How to Check RO Membrane Performance? Easy Steps for You!

Yesterday, I found that the water production of my RO system was getting slower and slower. I suspected it might be a problem with the RO membrane, so I decided to do a little investigation.

First, I checked the pressure gauge. Normally, the pressure should be above 40 psi, but mine was just hovering around 30 psi. This was a bit low, but not dramatically so.

• Checked the pressure gauge

• Normal pressure: above 40 psi

• My reading: around 30 psi

Then, I thought about testing the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) of the water. This is a good way to see how well the RO membrane is filtering. I got my trusty TDS meter and tested both the tap water and the RO water.

• Tested the TDS levels

• Tap water TDS: around 300 ppm (parts per million)

• RO water TDS: around 50 ppm

The RO water TDS was about 83% lower than the tap water, which isn’t bad. Generally, if it’s more than 90% lower, you are good. But since mine was a bit off, it indicated that the membrane might not be performing at its best.

After that, I decided to check the water tank. Maybe the tank was full and preventing more water from being produced. I turned off the tank valve and disconnected the tank tube from the RO system. Then I turned the valve back on to see if water would flow into a bucket. Sure enough, water flowed out, so the tank itself seemed to be working fine.

• Checked the water tank

• Turned off tank valve

• Disconnected tank tube

• Turned valve on and checked for water flow

Based on these tests, I think my RO membrane is starting to get old. The lower pressure and slightly higher TDS levels are signs that it’s not filtering as efficiently as before. I guess it’s time to start thinking about replacing the membrane. It’s not an emergency, but I’d rather take care of it before it gets worse.

Well, that’s all for today’s adventure in home water filtration. It’s not the most exciting stuff, but it’s important to keep an eye on these things if you want clean drinking water. I’ll probably be doing another post soon about how to actually replace the RO membrane, so stay tuned for that!