How To Remove Ro Membrane From Housing

how to remove ro membrane from housing?Alright, guys, so the other day I had to swap out the RO membrane in my under-sink water filter system. It’s not rocket science, but it can be a little tricky if you’ve never done it before. I figured I’d share my experience, step-by-step, so you can avoid the same little hiccups I ran into.

Getting Started

First things first, turn off the water supply! I cannot stress this enough. There’s usually a little valve under the sink, just turn it all the way to the right. Then, I like to open up the filter faucet to release any pressure that’s built up in the system. Just let it drip until it stops.

Locating and Prepping the Housing

Next, find the RO membrane housing. It’s usually the biggest, longest cylinder in your filter setup. Mine was white, but yours might be a different color. Before you go yanking on anything, grab a bucket or some towels. There’s gonna be some water spillage, no matter how careful you are.

Opening the Housing

Now, the housing usually has a cap on one end that you need to unscrew. Mine was pretty tight, so I used a wrench. I have a special filter wrench for water, but that’s just me. You can use channel-lock pliers. Just be careful not to crack the plastic. Slow and steady wins the race here. Once you get the cap loose, unscrew it the rest of the way by hand.

Once the cap is off, you are going to see a small amount of water, but it will be difficult to see the old filter membrane.

Removing the Old Membrane

This is where it can get a little…gooey. The old membrane is probably going to be pretty snug inside the housing. I used a pair of needle-nose pliers to gently grab the edge of the membrane and pull it out. It might be slippery, so just take your time and work it loose. Sometimes it helps to wiggle it back and forth a bit.

• Needle Nose pliers
• Channel-lock pliers
• filter wrench (optional)

Putting it ALL back together.

Once you’re done, just re-cap the housing, again, nice and snug, but don’t overdo it. Turn the water supply back on, and check for leaks. Let the water run through the filter for a few minutes to flush out any air or loose particles. And that’s it! You’ve successfully changed your RO membrane.

Hopefully, this helps anybody to remove the old filter!