Reverse Osmosis Systems
CF Plumbing installs and services under-sink reverse osmosis systems for homes throughout La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Carlsbad, and Rancho Santa Fe, as well as select areas of San Diego and Orange Counties.
Many of the systems described as reverse osmosis are a simpler under-sink filter. Not every under-sink filtration system is a true reverse osmosis system. A single carbon block is closer to a refrigerator filter. It can help reduce chlorine and chloramine taste. It is not RO water. A reverse osmosis system uses a membrane that filters far finer than a carbon cartridge, to a level a single under-sink block is not designed to reach. That is why it is specified to reduce dissolved contaminants a basic filter leaves behind, including many that affect taste and a range of trace contaminants such as pharmaceuticals. Where the concern is drinking and cooking water, this is the system we generally recommend.
A separate system from whole-house filtration
A whole-house filter and a reverse osmosis system are not substitutes. The whole-house system treats water at the point of entry and is specified to help reduce chlorine, chloramines, and heavy metals in the water that reaches showers, laundry, and fixtures. It is not designed to match the reduction of an RO membrane. The RO system is installed at the sink, serves one faucet, and runs at a lower flow, which is what allows it to filter further. The two are frequently installed together. A home that wants better water at every tap and a higher level of filtration at the glass generally needs both.
The systems installed
Through PuraClean Water, the systems supplied are assembled, tested, packaged, and shipped from Carlsbad. The units CF Plumbing installs waste about one gallon of water for every gallon of filtered water. Many less expensive systems waste several gallons for each gallon produced, so the lower purchase price is not the lower cost once the system is in use. The filters are an upgraded specification and are typically changed about every two years, rather than every six months or every year. The membrane is typically changed about every four years, and the storage tank about every six. Those intervals are averages and move with water use. The installed price is higher. Over the life of the system, maintenance is usually lower.
The installation includes the dedicated faucet and the drain connection. The system is placed on a service calendar, and a courtesy reminder is sent when the filters are due. Selection, installation, and service remain with one company.
Existing systems
On a system CF Plumbing installed, the calls are consistent. Low flow usually indicates the filters or the bladder tank. A drip is often the filtered-water faucet rather than the membrane. Water that tastes off usually means the filters are due. Service can be scheduled before the reminder if any of those show up.
Other brands are a different matter. Some can be identified and serviced. Others are built in a way that makes parts and service difficult. If the canisters and labels can be identified, a filter change is sometimes possible. With an older off-brand system, replacement is often the more practical recommendation. In those cases we remove it and install a system we can stand behind.
Frequently asked questions
The same questions come up on almost every reverse osmosis call. The short answers are below.
Is the filter already under my sink a reverse osmosis system?
Often, no. One canister is usually a carbon block. It can improve chlorine taste. It is not a membrane system, and changing that cartridge does not make it one.
Do I need a whole-house filter if I install reverse osmosis?
They do different work. Reverse osmosis treats one drinking-water faucet. The whole-house system treats water for the rest of the home. CF Plumbing installs them together when the home requires both, which is common.
Why does the RO faucet flow more slowly?
It is filtering further, at one fixture. The lower flow is part of how the system works. It is not a reason to replace the main kitchen faucet with the RO tap.
How often is the system serviced?
On the systems CF Plumbing installs, the standard filters are typically changed about every two years, the membrane about every four, and the storage tank about every six. Those are averages based on water use. A courtesy reminder is sent when service is due.
Can you repair the system I already have?
If CF Plumbing installed it, yes. Low flow, a dripping faucet, and off taste are the usual service items. If it is another brand, send photographs of the canisters and the labels. Some of those systems can take a filter change. Others are more practical to replace.
Photographs of the equipment under the sink, including the labels, and of the small faucet on the counter are the useful start.
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