# RO storage and mixing station



## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Right now I'm making RODI water downstairs and hauling 5 gallon jugs upstairs and mixing it up there. I'm too old for that crap, and LOL, I'd love to find a way to get the Brute garbage can out of my living room  I've seen a setup where 2 Brutes are plumbed together with a float valve/auto shutoff on the RODI one, and a ball valve that can be opened to send water to the other container to mix SW in.

I have 2 concerns:

1) my basement is really cold. Would there be any way of either efficiently insulating the SW container so the heater wasn't ALWAYS on, or (preferable) heating the mixed water rapidly only as needed? (It doesn't have to be stored with a heater, just heated before putting it in the tank, right?)

2) setting something up to pump it up from there to do WC's. Again, I saw a site where the pump was plugged in to an outlet that was controlled by a remote; that sounds workable. Unfortunately, I would have to run a long hose each time I did a WC, there is no access to plump it premanently without ripping out drywall, and the laundry room is on the opposite side of the house from my tanks...

Any tips/suggestions/sites would be appreciated...I'm still just trying to formulate it in my mind...


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

Please see my comments below


carmenh said:


> Right now I'm making RODI water downstairs and hauling 5 gallon jugs upstairs and mixing it up there. I'm too old for that crap, and LOL, I'd love to find a way to get the Brute garbage can out of my living room  I've seen a setup where 2 Brutes are plumbed together with a float valve/auto shutoff on the RODI one, and a ball valve that can be opened to send water to the other container to mix SW in.
> 
> I have 2 concerns:
> 
> ...


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Sorry Greg, I'm not sure what you mean. I WOULD use a remote control, and not start the pump until I was up by the tank...


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

carmenh said:


> Sorry Greg, I'm not sure what you mean. I WOULD use a remote control, and not start the pump until I was up by the tank...


That's I wanted to say. Do not do it without remote control, but if you will not be able to find pump with remote, you can use a hubby as a remote control in the basement

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## Chromey (Sep 25, 2010)

http://www.amazon.ca/Wireless-Appliances-Conditioners-Electrical-Equipment/dp/B003TL6FI8


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

Wow. thanks for sharing. I even did not know this stuff exists

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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

LOL, it would save me some cash on a remote 



sig said:


> That's I wanted to say. Do not do it without remote control, but if you will not be able to find pump with remote, you can use a hubby as a remote control in the basement


Thanks! I heard they are cheap after Christmas because people use them for lights. Wish I'd thought of it then... I might also look at Sayal...



Chromey said:


> http://www.amazon.ca/Wireless-Appliances-Conditioners-Electrical-Equipment/dp/B003TL6FI8


One last question...anyone got helpful advice on how to figure out pump size for both height and horizontal distance?

Ok, not last...also, what about insulation/heating?


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

carmenh said:


> One last question...anyone got helpful advice on how to figure out pump size for both height and horizontal distance?
> 
> Ok, not last...also, what about insulation/heating?


What are you planing to heat? I heat water mix just before change.
pump GPH also does not matter, since you do not need adjust pump GPH with Drain GPH. (case with the sump)
you can find GPH/high for all pumps on the web. I think in your case Eheim 1262 will be enough. Horizontal line is not really reduces flow pressure.
Models 1260, 1262 Performance Curve
1260: Max Pump Output: 635gph, Max Delivery Head: 12`1``, Max Power: 65W
1262: Max Pump Output: 900gph, Max Delivery Head: 11`6``, Max Power: 80W

the more powerful is better, but it is more money.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/pp-class...product=29347&title=mag-drive-1800-gph&cat=39

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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I want to heat the salt water before pumping to up, but the water's going to be very chilly, so I'm trying to think of what would heat it quickly and cheap 

Thanks for the pump info...I'll look through my store pond catalogs and see if I have any available to order. I can get a good deal if I can find a Hagen one...

Hmmm, maybe there will be something there for a pond heater, too...



sig said:


> What are you planing to heat? I heat water mix just before change.
> pump GPH also does not matter, since you do not need adjust pump GPH with Drain GPH. (case with the sump)
> you can find GPH/high for all pumps on the web. I think in your case Eheim 1262 will be enough. Horizontal line is not really reduces flow pressure.
> Models 1260, 1262 Performance Curve
> ...


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Hi Carmen,

I have a 55G food-grade barrel sat beside my RO unit in my basement. The RO unit feeds directly into the barrelvia a float-switch shut-off which is drilled and installed high up on the one side.

I drilled 2 holes through the twist-on barrel lid to allow a 3/4" potable water hose to feed through the top of it, I then attached one end of the hose to a submersible 'Quiet One' pump that was dropped into the barrel. The second hole in the lid was for the power cord from the pump to exit and plug into a socket (remembering to leave enough slack in the power cord for a drip loop).

As far as shut-off on the outlet hose is concerned, I use a Watts-style tap on the end of the hose to control/stop flow from the pump, and also prevent siphon effect from over-filling the 5G jugs.

Personally, I don't bother with heating right now - my basement is fully insultated (walls, floor and ceiling) so it doesn't sound quite as cold as yours (though we did when we were mixing salt, but just plonked a heater and a tiny powerhead into the 5G jugs for salt mixing purposes)

Conceptually it sounds like you're considering something similar, but on a larger scale (your hose would need to be much longer, your pump more powerful, and you'd perhaps need a separate vat to mix/warm salt(?), but otherwise the core design doesn't sound too dissimilar?

Originally I set this up for W/C on our 50G reef, but since that crashed 18 months ago (and we didn't have the heart/funds to rebuild, then instead I use this system for conducting water changes on my remaining cichlid tanks.

I'm not sure if this is ANY help whatsoever  , but let me know if you want to see pics of the setup, and I'll see if I can't take a few snaps later this evening?


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

I'd love to see pics when you have time, it does sound very similar to what I have in mind...
Thanks!



Windowlicka said:


> Hi Carmen,
> 
> I have a 55G food-grade barrel sat beside my RO unit in my basement. The RO unit feeds directly into the barrelvia a float-switch shut-off which is drilled and installed high up on the one side.
> 
> ...


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

The first pic hopefully shows the water line from the RO/DI unit entering the barrel via the float valve at the rear.

I teed-off the main supply line to the barrel when I installed the unit, I wasn't sure if I'd ever need a separate supply line (I haven't so far!), hence the loose line with a tap on it.

The second pic shows the hose coming through the top of the barrel (from the Quiet one submersible pump), and with the Wats valve to open/control/stop water flow to my 5G jugs.

The 3rd pic hopefully puts it all in context (kinda like an FTS, but of my not so pretty basement RO/DI install instead!).

<edit> just realized - I drilled a 2nd 3/4" hole in the lid that you'll see in Pic 2... look at Pic3 to understand that when I'm not using the hose I put it back through into the barrel via this hole in an attempt to: 1) keep it cleaner 2) keep it outta the way!

HTH?


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## Chromey (Sep 25, 2010)

45ppm.... hope thats the input


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

Chromey said:


> 45ppm.... hope thats the input


Honestly? I've never changed the filters or resin in 2 years. For the past 18 months it's been used primarily as a reservoir to allow water to age/dechlor for my FW African cichlids - any "filtration/polishing" nowadays is an additional benefit.

Things were different when we had the SW tank, but that was then...


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Thanks a lot for the pics! It does look a lot like what I have in mind. 
Mostly what I'm going to have to look into is heating and/or insulation now. That area is sometimes not much above 50f, and having to raise that to 78f might be the deal breaker.


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## Chromey (Sep 25, 2010)

Windowlicka said:


> Honestly? I've never changed the filters or resin in 2 years. For the past 18 months it's been used primarily as a reservoir to allow water to age/dechlor for my FW African cichlids - any "filtration/polishing" nowadays is an additional benefit.
> 
> Things were different when we had the SW tank, but that was then...


Oh Sorry I didnt read that its not for SW anymore.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

No problem.

If you go a similar route, then a couple of Barricade Insulated Floor Tiles under your reservoir (buy them from Lowes - around $7 each) and a insulating jacket for a hot water tank (around $20-30 I'd guesstimate) might well be your friend here?

Good luck!


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## carmenh (Dec 20, 2009)

Thanks for the tips! I'll update the thread when I decide what I'm doing 



Windowlicka said:


> No problem.
> 
> If you go a similar route, then a couple of Barricade Insulated Floor Tiles under your reservoir (buy them from Lowes - around $7 each) and a insulating jacket for a hot water tank (around $20-30 I'd guesstimate) might well be your friend here?
> 
> Good luck!


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## rickcasa (Dec 7, 2011)

Windowlicka said:


> I have a 55G food-grade barrel sat beside my RO unit in my basement.


Nice barrels. You wont find these at any local box store. Where did you get them? Id like to find barrels that can be made air and water tight hopefully eliminating a float switch altogether.


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## Windowlicka (Mar 5, 2008)

rickcasa said:


> Nice barrels. You wont find these at any local box store. Where did you get them? Id like to find barrels that can be made air and water tight hopefully eliminating a float switch altogether.


The barrels came from a place in Whitby called Envirosponsible - they were great to deal with. The barrel still had some residual brine (or some other food stuff) in it when we picked it up, but nothing that a power washer couldn't take care of!


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## rickcasa (Dec 7, 2011)

Thanks, this is perfect.


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