R/O water for dishwasher?

[SteveoinBoulder]

Hi All,
I am mountain dweller on a well and am about to purchase an R/O system. A friend suggested two things:
1. I add a calcite filter to elevate the PH for drinking water
2. I upsize my R/O tank to about 30 gallons and run R/O water through my dishwasher (He also suggested I could run the dishwater through the calcite filter water to reduce acidity).

The few companies I have talked to about R/O systems thought this was completely unnecessary since I will also have a water softener. Of course this also "wastes" a lot more water. Any feedback on this would be appreciated.

Also, to install the R/O spout, I will need to drill a porcelain/ cast iron sink which worries me a bit. Is this a particularly difficult thing to do?
Thanks for your help!

 

[Reach4]

One reason people did not respond to your other post, I think, is because your plan is not worthwhile.

(He also suggested I could run the dishwater through the calcite filter water to reduce acidity).

Was the purpose of reducing the acidity to protect the dishwasher? Calcite would not help cleaning, and would increase spotting. I am skeptical of the advisability of this project.

I could see that RO water in the DW would reduce spotting in the rinse, it would not help the washing part vs using softened water. It would be nice if manufacturers offered an RO input for water that would be used in a final spray down. It would really be great for preventing water spots.

Also note that if you had a 30 gallon RO tank, it is not going to deliver 30 gallons of water. Much of the 30 gallons will be air. Also, as you use much water, the pressure will drop. I don't know what pressure your DW needs coming in, but that could be a factor in your project.

I have nothing to offer on the difficulty of drilling your sink.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[SteveoinBoulder]

Thank you for your reply. It confirms my bias against moving forward with this. I wasn't sure my first post went- couldn't find it when I searched so apologies for that. The calcite, I was advised, was meant to increase alkalinity- apparently, the R/O systems produce acidic water which is not "meant" to be good for stainless dishwasher tubs. I was also told that, unless my dishwasher has a pre-heater, I would then be delivering cold water (from R/O tank) to the dishwasher. The whole idea seems a boondoggle to me! How about adding a calcite filter just for R/O drinking water? Thanks!

 

[Reach4]

How about adding a calcite filter just for R/O drinking water? Thanks!

It is common. A remineralization filter sold for RO is mostly that, but adds some magnesium. Calcite would just add calcium.

A hand sprayer of RO water is nice rinse after you clean eyeglass lenses. It can be used for other cleaning tasks, such as a final rinse for windows.

 

[WorthFlorida]

It be nearly impossible to drill through cast iron sink and not cause cracks in the procelean. The exposed iron would rust and migrate under the porcelain. Just about all dishwashers now has a built in heater even one where you do not see a heating element at the bottom. My Bosch unit have no exposed heating element and it get the water extremely hot. Whirlpool, Samsung, LG all have gone this route. For one you need 140 degree water to dissolve dishwasher detergent and it also helps sanitizes at 140 degrees. Everywhere there are now state statutes on the maximum water temperature prevent scalding and it is too low for dishwashers to give good results.

 

[Fitter30]

https://homeguides.sfgate.com/drill-holes-porcelain-sink-36037.html
also there are you tube videos.

 

[SteveoinBoulder]

Thanks for all the replies! I am ready to tackle this project. Will update when finished!