What's new

Upgrading an RO system

Buckeye Hydro

Active member
Joined
Jun 18, 2022
Messages
198
Reaction score
128
Points
43
For softened municipal water, and an RO system with 2 to 4 4040 membranes plumbed in series, a good rule of thumb is to set the concentrate to 3+ gpm and set the recycle for half that amount.
 

OurTown

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 8, 2017
Messages
3,591
Reaction score
1,377
Points
113
Location
Ohio
For softened municipal water, and an RO system with 2 to 4 4040 membranes plumbed in series, a good rule of thumb is to set the concentrate to 3+ gpm and set the recycle for half that amount.


Wouldn't the downstream membranes get really high TDS water, especially the last in a series of four? Is the recycle the amount of water going back to the pump inlet? I don't think our system does that because it just has reject and product water flow meters.
 

Buckeye Hydro

Active member
Joined
Jun 18, 2022
Messages
198
Reaction score
128
Points
43
Yes they would - that's one reason it is so important to pretreat for scale forming minerals like calcium and magnesium (aka hardness).

Yes - "recycle" refers to taking some of the concentrate and routing it back to the intake side of the pump.
Some lower-end RO's include a recycle function without a recycle flow gauge... but you are correct - you would want a flow gauge on the recycle.
 

Buckeye Hydro

Active member
Joined
Jun 18, 2022
Messages
198
Reaction score
128
Points
43
If your demand for purified water is low enough, also consider using multiple 2.5" diameter membranes - where the minimum recommended concentrate flow is 1 GPM rather than 3 GPM for the 4" membranes.
 
Top