8 Tips on Cleaning an Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System

A Reverse Osmosis Drinking System is one of the best water filter systems to have if you want to have purified and treated water. If you want to keep the water from your RO drinking water system healthy and safe, you must regularly clean your RO purifier. We’ve listed down a few tips to help you when you decide to clean your RO system the next time.

When and How Often to Clean a Reverse Osmosis Drinking System?

As a general rule of thumb, cleaning your RO system every 3 to 12 months is recommended. The frequency with which you use it determines when you should be cleaning your RO system. Most often users of RO drinking water systems recognize the need to clean their system when the taste of the water turns from sweet to funny. The indications to clean your RO system are:

• A 10-15% normalized pressure drop escalation
• 10-15% normalized permeate flow reduction
• 10-15% normalized permeate quality drop.

It also depends on the source and quality of water in the area in which the RO purifier is being used.

Cleaning a Reverse Osmosis Drinking System

Once you’ve decided on when you’re going to clean your RO system and how often, your next step is to understand how to clean it.

The following steps will help you clean your RO system:

1. Identify the Pollutant

   The semipermeable membrane of your RO purifier might accumulate several pollutants over a certain amount of time. These contaminants depend on your water source. Some of the common contaminants found are calcium carbonate, silica, sulfate, and metal oxides. Sometimes even fungi and mold might pollute your RO purifier. For the first time, call in a professional to identify the pollutants, and depending on it, you can select the necessary cleaning fluid.

2. Choose the Cleaning Fluid

   Once you’ve identified the contaminants in your RO’s permeable membrane, you need to let it soak in the cleaning fluid. Remember, choosing the wrong fluid can aggravate the contamination. There is always a list of recommended chemicals that your manufacturer suggests, pick your cleaning fluid from this list. Try to select the chemical that will cause the least damage to the membrane. Be sure to maintain the correct pH level.

3. Force a low-pressure water flow in order to remove the surface-level contaminants.
4. Introduce the cleaning fluid to pressure vessels, which house the RO membrane, and flush the water out.
5. Now shut the pump off and let the cleaning fluid soak through the semipermeable membrane.
6. Drain the fluid after letting it soak in for a solid hour. The soak time can vary depending on the size of your RO.
7. Rinse the RO by using a good-quality of water. Remember, this must be a low-pressure flush.
8. Install the RO back and use it till it needs to be cleaned again.

What are the Advantages of Cleaning an RO Drinking Water System?

The semipermeable membrane must be cleaned regularly. Delaying the cleaning of the membrane might reduce the performance of the membrane severely.

Economically, it is advantageous if the membrane is cleaned as the lifespan of the RO increases, offering you your money’s worth.

Tips on Cleaning an RO Water Filter System

1. If you plan on changing any of the filters, do not remove the parts of it till it is time to replace them, lest you lose out on them.
2. Before you start the cleaning process, wash your hands to remove all dust and dirt and sanitize the area in which you intend to clean the RO system.
3. Close the water supply lines to your RO system. If your RO system is connected to any other equipment, be sure to shut down the line till you finish cleaning.
4. You can either drain the water from the purifier directly or use the release channel to empty the purifier vessel.
5. Use a glove to clean the RO while using the chemical cleaners. Ensure that you keep in mind the correct pH value. Prepare the setting to provide the correct dosage of chemical cleaner and maintain the right temperature.
6. Don’t forget to clean the membrane housing. For this, you can use regular soaps and detergents or even bleach. Use a bottle brush.
7. It isn’t enough to drain the chemical cleaner. Be sure to rinse the entire RO water system thoroughly. Ensure that there are no chemicals or detergent leftovers from the cleaning.
8. Reinstall your RO system and connect back all the lines. Check for leakages. Remember to keep replacing all the membranes and filters regularly.

Best Deals for Reverse Osmosis Drinking System Maintenance

It is always easier to get a professional to clean your RO system. If you are on the lookout for an experienced professional who can help maintain your reverse osmosis system, check out our website. You can also call us at (410) 341-6500 to learn more about our services and products.

You may want to read the following posts to learn more about Reverse Osmosis System:

Understanding the Working of Reverse Osmosis (RO) System
Advantages of Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment for Health
How to Choose the Best Reverse Osmosis System?