Membrane for Express Water RO: Why It Matters and Which One to Get (Detailed Buying Guide)

Alright, so the other day, I noticed my water was tasting a bit off. Not terrible, but just not as crisp and clean as I like it. And my ice cubes? They were looking kinda cloudy. That’s when I realized it was probably time to take a look at my Express Water RO system. I’ve had this thing for a while, and honestly, I hadn’t paid much attention to the filters lately.

So, I rolled up my sleeves and decided to tackle this little project. First thing I did was shut off the water supply to the system. Gotta make sure you don’t end up with a mini flood in your kitchen, right? Then, I grabbed a towel – learned that one the hard way, haha – and placed it under the system to catch any drips.

Next up, I started unscrewing the housings. Express Water systems are pretty straightforward, but it’s always good to double-check which one houses the membrane. It’s usually the one on top. Once I got it open, I could see the old membrane. Let me tell you, it was not a pretty sight. Definitely time for a change.

Pulling out the old membrane was a bit of a tug-of-war, but it eventually came out. I gave the housing a good rinse, making sure there wasn’t any gunk or residue left behind. You want a nice clean space for that new membrane to slide into.

Now, the new membrane – I picked up a standard 75 gallon per day one, seemed like the right fit for my needs. Some folks go for the 100 GPD, it is not much necessary for me. I carefully unwrapped it, trying not to touch the membrane material itself too much, and gently slid it into the housing. Made sure it was seated properly, nice and snug.

• Shut off the water. Don’t want a mess.
• Grab a towel. Trust me.
• Unscrew the right housing. Usually the top one.
• Pull out the old guy. It might be gross.
• Rinse the housing. Cleanliness is key.
• Slide in the new one. Be gentle.
• Screw everything back. Tight but not too tight.

Then, it was just a matter of screwing the housing back onto the system, turning the water supply back on, and letting the system run for a bit. I ran a few cycles, basically just letting the water flow through to flush out any air or loose particles from the new membrane.

The result?

Man, what a difference! The water tastes so much better now, like, way better. And my ice cubes? Crystal clear. It’s like a whole new system. Seriously, if you’ve got an Express Water RO system, don’t sleep on changing that membrane. It makes a huge difference. If you’re gonna do this, pay attention to the gallons per day number. The standard one is 75, but some systems use 100. Check what your system needs before buying a new one. And that was my little adventure in home water filtration. Pretty easy, and totally worth it.