How to Deal With a Clogged RO Membrane and Get Clean Water

So, I noticed my water filter was acting up. The water tasted off, and the flow was way slower than usual. It’s one of those under-sink systems with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. I figured it was time to check things out.

First, I turned off the water supply to the system. Safety first, right? Then, I got under the sink and started looking around. The pre-filters were pretty nasty, but I had just changed those a few months ago. That’s when I spotted the RO membrane housing. It looked a bit discolored, which I read somewhere could be a bad sign.

Next, I grabbed my tools and disconnected the tubing from the membrane housing. I carefully removed the housing and opened it up. Inside, the membrane was all gunked up. It was brownish and felt kind of slimy. I tried to rinse it off, but that didn’t do much.

Checking the Pressure and Temperature

I remembered reading online that low water pressure or the wrong water temperature could mess up an RO membrane. So, I checked my water pressure with a gauge I had lying around. It was a bit low. I adjusted the pressure regulator on my main water line to bump it up a bit.

• Turned on the water supply
• Checked water temperature with a thermometer
• Water temperature was in the normal range

Trying to Clean the Membrane

Since rinsing didn’t work, I decided to try a more intense cleaning. I mixed up a solution. I poured the solution into the pressure channel of the RO apparatus. Then I carefully followed some instructions that seemed to make sense about circulating the solution and letting it soak. It was a bit of a pain, but I was hoping it would save the membrane.

After the cleaning process, I rinsed the membrane thoroughly with clean water and put everything back together. I turned the water back on and let it run for a while to flush out any remaining cleaning solution. I tested the water, and it tasted much better! The flow was still a little slow, but it was definitely an improvement.

In the end, I probably should have just replaced the membrane. It’s probably on its last legs, but I managed to squeeze a little more life out of it. I’ll keep an eye on it and order a new one soon. Lesson learned: don’t ignore your water filter!