Reverse osmosis water treatment equipment is an all-round player in water purification.
It can efficiently filter out impurities from water for household water purification,
drinking water treatment and industrial water treatment, firmly safeguarding water quality standards.
But many people have a misunderstanding: as long as the water purifier produces water,
everything is fine. In fact, the purification performance of the equipment entirely relies on its internal core consumables.
Just like filter screens get clogged and degraded over time,
if consumables are not replaced in a timely manner,
the filtration effect will drop sharply, the service life of the equipment will be shortened,
and even the quality of purified water will be compromised.
Today we’ve sorted out a highly practical replacement guide for reverse osmosis equipment consumables.
NO.1 Softening Resin: The ideal hard water softener, replace every 8 to 24 months.
Softening resin (mostly cation exchange resin) is the key to hard water softening.
Essentially, it is a polymer with functional groups and normally carries a large amount of sodium ions.
When the content of calcium and magnesium ions in water is high (hard water),
it releases sodium ions and binds calcium and magnesium ions to reduce scale formation and convert hard water into soft water.
Replacement Cycle: Replace every 8–24 months under normal use.
If the raw water has high hardness or the equipment operates frequently,
shorten the replacement cycle to avoid equipment scaling caused by failed water softening.
NO.2 Precision Filter Cartridge: The first line of defense against impurities, replace every 10–30 days.
The precision filter cartridge acts as a pre-filter guard. It mainly intercepts suspended solids,
particulate matter, colloids and other impurities in the inlet water,
protecting the subsequent RO membrane. It prevents impurities from scratching the RO membrane,
impairing its desalination performance, and even causing permanent membrane damage.
The commonly used type is the 5μm melt-blown filter cartridge,
which is designed to trap residual impurities larger than 5μm.
Replacement Cycle: Only 10–30 days. It is a quick-wear consumable!
If the cartridge becomes discolored or the water flow slows down,
it is recommended to replace it in advance even before the scheduled cycle expires.
NO.3 RO Membrane (Reverse Osmosis Membrane): The core purification layer of water quality, replace every 3–5 years.
The RO membrane is the "heart" of the equipment. Made of polymer materials,
it has surface micropores with a diameter of only 0.5～10 nm.
It can intercept almost all impurities such as dissolved salts, colloids,
microorganisms and organic matter, ensuring the effluent meets quality standards.
High-quality RO membranes contain abundant hydrophilic groups and deliver higher purification efficiency.
However, after long-term operation, the micropores will become clogged and aged,
resulting in a decline in filtration performance.
Replacement Cycle: Replace every 3–5 years under normal service conditions.
The service life can be appropriately extended with good inlet water quality and proper daily maintenance.
Timely replacement is required if the water taste deteriorates or the salt rejection rate drops.
The above replacement cycles are for reference under normal use.
The actual replacement time should be adjusted flexibly according to inlet water quality,
operating frequency and routine maintenance.
Regular replacement of consumables not only guarantees filtration effect and extends equipment service life,
but also firmly safeguards water quality safety.
No matter how excellent the equipment is, it always requires careful maintenance.
