People call in specifically for help, whether they're customers or not. Why pay for service when it's simple (although quite a few steps) and you can do it yourself? This yearly task doesn't have to be complicated!
While each reverse osmosis system may be different, the process is relatively the same. We have a video showing how to change your reverse osmosis filters, and a step by step guide.
How To Change Your RO Filters:
First and the most important step: Turn off your RO system's inlet water feed.
Second and equally important step: Open your faucet and let the pressure out of the system. If you don't do this, you're going to end up with a flooded kitchen.
Once the pressure is off your system, you can open the water filter housings and dump out the water.
Remove the old filters (make sure they match the reverse osmosis filters you purchased) and throw them away.
Close up your reverse osmosis system, but DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN other wise you can pinch and roll the o-rings and cause yet another leak.
Turn your water back on to the system and make sure there are no leaks.
If you'd like a more detailed guide and a video on how to change your reverse osmosis filters, we have that as well!
]]>As always, any questions, you can always contact us, Reverse Osmosis Superstore, and we'll be glad to help you out with your RO water system.
Picking a commercial reverse osmosis membrane isn't as easy as just selecting a size. Since there are so many different water quality types, there's a whole range of different types of commercial RO systems out there. Do you know if your commercial membrane is the right one for your system?
Size: The Easiest Selection To Determine
Size is the simplest one to figure out for your system. Let's decode how commercial membranes are measured. A standard 4040 membrane, is considered 4" in diameter, and 40" long.
Other standard sizes break out like this:
2514 = 2.5" x 14"
2521 = 2.5 x 21"
2540 = 2.5 x 40"
4014 = 4" x 40"
4021 = 4" x 21"
4040 =4" x 40"
Always check with your system manual to make sure you're getting the right sized membrane.
PSI Rating and GPD Rating
GPD, gallons per day, is the flow rated amount of water in a 24 hour period that can be put through the membrane. Some are rated for higher flow, some for lower. And that ties in with high energy membranes, low energy membranes, and cold water membranes. Low energy membranes have lower psi ratings, typically at 150 psi. 250 psi is considered high energy and extra low energy membranes, or "cold water membranes" operate at 100psi with colder water and still give great production water.
What's Your Water Type?
Are you on city water, well water, or something in-between? Standard city water needs a regular membrane to remove 99.9% of chemical contaminants from your water supply. Well water requires a water report, since you never know what's in there, they may require a low energy membrane, depending on the water quality. Brackish water is in between standard water and sea water, not as salty as sea water, but not up the the same standard of city water. Along those lines, your system may need a desalinization reverse osmosis membrane, which does filter sea water.
Confused or unsure of your membranes?
There's so many options, it's easy to get confused about commercial RO membranes. If you need help, contact our water professionals, (888) 309-2837, and we'll help you find the right commercial reverse osmosis membrane for your system.
Designing a commercial water treatment system might even need to include other systems to protect your commercial reverse osmosis system. Water softeners, carbon water filter systems, even sediment and turbity removal pretreatment systems can get rid of the chemicals and debris that will ruin your commercial RO system. It can be a big investment, so you'll want to protect it the best you can, and if you design it correctly, your water treatment system can last you years.
One of the other biggest factors in building these systems are geographical location. Ground water temperature, salinity, well water, city water, chemicals, recovery rate, and any other location factors play a big part in commercial water system design. Colder ground water means lower recovery rates, which can affect the RO membrane filtering percentage, and chemical and contaminants can change the features you may need on your system, which may mean chemical injection to fix these water problems. And if you need ultra pure water, for laboratories, car washing, window washing, or manufacturing/production, you'll need a finishing deionization water (DI water) filtering finish, making sure the water is as clean as it possibly can get.
With all of these factors in getting clean water for your business, you can see how it can take a team of systems to make sure you get the best commercial water filtering possible. Confused? Well, we have an experienced team of water professionals that design and build these systems for businesses of all sizes, contact Reverse Osmosis Superstore and we'll be glad to talk you through the process of getting your business the best water possible.
]]>We understand, this can be VERY confusing to figure out what system you need. Our water professionals have helped created water system setups for car washes, cannabis, hemp, marijuana farms (when the water needs to be tailored to the particular crop), exotic fish aquariums, electronic and pharmaceutical production companies, streak free window cleaning companies, large solar panel cleaning too. If you need help making heads and tails of these systems, feel free to contact our expert water professionals and we'll help you every step of the way.
]]>It's a common question, "What are the first steps when trying to figure out what water treatment filter system I need to get?" In order to help our water professionals find the right water filter system for your needs, there are a few things you'll need.
The first place to start is, what's in your water? Are you trying to get rid of water hardness? Do you have build-up on your faucets and showers? Does your water smell of sulfur and rotten egg? Or is it just cloudy and brown?
In order to figure out what problems we need to tackle, the first step is a water analysis test. A professional water test will tell you the chemicals, iron, heavy metals, chlorine/chloramines, hardness, and anything else you'll need in order to get the right water system for your needs.
If you're on city water, this can be pretty easy to get, call your local water municipal, they're required to keep this information on hand, so they can provide you the most recent testing levels. If you're on well water, you'll want to send a water sample to a reputable water testing lab, and as a general guide, there are resources online that show you based on your zip code, what's in your water.
If you're tackling water hardness, in order to properly size a water softener, you'll need to know the grains hardness of your water. There are some at-home water tests you can use, but you'll want to consult a municipality or have a professional test your well water. In order to get the right amount of water softness and capacity, we'll need to know how many bathrooms and water fixtures are in the home, as well as the water hardness level.
Another common assumption is the level of iron in your water. There's no point in getting a softener if your water contains iron and heavy metals, because these will weigh the resin down in your softener and make it ineffective. We highly recommend to our customers that have iron in their water, they should invest in an Air Injection Iron Water Removal System, to work in tandem with their water softener, or in some cases, by itself. This system helps remove the rotten egg smell and foul taste from your water.
And brown water... sediment and turbidity making your water cloudy is just plain nasty. If your sediment level isn't too terribly high, you might be able to use a specific whole home water filter system, like a 10" or 20" water filter system. If it's really troublesome, an entire home water system may be necessary to get rid of that water cloudiness.
If you're looking for alkaline water systems, there are quite a few to choose from, whole home alkaline water systems, drinking water alkaline water system, even inline alkaline water filters. Depending on how much water and the alkalinity, there's a water filter options for them all.
Last but not least, reverse osmosis systems. In order to finish the job and clean out the 98-99.9% of contaminants from your water, how much pure, clean water do you need? If you need just a smaller amount, there are undersink drinking water systems available, or if you need a whole house water filter system, you'll have to size a larger volume system in order to make sure your home never runs out of safe water.
If you're overwhelmed, we understand, there are A LOT of questions in order to get safe, clean water. Our water professionals are available and build these systems daily, from simple water filter changes, to whole home water systems, and even giant commercial water systems like car washes and restaurants. Contact our water professionals with your water analysis, and we'll get you the right water system specifically for your problematic water!
]]>Water softener resin cleaners, reverse osmosis sanitation, well-water iron removal and disinfection, there are a wide variety of chemical water treatment solutions. Our water professionals can help you find the right chemical treatment for your water system (we even have some non-chemical water treatment options) because with all of the water treatment solutions, it might be difficult to see which options you need for your water system.
Types of Water Treatment Chemicals:
Water softener cleaners: Depending on your water softener, you may need a chemical to remove trace amounts of iron, to regenerate your water softener resin bed, or add a daily use chemical drip/injection system that helps with preventative maintenance. Solutions range from a resin care chemical, hydrogen peroxide, and rust out removal. If your system uses manganese greensand, you'll need a potassium permanganate to help restore your systems filtration.
Acidic water neutralization: If your water is so acidic that it's eating through your plumbing pipes, you'll need an acid neutralizing chemical or a citric acid chemical to raise or lower pH level of your water system.
Scale and corrosion reduction/removal: You may need a chemical feed to help treat hardness, iron, corrosion, and scale build-up to help extend the life of your water treatment system.
Sanitizing and disinfectants: Specialized chlorine pellets are used in wells to treat common well-water problems and specifically designed sanitation system packets clean out your reverse osmosis system housings and tank, plus it's safer and easier to use than bleach.
Depending on what water system you have, there are multiple options to help maintain and treat your water. You'll find a variety of high quality, cost effective water treatment products that are cost effective and help you condition your water for your needs. We offer a wide range of water treatment solutions that focus on rectifying problem water and maintaining the performance of water quality equipment. And as always, follow the instructions on each water treatment chemical, or find professional guidance before you use any chemical in your water system.
]]>According to EPA studies, chlorine and chloramines in your drinking water are not considered harmful in small amounts, but they can leave a bad taste in your mouth. Chloramines, a combination of chlorine and ammonia, provide long-lasting disinfection as your water moves through pipes to your home.
Water is essential to human life. And drinking water from the faucet may be, regrettably, one of the most significant health risks a person takes at home. Water treatment systems filter out chlorine and chloramines providing clean, healthy, pure water. Reverse Osmosis Water Systems use a high-pressure water pressure to push source water through a semipermeable membrane, separating salts, minerals, and contaminants from your drinking water.
Still concerned there are pathogens or chemicals in your drinking water? You shouldn't be! The last micro molecules can be removed with a carbon water filter. The chloramine molecules get stuck in the pores during filtration and can't contaminate your water any longer.
Chloramines are present in nearly all municipal-processed water sources. Most businesses that rely on entirely pure, filtered water should install a commercial reverse osmosis system removing all chemicals and contaminants from their water. Commercial reverse osmosis systems provide long-lasting disinfection of water moving through pipes and are more cost-effective.
]]>Water softeners bring down your water's hardness level into soft water, by reducing the mineral contents of the water. Hard water mainly contains calcium and magnesium, and once in a while bicarbonates and sulfates. Soft water, on the other hand, is the type of water with little to no trace of these hardness minerals.
A water filtering process is used in decreasing the calcium, magnesium, and in some cases smaller amounts of manganese and ferrous iron dissolved in hard water. Your home's water softener is a water treatment system that removes and chemically changes hard water into a soft water.
Water softeners replace the calcium and magnesium contents in hard water with sodium (water softener salt). Sodium does not accumulate in pipes and also does not react to soap. The function of the water softener allows hard water to enter the water softener where there is a layer of plastic beads, know as "resin" and in some instances, a material known as Zeolite.
The layers of water softener filter media is soaked with sodium ions. Sodium is exchanged with the contents of the hard water, calcium, and magnesium. The resin media layer will be saturated with calcium and magnesium ions. Then the regeneration process follows where water is mixed with high sodium content producing a brine. Sodium ions again replace calcium and magnesium ions, which are washed down the drain.
There are two main types of water softener systems. The first one is the digital electric single tank water softener. This type of a system comes with some setbacks, the soft water supply may run out since the system uses a single tank and it may also require a pump because this type of system needs high water pressure.
The hydraulic twin tank softener is the other softener type. This type ensures a continued supply of soft water for the household. The two tanks do the water softening and regeneration processes alternatively. This way, there will be no chance of running out of soft water supply.
Salt containers (brine tanks) should be refilled regularly. Most softeners do not have salt level indicator; so check the salt level periodically to avoid running out of salt. The softeners operate continuously even without salt, which may result in tank contamination.
]]>Going green can be a tough decision. You want to protect the environment, but you also need filtered water with minimal waste. Many businesses and homes are taking on more environmental responsibility, however these days, getting clean water and going green can be tricky. Water filtering can create waste water and typically, reverse osmosis systems work on a 4:1 ratio principle. That means for every single gallon of clean, filtered water you can have up to four gallons of water going down the drain.
That’s definitely a lot of waste water, especially if you’re trying to conserve as much as possible.
There are technological/mechanical advancements to help environmentally-friendly consumers conserve water, making their water costs more affordable, AND get the pure, filtered drinking water they need.
Reverse osmosis membranes and systems are being designed with water efficiency in mind, especially in locations where droughts are common and water is in short supply. There are drinking water filtering systems that are available that waste MUCH less water. In fact, a 1:1 ratio reverse osmosis drinking water system is the most economically effective system on the market today, with a 1:1 membrane than can save you up to 75% on waste water.
Saving up to 75% of four gallons of waste water makes a HUGE difference. That kind of efficient water filtering not only helps the environment, but it also helps with your water bill, without sacrificing the quality your clean drinking water output.
]]>We recommend using a step-by-step approach to lowering water usage around the house. By looking at each area one at a time, we can address the water wastes in that area, focus on changing habits over the course of 2-3 weeks, and then move on to the next area of the home.
For the average American household, the bathroom is the largest water consumer inside the home. According to the EPA, the toiled alone can consume 27% of total usage alone! For our 3rd installment on lowering water use throughout the home, we found the 12 easy ways to lower water consumption in your bathroom.
The biggest proponent of adding this to the water is the ADA, stating that by adding fluoride to water it helps fight off tooth decay.
However, once you add fluoride into the water supply there really is no way to regulate it.
Fluoride is known to be toxic even at low levels. This is why toothpaste states to call poison control if swallowed.
A little known fact is most children already get over the recommended dose of fluoride daily just by brushing their teeth..
Studies are starting to show that as we build more fluoride up in our bones the more brittle our bones become.
While fluoride is found in all water naturally the amount is miniscule. But, since 1945 if you are among the majority of people in the United States you get your water from a public service. The public water supply adds up to 1 part per million in public water utilities. And according to the latest survey done by CDC in 2008 71% of all households are on public water that gets fluoride added to it. A reverse osmosis purification system is the best solution available for removing this potential toxin.
So if you have made the decision it is time to figure out how to remove fluoride from your water. The best solution is a reverse osmosis filtration system.
Adding a reverse osmosis system to your home can actually remove 85-92% of fluoride from your water supply.
The great thing about adding a reverse osmosis filtration system to your house is the ability to remove so many things from your current tap water.
Most cities have removed all of the old lead pipes bringing you water to your home. But, as New York and now Flint Michigan have shown, you never can know for sure. Flint is another nightmare all together, as the contamination there was not due to old pipes but a bad decision overall. Unfortunately the officials have recently announced that the lead contamination is so bad it is beyond what filtration can remove.
In most cases though removing lead from water can be done simply by adding a reverse osmosis system to your water supply. Having a whole house system can actually remove upto 95% of lead from your water.
Some people believe that by boiling your water you can actually remove the lead. Unfortunately, this could not be farther from the truth. Boiling water actually increases the amount of lead in the water. This is true for a lot of contaminants in your water. As the water evaporates through steam the contaminants are too heavy and increase in concentration due to less water.
With a good filtration system removing lead from water is painless. Any RO filtration system will get the job done. Weather you decide on an under sink model or a whole house system you will have the peace of mind knowing you are getting pure uncontaminated water out of your faucet.
]]>Reverse osmosis pushes water straight from the tap through a reverse osmosis membrane and filter system in order to remove the impurities and get clean drinking water. An RO membrane contains tightly wound, very small porous filter material, to help clean out the larger water contaminants. As the water pressure pushes the unfiltered water, it forces the water molecules through the membrane's filter screen and the water leaves behind any non-water molecules, like salt, chemicals, and debris.
There are smaller drinking water systems available to help filter water in your kitchen, there are huge commercial water systems that filter thousands of gallons of water per day, and there are whole home reverse osmosis water systems that filter an entire house's water supply, making sure there's safe water available no matter where you may live.
]]>Studies show the leading causes of death and disease worldwide are related to contaminated water, with more than 14,000 people dying every day. Water is key for sustaining life, growing and maintaining healthy crops, gardens, pets, and livestock. How can you make sure your water is safe?
Total dissolved solids are foreign materials that are dissolved in your water. Solids that can be found in water include salts, calcium, magnesium, or sodium, and organic materials, even sewage. Total dissolved solids are generally measured in parts per million or ppm.
There are meters that can measure your TDS and monitor the "creep" that can happen in your water. A TDS EZ Water Meter is a great meter for the homeowner to test his or her own water in order to help identify the best filtration method. The HM Digital COM-100 TDS Meter is ideal for the water professional or business owner due to it’s accuracy and features, including temperature and conductivity. We also offer a John Guest Inline TDS Water Meter that monitors not only the water coming into your house, but the water leaving your water filtration system.
The most common other contaminants found in drinking water are bacteria and nitrates, and elements like lead, iron, copper. Depending on the contaminant, there are varying levels that are considered safe.
There are PurTest Home Water Analysis Kits that can measure and test for 19 different contaminants. It's easy to use, and is relatively inexpensive. Water testing kits are often quick, easy, and effective when you measure for lead or bacteria only.
There are a wide variety of water filtration and treatment solutions, including home and commercial reverse osmosis systems and water softeners. If you have any questions about water testing products or how to choose the right water treatment system for your application, please give us a call at (888) 309-2837.
There are a number of ways the water can become polluted. In cities and urban areas debris and chemicals from roadwork, road runoff, industrial wastewater all play a role in the quality of our water. Near farms and in rural parts of the country runoff from fertilized crops into our wells and groundwater is a major contributor to water contamination. Natural disasters, everyday elements like iron, copper, chlorine, and lead, and even sewage play a role in the quality of our water regardless of where we live.
In some cases, the contamination may be attributed to the home we live in. In particular, homes with older copper or lead pipes have been known to add toxins not only to the water we drink, but to the water we use for baths, showers, and even the water we use to waters our lawns and gardens. Water contamination levels can vary depending on the region and community you live in, as well as how recently the pipes in your home have been renovated.
]]>Iron is found in water in two forms; ferrous iron or ferric iron. Water containing ferrous iron is clear and colorless, but is when it is exposed to air that the water turns cloudy and reddish brown - this is ferric iron. Most of us notice iron in water by the harsh, metallic taste, but concentrations as little as 0.3milligrams per liter can cause water to turn that reddish brown color, and leave the telltale stains on our sinks, bathtubs, and faucets.
It’s highly unlikely that anyone could ingest an amount of iron through drinking water that would be truly toxic. While it’s true that large quantities of iron can damage blood vessels or damage the liver and kidneys, it is, for all practical purposes, impossible to intake that much iron through our drinking water.
On the other hand, iron is essential to our body’s function. Iron helps maintain our metabolism and is an essential part of hemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen within red blood cells. For the plants around us, iron plays a role in the creation of chlorophyll, which keeps our plants green and is essential to their survival.
Even though you can’t really drink enough iron through your water for it to be unhealthy, there are many reasons to reduce or remove it from your water. Besides the disagreeable taste when it occurs in larger concentrations, iron in water combined with drinks like coffee and tea produces a darker color and taste that can be described as “inky”. In cooking, vegetables cooked in water containing too much iron can be given a darker, and less vibrant and attractive appearance. Left untreated, iron can encourage iron bacteria growth, which give water a terrible and destroy plumbing. For many though, it is the brownish, nearly impossible to remove water stains on their sinks, tubs, and toilets that gives the primary reason for wanting to remove iron. Luckily, even if we do remove this essential element from our water, we can still ingest all we need through food such as eggs, lean red meat, beans, peas, and other legumes.
If you suspect your water is high in iron, but don’t see stains accumulating or notice it’s smell affecting your water, we recommend our PurTest Home Water Analysis Kit. Not only will this inexpensive kit test your water’s iron levels, but also 18 other contaminants including lead, bacteria, and chlorine.
Reverse osmosis systems were designed from the outset to remove minerals from water. For the homeowner, our most popular reverse osmosis system is the Pro Series Stage 5, which is easy to install, fits neatly under most sinks and deliver up to 50 gallons per day through the 5 stage filtration system.
Since iron has such an impact on the flavors and appearance or coffee, tea, and food, many coffee shops and restaurants will need a system capable of delivering a higher volume of water. The Evolution RO-1000 can deliver up to 1000 gallons a day, or 42 gallons per hour, on demand without a tank - saving precious space in tight kitchens and bars. We also stock an extensive range of other commercial reverse osmosis systems to fit nearly any industry. If you have questions about your application please give us a call at (888) 309-2837, over the past 18 years we’ve supplied cities, ethanol plants, breweries, and just about any other industry where water is used.
]]>The kitchen in the average American home accounts for about 10% or total household water use, but yields some of the easiest ways to reduce household water consumption.
In our second post on How to Save Water in around the house, we take a look at one of the least favorite activities for many of us - washing clothes. For the average American household, doing our laundry accounts for 20% or more of the water we use inside the home. In fact, the typical washing machine uses between 27 and 54 gallons of water per load!
Making a few simple changes in your routine, or even considering a new washing machine, can make a huge difference in your overall water consumption.