Water Purification System Preventative Maintenance: Creating a Schedule
Water purification methods include systems such as reverse osmosis (RO) treatment, ultraviolet (UV) light treatment and water softeners. These systems work in different ways to eliminate contaminants and purify water for health and safety purposes. Preventative maintenance can help corporations prevent potential system issues, prolong a system’s life span, avoid expensive repairs and ensure optimal system operation.
Preventative water treatment system maintenance can include services such as inspections, control checks, cleaning and replacing filters or parts. Scheduling regular maintenance can resolve potential issues before they cause significant damage.
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What Goes Into Preventative Maintenance for Water Purification Systems?
Preventative water filter maintenance involves inspecting, backwashing, checking controls, and replacing parts. Technicians will thoroughly check equipment components for potential issues and replacement needs. They will replace parts that require regular replacement, ensure that equipment is running properly and issue reports after each inspection so companies can review important data. Preventative maintenance includes the following services:
Visual Inspection
During preventative maintenance, technicians will inspect the water purification system to evaluate component conditions, identify issues and recommend potential upgrades when needed. Visual inspections typically include the following:
- Checking equipment components for leaks
- Inspecting the tank level of the brine
- Checking pressure gauges
- Evaluating electronic controllers and control valves
- Drain inspection
Backwashing
Backwash flow controllers send water flowing upward in industrial water treatment systems. Backwashing removes debris and resets the resin for further filtration. During preventative maintenance, technicians will inspect and clean backwash flow controllers to ensure there is enough flow for backwash operation.
Controls Checks and Calibration
Water treatment system electronic controllers provide useful information about peak flows, peak flow times, daily usage, total capacity and remaining gallons. Technicians will check control valves for damage and calibrate them when needed. Technicians will also check pressure gauges to identify any pressure drops.
Replacement Parts
Water treatment system membranes and filters need to be replaced regularly based on their average life span. Frequent equipment use can also cause wear and tear to certain equipment parts. Some parts may need to be replaced to maintain proper operation and prevent further damage. Technicians can identify when parts are damaged or causing poor performance, and they can install replacement parts when needed.
Preventative Maintenance Checklist for Different Water Purification Systems
RO systems, water softeners and UV light treatment systems all work to remove contaminants and purify water, and they all require preventative maintenance to operate correctly and prevent damage. However, different water purification system types have different maintenance requirements.
Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse osmosis systems use semipermeable membranes to catch particles and contaminants to purify water. They feature filtration stages to catch larger particles and protect the membrane from large debris. The pre-filters as well as the RO membrane need regular replacement to ensure proper operation and prevent system damage. RO systems require the following replacements:
- Carbon filter replacement: Media should be replaced every one to three years.
- Pre-filter replacement: The pre-filter should be replaced monthly.
- RO membrane replacement: The RO membrane should be replaced every two to three years and cleaned semi-annually.
Water Softeners
A water softener system exchanges ions to remove magnesium and calcium ions that make up hard water. Water hardness can cause buildup in softener systems, leading to clogging and damage.
- Brine study: A brine study will indicate how much salt is entering the water and if the water softener system is operating correctly.
- Valve lubrication: Valve lubrication reduces friction and minimizes wear and tear to prolong their life span.
- Resin testing: Resin should be tested within 18 to 24 months of system start-up and every year after if the water has chlorine or other contaminants such as iron. Otherwise, the resin should be tested after the third year and once a year following that.
UV Light Systems
Ultraviolet water treatment systems use UV light to penetrate microorganisms’ cell walls and prevent them from replicating. UV light systems require the following maintenance:
- Bulb or lamp replacement: UV lamp light wave intensity decreases over time. UV lamps should be replaced on schedule every year to ensure proper bacteria sterilization.
- Sleeve cleaning: The UV lamp protective sleeve often collects debris over time, which prevents the UV light from penetrating water and killing contaminants. UV sleeves should be replaced once a year.
The Benefits of Water Purification System Preventative Maintenance
Preventative maintenance benefits water purification systems in various ways. Regular, scheduled maintenance keeps systems running smoothly so companies experience little to no production interruptions. It also helps personnel better maintain equipment and monitor when potential issues may arise.
Prevent Issues and Production Shutdowns
Frequent system use can cause wear and tear, expensive repairs and irreparable damage. Regular maintenance can ensure efficient performance and prevent issues before they arise. Preventative maintenance can also identify emerging issues so companies can fix them before they cause damage. Avoiding potential problems benefits companies in the following ways:
- Saves money on expensive repairs
- Extends equipment life span
- Reduces equipment downtime
- Increases productivity
When companies schedule regular maintenance, they save money by avoiding problems that could require expensive repairs. Preventative maintenance helps equipment operate properly and prevents damage, allowing it to last longer. Preventing potential issues also minimizes system shutdowns and keeps production running smoothly.
Training Opportunities
Creating a preventative maintenance schedule can give a company’s employees training opportunities. Water system technicians can provide online, written or in-person training to help personnel learn how to operate and maintain water purification systems. Existing or new personnel can benefit from watching technicians perform preventative maintenance and learning how to operate equipment correctly. This can help personnel identify potential issues or irregularities and schedule preventative maintenance when it’s needed to avoid expensive repairs.
Flexibility
Creating a preventative maintenance schedule allows for flexibility. Companies can plan inspections and maintenance at convenient times to avoid interrupting production time. When companies schedule preventative maintenance, they avoid needing to shut production down for expensive repairs or equipment replacement. Complete Water Solutions offers the following preventative maintenance schedules:
- Semi-annual
- Quarterly
- Monthly
- Weekly
- Daily
- 24/7 technical support
- Remote monitoring
- Priority service options
Learn More About Our Water Purification System Maintenance Services
Preventative maintenance ensures that water purification systems operate properly and for as long as possible. Complete Water Solutions offers preventative maintenance for every major manufactured water treatment system. We also provide free online and in-person training to help personnel learn how to operate, maintain and identify issues in water treatment.
Our technicians are highly trained and qualified to provide quality service. Contact Complete Water Solutions to learn more about how we can help you maintain your water purification systems with preventative maintenance schedules that are convenient for your company.