Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse osmosis is the polishing step of home water treatment: a membrane fine enough to reject dissolved solids that filters cannot touch, including lead, nitrates, pentavalent arsenic and PFAS reduction on certified systems, and the TDS behind off tastes. Typically installed at the kitchen sink, it makes drinking and cooking water a separate, higher grade.
This page covers how RO works and how it is serviced. Installation and repair visits route through the main Water Quality & Treatment section.
Our Services
Service Details & What's Included
RO in practice:
- The stages. Sediment and carbon prefilters protect the membrane; the membrane does the separation; a storage tank buffers supply; a polishing filter finishes taste at the faucet.
- The reject stream. RO works by sending concentrated water to drain, a designed feature tuned by ratio, not a defect.
- What it removes. Dissolved solids at high percentages: the heavy hitters above plus sodium, fluoride and most of what TDS measures. It is not a bacteria strategy. That is UV's job upstream where needed.
- The service rhythm. Prefilters and polish on schedule (commonly 6-12 months), membrane by TDS performance (often 2-5 years), measured, not guessed.
- System health checks. Tank precharge, valves and leak points inspected at every filter change: small parts that decide whether the system delivers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my RO water flow slow?
In order of likelihood: exhausted prefilters, a scaled or fouled membrane, a waterlogged storage tank (failed bladder or low precharge), or low feed pressure. Filter dates plus a tank check identify it quickly.
Why does the RO keep running to drain?
A stuck automatic shutoff or failed check valve keeps the system producing against a full tank. It wastes water and deserves a same-week fix, and the parts are minor.
Does low TDS mean the water is safe?
TDS is a performance gauge, not a safety certificate: it proves the membrane is rejecting dissolved solids, which correlates with contaminant reduction, but specific claims (lead, PFAS) belong to the system's certifications for those contaminants.
When do filters versus the membrane get changed?
Prefilters and polish on the calendar; the membrane on evidence, when product TDS climbs toward feed TDS despite fresh prefilters. Changing membranes by superstition wastes the most expensive part in the box.
Do I need RO if I already have a softener or whole-house filter?
They do different jobs: softeners fix hardness, carbon fixes chlorine and taste, RO polishes what remains dissolved. Households often run all three, softener protecting the house and RO perfecting the glass.
RO Service & Questions
Note the system's filter history and any TDS readings. Service and sizing route through Water Quality & Treatment from there.
Request a Quote for Reverse Osmosis Systemsor call (800) 555-0147Only license-checked plumbers who cover your ZIP receive your request.