Tap Water Purifier
Max
Purifier made by Aquariun Pharmeceuticals.
What I know so far...
The top chamber is a mixture of ion-exchange resins that remove various
contaminants, and there appear to be at least three types of resins in the
mixture.
I believe the light amber colored resin and the white colored resins are
rechargable using aquarium salt.
The light green resin is a little more difficult, it changes to a dark
blue/purple color when it is in need of recharging. I have found that it
will react to a strong salt solution by changing from light green to the
dark blue/purple color and that it reacts to a
base (pH Up) in the same way.
However, when I expose the spent resin (blue/purple) to an acid (pH Down,
hydrochloric acid, or sulfuric acid) the resin changes back to a light green
color which I believe indicates that it is recharged. Note that this process
is repeatable.
I believe that the bottom chamber of the Tap Water Purifier is simply some
sort of activated carbon which can simply be replaced but I am only
interested in the resins in the top chamber.
Any ideas?
--
Max
Tom Ross
Try:
http://archimedes.galilei.com/raiar/
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/g_deutschmann.html
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/twp_recharge.html
Tom
Max wrote in message <03X73.3580$_m4.7...@news2.giganews.com>...
Max
I thought those things were rechargable. It appears that I was on the right
track after all. What I had learned about the resins was strictly through
trial and error. Unfortunately my local water supply is VERY high in
carbonate hardness and has a host of other goodies.
It appears to me that with only slight modifications they (Aquarium
Pharmaceuticals) could make the Tap Water Purifier completely rechargable
and save the consumer (us) a ton of money.
But (and that is a big BUT) they (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals) are a company in
search of ever increasing profits for themselves, and making something that
is re-usable would be detrimental to their bottom line.
It is a shame though, because it would be a very good thing to just buy a
completely
re-chargable unit instead of having to seporate the resins and do it
yourself. Personally I plan to create a multicolumn unit so they can be
re-charged seporately.
How about it Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, what is your excuse for not making
the Tap Water Purifier re-chargable? I know that you monitor this NG.
--
Max
Tom Ross wrote in message <7jphmo$6l...@dragon.sk.sympatico.ca>...
Tom Ross
No problem.
I just recharged 4 TWP about two weeks ago, I did not do it as the
instructions said (Gary the guy that wrote the instructions helped me with
this) I dumped all the resin from the 4 cylinders in a big bowl and poured
the lye solution over it. It separated like a charm and I just scooped out
the tan resin with a soup ladle. Rinsed the blue resin with water added the
acid and let each one recharge for about an hour. Rinsed both real good
with DI water and packed back into two cylinders, one Tan and one green.
The 4 TWP gave me one complete cylinder of each resin plus a bit left over.
Recharging will be simple now.
According to Gary when you have the 2 cartridges full of the different
resins, run the water through the color change resin first then the tan
resin.
FROM GARY:
When separated, water should flow through the color change resin first, and
then through the tan resin. If you use multiple cylinders, it should
alternate, color, amber, color, amber, etc. Although you can place a small
amount of color change in a clear pill bottle as the last micro-cylinder to
watch for color change after the main resins no longer change color at the
proper rate.
Have fun
Tom
Max wrote in message ...
Scicarb
pharmaceutical and water filter manufacture. Our quality is very good
and we sell in 1-25kg sizes. Our products are research grade with
surface areas between 900-1300 meters square per gram and we
feel very favorable prices. All of our carbons come from renewable
resources. We only sell through the Internet but you can order online
at http://www.scientificcarbons.com.
--
Scientific Carbons - U.S. Activated carbon
manufacturer - A USDA Alternative Agricultural
Research and Commercialization (AARC) Company in a
public/private partnership providing high quality
activated carbons from agricultural sources.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
Max
and construct my unit when they arrive, and plan on building my unit using
three chambers, possibly adding a small mixed bed chamber as an indicator
chamber.
1) Carbon
2) Green Resin
3) Brown Resin
4) Mixed Bed
I will be using the TWP cylinders & caps as they are using a homemade gasket
to prevent leaks and allow servicing.
The top cap of each cylinder will have two holes drilled in them with one
hole used as an inlet tube that extends to the bottom of the cylinder, and
the other used as an outlet tube.
Last but not least, the whole thing will be held together with two wood
plates cut in a triangular shape that have holes routed out to accept the
cylinder caps and will be secured by a long rod in the center with a wingnut
at one end for easy disassembly.
I estimate that my unit (once built) should last three times as long as a
single TWP cartridge alone, and as an added bonus it will be fully
rechargable.
Thanks again for the information.
--
Max
Tom Ross wrote in message <7jrbbt$70...@dragon.sk.sympatico.ca>...
>Hi Max:
>
>No problem.
>
>I just recharged 4 TWP about two weeks ago, I did not do it as the
>instructions said (Gary the guy that wrote the instructions helped me with
>this) I dumped all the resin from the 4 cylinders in a big bowl and poured
>the lye solution over it. It separated like a charm and I just scooped out
>the tan resin with a soup ladle. Rinsed the blue resin with water added
the
>acid and let each one recharge for about an hour. Rinsed both real good
>with DI water and packed back into two cylinders, one Tan and one green.
>The 4 TWP gave me one complete cylinder of each resin plus a bit left over.
>Recharging will be simple now.
>
>According to Gary when you have the 2 cartridges full of the different
>resins, run the water through the color change resin first then the tan
>resin.
>
>FROM GARY:
>
>When separated, water should flow through the color change resin first, and
>then through the tan resin. If you use multiple cylinders, it should
>alternate, color, amber, color, amber, etc. Although you can place a small
>amount of color change in a clear pill bottle as the last micro-cylinder to
>watch for color change after the main resins no longer change color at the
>proper rate.
>
>
>Have fun
>
>Tom
<SNIP>
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.
Here, this will save you tons of work!
I use clear plastic spaghetti cannisters with the old fashioned wire
lockdown clip to hold the rubber gasketed lid closed. They were super
cheap on sale for 4.99 when I bought them, but the regular price was
only 7.99 each.
You don't need to buy or make fittings for the hoses if you drill a
hole the exact size of the OD of the tube or just snug, slide the tube
into the hole and inside the end of the tube, slip a snug fitting
rigid tube about 1/4 inch long until it is flush with the end of the
tube, then pull it back so that the tip is only 1/8 inch inside the
cylinder. I have nylon faced foam I cut to fit the container, but
almost any dense filter media will work, to keep the resin from
escaping from the cylinder into the hoses.
You can take a small clear pillbottle to make your indicator, making
the connections the same way and only using about 1 teaspoon of
cationic resin (color change resin) in it, after your old cationic
resin begins to turn color to fast from age and repetitive recharges.
TTUL
Gary
Max
How did you originaly discover that the TWP cartridges were rechargable?
Until I was directed to your article, I was just using the trial & error
method.
That was a clever way of separating the resins, I had not considered the
specific gravity of a liquid to do it. My first attempt at separation was by
stirring the mixed resins and letting them settle, then siphoning the brown
resin off the top of the pile.
Does the green (color change) resin loose its effectiveness over time,
despite the faster color change that you indicated will eventually happen?
Thanks,
--
Max
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr. wrote in message
<37666e1e...@news.primary.net>...
Nullman
month or so since I get 50g max for one.
I think I'll just do a 3 chamber, the same first three as you. I am
going to use three of their endcaps, since I already have two sets, I
just need to order a 3rd. I have tons of spent carts in the closet.
:)
Thanks!
Mike
I am not sure I know where to get lye (or how to use it) to seperate
the resin. But, I'll check out the links provided in a earlier post.
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.
> How did you originaly discover that the TWP cartridges were rechargable?
It's the nature of manufactured resins to be rechargeable!
Knowing that really pissed me off when AP publicly stated that their
TWPs could not be recharged.
I jotted a formula down on paper and sent it to them. Received a
reply from them stating that their product cannot be recharged.
So I developed a recharge kit and sold it below cost to the aquarists
to get back at them.
>Until I was directed to your article, I was just using the trial & error
>method.
>
> That was a clever way of separating the resins, I had not considered the
>specific gravity of a liquid to do it. My first attempt at separation was by
>stirring the mixed resins and letting them settle, then siphoning the brown
>resin off the top of the pile.
I used to use very dense saltwater to separate products, however, to
make the recharge kit feasible I had to do it using the chemicals
themselves.
Then came the EPA and Greenpeace, so the formulas had to be altered
slightly to insure the waste after use produced a product that was pH
7.0 and harmless to septic tanks and sewer sytems. And I don't even
want to get into the shipping regulations and red tape. Suffice it to
say, since the product was being sold below cost already, I decided to
just give the directions away free, and how to obtain locally
available off the shelf products to do the same thing just as
effectively.
>Does the green (color change) resin loose its effectiveness over time,
>despite the faster color change that you indicated will eventually happen?
The cationic resin does not lose its effectiveness, but the
multi-layered dyes that produce the green to blue change does wear
out. Basically, you have red dye covered by a blue dye covered by a
yellow dye, the yellow dye lightens causing the two dyes under it to
appear as blue/violet. The only dye actually changing color is the
yellow or used as the indicator, however, under the influence of
strong acid, the red and blue can turn clear also until the resin is
rinsed.
By keeping a little extra of the color change resin aside for later
use, you can take a small pillbottle and place about a teaspoon of
this into the pillbottle. And replace it after each fourth or fifth
recharge with fresh (charged once) resin. The older resin can be
dumped back into the cylinder for use, even though it is not accurate,
it does function normally as far as removing contaminants.
There is an industrial grade resin that never looses it's color, and
goes from red to yellow I believe, it doesn't have the capacity of the
green to blue resin type, but as an indicator will last several years.
If you can cobb a tablespoon of this resin, your set for life!
Back when we were running longetivity tests on a single AP TWP
cylinder, we had crossed the 300th recharge and the output still
produced water in the .06 microsiemen range, but rarely got back down
to .05 like brand new resins. But were only talking about 1/100th of
a point.
TTUL
Gary
Gary V. Deutschmann, Sr.
The lye is Lewis Red Devil brand which is 100% pure.
Locally it is available at 3 of the 5 chain grocery stores in my area.
You can always call the manufacturer Reckitt&Colman at 1/800/456-9477
and ask for a store near you, or asked for their home shoppers flyer.
They do have a minimum order of 3 products equalling one case of 12
and carry many products you probably already use anyhow like:
Airwick products, Resolve, Woolite, Lysol, Easy Off, Bully, Saniflush,
Old English waxes, d-Con, Binaca, some French's products like mustard
& worcestershire, fried onions and Potato sticks and Cattlemen's BBQ.
I buy direct and order a case of lye, a case of Bully toilet bowl blue
and a case of BBQ sauce, plus a split case of some other items to get
their better shipping rates. Stuff I buy at the store anyhow!
TTUL
Gary
Max
Would you be interested in sharing some of those spent cartridges?
--
Max
Nullman wrote in message <37669f72...@news.supernews.com>...
>This sounds like a great idea. I have to buy 3 of those carts every
>month or so since I get 50g max for one.
>
>I think I'll just do a 3 chamber, the same first three as you. I am
>going to use three of their endcaps, since I already have two sets, I
>just need to order a 3rd. I have tons of spent carts in the closet.
>:)
>
>Thanks!
>Mike
>><SNIP>
>>
>>
>
Jim Lanigan
Jim Lanigan
Philadelphia
JimLa...@spamthisaol.com
(remove the spamthis)
Max
http://archimedes.galilei.com/raiar/
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/g_deutschmann.html
http://www.reefs.org/library/article/twp_recharge.html
Also, see the rest of this thread for further information.
--
Max
Jim Lanigan wrote in message
<19990617145956...@ng-fu1.aol.com>...
Max
It's what I expected anyway.
--
Max
Max wrote in message ...