Is deionized water the same as reverse osmosis?

**edonthenet** · 08-17-2005, 10:02 AM

Would RO water give you the same no-towel, spotfree finish as deionized water? I`m thinking of getting an RO system if it does.

**ZaneO** · 08-17-2005, 10:09 AM

RO is not quite as good as DI, IMO. DI goes through one extra filtration process.

**Setec Astronomy** · 08-17-2005, 10:23 AM

The processes are completely different, even if the results are similar. The volume produced by RO systems is very small, which usually necessitates a storage tank. RO also "wastes" a significant amount of water as part of the process.

**cgc2** · 08-17-2005, 10:33 AM

RO water would give you a spot free wash/rinse, as does DI.

Problem is, your looking at about $1,400.00 for a 80 gallon RO with pressure tank.

And every 6 months you would burn(deepending on quanity and quality of water) another

$130.00 for filters.

A side benefit could be to run a line into your home for RO drinking water too.

The waste water could be a problem for some folks too.

I am currently evaluating my options at this time.

**edonthenet** · 08-17-2005, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by cgc2

RO water would give you a spot free wash/rinse, as does DI.

A side benefit could be to run a line into your home for RO drinking water too.

The waste water could be a problem for some folks too.

That was my idea. I can get an RO from http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/ for around $350 and a pressure vessel for another $200. I have an oiless compressor in the garage so I could use that to charge the tank. Storage would be nothing more then a clean plastic barrel with a valve to switch from the RO water tank to the barrel. So, I would have an auto-filling system and 50 gallons of RO water for washing the cars, charged in the tank to 60-80 psi. Sounds like a winner? Filters should run about $100 per year and $150 every other year for a new membrane.

As far as water waste it is a 4/1 ratio for making RO water but this system shuts off when the tank is full, so it doesn`t flush clean water down the drain like most systems. Plus we are on well water so there`s no additional cost for water.

**Terran** · 08-17-2005, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by edonthenet

Plus we are on well water so there`s no additional cost for water.

That`s not entirely true...it takes electricity to pump that water out of the well. Another concern is your well running out of water...it does happen to some people even when they aren`t flushing 4 of every 5 gallons down the drain. I believe the amount of water a well produces is something that`s measured before a new house is built, but if you don`t have this information it might be a good thing to get measured (a well drilling company should be able to do this).

**qadsan** · 08-17-2005, 09:28 PM

Originally Posted by edonthenet

That was my idea. I can get an RO from http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/ for around $350 and a pressure vessel for another $200. I have an oiless compressor in the garage so I could use that to charge the tank...

Seems like a good idea on the surface (lower cost per gallon than DI, etc). It would be great if we could figure out which components from the various manufacturers offer the best price / performance / quality and then use the collective buying power here to negotiate a killer group deal for people who want this type of product. Maybe with enough hunting / shopping we could get the price down to $250 or less for a high quality RO system with a pressure vessel, tank, valve etc. There`s probably lots of overseas companies supplying systems to companies here in the US who in turn market these products under their own names at greatly inflated prices. Perhaps we can buy from the source or deal with a reputable company that`s willing to cut us a great deal if we buy a certain quantity, etc.

**edonthenet** · 08-17-2005, 09:42 PM

Originally Posted by Terran

... Another concern is your well running out of water...

3 years ago we had lost our well pump to a lightning strike so they pulled up the old one & replaced it. Our pump is 220 ft down and our watertable was at 80 ft. Seems Somerset County has the largest underground watersupply in the state (NJ) and is one of the last to still allow wells with new construction. The well guy said there is an aquafier that stretches from the Catskill Mountains some 70 miles north and follows the Appalachian basin some 600 miles long. Pretty smart for a well guy but some interesting FYI also.

**Steve530** · 08-17-2005, 10:28 PM

You could just put that 4 gallons back in the ground. That`s where it will end up anyway.

**rollman** · 08-18-2005, 04:32 PM

Why not just get DI filters ?

**zimmerDN** · 08-18-2005, 07:17 PM

How? Pull seaweeds from the ocean floor?

**JasonD** · 08-18-2005, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by Steve530

You could just put that 4 gallons back in the ground. That`s where it will end up anyway.

That`s what I was thinking, can`t you just redirect that wasted water back to the well?

**edonthenet** · 08-18-2005, 09:15 PM

Originally Posted by JDookie

That`s what I was thinking, can`t you just redirect that wasted water back to the well?

You can but it would have to be applied from the topsoil. Once applied there, it leaches at the rate of approximately 1 inch per day. Any evaporation would slow that up. So, you are looking at a very little amount actually making it into the water table area. Directly dumping water into the well is a big no-no as it could add bacteria to your water.