Spectrapure answers 20 Questions

1. What is the best way to store RO water (if we don't have a drinking water tank)?

SpectraPure: Common methods of storing RO water other than a pressurized tank include portable water storage containers (like the ones you might take camping), 5 gallon water bottles, gas cans and trash cans. We have been told (but haven't actually tried it) that soft-drink bottler's must discard, to be melted down, 55 gal. "food-grade" barrels. These may be free for the asking!

2. What additives would you use to reconstitute RO water to make it useable for freshwater aquariums, from soft water Cichlids to hardwater Cichlids (besides Kent RO Right, maybe some formula of chemical ingredients (that can be bought at hardware or grocery stores) to re-buffer the water, to make it have a certain hardness)?

SpectraPure: The basic chemicals that would be used in a formulation such as RO Right are calcium chloride, calcium sulfate, magnesium sulfate and sodium bicarbonate. Specific ratios of chemicals would depend upon what species of fish you intend to raise.

3. What new products are you working on in water purification equipment?

SpectraPure: Many of the new product introductions we are considering are still in development and are company confidential status. Two of the products we will be introducing as a limited special in the very near future will be low cost versions of our 3 stage RO and 4 stage RO/DI systems. These systems will offer many of the features of our high end systems at a significantly lower price.

4. What do you think of Kent Marine's new HiS high silicate removal membrane? Does this membrane actually work or is it just an advertising hype job?

SpectraPure: We recently tested a HiS membrane at our factory for flow and rejection under the following conditions : 60 psi at 25 degC and 750 micro-siemens feed water conductivity. The data do not indicate that it performs better than other membranes we have tested. It is important to note that the test conditions for the data cited in the HiS membrane advertisement are those used nominally by the membrane manufacturer for large membrane testing, namely, 200 psi at 25 degC and 750 micro-siemens feed water conductivity. These are the conditions under which larger membranes are required to operate in commercial and other high volume applications. Since higher feed water pressure will increase rejection performance these results should not be surprising. SpectraPure tests membranes under the conditions stated above which closely approximate those our customers see. Under these conditions smaller membranes typically deliver an average of 98% rejection.

5. Can the 0.5 micron carbon block or sediment filter blocks for the CSP RO systems be used in the CHP or MaxPure RO units?

SpectraPure: The filter housings for the CHP and MaxPure systems are compatible with the CSP system. However, if you use a 0.5 micron carbon block filter in a CHP unit you run the risk of it prematurely plugging with sediment in high sediment areas since it is not preceded by a sediment filter in a CHP system.

6. The water in my area (Vancouver, BC, Canada) is very soft (1 degree kh & like to use a water purification system for my aquariums (both saltwater & fresh) as well as an emergency water purification system in case of disaster. The water is surface runoff from our local mountains and it is stored in lake reservoirs north of the city. The main form of treatment is Chlorine at 1.0 mg/l. I'd like to know which system you would recommend? Should I use an RO, RO/DI, or just DI (ie. your MBDI system)? I've got concerns about RO units & DI units because I've heard that RO membranes & DI resins do not work well with low pH water (5.5-6.5 in my area).

SpectraPure: Which system you select depends on the contaminants present in your feed water and your marine life water purity requirements. Low pH can lead to high carbon dioxide levels. This is not a problem for RO systems but can lead to premature exhaustion of DI cartridges.

Since your specifications are based on 500 ppm TDS and since my water probably has a lower TDS will the membrane process purified water faster or is the flow rate constant no matter what level of TDS? Given the low TDS in my water will the life of the RO membrane last longer? Also since your DI cartridges are also tested at a 500 ppm TDS what would the life expectancy of these cartridges be (given 420 grains = 300-500 gallons at 500 ppm TDS)?

7. RO/DI questions: - Has the 0.35 micron pleated sediment filter been discontinued?, If so, why? - Are there any thoughts of using separate bed DI cartridges, with user accessible carts (i.e Kent), so we can regenerate instead of throwing exhausted DI carts.?

SpectraPure: The 0.35 micron pleated sediment filter is still available. SpectraPure offers dual bed DI cartridges but not in the user accessible version you're asking about.

8. How do I know the makeup of my cartridges? I read this on a search of Thiel's site under "diatoms".

SpectraPure: SpectraPure's DI cartridges are specially designed for high levels of silica removal. Our multi-layered SilicaBuster (tm) cartridge design is optimized for silica, phosphate and nitrate removal from RO water.

9. I have never had trouble with diatoms until recently. In the past I only use distilled water. I now use the Spectrapure RO/DI unit. I have read that RO/DI will not effectively remove silicates. Is this correct and what if anything can be done. If this is true, is it not a little misleading to sell these products for this intended use, knowing that they cannot effectively remove silicates?

SpectraPure: If your SpectraPure RO/DI system is operating properly you will not see problems with diatoms due to silica. You must take care to change your DI cartridges before they become exhausted. When a DI cartridge becomes exhausted it can release silica back into the pure water stream and actually create high silica levels in your tank.

10. I purchased a LiterMeter from Brian at Reefers. I have been very impressed with Reefers and Spectrapure. My questions are: What are the maintenance issues regarding the LiterMeter? Does the tubing around the pumphead need to be replaced? If so, how often? LiterMeter question: - How long of a warranty does the LiterMeter have?

SpectraPure: We're very happy that you are pleased with your LiterMeter. We're also pleased to tell you that the LiterMeter is virtually maintenance free if given proper basic care (don't step on it or let it fall into you reef tank). In fact we have a unit on life test here at the factory which has run the equivalent of 25 years on a large duty cycle with zero failures. Your question about tubing is a good one since SpectraPure has a proprietary design advantage over other competitors in this area. The test unit mentioned above has never required tubing replacement and shows no signs of needing it. The LiterMeter has a one year, parts and labor, warranty. Enjoy your unit for a very long while to come!

11. Why does the output water smell like old gym socks?

SpectraPure: Water from a properly operating RO or RO/DI system will not have a detectable odor.

12. Does SpectraPure really expect us to keep these things in the fridge?

SpectraPure: We'll assume you're talking having to keep membranes in the refrigerator to avoid degradation due to UV exposure (UV degrades membrane material) and to minimize bacteria growth (smell). This really is a good idea if you need to store a membrane and the possibility of it drying out is high.