Anyone have much experience & advice with DI/Spotless water filters?

I'm looking to buy a DI system for washing my M340, Ram 1500, and wife's car (probably also occasional cleanings for our motorcycles, home exterior windows/solar panels).

I've had this OTG Dual Bed setup in my Amazon cart for a week, while I dig around for better or equal-but-cheaper options. I've considered the Spotless DIC-20 but have seen enough broken canisters to be weary of their plastic construction (though I wonder if those people's water pressure mains wre unusually high).

What have you guys used that ended up lasting multiple years? Where are you sourcing your replacement media?

Our water comes from Vallejo CA's system which, after some digging, typically ranges between 150-325ppm, averaging ~200, relatively high and confirmed by the buildup on everything that's touched by tap water in/around our home.

I've had the CR Spotless DIW20 for about a decade and haven't had issues. Why the need to change from OTG?

End the day, it just comes down to your resin quality. You can get a little extra life (10~15%) doing a carbon and sediment prefilters but that's also another set of canisters to maintain.

I have the CR DIC with the conversion kit below so you can fill the canisters direct instead of messing with the cartridges. You get noticeably more life from the increased capacity. I get resin from the same place.

https://rv-mods.com/store/DIC20-conversion-kit-p105868881

Ultimately, I'm trying to stay at/under ~$400 on the filter. Just enough for a decent/good setup that's refillable with bulk media rather than proprietary cartridges (e.g. $$$).

louielouie wrote

I've had the CR Spotless DIW20 for about a decade and haven't had issues. Why the need to change from OTG?

End the day, it just comes down to your resin quality. You can get a little extra life (10~15%) doing a carbon and sediment prefilters but that's also another set of canisters to maintain.

Not replacing, the OTG is just in my cart, ready to buy if I don't find a better option prior to pulling the trigger on the order. How many gallons do you usually get before you need to change media? What's the ppm reading from your tap?

Good idea re the pre-filter. I have a (replaceable) inline filter that I've used for filling up our ~400gal hot tub. Haven't done a digital test on it but it definitely cut the hardness (calcium) level per the color changing test strips (which didn't even register a minimum reading). I'll definitely pick up another one for the inlet on the DI setup.

allinon72 wrote

I have the CR DIC with the conversion kit below so you can fill the canisters direct instead of messing with the cartridges. You get noticeably more life from the increased capacity. I get resin from the same place.

https://rv-mods.com/store/DIC20-conversion-kit-p105868881

Nice, thanks! Between the above pre-filter and something like this, I won't stress over using DI water for quarterly solar/house-window cleaning jobs. We back up to an agricultural field, and the wind pretty much ONLY blows east, from the field to our home, so we get a LOT of dust on everything not inside the house/garage... at least the motorcycles are in the garage.

Hopefully I get the wife's ok to buy a shipping container to use as a shed, windows/insulation pre-installed. They're much, MUCH better than similarly priced wood sheds for weather/pest proofing, insulation, and shelving. I already have the equipment for it for an off-grid solar setup for ventilation, lighting, and occasional tool use. That way, I can move all of our garage stuffs in there and just keep the car in there with the bikes, greatly reducing my current weekly washing needs.

FWIW, I have the CR Spotless DIW-20B (wall mounted version with integrated bypass). I was also concerned about the few reviews I saw documenting broken canisters.

After owning it, I don’t see how someone could break one of these. I’d surmise that they must be creating a condition where there’s big sudden pressure change or water hammering. When I apply pressure to it, I open up the valve about 25% or so and let it fill. Then I go the rest of the way. It’s been trouble free for me. But I am on well water with a 2 GPM pressure washer (Kranzle 1322), so I’m not applying tons of water pressure or high flow.

To use these systems provides quite a bit of convenience and reduces a lot of the annoyance and stress of dealing with water spots. But that comes at a cost and everyone has their own threshold for what they consider reasonable to spend on resin.

IMO, forget the purchase cost of the unit. You’ll spend more in resin over the life of it, so buy what makes sense for how you plan to use it.

Appreciate the feedback so far - I ended up going with the OTD Dual Bed that I mentioned in my OP rather than the DIC-20 since they'll fit better on the cart I have already - the unmixed media should provide 2-3x as much useful life from the resin vs mixed bed.

To assist with that, I also got a Pentair Filter Housing, 3/4" NPT #10 and
Pentair Pentek EP-10 Carbon Water Filter to protect the media from our highly chlorinated water (which will halve the life of the resin, regardless of TDS from the tap).

My setup will include Y-valves to bypass the Pre and DI filters, which all runs to the AR Blue Clean XWM2300 pressure washer that I just picked up from Costco... I already have a 3100psi Honda-powered Ryobi but figure it's a biiiiit much for car washing duty and the 1.3gpm won't over-task the DI system like a 2.3gpm might.

I'll follow-up once it's all setup and I've got 1-2 washes under my belt, in case any one else is considering going with a similar setup.

I was in the same boat a couple of years ago. I used the videos by Cars with Keav (https://www.youtube.com/c/carswithkeav) as a starting point. He has some really good advice re DI filters and power washers. I ended up with the SpotBye filer (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFKKPX1D?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1), and I refill it with "Columbian BamBam" as Keav says. It is not expense and it is quite good.

Please note that you want a filter that can handle a flow-rate that is sufficient for your pressure washer.

Appreciated, txmav

I'd looked at that SpotBye filter, too. My washers are rated at 1.3 (electric) and 2.3gpm (gas), the OTG Dual bed should cover the 1.3 with some head room at a rated 2gpm flow rate...

I'm actually considering returning the electric pressure washer in favor of a higher flow, lower pressure unit (costco purchase, still unopened, as I was waiting for all the filter parts to come before using it) and maybe go with the Ryobi RY14AM12 (their car-washing specific model) which will add ~40% more flow at 1.8gpm.

cg_ops wrote

Ultimately, I'm trying to stay at/under ~$400 on the filter. Just enough for a decent/good setup that's refillable with bulk media rather than proprietary cartridges (e.g. $$$).



Not replacing, the OTG is just in my cart, ready to buy if I don't find a better option prior to pulling the trigger on the order. How many gallons do you usually get before you need to change media? What's the ppm reading from your tap?

Good idea re the pre-filter. I have a (replaceable) inline filter that I've used for filling up our ~400gal hot tub. Haven't done a digital test on it but it definitely cut the hardness (calcium) level per the color changing test strips (which didn't even register a minimum reading). I'll definitely pick up another one for the inlet on the DI setup.



Nice, thanks! Between the above pre-filter and something like this, I won't stress over using DI water for quarterly solar/house-window cleaning jobs. We back up to an agricultural field, and the wind pretty much ONLY blows east, from the field to our home, so we get a LOT of dust on everything not inside the house/garage... at least the motorcycles are in the garage.

Hopefully I get the wife's ok to buy a shipping container to use as a shed, windows/insulation pre-installed. They're much, MUCH better than similarly priced wood sheds for weather/pest proofing, insulation, and shelving. I already have the equipment for it for an off-grid solar setup for ventilation, lighting, and occasional tool use. That way, I can move all of our garage stuffs in there and just keep the car in there with the bikes, greatly reducing my current weekly washing needs.

Tap is about 250ppm I think? I usually replace the resin once a year washing 2 cars. I used to only have 1 car and would wash it every weekend. Still lasted me about a year.

I used to chemically refresh the resin when I had more free time. Costs about ~$10 but it's very time consuming.

I bought a CAT pressure washer (https://www.amazon.com/CAT-Pressure-Washer-Electric-Warranty/dp/B0856YWWDR?th=1), but I didn't spend as much as is listed in the link that I provided. I really like this pressure washer. It has a flow rate of around 2 gpm.

My tap is also around 250 ppm. Using the filter I can get it down to around 0 ppm. However, as you use it, it will increase. I, typically, change the beads in the filter whenever the output get to be around 75-100 ppm. I only use the filtered water for rinsing the car. I don't use it for washing or foam cannon.

If you are looking for a pressure washer (or filter), I would look at the reviews by:

https://www.youtube.com/@imjoshv

https://www.youtube.com/c/carswithkeav

txmav wrote

I bought a CAT pressure washer (https://www.amazon.com/CAT-Pressure-Washer-Electric-Warranty/dp/B0856YWWDR?th=1), but I didn't spend as much as is listed in the link that I provided. I really like this pressure washer. It has a flow rate of around 2 gpm.

My tap is also around 250 ppm. Using the filter I can get it down to around 0 ppm. However, as you use it, it will increase. I, typically, change the beads in the filter whenever the output get to be around 75-100 ppm. I only use the filtered water for rinsing the car. I don't use it for washing or foam cannon.

The CAT PW is the same as Active's original pressure washer, the VE52. Great value buy.

You wait until 75ppm? Spotting starts showing on glass above ~10ppm. Slightly higher for paint. I change mine before it gets to 15ppm.

I just got back from returning the Costco AR Blue Clean XWM2300 and getting the Ryobi 1200psi 1.8gpm RY14AM12 from my local HD. Since I also/still have my Ryobi/Honda 3200 PSI 2.3gpm gas washer for big jobs (and it's overkill for small jobs, like cars), the smaller form factor and higher flow of the Ryobi made sense. I've had great luck with the couple (out of ~18 products) of warranty issues I've had with Ryobi in the past - they sent new units, let me keep old ones for spare parts!

txmav, thx for linking those YT channels - they reiterated what I'd seen elsewhere... that the Ryobi is a very sufficient budget alternative to something like an Active 2.0 for a weekend warrior like me.

SI filter should arrive Thursday and I'll be able to post up about my setup/experience!

txmav wrote

I only use the filtered water for rinsing the car. I don't use it for washing or foam cannon.

Same.

I rinse the car down with unfiltered water first to move the soap off. Then I rinse it a 2nd time with DI.

I’ve found this uses less DI than using the filtered water to evacuate the soap.

Any of you recharge your DI media, like louie? I was looking into and it looks like it'll be particularly easy with the dual bed, separate cation/anion filter setup I'm picking up - just wash one in a diluted acid bath and the other in a diluted basic bath to get ~80% of original life back. Chemicals are pretty cheap compared to DI media.

As to tap vs filtered water - I plan to do initial rinse with tap then DI for foam and finishing rinse. It'll use more water but I tend to be a slow washer (1-arm gimp and all) so not stressing about getting suds off ASAP will be nice. It might halve the DI life but I figure refreshes will minimize the added cost.

Re question about what ppm to change the filter: I understand that water spots can occur with a lower ppm than I typically change my filter, but I didn't notice that much of a difference when I waited a bit longer. I was surprised by this because I have a black G87, and I thought it would show the water spots when I waited to change the filter.

Re question as to whether I recharge my filter: I haven't done this. I don't have a two tank system, and I don't see much cost benefit in doing the recharging. If I were to spend the money, I would buy an inexpensive pre-filter to take down the ppm the water before it goes into the DI filter.

I do not rinse before using the foam cannon on my car. From the two videos (linked below) that I saw, it seems that more dirt is removed from the paint by applying the foam to a dry car.

Well, I did my first DI wash and it's all it's cracked up to be. I used the TDS meter that came with the OTG kit and it read ~160ppm from the tap and ~3at the other end after ~15 second flush (and no pre-filter). I realized that I was missing one of the connectors/adapters to properly plumb the pre-filter into the setup, so, I ran a couple tests:

Tap: ~160ppm
Brita: ~95ppm
Prefilter (FloPlus-10) ~150ppm
OTD DI: 2-3ppm (no pre-filter, only tested immediately after the initial flush)

I was pleasantly surprised to see what looked like minimal flow reduction between my 50ft garden hose vs the DI filter connected to the tap via a 5ft jumper hose. So, it looks like the pre-filter will be the limiting factor for flow rate, which I've accounted for with the booster pump, which I'll place before the pre-filter

txmav wrote

Re question as to whether I recharge my filter: I haven't done this. I don't have a two tank system, and I don't see much cost benefit in doing the recharging. If I were to spend the money, I would buy an inexpensive pre-filter to take down the ppm the water before it goes into the DI filter.

This article was largely over my head (at least for a passive-interest level of understanding DI) but it explains a lot about the process of how various filtering, including DI works for various systems. In particular, it reinforced the benefit of a pre-filter to remove chlorine from the tap (Under the section: Causes of Irreversible Resin Degradation) to maximize media life and minimize degradation for refreshes.

That said, no pre-filter will materially reduce TDS without adding overall/long term cost. RO/DI/IE are the only processes that remove TDS, other types filters remove non-dissolved solids or liquids.

As to the cost of recharging/refreshing, several sources have essentially agreed with the longevity of recharges:
1st Recharge: Expect ~80% of the original lifespan.
2nd Recharge: Expect ~65% to 70% of the original lifespan.
3rd Recharge: Expect ~50% of the original lifespan.

It looks like one can get enough for ~3 refreshes pretty cheaply ($30-40), extending the lift of the ~25lbs/~$200 of media by 2-3x.
$15-25 for Base to refresh Anion: Sodium Hydroxide (Lye, Caustic Soda)
$10-20 for Acid to refresh Cation: Muriatic Acid/Hydrochloric Acid

Seems like a worthy effort to me. Admittedly, I'm solidly middle class... I'm sure many, on this particular forum, have the funds to not even care to think about saving a couple hundred bucks a year. So, I suppose my point is, I can afford it, but the geek/tinkerer in me feels like it's a worthy, fun little annual project.

txmav wrote

I do not rinse before using the foam cannon on my car. From the two videos (linked below) that I saw, it seems that more dirt is removed from the paint by applying the foam to a dry car.

Thanks for the suggestion, and you're right... Yesterday, I totally spaced out, and forgot about starting with the foam. There was so much dirt/dust on it that I instinctively started with a tap rinse, then foam. But, in the end, it came out awesome! I made a point not to dry the windows/rims, just to see the difference. Of course I forgot to take a 'before' pic, however, the attached pics show how it came out, after a quick towel dry to the body and air dry on the windows! (I also forgot to use my leaf blower)



Now I just need to set up all of the equipment on my garden utility cart/trailer, for easy storage/transport! I'm MUCH more excited to wash my cars now, rather than feeling like a chore.

Looks good. Thanks for the article.

For anyone interested, here's the package I landed on (I tidied up the hoses after snapping pics) - Having it semi-permanently installed on a garden cart allows me to roll the whole setup around, from garage to driveway, to backyard, so I can do cars, windows, and solar panels. Ended up spending more than I'd anticipated on jumper hoses and garden/pressure quick connects, but it's pretty awesome to be able to instantly pop any nozzle or the wash setup on any hose around the house.

Once I got all the connections wrapped up in Hercules Megatape, there were no leaks - not at the pressure booster pump, either of the filters, bypasses, or any connections. It took about 5 hours, total, to get everything hooked up and arranged in a way that's minimally difficult to move, adjust, or hookup/disconnect... I'm pretty stoked with it how it all turned out, now.

I'll be tweaking it over the next few washes, so that I have everything needed for routine washes all loaded into it, at the ready, as soon as things are plugged in: roll the cart out, pop off the nozzle from the hose, plug hose into the booster pump, and plug in the booster/pressure washer to an outlet and it's ready to de-funk!

cg_ops wrote

Appreciate the feedback so far - I ended up going with the OTD Dual Bed that I mentioned in my OP rather than the DIC-20 since they'll fit better on the cart I have already - the unmixed media should provide 2-3x as much useful life from the resin vs mixed bed.

To assist with that, I also got a Pentair Filter Housing, 3/4" NPT #10 and
Pentair Pentek EP-10 Carbon Water Filter to protect the media from our highly chlorinated water (which will halve the life of the resin, regardless of TDS from the tap).

My setup will include Y-valves to bypass the Pre and DI filters, which all runs to the AR Blue Clean XWM2300 pressure washer that I just picked up from Costco... I already have a 3100psi Honda-powered Ryobi but figure it's a biiiiit much for car washing duty and the 1.3gpm won't over-task the DI system like a 2.3gpm might.

I'll follow-up once it's all setup and I've got 1-2 washes under my belt, in case any one else is considering going with a similar setup.

I've had the OnTheGo mixed-bed version for seven years now. I've yet to replace the media.

I love it.

fiveightandten wrote

Same.

I rinse the car down with unfiltered water first to move the soap off. Then I rinse it a 2nd time with DI.

I’ve found this uses less DI than using the filtered water to evacuate the soap.

I used to use it for rinse-only. I've been using it for everything now. it really foams.