backflushing membrane?

[BAD FISH]

just looking for some input. Do you backflush your r/o membrane? Here's my problem with it

1. Back flushing your membrane is just pushing unfiltered tap water backward through your clean filters.
2. The pressure coming from your tap is not nearly enough to clean anything that is really built up.
3. Any bacteria that has grown in your membrane from stagnant water is not going to be killed from water alone.

So I've heard of people detaching there membranes and refrigerating them in between uses. That sounds like a good idea. I also usually let it run a little before making water. What do you do?

 

[edd]

i back flush every time i make water. 50g a week.
when you back flush i think it only goes through the membrane.
i don't think water lays in their long enough to go stagnant.

 

[pecan2phat]

I back flush the membrane primarily to lower the TDS creep back to normal running levels before water production.

 

[albano]

Well, maybe I'm wrong, or there's some type of RO unit that I haven't seen, (and please feel free to correct me) but ... I don't think that anyone actually 'back flushes' their RO units...when you open the valve on your waste water line, it relieves the pressure and allows the water to bypass the RO membrane (flow over and 'washing' it?) and flow out quickly...no water goes backward thru any filters.

 

[BAD FISH]

Well, maybe I'm wrong, or there's some type of RO unit that I haven't seen, (and please feel free to correct me) but ... I don't think that anyone actually 'back flushes' their RO units...when you open the valve on your waste water line, it relieves the pressure and allows the water to bypass the RO membrane (flow over and 'washing' it?) and flow out quickly...no water goes backward thru any filters.

thanks for the input. Didn't know how it really works but does it really do any "washing" that's what I'm really trying to understand.

 

[shauns220]

dont waste ur time
for amount of water ur going to use
If ur concerned buy all new filters including membrane and u will have it forever ..LOL

 

[lnevo]

Its not about washing and flushing is effective. Its good practice, i just do it a few minutes before i make up new water. Not really a big deal. And 60psi is a good amount of pressure to rinse off your membrane...

 

[BAD FISH]

that's what I'm saying I replaced all the filters and even took a brand new sponge and scrubbed down all the everything inside and out rinsed it with r/o and ran it for a couple min .
and lets be serious 60 psi can't even get old tomato sauce off a dirty dish lol

 

[lnevo]

Its the same you get from your garden hose...now restrict the hose entry to 1/4" and you've got a pretty forceful stream.....yeah when its running out the tap unobstructed its not that much pressure, but it does a good job cleaning my dogs mess off the patio...

 

[oh207]

I don't know about back-flushing. But, yes I flush for 5 minutes before and after making water.
I just got another unit with booster pump and an auto shutoff valve and an auto flush valve. I think the auto - flush will kick on every hour. I haven't hooked it up as yet.

 

[BAD FISH]

Its the same you get from your garden hose...now restrict the hose entry to 1/4" and you've got a pretty forceful stream.....yeah when its running out the tap unobstructed its not that much pressure, but it does a good job cleaning my dogs mess off the patio...

yeah didn't think of it that way reducing it to that size probably doubles the psi if not more but even stillyour only rinsing the membrane. I guess overtime its better to backflush it then do nothing

 

[vio]

Well, maybe I'm wrong, or there's some type of RO unit that I haven't seen, (and please feel free to correct me) but ... I don't think that anyone actually 'back flushes' their RO units...when you open the valve on your waste water line, it relieves the pressure and allows the water to bypass the RO membrane (flow over and 'washing' it?) and flow out quickly...no water goes backward thru any filters.

I think u right is just figure of speech, "back flushes" by using that valve, u let the old water (high TDS) to skip the membrane , until the fresh (low TDS ) show up, is just to protect the membrane and make sure u don't use old water , was stock for days in filters.
I leave the valve open , until I see zero TDS, then put back.

 

[edd]

Well, maybe I'm wrong, or there's some type of RO unit that I haven't seen, (and please feel free to correct me) but ... I don't think that anyone actually 'back flushes' their RO units...when you open the valve on your waste water line, it relieves the pressure and allows the water to bypass the RO membrane (flow over and 'washing' it?) and flow out quickly...no water goes backward thru any filters.

from what read the flow valve bypasses the flow restricter allowing more water to flow through the membrane.
i thought it reverces the flow over the membrane. yes your correct no water flows backwards, just increases the rate of flow.

 

[BAD FISH]

ah I understand now thank you

 

[BAD FISH]

so really its a bypass valve that allows you to push the old water stuck in the filter cylinders around the membrane and into the exhaust

 

[pecan2phat]

Back flush is probably an incorrect term. I believe vio correctly summarized it as a bypass valve to flush the RO membrane of TDS creep.

 

[edd]

so really its a bypass valve that allows you to push the old water stuck in the filter cylinders around the membrane and into the exhaust

water doesn't go around the membrane, it just increases flow over all through all filters.

 

[BAD FISH]

how could you increase flow with out bypassing something slowing down flow such as the membrane?

 

[edd]

how could you increase flow with out bypassing something slowing down flow such as the membrane?

their is a flow restricter before the membrane. the bypass valve allows water to go around the restricter allowing more flow.

 

[BAD FISH]

so what your saying is its the same thing as letting the water run through before using the water but with more flow. If this is true then like I said you don't need to back flush.