Aquacover
How to Choose a Reverse Osmosis Unit
You can meet your water treatment needs with a cost-effective and eco-friendly industrial reverse osmosis filter system.
There are several kinds of filtration systems for removing impurities from industrial water supplies. However, reverse osmosis filtration is quickly growing in popularity. In part, it’s becoming more popular because the process can remove more contaminants compared to other systems.
In some instances, a facility may use a combination of filtration systems. The right filtration system for your application will depend on the quality of your water supply. It will also vary based on the water quality that you need to achieve for your application.
To learn more about how to choose a reverse osmosis unit, keep reading.
What Is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis filtration can remove a wide range of salts, ions, molecules and larger particles from water. As a result, the process can deliver a high level of water purity.
Osmosis is a natural process. It involves moving fluid across a semi-permeable membrane.
In fact, osmosis is how our bodies absorb nutrients. It’s also how water reaches leaves at the top of trees.
Imagine separating salt from pure water using a semi-permeable membrane such as sausage skin. Water will pass through the membrane in an attempt to dilute the salt solution.
Now, imagine that the salt solution is connected to a vertical pipe. In that case, the osmotic pressure that draws water through the membrane is the same as that in the diluted solution.
Reverse osmosis, as its name implies, does this process in reverse. During reverse osmosis, water passes the other way through the membrane. Also, the membrane will only let small water molecules pass while retaining other molecules.
Which Sectors Use Reverse Osmosis?
Many manufacturing applications require water. In some cases, a company might use water to clean machinery or process manufactured parts. Other companies may use water to produce consumables. Others still may use water to wash the inside of packaging.
Many industries use reverse osmosis to filter water. These industries might include:
- Aerospace
- Agricultural
- Automotive
- Finishing
- Food and beverage
- Industrial
- Pharmaceutical
- Window cleaners
The key is it produces very clean water.
For the window cleaner, water treated via reverse osmosis is streak-free. In the automotive industry, water is a key element in the process of producing, maintaining and cleaning a vehicle and components. Automotive manufacturers use water the most during the production stage to eliminate water marks.
At golf courses bicarbonates in the water stop fertiliser from working and an RO unit is used to eliminate them. Hospitals use RO to clean instruments.
Elsewhere, the food and beverage industry is highly regulated as water is a key ingredient in food and drinks. For this reason, water cleanliness and purity must be high. More importantly, however, it’s vital for maintaining food hygiene standards. With water, food and beverage companies prevent the spread of harmful bacteria. In this industry it’s important to remove potential pathogens from goods correctly. Pure water is essential for this process. It’s also vital for ensuring that pathogens don’t reach other areas where they can cause harm.
What Should You Look for in a Reverse Osmosis Unit?
A reverse osmosis water system makes use of a range of membranes. Different membranes create varying water qualities.
Some sectors will specify a particular water quality they need to reach. This is measured in micros siemens.
For example, a standard reverse osmosis system uses a low energy membrane. This membrane produces a water quality of approximately ten micro siemens from a water input of 500 to 700 micro siemens.
Standard RO units produce a 25% rejection rate. This ‘brown water’ or ‘concentrate’ can only be used as wastewater. The RO’d water is called permeate and high efficiency units have a very high permeate recovery of up to 90% due to additional concentrate stage and high salt reduction. Permeate staged units have second permeate stage for treating the permeate of the first stage once again.
The most basic reverse osmosis filter systems consist of some form of a pressure pump, housing and membrane. The right system for your application, however, will vary based on your site requirements.
For example, you’ll need your reverse osmosis system to produce a certain quality of water. The water must also prove free from potential foulants.
Furthermore, the system must feed with sufficient volume and pressure: the flush phase of a reverse osmosis filter system requires more water than during normal service.
You’ll also need to consider the space available for a reverse osmosis unit: you’ll need sufficient space to allow installation and ongoing maintenance.
What Is the Lifespan of an RO Unit?
Reverse osmosis units are quickly becoming the industry standard for water purification. The process is ideal for treating wastewater and water reuse applications. Firms may also use a reverse osmosis water system for many industrial purposes.
Typically, a reverse osmosis membrane will last three to seven years. For some applications, however, the membrane may only last one to two years.
The lifespan of reverse osmosis elements varies depending on several factors such as system design. It might also vary based on how your company pre-treats water and performs membrane cleaning.
How to Care for and Maintain an RO Unit
Over time, foreign materials in the water supply will foul a reverse osmosis membrane. These materials may include metal oxides, calcium precipitates and other organic or biological matter. Eventually, these kinds of materials will build on the membrane surface.
There are a few ways to determine when to clean a reverse osmosis membrane. You’ll need to clean the membrane when the:
- Normalised permeate flow drops below 10%
- Normalised salt passage increases by 5% to 10%
- Normalised pressure drop increases by 10% to 15%
When one of these events occurs, you’ll need to clean the unit membrane. It’s important to use a proper cleaning skid when performing this task.
Membrane elements can withstand acid cleanings at pH 1. They can also withstand alkaline cleanings with a minimum pH of 12.
What Is the Difference Between Softened Water, Filtered Water and RO-Cleaned Water?
Firstly, you’d use these filtration methods for different scenarios. However, it’s not usually about a choice, for example, of whether to use reverse osmosis or softened water.
Some companies might use softened water for pre-treatment, then filter the water, then clean it with a reverse osmosis unit. Other applications might require only softened water. Ultimately, the filtration type depends on the application.
For some applications, companies might also use a liquid-solid filter for boiler feed water filtration. As an example, a steam boiler unit is one of the most fundamental systems used for refineries or petrochemical plants.
Boiler feed water treatment is a reliable way to remove harmful impurities. This kind of system helps to facilitate proper internal boiler chemistry control. It also allows for the maximum use of steam condensate. Furthermore, a boiler feed water treatment system mitigates return-line corrosion.
Choosing the Best Reverse Osmosis System for Your Needs
You may have low-volume water filtration needs in which case you might find that the Herco Budget Reverse Osmosis 80 and 130 series fit your application perfectly. These units use a stainless-steel installation panel and feature a special inlet filter with a 5 µm activated carbon filter element.
This line also features a high-pressure pump as well as a peripheral impeller pump and ship with a high-performance spirally wound module which in turn features PA/PS composite membranes.
Alternatively, you may have high-volume water filtration needs. In that case, you’ll want to consider the Herco Reverse Osmosis (RO) Unit UO-D ND Series. This unit supports the desalinisation of softened drinking water. Furthermore, it can provide filtration that complies with water drinking regulations.
With this system, you can produce chlorine-free or undetectable levels of chlorine in drinking water. This line mounts on a stainless-steel skid and features a horizontal membrane housing.
Achieve Your Water Treatment Goals With a Quality RO System
A reverse osmosis filter system can help you to improve the purity and quality of a water supply by trapping impurities after which you can dispose of them safely. Furthermore, it’s a green and environmentally friendly solution for water treatment.
However, it’s important to choose the right unit for your application. Your site requirements are critical for system performance.
It’s also important to use quality water that’s free from potential foulants when possible and feed the system with sufficient volume and pressure.
Choosing the right reverse water osmosis system can prove complex. For this reason, many firms work with an experienced filtration service provider to make sure they choose the right unit. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place to find the best reverse osmosis system supplier in the UK.
Partner With a Trusted Water Treatment System Provider
Now you know more about how to choose a reverse osmosis unit. If you need assistance in selecting or sourcing the right unit, Aquacover can help. We have served residential and commercial water filtration clients’ needs for more than 20 years.
Over the years, we’ve earned an enviable reputation for quality, integrity and expertise. What’s more, we’ve served in many sectors and industries.
Whether you need water filtration installation, plant repair or a service contract, our technicians are fully capable. We can also custom manufacture the ideal water filtration unit for your application.
Contact us today at 01773 521437 or connect with us online to learn more about finding the perfect filtration unit for your needs.