Citric Acid for RO Membrane Cleaning: Easy Steps to Do It Yourself!

Okay, so, I’ve been dealing with this RO system for a while now, and let me tell you, the membranes get nasty over time. I noticed the water flow was slowing down and the quality wasn’t as good. It was time for a good cleaning, and I decided to use citric acid because I heard it’s pretty effective and not too harsh. Here’s how I did it.

First off, I gathered everything I needed. This included citric acid powder, a bucket for mixing, some clean hoses, and, of course, I made sure the RO system was turned off and depressurized. Safety first, right?

Next, I mixed up the cleaning solution. I went with a roughly 2% concentration of citric acid. Basically, I just dumped some of the powder into the bucket and added warm water, stirring it until it all dissolved. The pH was around 2, which is what I wanted. I aimed for around 40 degrees Celsius for the water temperature because I read somewhere that it helps speed up the process.

• Mix citric acid with warm water (about 40°C).
• Stir until fully dissolved.
• Check pH – aim for around 2.

Then, I disconnected the regular water supply and hooked up my cleaning solution to the system. I had a separate tank for this, and I used a pump to circulate the citric acid solution through the membranes. Made sure to follow the flow direction recommended by the manufacturer, you know, to avoid any damage.

Once everything was set up, I started the cleaning process. I let the solution circulate for about an hour. Some folks recommend longer, but an hour seemed to do the trick for me. During this time, I kept an eye on the system to make sure there were no leaks or any funny business going on.

After the circulation was done, I flushed the system thoroughly with clean water. This part is super important because you don’t want any of that citric acid hanging around in your drinking water. I flushed it for a good while, until the pH of the output water was back to normal and there was no more citric acid smell or taste. I use PH paper to test.

• Disconnect the regular water supply.
• Connect the cleaning solution tank.
• Circulate the solution for about an hour.
• Flush the system with clean water until the pH is normal.

Finally, I reconnected everything back to the normal setup and ran the system for a bit to make sure everything was working as it should. And guess what? The water flow was back to normal, and the quality was noticeably better. It was like the system had a new lease on life.

So, that’s my experience with using citric acid for RO membrane cleaning. It’s a bit of work, but totally worth it to keep your system running smoothly. Plus, it’s a cheaper and safer option than some of those harsh chemical cleaners. Just remember to be careful, follow the proper steps, and always flush thoroughly afterward. This way I saved some money and it was good for the environment. Hope this helps someone out there!