and overflow the 50.
note the smoke detector above the solenoid:thumbsup:
















5 stage RO/DI 

















DIY float switch. What you can't see.. I installed a (hermetically sealed) mercury switch so when I pull the float switch out I can just lay it on it's side and it will open the circuit and shut off the solenoid to stop the flow of ro

the ball valve is going to a pump in the bottom and is open ended at the other end for filling whatever. by doing this it helps to keep contaminants to a minimum. I meticulously clean and sanitize the pump, PVC, float bottle and the container about every 3 months. 














the 50 gallon for RO. I put a bottle on the floor for size reference and well, it happened to be handy:icon_mrgr









Patrick


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Nice. 

I just installed my RD-106 yesterday. I only had a couple of issues. First, the standard faucet is cheaply made. Quite frankly, although it worked, I didn't trust it so I upgraded to an Ecopure faucet from Lowe's.  http://www.lowes.com/SearchCatalog...=0&newSearch=true&Ntt=ecopure+faucet&x=0&y=0  Much nicer, plus it has a traditional handle.

I also had some problems with the feed water adapter that goes between the cold water supply line and the ball valve. For some reason it kept leaking where the ball valve screwed into the adapter. I messed with it so much I ended up breaking the ball adapter, so I replaced both pieces.

Overall, the install went pretty well. The instructions were easy to follow and well written. At first I was leery about using the quick connectors, but those things are great, plus they make the install go a lot faster. Most of the install time was trying to figure out how all the tubing was going to run. Speaking of which, I really like the color coded tubing. That makes it much easier to figure out what's what.

I've only been running it less than a day, but so far I'd give the Watergeneral RD-106 two cheesy thumbs up. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

I'll post pictures of my rig later this week.


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## patrock (Feb 21, 2008)

Glad to hear you got it up and running, and yea the quick connectors rock. bring on the pics!!


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

I just found out that I may need a water softener for my whole house. Does that affect my RO/DI unit or will it still work with the water softener?


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## fibertech (Apr 29, 2009)

Connect you unit before the softener.
Also, only top off your tanks with pure RO/DI water. If you do not add minerals back to the water for your changes you will stress your fish out. I learned the hard way by doing pure RO/DI water changes. After about a month my fish were so stressed they caught a real bad case of ich. I know it was from the stress because I had not introduced anything new to the tank for months (fish or plants)
I add Equilibrium, traces, baking soda and minimal phosphates to my water.


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## bsmith (Jan 8, 2007)

kcrossley, what did your total kit set you back and how is it's performance so far?


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## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

bsmith said:


> kcrossley, what did your total kit set you back and how is it's performance so far?


I've only had it for about a week. The system costs were as follows:

RD-106: $158.00
Extra Tubing $5.00
Float Valve: $16.50
TDS Monitor: $41.00
Faucet Upgrade: $49.00
(2) Watts 1/4" Quick Connect Straight Valves $6.64
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Total: $282.78

Wow! I didn't realize I spent that much.


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