There is one more issue regarding the lye and acid. I don't have a dirt patch to do this on, all concrete and landscaping. This is highly problematic because the acid will etch any concrete it comes in contact with. I used a blue tarp (few bucks) to protect the concrete but again, another bother.
I looked at the dual-bed front-end idea. It is tempting from the standpoint of regen but it requires two additional purchases of anion and cation resin. I really don't have the wherewithal to deal with three resin types and to keep them labeled, stored and separated. This was personal so others may not think this is much of a bother.
I settled on the RO membrane cartridge approach because I have experience already with a 6-stage purifier in the garage for our drinking water. I have all of the tubing, H/W, tools and knowledge to setup the RO cartridge which has a slight learning curve to get correct. I also had the waste water pipe plumbed to the garden already, too. Waste water is a huge consideration because you generate a lot when you use the membrane cartridge approach, BTW, but our garden can benefit so there is no "waste" from that standpoint. If I was dumping the waste water it would be a small concern in drought-prone NorCal where I live.
If you have a storage tank then generation speed is not going to be a factor. Have you considered the membrane cartridge approach? The cartridges seem to last a long time (cost ~$50) and my 450-TDI generates 10-15-TDI water which I feed to the mixed-bed tank yielding 0-TDI. It is slow, about 10-20-gph (I never timed it) but I can fill my 50-gallon barrel in a day.
Spotless rinse uses 10-15 gallons (depending on size of vehicle) for me.
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