Effects Of Hard Water On RO

THE EFFECTS OF HARD WATER ON REVERSE OSMOSIS FILTRATION SYSTEMS

If you recently installed a reverse osmosis (RO) unit you need to be aware of a couple of issues that might take place.
The first is the issue of hard water. Filtering hard water through your reverse osmosis unit can create scale, which will reduce the efficiency of the reverse osmosis membrane to produce high quality water.
The way this happens is, hard water typically occurs when water has a high mineral content, usually calcium and magnesium ions. These dissolved minerals cause scale, which can reduce the performance of your reverse osmosis unit and increase your running costs. The scale sticks to the membrane and other internal parts of the Reverse osmosis unit the same way cholesterol sticks to artery walls and creates clogging. The clogging limits the free flow of water and, when scale forms on the membrane, it blocks its ability to allow water to flow through. This totally disrupts the filtration process.
If scaling forms in the membrane the membrane will no longer be able to filter the water to the level needed to produce a satisfactory level of filtration. Overtime, water hardness will reduce the quality and quantity of water the membrane produces. Essentially, it slowly destroys the membrane.
But replacing the membrane more frequently is not the solution. Replacing membranes too frequently can be expensive. A better, more long-term and cost effective solution is to use a water softening system to soften the water before it reaches the membrane.

The process of Water softening removes the calcium and magnesium ions that cause the water to be hard.