Reverse Osmosis
- Thread starter Kjohnson
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Generally there are service companies who specialize in reverse osmosis treatments. They aren't available in all areas, usually only in areas with high CH fill water, but it varies.
Reverse osmosis removes all (well most) of the dissolved solids from the water. That is everything: chlorine, TA, CH, CYA, Borates, Salt, everything.
Costs vary by region, though typically it costs a little less than a complete drain and refill.
Reverse osmosis removes all (well most) of the dissolved solids from the water. That is everything: chlorine, TA, CH, CYA, Borates, Salt, everything.
Costs vary by region, though typically it costs a little less than a complete drain and refill.
ej76az
0
My city tap water CH is 300-400 
so the empty-and-refill method is pointless.
I researched pool water reverse osmosis in the Phoenix area and found only two companies.
Calsaway uses a truck-mounted self-powered high-pressure RO system that takes 1-2 days.
http://www.calsawayphoenixwest.com/
I was quoted $475.
HiTek Aqua Systems d/b/a Aqualabz uses a smaller RO system that takes 3-7 days and uses the homeowner's electricity ($5/day at highest rate).
http://www.aqualabz.com/
I was quoted $300.
Aqualabz calls its RO system EcoKlear. It's manufactured by Clean Water Products in Tuscon.
http://www.cleanwaterproducts.net/Swimming_Pools.html
I decided to go with Aqualabz because of the lower price. I will post an update after the service is done.
Current levels:
total hardness 1000
CH 750
CYA 150
salt 5200
I find these numbers disgusting considering that the pool is only one year old. After I get the water ROed, I will use the BBB SWG w/ borax method.
Because my city tap water CH is so high, Aqualabz is going to try to get the pool CH down to 200.
My house has a water softener (for the interior plumbing), so maybe I could try to tap into a pipe from the outside and connect to the pool auto-filler (instead of my back yard hose bibb, which is unsoftened). If anyone has any suggestions about that, please post.
so the empty-and-refill method is pointless. I researched pool water reverse osmosis in the Phoenix area and found only two companies.
Calsaway uses a truck-mounted self-powered high-pressure RO system that takes 1-2 days.
http://www.calsawayphoenixwest.com/
I was quoted $475.
HiTek Aqua Systems d/b/a Aqualabz uses a smaller RO system that takes 3-7 days and uses the homeowner's electricity ($5/day at highest rate).
http://www.aqualabz.com/
I was quoted $300.
Aqualabz calls its RO system EcoKlear. It's manufactured by Clean Water Products in Tuscon.
http://www.cleanwaterproducts.net/Swimming_Pools.html
I decided to go with Aqualabz because of the lower price. I will post an update after the service is done.
Current levels:
total hardness 1000
CH 750
CYA 150
salt 5200
I find these numbers disgusting considering that the pool is only one year old. After I get the water ROed, I will use the BBB SWG w/ borax method.
Because my city tap water CH is so high, Aqualabz is going to try to get the pool CH down to 200.
My house has a water softener (for the interior plumbing), so maybe I could try to tap into a pipe from the outside and connect to the pool auto-filler (instead of my back yard hose bibb, which is unsoftened). If anyone has any suggestions about that, please post.
A lot of people in high CH areas use their softened water to top off the pool. It's a good idea. Most softeners aren't big enough for a full fill but they're fine for evaporation/splashout replacement.
I'm super interested in hearing how this turns out, ej76az -
I've been consulting The Google and asking around about the RO option here in Phoenix, pool pros and companies, and no one has a clue if it works or not (aside from the service companies). I recently hired and independent pro who seems to know his trade, and when asked, he confessed that while he'd heard of the process, he had no experience with it - and added that in theory it should be a fantastic solution to the problems that plague us water-wise here in The Valley -
Thread bookmarked -
S
I've been consulting The Google and asking around about the RO option here in Phoenix, pool pros and companies, and no one has a clue if it works or not (aside from the service companies). I recently hired and independent pro who seems to know his trade, and when asked, he confessed that while he'd heard of the process, he had no experience with it - and added that in theory it should be a fantastic solution to the problems that plague us water-wise here in The Valley -
Thread bookmarked -
S
SjrNaz, Welcome to TFP! RO treatments certainly work, many people on the forum have used one or another of the RO services. In the areas where it is available, the cost is competitive with water replacement.
ej76az
0
SjrNaz said:
Aqualabz is scheduled to start 6/21 and finish 6/25, and I'll post the results afterward.
I, too, had trouble with The Google. I found Calsaway right away but that was the only company that showed up despite many different searches. I couldn't believe it's the only company here, so I kept doing more searches using various terms and eventually found Aqualabz. (I think Aqualabz needs to hire someone for search engine optimizing.) As far as I could find, those are the only two companies here. Because of the super-hard water here, I would think pool water RO would be a huge business with multiple competitors. This might be a business opportunity for an enterprising person.
Bama Rambler said:
I don't know if this is the right thread or the right area of the forum, but I'd love some advice on this. The way my plumbing is, I don't see an easy way to tap into an interior line and run a new line to the outside of the house. Is there some way to detect where the pipes are behind the drywall? And there'd be a lot of drywall demo and replacement to install the new line. But the pool's existing auto-water-leveler line could easily be moved from the existing (hard water) hose bibb to a new (soft water) hose bibb. Not sure how much all this would cost, compared to $300 every other year or so for RO (assuming this would eliminate, or reduce the frequency of, the need for RO).
ej76az
0
Aqualabz set up the RO system yesterday afternoon:
[attachment=1:1z0x1wir]2012-06-22_18-05-15_818.jpg[/attachment:1z0x1wir]
[attachment=0:1z0x1wir]2012-06-22_18-05-34_347.jpg[/attachment:1z0x1wir]
It's a little noisier than a pool pump but not annoying.
It produces water that's CH 20!
It's scheduled to finish Monday. I'll post the pool water levels afterward.
[attachment=1:1z0x1wir]2012-06-22_18-05-15_818.jpg[/attachment:1z0x1wir]
[attachment=0:1z0x1wir]2012-06-22_18-05-34_347.jpg[/attachment:1z0x1wir]
It's a little noisier than a pool pump but not annoying.
It produces water that's CH 20!
It's scheduled to finish Monday. I'll post the pool water levels afterward.
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ej76az
0
After 48 hours:
TH 200
CH 180
CYA 0
salt 730
Turned off machine. Tomorrow technician will bring water to correct levels and take machine.
TH 200
CH 180
CYA 0
salt 730
Turned off machine. Tomorrow technician will bring water to correct levels and take machine.
Interesting.
Just be careful what levels they adjust. They may think differently about correct levels than we do.
BTW is that a Illini avatar?
Posted with Tapatalk ... sorry if I sound short ... hate typing on phone
Just be careful what levels they adjust. They may think differently about correct levels than we do.
BTW is that a Illini avatar?
Posted with Tapatalk ... sorry if I sound short ... hate typing on phone
- Jun 12, 2011
- 3,761
- Pool Size
- 19500
- Surface
- Plaster
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Pureline Crystal Pure 60,000
$300 is what I was quoted here in Tucson also. I can drain and refill for a bit over half of that price, but the fll water has a CH of around 250.
Go Illini! Here in Illini-land, water comes out of the tap with a CH of 60. People have to constantly add CH to their pools--well, those with plaster pools anyway....
With a plaster surface having the CH to low can cause the csi to be below -.6 depending on the other levels of the pool. I added rain water this winter and lowered min from ch 350 to ch 290 at that level if the ph was below 7.8 the water became aggressive.ej76az said:
So what are we looking at in that piece of equipment they brought over?
A big cartridge filter?
3 other types of water filters?
A pump?
a couple manifolds?
I wonder what it would cost to make your own and plump by your pool equipment using your pool pump to power it, or a booster pump. Run it couple times a year.
A big cartridge filter?
3 other types of water filters?
A pump?
a couple manifolds?
I wonder what it would cost to make your own and plump by your pool equipment using your pool pump to power it, or a booster pump. Run it couple times a year.
ej76az
0
jb:
I'm going to give the Aqualabz technician a printout of TFP's recommended SWG levels:
pool-school/water_balance_saltwater_generator
I'll post the results afterward.
matt and tlt:
Go Illini! The southwest sure has different water than my home state. I can't even imagine intentionally raising CH like you folks. Here it's a constant and expensive battle to reduce it. I've heard of people who allowed it to get above 1000! (not TFP people, obviously)
chief:
My city water's CH is more than 300, so for me it just doesn't make sense to drain and refill.
bobby:
According to both PebbleTec and my IntelliChlor manual, the minimum recommended CH is 200. I let the RO machine bring it down to 180 because I know it will rise above 200 in a matter of days or weeks. The evaporation rate at this time of year -- 110 degrees and 10% humidity -- is insane, and my auto water leveler is replacing that evaporated CH 180 water with CH 300+ city water.
harley:
This is from the website of the manufacturer of the commercial system Aqualabz uses: "For a $11,200 Investment you can service 300 pools per year for $250 per pool." I'm surprised Pentair or some other company isn't mass-producing a residential pool RO system. I assume it would be way cheaper than $11k. I think RO systems for under the kitchen sink are a few hundred $ up front, plus a hundred or so every other year for replacement filters, plus a hundred or so every several years for a new membrane.
I'm going to give the Aqualabz technician a printout of TFP's recommended SWG levels:
pool-school/water_balance_saltwater_generator
I'll post the results afterward.
matt and tlt:
Go Illini! The southwest sure has different water than my home state. I can't even imagine intentionally raising CH like you folks. Here it's a constant and expensive battle to reduce it. I've heard of people who allowed it to get above 1000! (not TFP people, obviously)
chief:
My city water's CH is more than 300, so for me it just doesn't make sense to drain and refill.
bobby:
According to both PebbleTec and my IntelliChlor manual, the minimum recommended CH is 200. I let the RO machine bring it down to 180 because I know it will rise above 200 in a matter of days or weeks. The evaporation rate at this time of year -- 110 degrees and 10% humidity -- is insane, and my auto water leveler is replacing that evaporated CH 180 water with CH 300+ city water.
harley:
This is from the website of the manufacturer of the commercial system Aqualabz uses: "For a $11,200 Investment you can service 300 pools per year for $250 per pool." I'm surprised Pentair or some other company isn't mass-producing a residential pool RO system. I assume it would be way cheaper than $11k. I think RO systems for under the kitchen sink are a few hundred $ up front, plus a hundred or so every other year for replacement filters, plus a hundred or so every several years for a new membrane.
Sounds good, just did not want them to blindly dump in too much CYA or something.
There are actually a few members here with CH over 1000 ... they just keep a close eye on their pH to avoid scaling issues.
Former Illini myself
There are actually a few members here with CH over 1000 ... they just keep a close eye on their pH to avoid scaling issues.
Former Illini myself
harleysilo said:
I have a RO/DI system for my reef tanks.
Those 3 big cartridges are the actual RO membranes. A couple hundred bucks a piece for that size (possibly more to deal with the higher pressure). Then just a pump and manifolds to direct the water in to water out. You could probably build that for under 1000 bucks.
You can see the input side of the membranes on the top of the picture, output side is on bottom with a yellow valve. Then there's the waste water output. I googled the internet some more and I'd confidently say you could build that easily for under 2000. Those higher output RO membranes can get pricey the higher you go in output in terms of gallons per hour/day.
For swimming pool use you need a very high water recovery rate, which requires high pressure, which raises the price noticeably. Also, special pre-filters are often used to prevent membrane fouling.
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