DI for rinse or not

[billenh]

Hi all,

The TDS out of my outside spigot is 28. Would I benefit from a DI system or is that low enough? The kitchen sink is at about 45.

Thanks
Bill

[Bruno Soares]

That's quite low actually. They say spot free is 20 or less. But at 28, you might as well take a chance and see what happens. If you get a DI filter, it should last a while with such low TDS to begin with.

[2black1s]

I would love if my tap water was 28 ppm. Mine typically measures between 450 and 525.

Because of that I did design and build my own RO/DI system for final rinse.

Truthfully, if my tap water was 28 ppm I wouldn't even think about a DI system. I'd be ecstatic with the "clean" water I already had.

I wouldn't think you could be having any water spot issues at 28 ppm that couldn't be easily addressed by more conventional methods, i.e., blow or towel drying.

My water is so bad that is not an option... I can't dry it fast enough to prevent water spots and always need to follow-up with a QD or equivalent.

[2black1s]

Other considerations if you've never used a DI system before...

The flow through most DI systems (unless you're talking about large industrial units) has to be limited so you will never have the full volume of rinse water as you would through your normal tap hose. This makes rinsing more tedious and time consuming. An analogy I like to use is... It's like trying to put out a campfire by urinating on it with an enlarged prostrate LOL. Maybe not actually that bad, but you get the point.

Because of the limited flow it is difficult to flush the "bad" water out of all the nooks (think mirrors, window trim, etc.) so they will continue to drain and leave water spots behind.

Combining the DI system with a pressure washer helps but it's still not like rinsing with a volume of water your used to from your standard hose.

Then there's the cost. Now at 28 ppm the resin beds should last a long time, but with higher TDS levels the resin does not last as long. Replacing the resin is not cheap so it can add up quickly depending how often you need to change it.

With my TDS level (450-525) I'd be blowing through resin in a heartbeat. That's why the system I built is a RO/DI. The RO (reverse osmosis) pre-treatment reduces the TDS to approximately 30-40 ppm or so before the effluent goes through the DI process. That makes the resin last approximately 10-12 times longer than it would without the RO pre-treatment.

[Markymapo]

DI water. Are you running a detail business? If not, but up to you as I just use 1 gallon of DI water using a Worx power washer ($ 0.79 per gallon/ vehicle as a final rinse): no hassle, easy pizzy. I have 4 cars, wash each 2x a month. A DI system would most likely pay off in the long run, especially with the system mentioned by 2black1s

[billenh]

Thanks all. Familiar with RO/DI as I had a reef tank for 10 years. Not a professional.

I do have the big WORX battery washer (725psi) that I purchased specifically for winter washing and have considered just buying Distilled water but I think it's close to 2 bux a gallon here, will need to check. I can spray out of a bucket at 725psi so I should be able to mostly get all the "bad" water out.

My desire in the winter is to at least rinse the truck off between bucket washes and would want to power rinse first with the 28TDS water and then do a final rinse with the distilled or 0TDS water...not touching the truck at this point. I use buckets with the Worx for a water source and was thinking of buying a $60 RO/DI unit and having it fill a 5 gal bucket....only would need one bucket every couple of weeks for the final rinse I think and you right, with the low input water TDS the resin should last a long time.

I'm concerned about the spots because the detailer I had do the ceramic coat said that the truck was loaded with water spots that were difficult to remove. I don't know where those spots came from as I only had the truck for 2 months and the dealer had it for quite a bit longer but at any rate I'm a bit paranoid about them.

[FUNX650]

The TDS out of my outside spigot is 28.
Would I benefit from a DI system or is
that low enough?

The kitchen sink is at about 45.

•IMO:
-You’re quite lucky to have water with
TDS readings in such a low range.

•As to adding a RO/DI System to the outdoor mix
(in order to benefit your car washing tasks):

-How’s your current set-up working out? If it’s
not creating a horrid water-spotting ordeal...do
you really need to interject a RO/DI system into
the flow of things at this moment?


•Something to keep in mind:
-Adding a RO/DI system in the mix will often
bring the TDS readings down to ~0-2.0 range;
and, additionally: facilitate the further removal of
other water contaminates—besides the TDS.

-DI System Outlay vs. Indispensability?


•Keep us apprised of your decision. TIA.


Bob

[Rand0m]

I built my wall mounted DI system (2x 10x4.5” filters) for under $200 including 5lbs of resin. At 28 ppm the resin would last really really long if you’re only using it for a final rinse. But have you tested if the water leaves water spots? I change the resin around 20 but even then I didn’t notice any spots (my wife’s black car only gets a di rinse and air drying ). Even with a DI rinse, I usually still do a quick pass with the leaf blower. The DI rinse is mostly for the crevices and leftover draining water. My TDS is ~220.


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[billenh]

I'm considering a cheap 4 stage RO/DI system (w/refilable DI cartridge), 60 bucks actually. I already have what I need to autofill a 5 gal bucket. I figure the filters will last a long time for my expected water usage.

I may also try a $30 garden hose resin cartridge for the winter just to see how long that lasts with my good water and if I can get distilled water at 0.79/gal I may just do that for now....have to check that out

[Rand0m]

I'm considering a cheap 4 stage RO/DI system (w/refilable DI cartridge), 60 bucks actually. I already have what I need to autofill a 5 gal bucket. I figure the filters will last a long time for my expected water usage.

I may also try a $30 garden hose resin cartridge for the winter just to see how long that lasts with my good water and if I can get distilled water at 0.79/gal I may just do that for now....have to check that out

What system are you looking at?


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