I bought a wash with an older hydro spray RO system. It still works but needs the membrane filters changed. They are 4"x40". They have them on hydro sprays website for $381. Do I have to buy them from hydro spray or could I get a 4"x40" one from somewhere else for a lot less money?
RO membrane filter
- Thread starter Ontheeyes
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MEP001
Well-known member
40" Reverse Osmosis Filter, 2200 GPD | Kleen-Rite
Get a reverse osmosis filter at a great price with this 40" model from Kleen-Rite! Available now online or by phone.
But I'd go with this one:
Dow Filmtec TW30-4040 RO Membrane | Reverse Osmosis Filtration | Kleen-Rite
Get long lasting filtration and reliable performance with a Dow Filmtec reverse osmosis membrane, available at a great price from Kleen-Rite!
Greg Pack
Wash Weenie
wood brothers has off brands cheap, less than $200 each IIRC. I put one in several years ago and they are still working fine. Don't forget to change your carbon out too. Home depot sells carbon for around $100 a cubic foot with free pick up. By the time you factor in shipping costs it can be the cheapest way to get a cubic foot.
Greg Pack
Wash Weenie
Watts 1 cu. ft. Granular Activated Carbon Media For Whole House Water Conditioning System 0958252 - The Home Depot
Condition cold and hot water, improve taste, remove odors, reduce sediment, sand, silt, rust, chlorine taste, absorb trihalomethanes, and extend the life of equipment with this replacement coconut shell
www.homedepot.com
cooll903
Active member
BW-4040 HF Replaces Hydron 4" x 40" 2400 GPD Brackish Water Reverse Osmosis 680392203809 | eBay
Whole House Reverse Osmosis. BW-4040HF 85(7.9) 2400(9.1) 99.6. Feed Water Flow 3.6m. pH Range of Feed Water During Continuous Operation 2-11. Free Chlorine Concentration of Feed Water 0.1mg/L. pH Range of Feed Water During Chemical Cleaning 1-13.
www.ebay.com
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Based on below catalytic carbon appears possibly to be more than twice the initial cost dollar wise.
We are still debating on changing from our "harder to buy" cellulose acetate chlorine resistant RO membrane sadly set up by Specialty Equip. That would require us to replace our pH buffer with a charcoal filter.
How much add'l labor is possibly needed to change 2x more often with the activated carbom vs the catalytic carbon is a question from this carbon filter green-horn??? Maybe I am misinterpreting the "twice as effective" suggestion???
Catalytic Carbon Media for Water Filters - Activated Carbon (qualitywatertreatment.com)
Last edited:
MEP001
Well-known member
In my experience, one cubic foot of activated charcoal is enough to remove the chlorine for the life of a 4 x 40" membrane. That's with water in the city of Austin which is so chlorinated it's at the same level as a swimming pool should be to be safe.
Yes, catalytic carbon is about twice the cost of regular activated charcoal.
Nothing I can find shows catalytic carbon to last twice as long. It can handle higher flows and removes other impurities from the water that aren't harmful to the membrane. It doesn't appear to offer any advantage for spot-free rinse systems.
Yes, catalytic carbon is about twice the cost of regular activated charcoal.
Nothing I can find shows catalytic carbon to last twice as long. It can handle higher flows and removes other impurities from the water that aren't harmful to the membrane. It doesn't appear to offer any advantage for spot-free rinse systems.
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
Anybody care to suggest a preferred housing to buy where the 1 cubic foot of activated charcoal would be placed in. It seems like housing should make it not too difficult to replace the charcoal & the in & out port should be durable ... preferable stainless steel constructed???
cantbreak80
Maybe I need new clubs
mjwalsh,
A typical 1 cu ft carbon tank is 9" x 48" ...same as a 1 cu ft water softener.
The least expensive tank would be equipped with a manual back flushing valve for monthly "fluffing" of the AGC.
I favor Structural (Pentair) or Clack mineral tanks. They are fabricated from high density polyurethane and fiberglass.
A typical 1 cu ft carbon tank is 9" x 48" ...same as a 1 cu ft water softener.
The least expensive tank would be equipped with a manual back flushing valve for monthly "fluffing" of the AGC.
I favor Structural (Pentair) or Clack mineral tanks. They are fabricated from high density polyurethane and fiberglass.
MEP001
Well-known member
FWIW a lot of older systems just have a tank with an inlet and outlet fitting screwed into the top, no head.
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
What would be involved ... to find & then add a "manual back flushing valve" like cantbreak80 noted? I'd hate to experiment like a royal dummy & learn the hard way of potentially losing charcoal through the outlet. I heard of a laundromat who once had their water softener mineral somehow release (bed gravel issue?) through the outlet creating a "horrific" clogging issue of their numerous washing machine water valves' inlet filters & more!
I won't rule out having the perfect size of 1 cu ft charcoal capacity stainless steel tank made by a local fabricator like we did with our modular boiler system's 3 Amtrol Hot Water Maker 40+ gallon tanks. One of the better things we did at the time ... I noticed few years after we did that ... Amtrol started to make that exact tank out of stainless steel finally keeping their removable internally mounted heat exchanger coil 100% copper.
fastlx
Active member
Sorry to sound stupid... But the wash I took over 5 years ago, I imagine has the original Ro membranes and the original carbon in the tank? This wash is about 20 years old. But is there a water check ( i have a test kit) I can do on the Rinse water tank and deem the membranes are bad/ carbon needs to be changed? The water here is pretty good with the hardness and chlorine levels in the city water supply...
Again sorry if this is a stupid question..
VW
Again sorry if this is a stupid question..
VW
cantbreak80
Maybe I need new clubs
mjwalsh,
Why reinvent the wheel?
Simple inlet-outlet filter systems offer effective treatment without electricity and little or no wasted water. However, these systems do not incorporate an automatic back wash cycle which is designed to redistribute the media, dispose of media fines and minimize particulate accumulation on top of the media bed.
Down flow systems pass through a compacted media bed providing for increased contact time which improves contaminant reduction and overall capacity. However, the accumulation of particulates within the media tank will eventually lead to severe channeling. Water following the path of least resistance flows through only a small portion of the media resulting in diminished performance and flow restriction.
A thorough manual back wash upon installation is essential and periodic back washing (monthly is typically adequate) will greatly improve the long-term performance and capacity of a down flow inlet-outlet GAC system. Adding an automatic valve (Pentair 5810, 5812, 5600, or Clack CK10, WS155) eliminates the need to remember.
fastlx,
Your test kit is likely just testing water hardness.
You'll want a chlorine test kit...easily found at pool and spa dealers...to determine if the GAC is exhausted. And, a TDS meter (continuity tester) for measuring the Total Dissolved Solids in your spot free rinse tank. Cheap meters are sufficient and you can find them online. Heck, ZeroWater even includes a reliable TDS meter with every drinking water pitcher. TDS readings of less than 50ppm is good. TDS above 50ppm will spot.
MEP001
Well-known member
30 is my threshold.
mjwalsh
6 bay SS w/laundromat
[/QUOTE="cantbreak80]
A typical 1 cu ft carbon tank is 9" x 48" ...same as a 1 cu ft water softener.
The least expensive tank would be equipped with a manual back flushing valve for monthly "fluffing" of the AGC.
I favor Structural (Pentair) or Clack mineral tanks. They are fabricated from high density polyurethane and fiberglass.
[/QUOTE]
Thanks for your sharing of info.
Unless there is something labor intensive ... I am overlooking ... on the monthly suggested "BACK FLUSH" the following seems to make sense for us. Any reason to get something similar from one of our self service car wash suppliers?
Granular Activated Carbon Filter System with 9"x 48 Tank & 5600SXT Digital Control Valve (aquascience.net)
The above says it has backflush ... I am not sure that we would gain enough with a built in time clock. Hmmm... lifetime warranty on tank & 5 yr warranty on the controls.
Any chance the above branded Aqua Science GAC Filter System would have too much of a pressure drop affecting the Spot Free Rinse booster pump make up water output to 90 gallon tank to be concerned about???
cantbreak80
Maybe I need new clubs
The Pentair 5600 valve will flow 20 GPM (valve only) with 15psi pressure drop...more than enough for feeding your RO machine unless you have a monster RO.
Not sure what you mean about that booster pump.
The SXT timer is $15 more than the basic electromechanical 12 day timer...it's a bit excessive for a carbon filter but will allow programming the more days between backwashes. The typical backwash cycle is only 10 minutes so...you decide.
Regardless, that's a hella good price...if it's not a counterfeit Pentair. (They're out there...especially online)
Not sure what you mean about that booster pump.
The SXT timer is $15 more than the basic electromechanical 12 day timer...it's a bit excessive for a carbon filter but will allow programming the more days between backwashes. The typical backwash cycle is only 10 minutes so...you decide.
Regardless, that's a hella good price...if it's not a counterfeit Pentair. (They're out there...especially online)