# Water Usage



## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

So I just got my first water bill since setting up my 90G back in January and I am shocked! There have been no changes in our water usage other than the tank but according to the City, we used 40 m3 more than our last bill! This 40 m3 converted to gallons is 10,566! I find this improbable.

Other than the initial fill, I use 30G a week: 10G for evaporation top up , and 20G water change (90G tank with 40G sump). The tank was filled 3rd week of January. So since then I've done approx 10 changes.

I use a Spectrapure RO/DI that claims 2:1 waste to product ratio. I have measured the unit's output and I know I'm actually getting 6:1 (I know the temperature and pressure can affect the ratio and have been speaking to Spectrapure about increasing the efficiency).

So when I do the math, I calculate that, given a 6:1 ratio, I should have used 6.8m3 in water changes. 10m3 if you include the initial fill up.

I haven't seen the bill yet as I'm at work so I don't know if there is something else going on. I'm wondering if anyone else tracks their water usage and how it relates to their water bill. Am I missing something here?


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## Bullet (Apr 19, 2014)

After Tory got in, Toronto water rates were hiked 9% overnight but your volume consumed sounds ridiculously high for a home usage 
Do you have a toilet or faucet constantly running ? Leaks ?


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## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

Bullet said:


> After Tory got in, Toronto water rates were hiked 9% overnight but your volume consumed sounds ridiculously high for a home usage
> Do you have a toilet or faucet constantly running ? Leaks ?


We did have a dripping faucet that put out a couple of pints a day but that was fixed back in February.


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## Bassick (Nov 19, 2014)

I would complain to the city, it sounds like you have a leak somewhere or a faulty meter. Either way they will come to investigate if you dispute the charge.


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## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

Tavis said:


> I would complain to the city, it sounds like you have a leak somewhere or a faulty meter. Either way they will come to investigate if you dispute the charge.


I may have to do that, thanks.

I looked into this a bit more:

Water temp: 62F 
Pressure: 62PSI
Time to fill 500ml "product water": 181 secs
Time to fill 500ml waste water: 35 secs

Rounding up that's 6:1 ratio. That seems high.

Last three water bills show a usage, in m3, of 55, 62, and 50. The usage of 62m3 was during the summer months last year.

So let's assume that for this bill the regular water usage was again 62m3. I used approx 130 gallons to fill the DT and sump. 10 weeks has (for the billing period) and I've used 30 gallons each week. So that's a total of 430 gallons. At a 6:1 ratio, that means I've used 2,580 gallons. In m3, that's 9.77. With our current bill being 102, subtract 62 & 10 (rounding up) and your left with 30 m3 unaccounted for. Clear as mud? Thanks for any input


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## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

Update: looked at the daily usage on the Toronto website and according to our meter readings I'm using 2-2.5 m3 to make 30 Gallons of RODI. That's over 500 gallons. I don't know much about plumbing but could the RODI unit be causing some sort of back pressure forcing water that has already been metered go do the drain or is it more likely a faulty a meter?


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## darkangel66n (May 15, 2013)

Are you taking into account showers, toilet flushes, dish washing, and clothes washing?


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## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

darkangel66n said:


> Are you taking into account showers, toilet flushes, dish washing, and clothes washing?


Yes. Daily usage is usually 0.5 m3.


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## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

So I'm still having this problem. I bought a flow restrictor for my RODI unit as the one supplied by Spectrapure was non-existent. It improved the flow rate a bit but the meter reading is still screwed up. I made a batch of about 10-15 gallons RODI and the meter said I used 1.5 m3! 

Since my last post I have done a water change and, until I made the above batch, have been topping up with tap water. Staring to take its tool. Getting red hair algae growing over night on my filter socks and have a Zoa not doing well. Only one fish in the tank as I was waiting to pass the 8 week mark before ramping things up.

Before I call the City to inspect what I suspect may be a faulty meter (and get charged $170), does every turn their taps on full when making RODI or only till their pressure gauge reaches a certain PSI?


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## cica (Feb 10, 2013)

I would try to make 5 or 10 gallons of RODI and also collect the waste water (make sure not to use the water anywhere else during that time). Add them up and compare it to the water meter reading. I don't believe you had 1500 litters of waste water making only 40-50 liters of RODI. 
My RODI is always on fully open tap.


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## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

I'll try that. Good idea. Cheeta


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## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

cica said:


> I would try to make 5 or 10 gallons of RODI and also collect the waste water (make sure not to use the water anywhere else during that time). Add them up and compare it to the water meter reading. I don't believe you had 1500 litters of waste water making only 40-50 liters of RODI.
> My RODI is always on fully open tap.


Ran a test this morning. Made 2.5 gallons of RO/DI. Took 1hr 5mins. There was approx 10 gallons of waste. The meter read befor this was 467.6.7
After the test, the meter read 468.0.0
So according to the meter I used .33 m3 or 87 gallons.
Psi was 50 with tap opened up.
I'm going to run another quick test and see how gph comes out of the tap with no restrictions. Not that it should matter. But I think it's time to call the city back and have them come in and look at the meter


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## 4pokguy (Apr 27, 2011)

I moved into my new home last June and I set up my RODI in the laundry room. I'm feeding it off the faucet from laundry sink. I noticed that the water pressure was only at 40PSI so I tried to figure out why. I found that there was a red tube (the same ones we use on our RODI units) coming from the below faucet and leading to a larger pipe in the corner that goes into the ground. I pulled out the tubing and turned the faucet on and noticed that water was being fed into this tube and going into the ground, that's where I was losing my pressure, and also water. I have since bought a valve to close this drain tube and my pressure in the RODI unit is now up to 58PSI. 
Maybe you have a similar setup where some of the water is being diverted to a drain, thus increasing your water usage.


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## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

I wonder if that was installed to deal with any back flow pressure? I'll look for something similar. I'm doing the same thing you are, attaching my RODI to the faucet in the laundry room sink


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## CamH (Jan 5, 2014)

4pokguy you are effin awesome!!!! I looked for that hose buy didn't see it at first. I investigated the "trickling" noise I thought was just water going down the drain but discoverers a hose connected to a drain spout that was very busy when the RODI was working. So looking for the source of that hose, back tracked and found the same 1/4" hose setup you have. Saddle pierced to the pipe behind the faucet at the base and covered by foam pipe insulation. What it's there for I have no idea but water tricked down it even when there's no back pressure. Assuming it's safe to stop up with a ball valve or something? Just need to find out why it's there.

I owe you large! If we ever meet, beer is on me. Need a coral frag, it's yours! Need a kidney? Good luck!

Cheers!


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## selekt (Nov 27, 2014)

It is there to ensure the traps don't evaporate...drains that don't have regular water flowing in them like laundry room drains...this is to keep them full of water and flushed out...you can just use a bucket of water every so often instead...


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## 4pokguy (Apr 27, 2011)

CamH said:


> 4pokguy you are effin awesome!!!! I looked for that hose buy didn't see it at first. I investigated the "trickling" noise I thought was just water going down the drain but discoverers a hose connected to a drain spout that was very busy when the RODI was working. So looking for the source of that hose, back tracked and found the same 1/4" hose setup you have. Saddle pierced to the pipe behind the faucet at the base and covered by foam pipe insulation. What it's there for I have no idea but water tricked down it even when there's no back pressure. Assuming it's safe to stop up with a ball valve or something? Just need to find out why it's there.
> 
> I owe you large! If we ever meet, beer is on me. Need a coral frag, it's yours! Need a kidney? Good luck!
> 
> ...


No worries Cam. Glad you found it. I closed it off with a ball valve and haven't noticed any detrimental effects. Let me know if you find out why it's there in the first place.


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