Changing my ro membrane

[Thuan]

How often you change your carbon?

4-5 mos. I have 180g and 65g. WC every 2 wweeks. I run 7 stage rodi with 1 sediment, 2 carbon blocks, 2 resin, and 2 membranes with 3 lines tds meter and an aqua tec 8800 booster pump

 

[theMeat]

Some are 98%, if you pull it out it should be written on the label.

Just to be clear, that method is only good for the membrane not carbon, the only reliable way for carbon is time used or amount of rodi made.

Also depends on the amount of chlorine in your water, and you can test your carbon’s effectiveness

 

[Reef.]

Also depends on the amount of chlorine in your water, and you can test your carbon’s effectiveness

chlorine is not the only contaminant carbon removes though.

 

[theMeat]

chlorine is not the only contaminant carbon removes though.

True. But is the one that damages the membrane the most

 

[Reef.]

True. But is the one that damages the membrane the most

we can talk about the best way to prolong the life of a membrane if you want but you quoted me in reference to how to judge when the carbon is exhausted and my reply was there isn't really a good way, so either use time or quantity of water that goes through the carbon, the life of carbon has absolutely no relation to damage chlorine does to a membrane…unless you are suggesting to wait till the membrane is damaged to judge when to change the carbon, which would be a crazy suggestion but as I said that still doesn’t account for the other contaminants carbon removes.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I change my dual membranes every 6 mos.

Mine is 9 years old and going fine.

If you need to change after 6 months something is very wrong

 

[theMeat]

we can talk about the best way to prolong the life of a membrane if you want but you quoted me in reference to how to judge when the carbon is exhausted and my reply was there isn't really a good way, so either use time or quantity of water that goes through the carbon, the life of carbon has absolutely no relation to damage chlorine does to a membrane…unless you are suggesting to wait till the membrane is damaged to judge when to change the carbon, which would be a crazy suggestion but as I said that still doesn’t account for the other contaminants carbon removes.

Just trying to explain. The key word there is trying. Pretty confusing when some ppl recommend changing membrane every four months, and others say they haven’t changed in nearly a decade without issue. It takes no time for chlorine to burn your membrane through chemical attack. If your water source has little chlorine changing your carbon block is not that important in terms of protecting the membrane. If you have lots of chlorine changing once a year or even every six months may not be enough.
And yes I understand chlorine isn’t the only thing carbon removes. The membrane will remove chlorine too. Although it will be damaged in the process.
And it is pretty easy to test for chlorine with a test strip. Would recommend first testing your water source so you know what you’re up against.
As an example, in my home the 1 micron sediment filter is still clean, while my carbon block is exhausted. So changing the carbon when sediment filter is visibly dirty is not a good practice for me.

 

[Aquachristik]

BRS - How to Know When to Change your RO/DI Filters - Reverse Osmosis Maintenance

 

[Malcontent]

I replace carbon the most frequently. Even with 5 stages of catalytic carbon and relatively low tap water chloramine levels, I'd be lucky to get a year before > 0.02 mg/L chlorine is detected after the 4th carbon stage. Before I had dual membranes and a booster pump, three carbon stages were needed to avoid annoyingly frequent replacement.

It's been years since I've changed the sediment filters and I've never changed the RO membrane unless I moved and let it sit improperly stored for a long period.

 

[mook1178]

Thank you all. Lots of good info here for me

 

[Reef.]

Just trying to explain. The key word there is trying. Pretty confusing when some ppl recommend changing membrane every four months, and others say they haven’t changed in nearly a decade without issue. It takes no time for chlorine to burn your membrane through chemical attack. If your water source has little chlorine changing your carbon block is not that important in terms of protecting the membrane. If you have lots of chlorine changing once a year or even every six months may not be enough.
And yes I understand chlorine isn’t the only thing carbon removes. The membrane will remove chlorine too. Although it will be damaged in the process.
And it is pretty easy to test for chlorine with a test strip. Would recommend first testing your water source so you know what you’re up against.
As an example, in my home the 1 micron sediment filter is still clean, while my carbon block is exhausted. So changing the carbon when sediment filter is visibly dirty is not a good practice for me.

But I wasn’t answering the question “how to prolong the life of a membrane’ I was simply saying the advice the OP had received about the membrane was not intended to imply that if the tds after the membrane was within spec, meant the carbon was also still good…the op may already know this but I thought it worth saying to save any confusion.

Membrane aside, the carbon does not have such a reliable way to test if its still working correctly as the membrane does.

To your point, if you want to help safeguard your membrane, yes you can test for chlorine.

 

[legendhua]

I replace carbon the most frequently. Even with 5 stages of catalytic carbon and relatively low tap water chloramine levels, I'd be lucky to get a year before > 0.02 mg/L chlorine is detected after the 4th carbon stage. Before I had dual membranes and a booster pump, three carbon stages were needed to avoid annoyingly frequent replacement.

It's been years since I've changed the sediment filters and I've never changed the RO membrane unless I moved and let it sit improperly stored for a long period.

Usually cheap activated carbon filters contain phosphorus, have you tested PO4?

 

[DoctaReef]

Hopping on here. I just changed my RO membrane, it had been a few years. Now my TDS is about 15 on the other side and im using 1/2 of my DI resin to make 40 gal of RO.
Thoughts?

 

[Reef.]

Hopping on here. I just changed my RO membrane, it had been a few years. Now my TDS is about 15 on the other side and im using 1/2 of my DI resin to make 40 gal of RO.
Thoughts?

What is the starting tap tds 15 could be within spec.

 

[KStatefan]

Hopping on here. I just changed my RO membrane, it had been a few years. Now my TDS is about 15 on the other side and im using 1/2 of my DI resin to make 40 gal of RO.
Thoughts?

How much water had you run thru the membrane prior to starting to make RODI?