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Running a RO unit off a hose possible?

Angus

Angus

Member
Joined
29 Aug 2008
Messages
654
Location
Vauxhall, London.
Will i have enough pressure to run an RO unit on my balcony? ideally would like to run it off a hozelock fitting, i am around 5 floors up but my water pressure seems very high on the cold tap (much higher than my old house), it can drop at times during peak use.

From what i can garner by reducing to a 1/4in tubing from the 3/4ths garden hose would give me around 3 Bar if my tap is 1 right? also could adding more stages make it less likely to work? anyone with any experience please give me some advice before i waste my money on the wrong unit... :lol:

Gus.
 
Hi @Angus It all comes down to the pressure reaching the inlet of the RO system. The efficiency drop quite a bit as pressure goes down - it will still produce RO water, but it will take longer and the amount of waste water goes up.

Here is a chart for a popular RO system (1 bar is equal to 14.504 PSI), so if your at 3 bar you should be around 43.5 PSI which for this system would give you about 70% efficiency. This system is 100 GPD (US Gallons Per Day), so if your at 1 bar and say 16 C water it will only produce 18 GPD (or 68 Liters).

ROPSIT.jpg

Cheers,
Michael
 
I run mine off my garden tap outside but our water pressure is woefully low so I have a pumped ro unit which makes for a better rejection rate as well although low winter temps affect the rate quite a bit.
 
Thanks guys :) i reckon it will work after reading what you guys have said, i'm not going to be running the thing all the time as my water use is pretty small, The main reason i want it is for breeding and mixing saltwater, probably keep my planted tank using tap water still.

My thinking is i could just turn it on when i go to bed, have it on a float switch so it just stops when my water butt is full, worst comes to the worst i can get an inline booster pump as an afterthought aswell.

in regards to temperatures would i be better off just having the actual unit inside? obviously the tap water would be the same temp.
 
Angus said:
Thanks guys :) i reckon it will work after reading what you guys have said, i'm not going to be running the thing all the time as my water use is pretty small, The main reason i want it is for breeding and mixing saltwater, probably keep my planted tank using tap water still.

My thinking is i could just turn it on when i go to bed, have it on a float switch so it just stops when my water butt is full, worst comes to the worst i can get an inline booster pump as an afterthought aswell.

in regards to temperatures would i be better off just having the actual unit inside? obviously the tap water would be the same temp.
Click to expand...

Depending on the temps you may have to bring it in or insulate if leaving it out, if the water freezes it will break the unit.

I just have mine plumbed in under the sink with a y adapter from the washing machine feed.
 
Nick potts said:
Depending on the temps you may have to bring it in or insulate if leaving it out, if the water freezes it will break the unit.

I just have mine plumbed in under the sink with a y adapter from the washing machine feed.
Click to expand...
What do you do with the waste pipe out of curiosity? same as the washing machine out pipe?
It doesn't really freeze where i live... like ever... we just get slight ground frost in london these days (climate change)
but still good to keep it in mind, and if having the membranes inside helps with waste then its worth it surely.
 
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