How To Sanitize Reverse Osmosis System: Step-By-Step [2023] 

Last updated on January 2nd, 2023

Even the best regular water purification systems break down after a few years. When this happens, homeowners can choose various renovation plans for their plumbing system. Reverse Osmosis (RO) system should be one of your options because of its effectiveness and simplicity. We will provide you with some useful tips on how to sanitize reverse osmosis system effectively, helping you make the right choice when it comes to renewal of your water purification system.

An RO system is a good weapon against unwanted organic and inorganic compounds that may affect taste, odor and color of tap water in your home. 

It monitors the levels of contaminants in your water. The levels of contaminants can be controlled through a variety of methods including, ion exchange carbon filters and UV light. 

Choosing which method to use depends on the type of contaminants in your water. By using the right sanitizing method, you can find the right technique for treating your reverse osmosis system.

Top 17 Ways How to sanitize reverse osmosis system

If you have a reverse osmosis system at home, you need to know how to sanitize it. A reverse osmosis system is a water filtering machine that can remove harmful chemicals, bacteria and heavy metals from your drinking water. It can also add minerals back into the water if you want it to taste better.

Here are 17 ways to sanitize your reverse osmosis system:

1. Use vinegar to sanitize

Vinegar contains acetic acid which helps kill bacteria and germs present in the water tank of your RO unit. You should use vinegar once every week or so when cleaning your refrigerator or dishwasher as well as when cleaning your bathroom tiles or kitchen countertops. 

You can also use vinegar when cleaning a swimming pool filter or any other filter-based systems in your home or office premises.

2. Boil the water in your tank

Boiling water is an effective way of killing any bacteria present in your tank or lines if they have not been disinfected properly after use. Boiling also keeps the pipes from corroding or rusting over time, which can lead to leaks and other problems later on down the line.

3. Sanitize with bleach

This one is pretty straightforward. You should sanitize your reverse osmosis system with bleach once in a while. This will kill all the bacteria, viruses and other harmful organisms that might have accumulated in your system over time. You can use a solution of 1/4 cup of bleach per gallon of water for this purpose.

4. Flush the system and pipes from time to time

This is another important step that you should take if you want your RO unit to last longer than usual. Flushing means pouring water through every pipe and hose inside the unit so that they remain clean at all times. 

This will help prevent mineral build-ups, rusting and other issues related to clogging up of pipes over time. Flushing also ensures that there are no leaks anywhere in these pipes either.

5. Chlorinate it properly

Chlorine is the most effective sanitizer to use on an RO system. The chlorine should be added at a rate of 0.5 mg/l to 1.0 mg/l of water flow rate through the system. This can be achieved by adding 2.5 ml of bleach per U.S. gallon (3.8 L) of water, or 5 ml per U.S. gallon (19 L) for larger systems, such as commercial systems with large volumes of water being filtered and treated.

The best time to add chlorine is prior to start-up or when changing filter elements or membranes that have been exposed to air for an extended period of time. If the system has been idle for more than 30 days, it is advisable that you flush all pipes and fittings with clean water for about 15 minutes before adding chlorine solution. 

It will helpful to prevent corrosion of metal parts and contamination of your drinking water supply with undesirable chemicals leached from pipe materials and fittings in contact with chlorinated water during storage.

6. Using hydrogen peroxide and silver nitrate for sanitizing your RO system

One of the top ways to sanitize an RO system is to use a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and silver nitrate. This mixture will kill most bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms that can contaminate your water supply. You can also use this mixture if you have hard water issues or if you want to remove heavy metals from your drinking water (though it won’t remove fluoride).

7. The water level in the tank is low when you don’t use it

The reverse osmosis system works by pushing water through a membrane that has tiny holes in it. If there isn’t enough pressure on these membranes, they won’t work properly and they could become clogged with minerals or other particles.

8. Sanitize with ozone gas

If you have a large RO system or a commercial-grade system, then consider using ozone gas to sanitize it. This gas is safe for humans but very effective at killing microorganisms and removing organic compounds from water. 

It’s important that you use the proper equipment when disinfecting with ozone gas, however, as this will help prevent any contamination of your water supply by toxic gases such as chlorine.

9. Remove Your Old Filter

You should replace your old filter every six months or every 2,000 gallons of water that goes through it. This will help keep contaminants from entering your home’s plumbing system and affecting the health of everyone in the family. 

If you wait too long between changing filters, then you run the risk of introducing harmful bacteria into your home’s plumbing system — which could make everyone sick!

10. Kill Bacteria

Reverse osmosis systems use membranes that can trap bacteria and other impurities, but it doesn’t kill them. To get rid of them for good, you need to clean the membrane surface with an anti-microbial solution such as bleach or hydrogen peroxide.

11. Clean the Membrane

The next step is to clean the membrane surface with a brush or sponge and warm water. You should also flush out any buildup behind the membrane by running it through the system in reverse mode with no pressure applied on both sides of the membrane for about five minutes. This will help remove any minerals left behind after flushing out any trapped contaminants at the beginning of this process.

After cleaning, let everything dry before putting back together again or you could risk introducing new bacteria into your system!

12. Clean the Tank and Vents

This is the first step in sanitizing your RO system. You can clean it with a mild detergent, but you should never use bleach or other disinfectants. 

The best way to clean your tank is by using an abrasive cleaner, like baking soda. Mix some baking soda into water and scrub with a brush until all the stains are gone. You can also use vinegar to clean your tank if you don’t have any baking soda at home.

13. Check for Leaks

Checking for leaks might seem obvious, but it’s easy to miss them if you don’t pay attention. Just because you don’t see any water leaking doesn’t mean that there aren’t any leaks in your system. 

Check all connections and fittings for leaks, especially those near the faucet or spigot where they are more likely to occur. If you do find a leak, fix it immediately so that it does not damage any other part of your system or cause damage to your home.

14. Flush the RO System

Allowing time between uses for bacteria and other contaminants to settle down in your system is not enough for the RO filter to work effectively. 

You also need to flush out these particles from time to time. Flushing involves running water through the system at high pressure until it comes out clear and tasteless. This step should be done once every few months (or more often if you use your filtered water frequently).

15. Replace Filters and Reverse Osmosis Elements

If you have a residential reverse osmosis system installed in your home, then it will probably come with disposable filters or elements that need replacing periodically (usually every 2-3 years). Make sure that you replace these components when necessary.

16. Clean the Faucet

You can clean the faucet by using a vinegar solution. Pour some vinegar into a spray bottle and apply it on the faucet. The vinegar helps in removing calcium deposits from the faucet and removes any stains on its surface. 

You can also use baking soda for cleaning purposes but it is better to use vinegar because it does not leave any residue behind.

17. Flush the New System

When you install a new RO system, there are chances that there might be some sediment left behind after installation. This can cause some problems such as clogging of filters or even damage to membranes. 

To avoid such problems, you need to flush out your new reverse osmosis system before using it for drinking purpose. You can flush out your new system by running water through it for two to three days straight with no filtration process involved.

Conclusion: How to sanitize reverse osmosis system 

Sanitizing your RO is a must. Well, either you sanitize it or you will have to change the filters regularly that can be really time-consuming. Harsh as it may seem, but RO could be quite an expensive system to maintain if water gets in it. So sanitizing is a must!

Well, that’s our list of some of the best low-cost RO water filters and also a few filtered water systems with reverse osmosis. Simply looking at this list and all the products can allow you to select which one is ideal and affordable for you. Remember to sanitize your water purification system regularly in order to preserve its lifespan.