5 Tips For Industrial RO System Maintenance

• Keeping the pretreatment system in place
• Monitoring the condition of the RO membrane and its constituent parts in real time
• Turn on the system protection status in the event of an outage
• Frequent backwashing and cleaning

Why is the Industrial RO system so easily broken? 

Actually, the following four factors account for 90% of the causes:

 
1. The water is excessively contaminated due to the absence of a reverse osmosis system pre-treatment.
2. The membrane is oxidized; Residual chlorine is not completely eliminated. 
3. There is blockage or scaling (insufficient softener or scale inhibitor).
4. Prolonged lack of cleaning (dirt buildup)

Step by Step

Maintenance Key 1: Pre-treatment is the root of the RO 

1. Quartz Sand Filter 

• Mainly used for removing silt, particles 
• Backwashing 2-3 times a week, backwash until the Clear water 

2. Activated Carbon Filter 

• Mainly used to remove residual chlorine, organic matter
• Backwash 2-3 times a week
• Activated carbon 1-2 years replacement 

3. Softener or Add Scale Inhibitor 

• Mainly used to prevent scale generation 
• Regular replenishment of salt/check the balance of scale inhibitor 

4. Security Filter 

• Mainly used to intercept small particles 
• Filter cartridge 2-4 weeks replacement (depending on the quality of the water) 

Maintenance Key 2: Protect the RO membrane from damage

1. Check the Residual Chlorine of the Incoming Water Must be ≤0.1pp. 

• Must be ≤0.1ppm, the best is 0
• Method: test paper or online meter detection

If exceeded, please flush more or add reducing agent (sodium bisulfite) 

2. Control SDI (pollution index)

SDI ≤3, if exceeded, it means that the water quality is too poor, so the pre-treatment should be adjusted 3. Therefore, the pre-treatment should be adjusted 

3. Control Hardness 

- Calcium and magnesium ions into the RO membrane before ≤ 0.05 ppm. If the hardness is high, please add scale inhibitor or water softening salt.

Maintenance Key 3: timely cleaning of RO membrane

When the flow rate of produced water drops by 10-15%, or the differential pressure rises by 1 bar, and the conductivity becomes high, scale/organic matter begins to clog, these are common cleaning signals issued by the RO membrane 

Cleaning process:

Alkaline detergent is used first, and then acidic detergent is used. Cleaning water temperature 30-35 ℃ the best results. Cleaning time is 1-2 hours 

Maintenance Key 4: system shutdown protection

• If it is a short-term shutdown of 1-3 days, the operator needs to rinse the RO membrane once a day 
• If it is a long-term shutdown, the membrane will be put into the protective solution soaked 

Maintenance Key 5: small details

• Avoid the system start and stop quickly 
• Regularly check some parts, such as pumps, piping, valves for leaks 
• Filter cartridges are replaced in a timely manner, generally 3 months
• Industrial RO membranes are recommended to be replaced every 3 years
• Dosing tank to prevent impurities from entering
• Special environment using special configuration of reverse osmosis system, such as high temperature, high cold, etc. such as, high temperature, high cold, etc. 

I will attach the RO system daily maintenance standard operation procedure (SOP) and RO system daily operation data record sheet, you could take it to use directly.

RO System Daily Operation Data Record Sheet

RO System Daily Maintenance SOP