CR Spotless One Year Update & Refill | What Impacts DI Resin Life? | Deionization & Spotless Water

[@chavezsergio4496]

Thanks for the update. Your information is really if helping me decide on which option to pursue.

[@CarsWithKeav]

That’s great I have a new system out that I’m doing a review on soon as well.

[@ThisOldDetailingDude]

Great video. I’m about to install my own system. Truly appreciate the tutorial, it helps a lot. ❤the bloopers!

[@CarsWithKeav]

Good luck!

[@theunkownmr.562]

Municipalities use ammonia and free chlorine to create mono chloramines as the primary dissinfectant in surface water treatment plants. If your muni is ground water, then they're only going to use free chlorine.

[@CarsWithKeav]

I have checked the water report and it shows chloramine in the output. Not a lot, but they are there. If it showed just chlorine I would run two chlorine carbon filters.

[@theunkownmr.562]

@@CarsWithKeav what city of this if you don't mind sharing?

[@jezza6575]

I have a custom DI system, but I find I don’t really need it. I keep my cars pretty clean and well protected and always towel dry them after a Rinseless wash. Same goes for my pressure washer setup…I honestly don’t think I need it either!😂

[@CarsWithKeav]

If you dry each time and have no worries of the water drying on the surface before you get to it then it’s not needed. It’s just nice to have and a nice security blanket in case you get distracted and the water dries. Biggest problem with great protection is more water spots from the beads.

[@jezza6575]

@@CarsWithKeav True

[@C.2.1]

How long does the system last? I just ordered dic one for solar panel cleaning

[@CarsWithKeav]

That will all depend on the quality of the source water. You could get close to 1000 gallons at 50ppm input water or just 100 gallons at 500ppm. Chemicals in the water from treatment facilities would impact as well. How fast you are flowing the water is another contributing factor. 2.5gpm max for this, but if you flow slower it will help out life and water quality.

[@C.2.1]

@@CarsWithKeav yeah i plan on a slower water flow

[@cfwebdeveloper]

Nice today I learned. Thanks for the video man

[@CarsWithKeav]

You’re welcome

[@TRINInDC925]

I've watched the videos on your wall mount setup and cart as well. I don't have a DI system at the moment but I thought the way you went about installing the canisters and thinking about having not to deal with the weight, so smart. Very informative video. Now I see how the resin got on the cart. I knew the bloopers would reveal all. Lol I'm like, he's pouring that so easily.

[@CarsWithKeav]

You say smart my wife would say I’m just good at being lazy. 🤣 I left the resin there as bait to get people to ask about it and watch the bloopers.

[@DjMixtli]

Have this system. Worked great for less than 2 months approximately 10 car washes. After that, water spots came back. Ruined one of my black cars. Stay away… Purchased from Amazon btw. Not surprised it’s no longer listed there anymore.

[@CarsWithKeav]

What was your TDS beforehand? Are you referring to the CR spotless or the RV mods modification? If it’s the cr spotless these systems are only as good as the water coming in. If your water is very hard it will deplete these units far sooner than those with soft water such as myself. CR spotless has a built in TdS meter to keep an eye on when the spots can come back and when to order refills. Not saying you may not have had an issue, but DI resin is not something that just stops working due to defect it’s all based on the water quality. I could get 100 washes and a 1000 gallons and somebody else could get 10 washes and 100 gallons. The resin does the same amount of work either way, but hard water makes it work harder and it loses it ability to clean sooner. Also you must regulate the flow coming in to not exceed 2.5 GPM or it will deplete sooner.

[@shojus]

Is there a smaller unit for people that don't do this professionally or someone like myself who will never go through all that capacity in 1 year? Thanks 4 the video!

[@CarsWithKeav]

This is a great smaller unit I have used on my wash carts. amzn.to/3PJb58Z Problem is depending on the hardness of your water and chemicals you could blow through even my setup in just a few washes. At that point you would need an RO system to help clean up the water.

[@shojus]

@@CarsWithKeav Thanks 4 the reply! I live in Michigan and we have 350+ PPM in our water, so that would probably go super quick huh?

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@shojus That ppm it would go quick on a small setup. It’s not horrible, but there is a lot of dissolved solids to cleanup. Really it’s the same across most setups it’s just that the bigger ones you refill less often and they usually can handle more flow. Going RO has a lot more work as you have to hold the water in a tank and either gravity feed or pump it. You could run the small just get an extra set of refillable filters and buy in bulk and keep a set ready to switch out. The smaller ones are much easier to swap them out.

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@shojus I also just bought a new system in the market that is half the size of mine and much bigger than my cart ones. Should have a video out on it soon once it arrives.

[@shojus]

@@CarsWithKeav Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for your videos

[@sarahobrien3379]

Do you drain the water out of the blue housings in between washes? It's almost winter and I keep mine In the garage

[@CarsWithKeav]

I don’t drain the housings. I do turn off the water and drain the hoses, but water is left in there. Climate here in Georgia is mild and area it climate controlled so no worry of freezing for me. Plus DI water takes longer to freeze due to not having any minerals in it.

[@chrisfig77]

Hey! Thanks for the grear video! Im looking into getting one of these syestems to get rid of water spots. What psi and gpm pressure washer are you using? Also what kind of meters are you using to measure your GPM on the wall there and how are they plumbed in? I just got my first foam cannon and need to figure out what gmp my faucet puts out just so i know. I currently have a 4000psi 3.5 GPM Simpson gas pressure washer and need to dial it back until i can find a good portable electric one that puts out 2000 psi and 2 gpm. I looked at the active but it only puts out 1800 psi. Also it says you cant use the standard m22-15 mm washer hoses. I looked at tge chemical Guys because its super portable but only puts out 1.77 gpm. So im kinda lost on the electric pressure washer... Thanks for any feedback you can give.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Most electric pressure washers do not get the PSI they state or the gpm. Only a few are actually accurate. The Chemical guys one is a cheap rebrand and I wouldn’t use that. When washing you really want to stay at or below 1200 PSI with an electrical 2.0 GPM is what the better machines can achieve such as the active 2.0, Active VE52, Kranzle, AR630, etc. flow makes a big difference if you have been to a self car wash those are usually 1200 PSI, but run 4 GPM. Active 2.0 states 1800, but out of the box it’s 1k PsI and 2gpm which is very good. Active 2.0 runs the standard 14mm-m22. Active VE52 runs a 15mm-m22, but comes with an adapter to change to 14mm. Meters are digiflow and are 3/4 threaded on both sides and I have pvc adapters to plumb them in. There are garden hose meters on Amazon that work well I have one myself. This one amzn.to/46ngqIp

[@BuggieChief]

do you have issues with resin coming through the tubes in the retro fit?

[@CarsWithKeav]

I did and is why I went back to the cartridges. Resin got by and clogged up my sprayer.

[@mrprfct7069]

What are you using to regulate the water pressure ?

[@CarsWithKeav]

I have a flow meter that tells me the GPM and it keep a total of the gallons that have flowed through as well. I just turn the valve down till I hit my target.

[@mrprfct7069]

@@CarsWithKeavcan you send me the part number of the flow meter regulator

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@mrprfct7069 This is what I use on my system. They are never perfect so I always check every now and then how off it is and adjust the numbers if needed. Mine is usually only 5% off which I think is acceptable. amzn.to/4bPeQ5d

[@LasseJohannsen1]

Thanks for video. Could now leave your car without drying it, and get zero water spots marks or anything else, just a clean surface?😊

[@CarsWithKeav]

I have many times not dried the surface and got no spots. My OCD still has me drying it anyway. It’s really helpful when it’s really hot or in sunlight. Plus DI water makes drying aids more effective and the surface dries easier.

[@LasseJohannsen1]

@@CarsWithKeav thanks for answering, really helpful answer 👍👍

[@robertelrod3016]

I just installed my system this weekend. I have washed 4 cars and my ppm is climbing already ! I’m on well water so not sure what my solution is. Disappointed I only got 4 washes. Very expensive car wash!

[@Embrxceyourdemons]

In the same boat. Our well water is around 370 ppm. Looking for a filter to my filter to my pre filter lol. If you figure out a solution let me know. It seems running a water softener first and then routing that to the DI resin may be the best options

[@CarsWithKeav]

Have you tested for c02 content? With that kind of ppm you are in the realm of needing an RO system to clean water and store in a tank. Pumping or gravity feeding that water into the DI in the end. Are you just using on final rinse or for the whole car?

[@robertelrod3016]

@@CarsWithKeav so I did wash entire vehicles with the DI after the pre wash. I’m in central Florida and our water is high in iron and have to use Chlorine to remove it. My Ppm says 12 pp now Watching this video you recommend using the tubes and pack resin and not doing the retro fit? Thanks for responding sir

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@robertelrod3016 That Chlorine will impact resin life a good bit. A carbon filter in a pre-stage would be a big help. For me the tubes of they work correct will give you more capacity in theory more surface area should be more efficient, but it wasn’t for me so using them cartridges just means I will have to change resin more often. It’s easy as I keep a set ready to go now. I am adding a pre-stage on my next setup to help deal with the Chlorine.

[@hotshtsr20]

Where I live (Southern California), the water is in the 3-400PPM range, plus lots of sediment, chlorine, etc. I ran a DI setup and was blowing through $90 of resin every 3 months or so. Since then, I've switched to pre-filtering the water through a $60 Amazon RO setup that fills a 50g tank in my rafters (I have it in the corner of the garage properly supported by the walls). The RO setup takes the 3-400ppm water and outputs 8-12ppm, which is gravity-feed it into my pressure washer and works great for washing. When I need spotless rinse I run quick disconnects to run the RO water through the DI filter and use my pressure washer to spray the car down. The biggest bummer is while the water has a lot of flow coming out of the barrel, it does not have a lot of pressure and my pressure washer takes a while to clear all the bubbles out of the DI filter. I plan to run a small 120VAC pressure pump to force-feed the DI filter and save some wear on the pressure washer. I'm looking at needing to replace the resin every 12-18 months at current usage, and the system has already paid for itself.

[@CarsWithKeav]

Nice. How much waste water do you get when filling up the tank? RO does come with a lot more work and a lot of times the pre-filters are very important to keeping the membrane from getting worn out. I’m very lucky to not need one, but if I did try one I bet it would last a long time with 60ppm water.

[@hotshtsr20]

@@CarsWithKeav It's 2:1, so 1 out of 3 gallons goes down the drain. If I get a booster pump, it'll be more efficient, but with the volume I'm using it's just not worth it. And yeah, the pre-filter is definitely getting a workout. Been a couple of months and it's visibly brown from sediment through the housing. LOL

[@MercedesMechanic]

I'm looking to do what you're doing, hooking up a RO system to bring down the 300 TDS and then run it through a DI filter which will be on the RO system. Sounds like you're having good luck with longevity of the DI system doing it this way. You could however wash the car with regular tap water and then use the RO/DI water as a final rinse which is what I plan to do. I think I'm going to get a 40 or 50 gallon pressure tank (those metal blue ones) and run the RO/DI water into it and then all I have to do is pull the trigger on my hose sprayer to rinse the car off spot free as the blue tank should have around 40 PSI coming out. Worse case scenario I'll get an electric 5 GPM pump to ramp up the pressure but 40 PSI should be good for rinsing and shouldn't use very much water from the tank as a final rinse. My pressure washer has its own water supply line tee'd off before the RO system using tap water and my Meguiar's soap eliminates spotting in the sun while washing. These are just my ideas and I haven't got anything yet but its the plan in next couple of weeks anyway. Sothern CAL here too and the water is insanely spotty.

[@00HiGhGuY00]

You can also regenerate your DI resin and use it many times before having to buy more.

[@TheDailyDriven]

Going to be adding the CR spotless eventually this winter. This is going to be useful for me to go by.

[@CarsWithKeav]

You know how to reach me if you need any help!

[@Shyatic]

Does the waterdrop 10" canister fit the CR spotless or vice versa? I am thinking of buying the Waterdrop one because of the built-in bypass which is super convenient, but want to refill it once the canister dies the same way folks do the CR spotless with the RVMods resin refill. Thoughts?

[@CarsWithKeav]

It looks to be the same threading for the housing as that is industry standard unsure if the rv mods fits in there or not. It should though.

[@maryhoffman2547]

Awesome video. Thank you,I appreciate you taking the time to keep us updated on these products. Especially for us who can't decide to get one or not. Your bloopers have me dying 😂

[@CarsWithKeav]

Bloopers answered a lot of question about all the resin sitting on the cart surface. 🤣

[@AlexDetails]

Hey Kiev, love the vids. Maybe the resin you used was a smaller format that got into the rv-mod tubes? RV-Mods also sells resin, and I have had good luck with theirs. Also, servApure resin works well without infiltrating the upgrade tubes. So far no issues other than our 450ppm water only gets 300-400 gallons of DI even with the rv-mods update.

[@CarsWithKeav]

It was their resin used with it. Maybe it was a fluke. 300 to 400 gallons compared to what others say they get is pretty good actually for that TDS.

[@AlexDetails]

@@CarsWithKeav Good to know, thanks. Having seen this potential issue makes me want to find another filter that could fit between the OG Prevost piping kit and the Kranzle. Last thing I need is for the Kranzle valves to get smoked...😬

[@bigstickerperformance6670]

Good walk through video...and blooper reel 😂

[@CarsWithKeav]

Bloopers are a great way to enjoy editing video. 🤣

[@HomeGuySolutions]

Just subscribed!!!

[@CarsWithKeav]

Thank you!

[@HomeGuySolutions]

@@CarsWithKeav I’ve read pressure washers have an issue with RO water damaging the pump over time.

[@CarsWithKeav]

@@HomeGuySolutions Have not heard of that, but since RO and DI water is free of minerals the nature of clean water is to leach minerals which can creat corrosion if left to sit too long in metal containers. For most not an issue as when you use the device get your spotless water done then just flush some tap water which can be just as corrosive so you can’t win either way. 🤣🤣 The issue I have heard is with those cleaning with a heater core for hot water the RO water leaches of the heater core fins causing them to corrode.

[@theunkownmr.562]

I also recommend you toss your CR spotless in the trash and buy the Titan Water Pro 948 or bigger. The 948 cost 500 bucks plus tax and 80 in shipping. It's rated to produce 4k gallons of 0ppm water with 110ppm water going in. The resin vessel also comes with a bypass valve, so you can bypass the resin when you dont want to use it. Trust me, you'll save some money going this route.

[@CarsWithKeav]

The tall tanks are too big for my setup and area. Overall the amount of gallons is based on capacity. Cr spotless uses 1/3 cubic foot and the 948 uses a whole cubic foot. I wouldn’t suggest throwing it away as that’s $400 investment and makes no financial sense. If I was to start over again I would go fiberglass tank, but most likely an 18 inch like the Allegro from US water or maybe one of the Amazon ones which I did just pickup to review. I like the increased flow they have. Really appreciate your feedback as I am always looking to try new products. The cr spotless is a much better mounted solution for many setups and I think is good, but I would create my own with the knowledge I have now and save a hundred dollars or so. For many consumers changing out the cartridges on a cr spotless is substantially easier than dealing with changing out resin in a tank.

[@theunkownmr.562]

@CarsWithKeav no problem, Sir. Keep up with the good work!