How Does RO Membrane Work? Learn the Basics of RO Water Filtration.

Ok, so the other day I was thinking about getting one of those fancy water filters, you know, the reverse osmosis kind. But then I realized, I have no clue how these things actually work! So, naturally, I did what any normal person would do – I went down a rabbit hole of research. Here’s what I found out during my deep dive.

First off, I grabbed my laptop and started with a simple search. Nothing too fancy, just “how does RO membrane work”. I clicked on a few articles and started reading. Turns out, it’s not as complicated as I thought.

Basically, these RO systems have this thin membrane thingy. It’s like a super fine strainer, but on a microscopic level. This membrane has tiny, tiny holes, so small that only water molecules can squeeze through. Think of it like trying to push a basketball through a chain-link fence – it ain’t happening! But a tiny little marble? That’ll slide right through.

So, I learned that they use a pump to push the water through this membrane with a lot of force. This pressure is key, it’s like the muscle that forces the water through those microscopic holes.

Here’s how I broke it down:

• Pump it up: The water gets pushed really hard towards the membrane.
• Squeeze through: Only the tiny water molecules can fit through the tiny holes in the membrane.
• Bye-bye bad stuff: All the bigger stuff, like salt, dirt, and other junk, gets left behind because it can’t fit. We can call this “reject water”.
• Clean water win: On the other side of the membrane, you get clean, filtered water.

After reading a bunch more, I figured out that most RO systems get rid of like 95% to 99% of the dissolved salts and other impurities. That’s pretty darn good! My tap water isn’t terrible, but I like the idea of it being extra clean. That’s when I went to my local shop and purchased a ro system. I’ve been using this system for about one month, so far so good.

So, yeah, that’s my little adventure into the world of reverse osmosis membranes. Who knew water filtration could be so interesting? Hope this helps anyone else who’s curious about how these things work!