How often should I service my reverse osmosis system?

Sediment and carbon pre-filters need changing every six to twelve months. The RO membrane itself lasts two to five years. Annual service is the practical schedule, and skipping it is what turns a good system into an expensive one.

How the Stages Work

A reverse osmosis system filters in stages, and each has a different life.

Sediment pre-filter. Catches sand, silt, and rust before they reach anything else. Typically six to twelve months. This one protects everything downstream.

Carbon pre-filter. Removes chlorine and organic compounds. Six to twelve months. This stage is critical because chlorine destroys RO membranes — a neglected carbon filter is how a five-year membrane fails in eighteen months.

RO membrane. The actual reverse osmosis element, removing dissolved solids, lead, nitrates, sodium, and most contaminants. Two to five years depending on water quality and how well the pre-filters were maintained.

Post-filter. A final carbon polish before the tap. Annually.

Some systems add a remineralization stage, which also needs periodic replacement.

Why Pre-Filters Matter More Than the Membrane

The pre-filters are cheap. The membrane is not. And the entire job of the pre-filters is protecting the membrane.

Let the sediment filter clog and pressure drops, production slows, and debris reaches the membrane. Let the carbon filter exhaust and chlorine passes through and chemically degrades the membrane surface.

Homeowners who change pre-filters on schedule routinely get five years out of a membrane. Homeowners who do not often replace membranes every two years while wondering why the system underperforms.

Signs Service Is Overdue

Slow production is the most common. If filling a glass takes noticeably longer than it used to, or the storage tank does not recover between uses, filters are loading up.

Taste changes mean the carbon stages are exhausted. Cloudy water suggests a sediment problem. Continuous drain flow — the system running constantly rather than cycling — indicates a fault in the automatic shutoff or a failing membrane.

Any of these means service now rather than at the next scheduled interval.

Hard Water Shortens Everything

In the Hill Country, hardness is the factor that most affects RO service life.

Calcium and magnesium scale the membrane surface, reducing output and shortening life considerably. An RO system installed downstream of a water softener lasts substantially longer than one fed hard water directly, and it is a pairing we recommend often.

Sediment and iron have the same accelerating effect, which is why well water systems generally need more frequent pre-filter changes than municipal ones.

Sanitizing

Beyond filter changes, an RO system should be sanitized periodically. The storage tank holds treated water at room temperature, and over years that environment can support bacterial growth.

Sanitizing during an annual service — cleaning the housings, disinfecting the tank, and checking tank pressure — keeps the system delivering water that is actually cleaner than what went in.

Tank pressure is worth mentioning on its own. The storage tank has an air bladder that pushes water out to the faucet, and if pressure falls out of spec the tank delivers only a fraction of its capacity. That presents as “the system is not making enough water” when the system is fine.

DIY or Professional

Pre-filter changes are within reach for many homeowners, and we are happy to show you how during a service visit.

Membrane replacement, sanitizing, tank pressure adjustment, and diagnosing production problems are worth having done professionally — partly because getting the membrane seated correctly matters, and partly because a system that is underperforming often has a cause other than the filter someone was about to replace.

Staying on Schedule

The practical failure is forgetting. Filters do not announce themselves until performance has already declined, and by then the membrane may have taken damage.

Our Care Club maintenance plan covers RO service on schedule alongside your other plumbing maintenance, which is how most households avoid the problem entirely.

If your water quality has changed or the system is not performing, it is worth testing rather than simply replacing filters and hoping.

We service reverse osmosis systems throughout Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Boerne, Comfort, and the surrounding Hill Country. Contact 72 Degrees or call (830) 468-5316.