Can I clean a membrane??

[Southern Boy]

Is there a way to clean my ro membrane?And can someone tel me what I have, a ro or rodi? Its called the maxima by kent marine hi-s. I got it whrn I bought an xtra tank set up. Thanks for any help!!

[Billybeau1]

Membranes can not be cleaned. They need to be replaced.

That said, membranes generally last for years. Have you tested the TDS of the membrane output water ?

If you have 3 chambers (excluding the membrane) you have ro/di. di being the canister on the far right. That should be your output water.

If you don't have a tds meter, buy one. I have the dual inline by HM. It tells me when I need to change my filters.

[Southern Boy]

What I have is a 3 chamber system with a 4th across the top. 2 look like filters and one the one on the far right I guess is the d.i. It looks kinda funky like saome liquid inside the filter. I guess that being the resin chamber. Sorry for my stupidity on this i'm learning. So with all that said , the water goes in the far left, then to the center, then up to the top, and finally out to the far right where I get my water. Can someone explain to me which each of these is in the order they fall. Thanks again!!!

[Rhodesholar]

You can flush the membrane. You can purchase a flush kit for a nominal amount just about anywhere that sells membranes.

[Billybeau1]

I do not care much for the flush kits. They are unnecessary to me and serve no useful purpose.

Yes laddystar, I can explain to you what each does as I have the same unit.

The water goes in the first chamber, This is a sediment filter. Usually 1 micron. This should be changed every 6 months unless you have high tds water and you loose pressure.

The second chamber is the carbon filter. I change the first two canisters at the same time.

Then it goes up to the membrane. (horizontal on the top.) This can last for years with average water quality. Last time I talked to Randy, his was going on 9 years. I have yet to change mine after 3 years and I have 0 tds.

Last, it goes to the Di. (the far right canister) Or in your case the Di-S. You stated you have a Silicamax. This is what gets the tds of your water to zero.

I use a dual inline tds meter by HM. I have it hooked up to my post membrane output and my post di output. This tells me when I need to take action. As far as the first two canisters go, a pressure guage can tell you when those filters need changing. When the tds starts to show anything other than zero, I know its time to change my di cartridge. (Dont go by the color change thing)

I have the instruction sheet for your unit. If you want, I can scan it and post it for you to print and save.

Let me know. :)

[Buckeye Hydro]

Generally when folks buy a used unit, they are not too familiar with the system's history. If that is the case,

Hook the system up and run it for ten minutes, and then measure the tds of:
1. tap water,
2. water purified by the RO before it reaches the DI
3. after the DI

You might get lucky and all will be well - or not.

You may end up replacing all the filters.

Don't forget to sanitize the system once a year - you may want to sanitize the system now, especially if you are not sure when it was last sanitized.

Russ @ BFS

[Justdrew]

Hey Russ,

Do you have instructions for sanitizing an RO System? I have an 8 year old Spectrapure system that I have never sanitized. The instructions do not mention anything about that.

Thanks

[Southern Boy]

Thanks for the info guy's!! I doubt it has ever been sanitized as I know the guy I got it from and he would have mentioned these things if that were the case. Billy I would love the instuctions on it.
Sorry I don't know the lingo on these things but exactly what are tds.And also how do I sanitize??Thanks for the info!!

[AZDesertRat]

Membranes can be cleaned with hydrogen peroxide but its not common to do so and may be of only limited benefit.
Sanitizing a system should be done every 6 months to one year, basically I do it every time I change filters.
If they system you inherited is old, has seen extensive use and has been stored dry it may be better to start with fresh filters including the RO membrane as they are damaged once they are allowed to dry out as is DI resin.
To disinfect the housings, first disconnect the blue line from the carbon filter where it connects to the RO membrane housing. Next remove the old prefilter and carbon filter, put 2 or at most 3 tablespoons of regular unscented bleach into the prefilter housing and screw all the housings back together. Open the inlet valve or connect it to the cold water faucet and turn it on filling the housings and letting it run through the system. After a few gallons and after any smell of chlorine has passed, shut it off, remove the housings, install fresh prefilter and carbon block and reassemble. Reattach the blue line to the membrane and let 'er rip.
TDS is Total Dissolved Solids and is the way we measure the contaminants in both the tap water and the treated water. You should have a handheld TDS meter if you have an RO or RO/DI system or you have absolutely no idea how it is performing. A normal RO membrane is going to remove between 96 and 98% of the incoming tap water TDS so if you have a tap water with a TDS reading of 250 you should se an RO only TDS or somewhere around 5 if its working up to par. DI will remove the remaining TDS for a reading of 0.

[Southern Boy]

wow, very informative! So with all that said do I need to purchace above items from or for kent or are they universal? If they are universal what are some good brands and possibly a good place to find? Thanks again I would be lost with out everyones help!!

[Buckeye Hydro]

The Kent system used parts of a standard size. Your vertical housings take filter cartridges 2.5" x 10" (nominal). Your membrane is also of a standard size - 1.8" x 12" (nominal).

Russ @ BFS

[Billybeau1]

Laddystar, I have scanned the 2 page instruction sheet for your unit. However you have specified in your account that you do not want to be sent email.

If you pm me your email address, I will send it to you.

It is in pdf format so let me know if you dont have adobe :)

[Buckeye Hydro]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9681789#post9681789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Justdrew
Hey Russ,

Do you have instructions for sanitizing an RO System? I have an 8 year old Spectrapure system that I have never sanitized. The instructions do not mention anything about that.

Thanks

We recommend sanitizing your RO/DI system approximately once per year. Schedule this process at a time when you are planning to replace your cartridges. These instructions apply to water purification systems without a pressure tank. Before you begin assure that you have about an hour available, and that your work area and hands are clean.
Turn off the water supply to the system.
Remove all housings and remove all pre-filters and post-filters from the system including sediment filters, carbon filters, in-line filters, and deionization cartridges. Remove the reverse osmosis membrane(s).
Wash housings with a soft brush or cloth in warm soapy water. Rinse thoroughly to remove all soap. Don’t forget to carefully remove and wash all o-rings. Lubricate the o-rings with a small amount of silicone grease and reinstall them.
Fill each vertical housing with one cup of potable water and three to four tablespoons of household bleach, and with this sanitizing liquid still in the housings, screw them back on to the system.
Turn on the water supply a bit, allow water to fill the entire system, and assure water is flowing out of the waste line and the purified water line. Place the outlet of the drain tube and purified water tube slightly higher than the system to assure these tubes are full of the sanitizing solution. When the sanitizing solution has reached the outlet of each tube, and with the outlet of each tube placed above the rest of the system, shut off the water supply for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, turn the water supply on and assure that water exits the system from both the drain tube and the purified water port. Flush the sanitizing solution from the system for 5 to 10 minutes.
Turn off the water supply and install new filters.
We recommend keeping a maintenance record for your system. Record the date of the sanitizing and filter replacement.