11 Proven Tips To Maintain Your RO Water Purifier At Home
Have you ever detected a weird taste or odour in your water? It’s because your house’s water quality has declined.
This is because your RO water filter isn’t working properly. Let’s say you’ve neglected your RO purifier for a considerable amount of time. In that situation, you are putting your family members’ health in peril by letting them drink contaminated water.
Therefore, you must make sure that the water purifier receives regular maintenance. It will guarantee that the water’s quality stays consistent throughout time. The RO water purifier will also last long.
Eleven quick and simple guidelines for caring for a RO water purifier at home have been compiled by us. These will guarantee that your RO System keeps running at its peak efficiency for years to come.
1: Read & Follow the User Manual First
The first thing you should do after purchasing a RO purifier is to carefully read the manual. The manual for most brands includes all the information, dos, and don’ts for maintaining their purifier. Information on the suggested filter and cartridge replacement schedule might also be included.
2: Clean and Replace the RO Filters Regularly
RO water purification systems consist of 3-12 filter stages. You need to clean these and replace these regularly. It will help you maintain the durability of the RO system and the quality of the purified water.
Try to have it professionally cleaned at least once a year. You can choose between a system sanitization service and a system recharge procedure, both of which can be beneficial.
After a short period, the pollutants in the water block the filters. If you forget to change the RO filters, the water purifier’s filtration capacity and water quality will decrease. You will unknowingly consume harmful contaminants if you keep using filters without changing them.
Sediment Filter
Sediment filter separates undissolved particles like silt, dirt, and debris. It would help if you replaced it every 6-9 months. Or else the system will have clogs and glitches.
Pre-Carbon filter
Almost all RO systems have a carbon pre-filter to reduce chlorine, pesticides, and lead in the water. The sole purpose is to restrict these contents from coming in contact with the RO membrane. This is because chlorine can damage the RO membrane.
So, you need to take care of it by cleaning and replacing it regularly. A rule of thumb is to change the RO filter every year. If your water source has high chlorine content, you can end up changing the pre-carbon filter every six months.
Post-Carbon Filter
The post filter is also crucial. Because it is the one that polishes the water as it leaves the storage tank on its way to the faucet. The post-filter doesn’t face the hard and raw city water. A good practice is also to change it annually.
3: Clean and Renew the RO Membrane
Well, without any doubt, the RO membrane is the heart of the RO water purification system. It’s the most delicate and expensive part. Water gets pumped through the reverse osmosis membrane at a pressure of 35 psi approx. The membrane separates all the dissolved contaminants bigger than water particles.
To check if the RO membrane is working or not, you can use a TDS meter. As the membrane goes towards its end of life, the TDS level worsens. So, you need to clean and replace the RO membrane following a schedule. To wash the RO membrane, you can adopt professional help.
How long a RO Membrane lasts depends on the source of water. For hard water, it may last for 2-3 years. But for soft water, it will last 5-7 years. But make sure you keep replacing the pre-filter and post-filter regularly.
4: Drain the storage tank regularly
Ro water purification systems may provide or may not offer tank systems. It is good to drain the tank regularly, maybe before you go to bed. Then the purifier will refill the tank within the night. It will help to maintain the water quality well. At least try to drain it every couple of weeks.
The reason is, when the tank has a level of water, the RO system gets rejection to put water into the tank. As a result, you will not get fresh purified water. Instead, you will need to consume old water. This is not good for the tank life.
5: Sanitize the tank
After using it for years, the tanks will grow some slime inside. This is not good for your health. To get rid of that slime, you need to run a solution into the tank. At least try to do it when you replace the membrane.
6: Install a softener
A softener and a ROS, on the other hand, are a good match since they both provide good-tasting, pure water. A softener is necessary because magnesium and calcium in the water might make it hard for the RO system to function properly.
It can be tough to install softeners with your RO water purifier because you need to know where to put them. Professionals are usually necessary to complete this process. Because you need to install the softeners at the point where the water enters your home, it necessitates a significant amount of plumbing.
7: Get Rid of The Drips and Leakages
You may sometimes face dripping or leakage issues of your home’s RO water purifier system. You should not ignore this issue. Examine it thoroughly with professional help right away.
It will ensure the proper functioning of the cleaner and the wastage of water. Drips are leakages usually resulting from malfunctioning parts or improper or broken connections created from worn-out O-rings and seals. You can replace these parts.
8: Clean the Exteriors of the RO System
Along with the previous steps, cleaning the exterior of the RO system can be helpful. This will keep your purifier looking new and assist in limiting the risk of water contamination. Because, if the tap and the area around it are not kept clean, the water may become contaminated while dispensing.
Wipe the outside equipment and the tap linked to the machine with a dry or moist towel regularly. You can use soapy water while cleaning.
9: Clean and Sanitize the Piping System
Pipes of a RO water purification system often get neglected in the whole system’s maintenance. But, it is another crucial component of the RO system. RO systems employ many connecting pipes in their construction. So, what’s the point of replacing other parts while the lines are dirty, right?
There is a high risk of microbial contamination in pipes. The foul odour and taste are the first signs of microbial contamination. It would be best to clean the lines, especially when you replaced the filters.
10: Flash the new RO System
Allow at least five minutes for the water to flow through the new filters to wash out any air or lose carbon particles. Also, before utilizing the product water, manufacturers recommend flushing new RO membranes for up to 40 minutes to remove preservatives. It would help if you did not let flush water run through any further stages of your system.
11: Annual Maintenance
To avoid any serious problems with the RO purifier, make sure that you get the help of a professional to replace the filters. Renowned brands such as Ultrafil provide annual maintenance contracts (AMC) which is an easy and convenient way to maintain the appliance.
Summarizing the Process
- Replace all the filters annually or at the max of 12 months
- Replace the RO membranes annually
- Sanitize the water storage tanks
- Make sure to clean and sanitize the pipes every 2 years
- Replace and buy any new parts when necessary
- Check the pressure nozzle at regular intervals
Conclusion
The best water purifier for a home will provide optimal performance only when you follow the maintenance tips. Taking an active role in the maintenance of your RO filter will make sure that the system will always deliver the best performance and that its service life will be prolonged. Ultrafil is known for providing top-quality after-sales services for the convenience of customers. You can easily get in touch with them via phone, chat or email.
