Scale on ECM Synchronika with RO water?

#1: Post by **sbenyo** » December 30th, 2021, 12:35 pm

I am using ECM Synchronika for about a year. I always used RO water with simple Rpavlis recipe: 0.35g potassium bicarbonate with 4 liter. TDS is ~70.
I recently checked the mushroom and this is what I got.

Does it mean there is scale build? Should I be worried?
If it is scale, what am I doing wrong?

The only thing I did not check is what happens to the water after they are sitting in the tank for some time. It may be that water will be sitting for a few days or even a week+.

#2: Post by **Nunas** » December 30th, 2021, 12:43 pm

Using your fingernail, can you easily scratch the "scale"? I quote the word scale, because to me what I see is a deposit that may not be scale. It may be semantics, but to me, "scale" is a hard deposit, created by specific hardness minerals, most often magnesium and calcium. It takes acid to get it off. You may have some soft deposits from adding other chemicals to your RO water. Also, the amount of deposit is not very much. Bottom line, I wouldn't worry about it.

December 30th, 2021, 12:56 pm

I believe your mushroom is stainless steel. You should have no big worries. Just clean of the scale and use non-scaling water.

You should be fine.

December 30th, 2021, 4:45 pm

This is correct. It's stainless steel. Thanks for reassuring I should not worry.

I will try to clean it. Just to know, is there any reason it happens and any way to avoid it?
I hope the boiler which is also stainless steel, is not affected in any way.

December 30th, 2021, 10:41 pm

Poor quality scaling water is the cause & good quality non-scaling is the antidote.

December 31st, 2021, 3:29 pm

Not sure I understand. Is the RO system not working as expected?

December 31st, 2021, 3:58 pm

This is easy to test, using a cheap TDS meter of the kind used for aquariums. I have an older version of this one https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07QCSVKXY/ With moderately hard water, one can expect a TDS of about 5 to 10 ppm. Our water is quite hard (~250 to 275 ppm) and my RO system produces product water from about 12 to 25 ppm. Again, from what I've seen on your post, I wouldn't worry about a thing. Put your Synchronika back together and enjoy.

December 31st, 2021, 5:14 pm

Thanks. My RO has an input/output TDS meter that shows 18ppm output. It is quite amazing as the input shows 400+.
After I add potassium bicarbonate, TDS meter (I have one similar to what you show), shows ~70ppm.

I did not expect to see any signs but if this is normal, I am fine with it.

December 31st, 2021, 6:33 pm

Nunas wrote:I wouldn't worry about a thing. Put your Synchronika back together and enjoy.

I agree with Maurice on this one. I don't think you have any worries based on the mushroom pic you posted.

January 29th, 2022, 11:54 am

Checked again.

The stains do get off with some fingernail scratching. I sprayed a scale remover and it is now as good as new.
It does seem it was light scale. I wonder if this is what I should expect from RO system with rpavlis. Do I need to worry about it and do a full machine descaling?