Holy Jeebus TDS!!!!!

[Gomer]

Ok...very good and very bad news. It explains a lot (potentially).

Today I got my DI/RO (AWI) unit. I just got it running and I am doing the initial 1hr flush.

The good: Super easy and looks well built. The TDS after only 15 minutes is <5ppm

The bad: I tested my RO/DI that I get from Aquarium Concepts. It was close to 600ppm!!!!!

I've been battling with SPS color for a long time...I wonder how much was because of this. I can't believe it was soooooo high. It was like they just dumped in prime to tap water and called it RO/DI.

 

[patchin]

Boy, that's very strange. Almost doesn't sound possible!

 

[Gomer]

I checked the 2 remaining jugs...both in agreement (615-620ppm). My tap was 380....

 

[sfsuphysics]

600!? sure there's no salt that's in it accidently that's throwing off the conductivity.

 

[Gomer]

there could be some trace salt..but wouldn't it take an awful lot to change 5g of RO/DI to 600ppm?

5gallons = 19L, so 600ppm (mg/L) would be 11.3g of salt. Since salt is mixed at about 1/2cup/gallon, and assuming CaCl2 as a salt mix proxy, 11.3g is 2.2 tsp, so...almost 1.5 cups of salt water.

 

[Raddogz]

No not very much to swing it to 600ppm.

 

[zepplock]

I have 600ppm in my tap water, and 30 after RO unit.
So you just got a tap water. Just hope it had no chlor/chloramine.