Reverse Osmosis Troubleshooting Guide
February 18, 2020 - Nathan Olszak
Reverse Osmosis Troubleshooting Guide
by Complete Water Solutions
Warning* – This guide can assist you in helping to diagnose and troubleshoot your Reverse Osmosis System. For issues that are persistent or are not understood, you should contact Complete Water Solutions and speak with one of our RO Certified Technicians. Please make sure to have the following information available about your system when you call:
- Installation Date
- Model Number
- Serial Number
- Detailed description of the problem
| Insufficient feed water pressure or flow | Open feed water valve. Check feed water valve for restrictions in feed plumbing |
| Clogged pre-filter cartridge | Replace pre-filter cartridge |
| Dirty or fouled membrane elements | Flush and/or clean RO System |
| Inlet solenoid valve no opening | Verify valve receiving power when the machine is ON. Clean or replace solenoid valve |
| Insufficient power | Verify proper voltage is pre-sent. Check fuses and circuit breaker |
| Pump or Motor Not Operating Correctly | Contact Complete Water Solutions for replacement or repair of pump or motor |
| Concentrate or Recycle Valve Open Too Far | Refer to the maintenance manual to properly set concentrate and recycle valves |
| Low operating pressure | (see above) |
| Machine operating on cold water | Check the water temperature. If needed, install a hot/cold tempering valve. Permeate production rate is dependent on 77°F (25°C) Contact Complete Water Solutions for further options. |
| Membrane elements installed incorrectly | For correct membrane element installation procedure refer to your Maintenance manual. For further assistance contact Complete Water Solutions. |
| Brine seal has “rolled” or been damaged | Refer to maintenance manual membrane installation. For further assistance contact Complete Water Solutions. |
| Dirty or fouled membrane elements | Flush and/or clean RO System |
| Back pressure on the permeate line | Reduce permeate line back pressure. Check for restrictions in permeate plumbing |
| Useful life of membrane element(s) expired | Install new membrane elements. Contact Complete Water Solutions for part # and order |
| Inaccurate permeate flow meter | Check the flow rate manually with a stop watch and calibrate if necessary |
| Dirty or fouled membrane elements | Flush and/or clean RO System |