Are you looking for a way to clean your home or business’s indoor water, but don’t want to use a mechanical water cleaning system to do so? Then you’ll want to consider the installation of a reverse osmosis system. The plumbing professionals at Shilo Plumbing have years of experience installing, repairing, replacing and maintaining reverse osmosis water treatment systems, and we bring this experience to every job we do. A water treatment system can protect your home’s water from breaches in the system, outbreaks of bacteria, or just make sure you have the fresh, clean water you need for all of your household needs. Our pros are ready to help you with your reverse osmosis system needs!
The Reverse Osmosis Difference
What makes a reverse osmosis system different from other water–cleaning systems? A reverse osmosis system doesn’t use anything mechanical. The way your water is cleaned with this type of system is via a semi–permeable membrane that screens out contaminants and impurities from the water in your home. The water is forced through the membrane at a high rate of speed. This force, combined with the membrane, separates impurities and contaminants from the water, so that your clean, fresh water stays on one side of the membrane while the contaminants stay on the other. Your cleaned water is directed to a small holding tank that can be used on a whole–home basis or as a point–of–use basis. But no matter how you use the water cleaned by your RO system, you can rest assured it will be as healthy as possible, thanks to the pros from Shilo Plumbing.
The Benefits of a Reverse Osmosis System
There are a few reasons why you may want to consider the installation of a reverse osmosis water treatment system in your home:
- Virtually no maintenance: not only are there no mechanics to worry about with a reverse osmosis system, the semi–permeable membrane discards captured impurities and particles on its own, making this system virtually free of maintenance.
- Over 99% effective: reverse osmosis systems remove over 99% of impurities and contaminants in your water, making it incredibly clean and healthy.
- No more strange tasting water or ice: we’ve all tasted that sitting water or those older ice cubes – it isn’t pleasant. You won’t have to worry about odors or tastes with your water or ice when you use a reverse osmosis system.
Basic Components Of A Reverse Osmosis System:
- Cold Water Line Valve: Valve that fits onto the cold water supply line. The valve has a tube that attaches to the inlet side of the RO pre filter. This is the water source for the RO system.
- Pre-Filter(s): Water from the cold water supply line enters the Reverse Osmosis Pre Filter first. There may be more than one pre-filter used in a Reverse Osmosis system, the most common being sediment and carbon filters. These pre-filters are used to PROTECT the RO membranes by removing sand silt, dirt, and other sediment that could clog the system. Additionally, carbon filters may be used to remove chlorine, which can damage the RO membranes.
- Reverse Osmosis Membrane: The Reverse Osmosis Membrane is the heart of the system. The semipermeable RO membrane is designed to remove a wide variety of both aesthetic and health-related contaminants. After passing through the membrane, the water goes into a pressurized storage tank where treated water is stored.
- Post filter(s): After the water leaves the RO storage tank, but before going to the RO faucet, the treated water goes through a final “post filter”. The post filter is usually a carbon filter. Any remaining tastes or odors are removed from the product water by post filtration “polishing” filter.
- Automatic Shut Off Valve (SOV): To conserve water, the RO system has an automatic shut off valve. When the storage tank is full, the automatic shut off valve closes to stop any more water from entering the membrane and blocks flow to the drain. Once water is drawn from the RO faucet, the pressure in the tank drops; the shut off valve then opens to send the drinking water through the membrane while the contaminated wastewater is diverted down the drain.
- Check Valve: A check valve is located in the outlet end of the RO membrane housing. The check valve prevents the backward flow of treated water from the RO storage tank. A backward flow could rupture the RO membrane.
- Flow Restrictor: Water flowing through the RO membrane is regulated by a flow restrictor. There are many different styles of flow controls, but their common purpose is to maintain the flow rate required to obtain the highest quality drinking water (based on the gallon capacity of the membrane). The flow restrictor also helps maintain pressure on the inlet side of the membrane. Without the additional pressure from the flow control, very little drinking water would be produced because all the incoming water would take the path of least resistance and simply flow down the drain line. The flow control is most often located in the RO drain line tubing.
- Storage Tank: The standard RO storage tank holds from 2 – 4 gallons of water. A bladder inside the tank keeps water pressurized in the tank when it is full. The typical under counter Reverse Osmosis tank is 12 inches in diameter and 15 inches tall.
- Faucet: The RO unit uses its own faucet, which is usually installed on the kitchen sink. Some areas have plumbing regulations requiring an air gap faucet, but non-air gap models are more common
- Drain line: This line runs from the outlet end of the Reverse Osmosis membrane housing to the drain. The drain line is used to dispose of the wastewater containing the impurities and contaminants that have been filtered out by the reverse osmosis membrane.
Diagram of a Reverse System with Basic Components:
Our pros can help you with a new installation, a replacement system, or the repair and maintenance of an existing reverse osmosis system. Contact us today and see what a reverse osmosis system can do for your home!
Click here for a more detailed explanation of a Reverse Osmosis System.