A RO system is your aquarium’s finest protection system, screening out hazardous pollutants before they enter the water. That is why it is critical to repair your RO filters on a regular basis. The most difficult problem for enthusiasts is determining when to replace filter cartridges. But there’s good news!
Today we are going to show you how to properly monitor your filter cartridges to help you get the most out of your RO system. The recommendation you hear most often in the hobby is to change your sediment, carbon and DI cartridges every 6-8 months and your TFC membrane every 2 years. While this is a good starting point, it can be misleading. The rate at which cartridges are exhausted actually depends on the level of impurities in your supply tap water, and how much water you produce using your RO system.
We recommend that you replace cartridges based on the number of gallons of water that have flowed through them. We recommend replacing normal 10-inch 1-micron sediment and 5-micron carbon block cartridges every 6 months or 3,000 gallons, whichever comes first. We recommend replacing RO Buddie sediment and carbon block cartridges every 6 months or 1,500 gallons, whichever comes first.However, keep in mind that the 3,000 and 1,500-gallon guidelines are based on the TOTAL AMOUNT of water that has passed through your RO system, not just the filtered water. Most RO systems have a 1:3 filtered water to waste (reject) water ratio, which implies that for every 20 gallons of filtered water produced, 60 gallons of wastewater are also produced.
The TFC membrane is the heart of your RO/DI system. It removes 95-98% of the impurities from water passing through it. With proper care, a TFC membrane will last anywhere from 1-2+ years. However, they are sensitive and can be easily damaged. Running hot water accidentally through the system, allowing the system to freeze or the membrane to dry out are the most common reasons why TFC membranes fail. Your membrane may also clog and perform poorly if the sediment and carbon filters are not changed often enough to remove the particulate matter (sediment) and chlorine/chloramines from the supply water. In order to test your membrane, you will need to measure the TDS of both the tap water entering your system and the product water coming out of the membrane before it travels through the filter cartridge.
A Triple Inline TDS Meter comes in handy here since one of the inline probes may be installed between your membrane and DI cartridge. Otherwise, just unplug the water connection from your DI cartridge and catch part of the RO water that comes out of your membrane. After passing through the membrane, your water should be free of pollutants to the tune of 95 percent. For example, if the TDS in your tap water is 100 ppm, the TDS value after the membrane should be 5 ppm or below. When your TFC membrane permits more than 5% of pollutants to flow through, it is time to replace it.
If your tap water is fairly clean or you don’t use much water, you might be changing out the filter cartridges prematurely (and therefore wasting money). On the other hand, if the quality of your tap water is poor or you make a substantial amount of water, you may inadvertently allow harmful impurities into your aquarium. We recommend the color-changing mixed bed deionization cartridge (DI) should be replaced when the resin changes color completely to amber, or if the TDS value reaches the same TDS level as the water coming from the membrane prior to entering the DI cartridge. Luckily, finding out exactly when you need to change your filter cartridges is quite easy and requires only a few simple tools to monitor your filter usage.
The most important tool is a TDS meter which measures the Total Dissolved Solids in parts per million (PPM). HM Digital Inline TDS Meters are the most popular because they allow you to take readings while your RO system is operating.
Post time: Apr-24-2022