How Often Should I Change Reverse Osmosis Filters?

Maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of your reverse osmosis (RO) system is crucial for ensuring clean and purified water. One key aspect of RO system maintenance is regularly changing the filters. These filters are responsible for removing impurities and contaminants from the water, but they can become clogged or lose their effectiveness over time.

When Should I Change My Reverse Osmosis Water Filter?

Typically, most filters need to be changed every six months; however, this can vary depending on the specific filter used as well as the water source. Paying attention to all parts of the system and following the manufacturer’s instructions will help ensure your Reverse Osmosis filter runs longer and produces cleaner drinking water consistently.

During each replacement session, check valves, membranes, housings and filters all when replacing any part of the system in order to keep things running smoothly. With regular inspection and maintenance you'll enjoy beautiful taints-free water from your Reverse Osmosis unit for years to come!

Why Do I Need to Change My Reverse Osmosis Filter?

The days of clean and great-tasting water may be a thing of the past if you haven't changed your Reverse Osmosis water filters in a while. The filter's job is to capture impurities, bacteria, and potentially dangerous contaminants that can lead to bad taste and odor issues.

If you haven't switched out your filter for some time, these impurities will slowly begin to make their way through the system and into your drinking water. This can not only affect the flavor of the water but could also introduce unwanted chemicals into our bodies through consumption or contact with skin.

How Do I Change My Reverse Osmosis Filter?

Changing your water filter is a simple yet important task that can give you healthier, more refreshing water. With a Reverse Osmosis (RO) system it’s easy to do it yourself, or have Shamrock Plumbing’s professional team come take care of it for you.

Staying up-to-date with your filter changes can help your RO purifier last longer as well as ensuring you’re getting the quality drinking clean water you deserve.

By replacing filters annually, you can avoid health risks such as: Diarrhea Stomach Cramps Nausea Vomiting These symptoms are usually caused by minerals like iron bacteria or coliform bacteria typically found in well soft water systems.

Before doing anything else, make sure to wash your hands so you don’t introduce any bacteria into the system. Then remove the old filter by unscrewing the housing unit and replace with the new one, again securing it with screws to keep everything in place.

You may need a wrench if stuck or extra tight, but usually hand tightening is enough. It only takes a few minutes and pays off in delicious water! If you prefer watching videos over reading instructions, there are plenty of helpful tutorials out there too. Now enjoy your fresh drinking water!

How Often?

To keep your reverse osmosis system functioning at its best and to ensure that you have clean and safe water, it is important to regularly replace the filters. The frequency of filter changes will vary based on the quality of water filtration being processed and the amount of water being used.

Here are some guidelines to help you determine when to change your filters and how to do it correctly to extend the lifespan of your system and maintain high-quality water for your household.

Micron Sediment Filter

The Micron Sediment Filter is an essential part of any reverse osmosis system. It effectively removes any large particles, like dirt, sand, silt and rust from the water before it reaches other filters. This provides better protection for the other stages of your filtration system and allows them to last longer before clogging.

To ensure optimal performance from this filter, you should replace it at least once every six months. With transparent sediment filter housing, it’s easy to monitor the buildup of sediment in the chamber in order to determine when replacement is necessary – usually between 6-9 months depending on how much sediment is present in your water usage.

Maintaining a clean pre-filter helps prolong the life of your whole filtration system and ensures healthier, safer drinking water for you and your family.

Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) Pre-Filter and Coconut Carbon Block Filter

Granular activated carbon (GAC) filters are essential in protecting reverse osmosis systems from chlorine, a highly corrosive and toxic element. The GAC filter is responsible for trapping the majority of the chlorine molecules, while the second coconut carbon stage catches any remaining traces.

This two-step approach is especially crucial to maximizing water quality because if either filter isn't changed in a timely manner, small amounts of chlorine can seep through and damage the membrane, resulting in potential system failure.

In conclusion, using two-part GAC and coconut carbon filters not only increases the lifespan of your reverse osmosis system but also ensures that you have pure drinking water free from harmful chemicals.

Reverse Osmosis Membrane

The reverse osmosis membrane filter is the heart of the system since it removes finer dissolved solids and other pollutants including heavy metals, minerals, pesticides and salt. Generally, a reverse osmosis filter should last more than a year, but if water quality going in is hard then the lifespan of the membrane may be reduced.

It’s important to routinely test your water with a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter so that any issues or decline in performance can be identified quickly before they progress or worse yet, become unmanageable.

Carbon Polishing Filter

Polishing Filter is an easy and effective way to ensure that your water tastes fresher, clearer, and free from any unwanted irritation as it comes out of your faucet. The T33 filter utilizes granulated activated coconut shell carbon to put the finishing touches on already filtered water.

This means that the burden on the filter itself is not as extreme as other filters, since most of the beneficial filtering has already been done by another method. This type of filter replaces easily and needs to be switched out only once every 1-2 years; much less often than pre-filters need to be changed.

Flushing the System

Flushing the system is an important part of replacing water filters in a reverse osmosis filtering system. Flushing helps to remove all traces of bacteria, slime and other contaminants from the filters, as well as any loose sediment that has accumulated in the tubing and storage tank.

The process of flushing involves shutting off the water input valve before draining the storage tank completely. After all filters have been removed, including RO membranes and polishing filters, pour one cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide into the first stage housing before reattaching it.

It's advisable to keep it there for about five minutes prior to turning on the water input valve again and letting your storage tank refill fully. This will ensure that all components have been adequately purged, helping keep your drinking water free from harmful contaminants.