ro filling up 5 gallon bucket

It depends...
What is your RO unit's rating (gallons per day)?
Do you know what the water pressure is at the membrane?
Do you know the temperature of your tap water?

With our 100 gpd RO unit, I can make 3.5 - 4 g / hr during the warmer months from about May until September with 80 psi water pressure at the RO membrane while the unit is running. The other months it varies quite a bit. During the coldest days we see here, it makes as little as 2 g / hr, but I can usually get close to 3 g / hr during the cooler months if the water pressure is close to 80 psi.
 
fsn77 is right on about it.

To answer the question I think you're really asking you need to provide more info.

1) What's the membrane rated at.
2) What is the water pressure.
3) What's the water temperature.

Those three things have a MAJOR impact on the production rate.


In my case I have obscenely high water pressure. 100psi
I have a certified/tested 90g/day membrane.
I often have pretty warm water 65+.

I clocked my system in Oct doing 105.5g/day.
I suspect now that the water temp has dropped 20F it is likely down to about 80-90g/day. I use mine for all food, and drinking water, and to rinse a few things that wouldn't like mineral build up so I have a 3g pressure supply tank. Hence the instant 3g being available.
 
What is your RO unit's rating (gallons per day)? no, how?
Do you know what the water pressure is at the membrane? no, how?
Do you know the temperature of your tap water? around 40-50
 
Hmm Maybe you have the manual or the model number?

If not you can always just run it, and time it. Run it for 15 minutes and then multiply the the amount it makes by 96. That will be the gallons/day it makes.
 
The linked unit is rated for 100 gpd. Under ideal conditions, it should make almost 4 gallons in an hour. It doesn't appear to come with a pressure gauge (item E), but one could be added easily if you wanted to do so. The low water temperature is limiting your production, but low water pressure might be a greater concern. I've noticed with my own RO/DI unit that low water pressure has a greater negative effect than low water temperature. When the two are combined together, I don't even bother trying to run our RO/DI unit.

Before investing a large sum of money into a booster pump, I'd suggest checking the water pressure at the RO membrane input (pressure gauge installed on the line leading from the last pre-filter to the RO membrane housing).

I've heard that if the RO membrane is not properly seated in its housing, output is greatly reduced. A simple double check to make sure the RO membrane is installed properly in the housing could keep you from having to spend extra money.

Do you have well water or city water?
 
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