Using RO/DI waste water

[bkvreef]

Since spring/summer time is near I was wondering if I can make use of the waste water from the RO/DI to water the yard or plants?  Will the impurities that are filtered out be to strong to be used on the grass or plants?

[mdcoblentz]

It should be just fine to water plants and other simple activities with.  Unless you're talking about orchids or other finicky types

[bkvreef]

What taking care of my tank isn't enough time consuming?
Flowers that die every fall?  I finally got to the point were I wasn't killing fish every year 

Thanks mdcoblentz

[verper]

It should be just fine to water plants and other simple activities with.  Unless you're talking about orchids or other finicky types

+1  Although I don't know a thing about orchids.

[Amstar]

I saw somewhere that you can use one of those low pressure sprinklers for flower beds and just hook your ro/di waste water line up to it.  I believe wal-mart sells them.

So I guess if you had a long enough line of ro waste water line you could actually use it to water the grass??

[ohioreef]

I saw somewhere that you can use one of those low pressure sprinklers for flower beds and just hook your ro/di waste water line up to it.  I believe wal-mart sells them.

So I guess if you had a long enough line of ro waste water line you could actually use it to water the grass??

Would probably work great with a drip irrigation system but probably not so well to water the grass.

[Amstar]

using something like this???

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=241454-13598-15300U&lpage=none

sure it wouldnt get a huge area... but like stated it might work in a garden or the flower-bed

[ohioreef]

Would depend on the pressure coming out of the waste line. I would think a lot of pressure would be lost pushing the water through the membrane.

[MechanicalEngineer]

No, you can't use waste water on orchids...I grow them. 

We run our waste water into our washer...and sometimes I water plants with it.  So yes, it's fine. 

[Amstar]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1598708

I thought I saw something like this on reefcentral.. So i asked someone to find the link.

[Russ]

If you can do it, use a long enough tube to reach your washing machine - and as Reed'd up said - do you wash with it.

Russ

[bkvreef]

the washer won't overflow?

[Russ]

It will if you let it.

[Reefd Up]

the washer won't overflow?

Hehehe...we've had that happen all too often.  You just have to watch it or set up a shut-off system.

[bkvreef]

Sorry maybe a better way of asking is this:  Does the washer have a float valve so that it fills until it trips the float and then won't fill anymore?  So that if I add water prior to the start up it will still only fill up to the normal level.

[Russ]

No sir

[bkvreef]

No sir

I'm sorry if I'm not understanding.
If the washer adds 10gal of water normally even if I add 7gal of waste water it will still add 10gal?

[Russ]

Your washer will "know" when it is full.  So if you added 7 gallons of waste water, it would only add 3 more.

The potential still exists to overflow the washer because you don't have a float valve on the end of the DI tube however.

Russ

[bkvreef]

Thanks for the insight.  That answers alot of questions

[Reefd Up]

Just to clarify for anyone else out there (the train of thought up above might be confusing to some):

If your waste water goes into the washer, if you don't turn the RO/DI off or have it set up to shut itself off with a solenoid...your washer will overflow.

If you fill your washer up only halfway with waste water and want to run a load of laundry, the washer will fill itself up to the level selected on the washer.  So, if you want to run a full load of laundry and only have the washer half full of waste water, the washer will know to add another half bin of water. 

[bkvreef]

Thanks.
I'll now ask the question my wife will pose to me.
Using waste water will it affect the cleanliness of the clothes?

[Russ]

I've been using waste water for laundary for years - seems to work fine- I can't tell a difference in the laundary.

Russ

[Riderc82]

My waste water goes into the washer and so far no one has told me I stink so I think you'll be fine. 

[chromiumlux]

BFS hit the nail on the head. Thats what I do. Tube runs to washing machine. works great.

[bkvreef]

Well it works so far.  Granted the first load I used the water had to be washed several times but that was because leaving it in the washing machine for a full day after you wash it tends to leave it not smelling to good 

[micki]

Well it works so far.  Granted the first load I used the water had to be washed several times but that was because leaving it in the washing machine for a full day after you wash it tends to leave it not smelling to good 

LOL That is too funny! 

[bkvreef]

Funny until you wear one of those t-shirts to church last night and realize (too late) that it was put into the dryer too late!!!
Stinky

[Wall_Tank]

If you fill your washer up only halfway with waste water and want to run a load of laundry, the washer will fill itself up to the level selected on the washer.  So, if you want to run a full load of laundry and only have the washer half full of waste water, the washer will know to add another half bin of water. 

This is difficult if you have one of those new fangled front load washers.  Not only is it hard to fill up with the door open, but they empty at the beginning of the cycle.

[buckeyereefer]

  i am trying to figure this out myself. i also have a front load machine. i am thinking of
a container for the waste water to be stored in and have a hose running to the back
of the washer where the water is hooked up. one problem is if i have 50 gallons of RO/DI
water i will have 150 to 200 gallon of waste so that is alot of storage space! this is in
the thinking process now but is something i definitely want to do. i feel bad about the
waste water being "wasted". 

[TechGuy]

Mine goes into the washer, or the Chiclid tank.

[UDJustin]

you could run a straight DI system and not use an RO and then you wouldnt have the waste water problem

[aquavista99]

you could run a straight DI system and not use an RO and then you wouldnt have the waste water problem

True, but you would have a huge DI waste problem (IE, the  DI resin will not last long if feed raw tap water as opposed to your water being pre-filtered by a carbon block and a RO membrane first). 1 cartridge refill (1.25 pounds) of Nuclear Grade DI Resin will cost you about $8-$12 ...you may be able to get 10 gallons or so of DI filtered water before the resin expires, depending upon the source of your water. Burning through DI resin is expensive, even if you buy it in bulk (unless you have a nano tank). Purchasing a pre-made saltwater mix from your LFS would be cheaper than filtering tap water through DI only in my opinion. 

[TechGuy]

True, but you would have a huge DI waste problem (IE, the  DI resin will not last long if feed raw tap water as opposed to your water being pre-filtered by a carbon block and a RO membrane first). 1 cartridge refill (1.25 pounds) of Nuclear Grade DI Resin will cost you about $8-$12 ...you may be able to get 10 gallons or so of DI filtered water before the resin expires, depending upon the source of your water. Burning through DI resin is expensive, even if you buy it in bulk (unless you have a nano tank). Purchasing a pre-made saltwater mix from your LFS would be cheaper than filtering tap water through DI only in my opinion. 

It would be cheaper. Just don't get PetLand in Piqua's Pre-Mixed Tap Water. Or Jacks in Sidneys phosphate enhanced water

[UDJustin]

you would still use a carbon and prefilter, you could also get rechargeable DI resin which would come close to balancing the cost of you wasting all the water and be more enviornmentally friendly than wasting all the water.

[aquavista99]

I recall Russ stating at the RO/DI meeting that recharging DE Resin is not cheap and/or easy to do?  In any event, carbon and a pre-filter will not protect the DI resin that much....not like a RO membrane would. Eco friendly yes but labor intensive as well.

If anyone is interested in Nuclear grade DI Resin, I am bringing some to the swap for sale (listed on fragswapper.com)

[aquavista99]

FYI-How to Recharge DI resin

I found a good article on how to recharge DI resin for the DIY folks. However, the rub is that you need (emphasis added)  RO/DI water, along with various chemicals, to make/recharge the DI resin.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-09/nftt/index.php

[Wall_Tank]

FYI-How to Recharge DI resin

I found a good article on how to recharge DI resin for the DIY folks. However, the rub is that you need (emphasis added)  RO/DI water, along with various chemicals, to make/recharge the DI resin.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-09/nftt/index.php

Okay, glanced through that.  Lye, Muriatic Acid.........  I'll just continue to buy it

[Russ]

That what I was getting at at the meeting.  We don't provide instructions for recharging because of liability issues related to working with strong bases and acids.