hi everyone silly question for some but I've been using an ionics pro5 for three years and i think i may have a problem with the valve that meters out the ratio of waste to pure, I'll have a plumber mate confirm that for me. my question is, as i can't see all the plumbing on the system I don't really appleciate at what stage exactly along the plumbing the ratio valve actually is at, and how it actually works according to the ro filter. My system has a carbon filter, softer, ro then resin. Does the valve sit between softer and the ro, how does the valve actually make the ratio? cheers,
Its on the waste line as it leaves the r/o. Its the same valve you flush the r/o by opening it fully as per your flushing schedule.
Most 4040 suppliers use brass gate valves that have a red circular handle.
Mines the one with the red handle. The hose from that goes outside to the drain.
I'm not totally sure if ionics use a gate valve or not. One of the suppliers used to use a different valve with a square head but I can'r recall which supplier that was. Never the less it was still a valve that could be partially closed.
How does it make the ratio? If you open the valve fully most of the water goes to waste - this is flushing.
As you close the gate valve you start to restrict the amount of water going to waste. (Never completely close the gate valve.)
To find the ratio put the pure hose in a 25 liter container and the waste hose in another. Then run the r/o. Our tap water tds is 122 atm so our waste to pure ratio is approx 55% waste to 45% pure. Higher tap water tds will need a higher ratio of waste to pure.
Ive marked the position of the handle where the ratio was when I first set it up. I have an inline tds meter so its easier for me to find the r/o's sweet spot by watching the tds of the pure from the r/o. At 122 my tds meter will settle on 3ppm from the r/o before di. If its higher I first check the tap water tds and tweek the gate valve if necessary.
Our tap water's tds can climb to 147. I haven't seen it at 80 for a long time now.