3 Tips for Maintaining a Home Reverse Osmosis System

Thinking about making the switch to filtered water or want to extend the life of your reverse osmosis system? Check out these maintenance tips.

By: Maggie Pace

Whether you have already invested in a reverse osmosis system or you’re thinking about making the switch, we’ve compiled a few helpful tips to keep your filter working its best.

When it comes to water filtration in your home and getting the best quality water to drink for you and your family, Reverse Osmosis systems can make a huge difference.

…osmosis is the “movement of a solvent (such as water) through a semi-permeable membrane into a solution of higher solute concentration that tends to equalize the concentrations of solute on the two sides of the membrane.”

and How Does it Work?

To understand how reverse osmosis works, you first should understand the term ‘osmosis.’ According to Merriam Webster, osmosis is the “movement of a solvent (such as water) through a semi-permeable membrane into a solution of higher solute concentration that tends to equalize the concentrations of solute on the two sides of the membrane.”

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a unique type of water filtration system that uses a semi-permeable membrane to filter your home’s water. This thin membrane is made up of pores that are small enough to pass clean, healthy water through while rejecting larger molecules that contain contaminants and impurities. When being filtered, the water moves from a high concentration to a lower concentration through the semi-permeable membrane with the help of external pressure. Reverse osmosis has mainly been used to produce purified water for industrial settings, like seawater desalination, but can now be used on the smaller scale to filter your home’s drinking water.

There are many benefits to using a Reverse Osmosis system in your home. If you’ve decided to make the switch, there is a little bit of upkeep with your RO system you should know. Doing so will provide you with a cleaner, more effective RO system, resulting in healthy, great-tasting water.

Maintaining Your Reverse Osmosis System

Once you’ve made the switch to an RO system in your home, it’s very important to stay on top of the system’s maintenance. A high-quality RO system, like the OptimH2O® Reverse Osmosis + Claryum® can filter your home’s water for years if maintained properly. Here’s a few tips to keep your system running smoothly and providing you with clean, healthy water.

Changing your filter on time

All RO systems have a carbon prefilter, a RO membrane, and a post-filter. Changing these 3 filters on time is very important as these are the filters that clean the water you drink, cook with, make ice with, and more. To make ensure that your RO system is removing contaminants and impurities effectively, check the life of your filters.

Carbon Pre-Filter and Claryum® Post-Filter

The OptimH2 Reverse Osmosis + Claryum® uses a carbon and Claryum® filter cartridge. Changing these filters will protect the RO membrane from high levels of chlorine and sediment. Think of these filters as protectors for the RO membrane, as they are stages 1 and 3 of the filtration process. If you take care to replace the pre- and post-filter, the RO membrane won’t need to be replaced as often. We recommend replacing these cartridges every 6 months. You may need to replace them more often with high water usage or sediment level. As these filters build up with sediment, you may notice a slower water output.

The pre- and post-filters have been designed to replace with ease. Simply twist off and replace the eco-friendly filters.

RO Membrane

The RO membrane is the heart of the reverse osmosis system. The second step in the filtration process, the membrane separates the contaminants from the water molecules before entering the post-filter. The semi-permeable membrane is designed to allow water through but filter out the harmful contaminants. The schedule of changing your RO membrane will depend on the pH level and hardness of your city’s water. Most municipally treated water has a 7.0-7.5 pH. In this case, you would need to replace your RO membrane every 12 months. Higher pH shortens membrane life causing pin-hole leaks and would shorten membrane life.

We make it easy to remember to replace your water filters with our Water for Life® program. Replacements are shipped directly to you, right when you need them, so you don’t have to worry about keeping up with filter expiration dates.

Drain and sanitize the water tanks

Ideally, you should completely drain your RO storage tank about every 2 weeks. Draining your tank ensures that the water will remain fresh, as well as helping the reverse osmosis membrane maintain the pressure it needs to flush out impurities.

Not sure what to do with the leftover water? Use the excess water to water potted plants or your garden! The water is free of contaminants, so it won’t harm them.

The tank will need time to refill, so we suggest draining your storage tank before you go to bed or leave for work in the morning.

Sanitizing your tank does not need to be done as often as draining. We recommend sanitizing the storage tank about every 12 months to remove any lingering harmful bacteria. Your system can be sanitized with bleach or an NSF approved Sani-System.

  1. Shut off the water supply to your RO system and remove the membrane and filters.
  2. Open the water faucet and depressurize the system.
  3. Close your water faucet once the water stops running. Then, pour the entire packet of Sani-System or 2-3 tablespoons of bleach into the first main unit. Next, turn on the water.
  4. All the system to fill up with water. Flush the system 2 times.
  5. Replace or re-install the membrane and pre- and post-filters.

Cleanse and reassemble plumbing pipes

Cleaning your kitchen pipes in an important part of your home maintenance, with or without a RO system. Set a regular maintenance routine for a couple times a year to keep your kitchen pipes clog-free. Cleaning your pipes doesn’t take much time and it’s a task you can easily do yourself. Flushing your drain with salt and hot water is a simple way to combat grease and soap build up in your kitchen pipes. The hot water melts the buildup while the salt acts as a natural scouring agent to remove the grime.

Purchasing a Reverse Osmosis system can seem like a big commitment. But when you’re committing to healthy, clean water for your family, it pays off. Following these simple tips to maintain your RO system will keep your filter in great shape to last you for many years.

If you’re currently looking at purchasing a Reverse Osmosis system that will last for years to come, consider Aquasana’s OptimH2O® Reverse Osmosis + Claryum® water filter. This filter utilizes reverse osmosis to remove 88 contaminants including lead, mercury, asbestos, and fluoride among others. While some Reverse Osmosis systems remove healthy minerals including calcium in the process, our system utilizes remineralization technology to retain these ensuring you get all the benefits of your filtered water.

Check out our Reverse Osmosis, whole house, under sink, or countertop filters to instantly improve the safety and taste of your tap water.

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