Membranes not up to scratch?

[brianbadonde]

I have a 10” 450gpd RO set up and have had for 6 years now. The last set of membranes I had lasted about 8 months and started off producing water at 20ppm, higher than usual with new membranes as new ones for me average about 12ppm. They eventually crept up to 46ppm, so I bought new membranes and prefilters. My new ones wont go lower than 25ppm (before DI obviously). I have done the 2 hour flush you are supposed to do with new membranes, I flush them for 15 minutes twice per week and also change the prefilters every 3 months. Not sure what else I may have done wrong. I don’t think our water pressure has changed as my water production hasn’t slowed down. Our water out the tap has gone up from about 280 to 325ppm so unsure if that would cause the rise in ppm. I was under the impression membranes are supposed to remove 95% of the impurities. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? As it seems I am using so much more resin than I used to.

 

[francie]

I have a 10” 450gpd RO set up and have had for 6 years now. The last set of membranes I had lasted about 8 months and started off producing water at 20ppm, higher than usual with new membranes as new ones for me average about 12ppm. They eventually crept up to 46ppm, so I bought new membranes and prefilters. My new ones wont go lower than 25ppm (before DI obviously). I have done the 2 hour flush you are supposed to do with new membranes, I flush them for 15 minutes twice per week and also change the prefilters every 3 months. Not sure what else I may have done wrong. I don’t think our water pressure has changed as my water production hasn’t slowed down. Our water out the tap has gone up from about 280 to 325ppm so unsure if that would cause the rise in ppm. I was under the impression membranes are supposed to remove 95% of the impurities. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? As it seems I am using so much more resin than I used to.

What kind of membranes did you get bud, iv the same ro as you an I'm looking to buy three? 

Could possibly be the type of membrane, cheap or pricey? 

Tho in not to sure

 

[brianbadonde]

I always buy them from Pure Freedom, and they cost about £45 each. Because it’s all I’ve ever bought I have nothing to compare them to. They are Axeon membranes.

 

[Part Timer]

I always buy them from Pure Freedom, and they cost about £45 each. Because it’s all I’ve ever bought I have nothing to compare them to. They are Axeon membranes.

I am a Pure Freedom user, I would recommend everything they manufacture, I wouldn't buy any filters, resin etc from them as I don't think their quality is what it's meant to be. @sprucesays that on their website they will state if Axeon Membranes aren't available they will supply you something of equal quality. 

 

[brianbadonde]

Ok. Looks like I will have to order elsewhere. Any pointers? I don’t think gardiners sell the 10” RO kit.

 

[Part Timer]

Ok. Looks like I will have to order elsewhere. Any pointers? I don’t think gardiners sell the 10” RO kit.

I think the majority go to @doug atkinsonfor advice, and to buy, filters.

 

[Den]

I bought Axeon membranes from wrecking water worst thing I ever done 3x 150gpd had to resort to putting the old 3 year membranes back in which was loads better TBH it put me off buying Axeon again, I did get a full refund from them after he did try to say that 90% at 70+ psi was in the normal parameters but I argue and asked him to put it in writing to me hence the full refund. 

I

 

[ks789]

I bought Axeon membranes from wrecking water worst thing I ever done 3x 150gpd had to resort to putting the old 3 year membranes back in which was loads better TBH it put me off buying Axeon again, I did get a full refund from them after he did try to say that 90% at 70+ psi was in the normal parameters but I argue and asked him to put it in writing to me hence the full refund. 

I

If I only got 90% It wouldnt be worth my while. At 530 out the tap that would leave 50 odd going into the di. I presumed axeon were the ones, I have a 40/21 from daqua which are axeon (although its sealed in so I havent actually seen that) My tap waters horrendous, at 530, and the ro manages to get it down to 14 odd before di which im very pleased with. (I did need a booster too though, as pressure was only 30 psi without)

I didnt know axeon did membranes for the 150gpd, You'd have thought they would be as good a quality as for the 40/21 and 40/40.

One for the dougster or the sprucefather I reckon.

 

[Skxawng]

I bought Axeon membranes from wrecking water worst thing I ever done 3x 150gpd had to resort to putting the old 3 year membranes back in which was loads better TBH it put me off buying Axeon again, I did get a full refund from them after he did try to say that 90% at 70+ psi was in the normal parameters but I argue and asked him to put it in writing to me hence the full refund. 

I

I've noticed a few times recently that Axeon membranes seem to take a lot longer to settle down. Instead of a few hours, they can take days to bed in.

Mine were also around 90% at first, 2 days later 95%, 3 days later 98% and they've been around that ever since.

 

[Den]

I started a thread sometime back about the Axeon membranes and how **** they performed for me, Doug and Spruce were both brilliant and helped my loads ?

I've noticed a few times recently that Axeon membranes seem to take a lot longer to settle down. Instead of a few hours, they can take days to bed in.

Mine were also around 90% at first, 2 days later 95%, 3 days later 98% and they've been around that ever since.

Did try for a few days but just didn’t get any better I tested each membrane and all three were giving the same results In all fairness when checking the serial numbers on the membranes it looked look they may have been possibly older stock But I can’t confirm this.

 

[doug atkinson]

Take your pre-filters out and run for around 5 mins and see if there is a difference. I have found there are some pre-filters being sold classed as 5 micron when in fact they are 0.5 micron

 

[brianbadonde]

Thanks Doug I will give that a try tomorrow.

 

[Iron Giant]

I have a 10” 450gpd RO set up and have had for 6 years now. The last set of membranes I had lasted about 8 months and started off producing water at 20ppm, higher than usual with new membranes as new ones for me average about 12ppm. They eventually crept up to 46ppm, so I bought new membranes and prefilters. My new ones wont go lower than 25ppm (before DI obviously). I have done the 2 hour flush you are supposed to do with new membranes, I flush them for 15 minutes twice per week and also change the prefilters every 3 months. Not sure what else I may have done wrong. I don’t think our water pressure has changed as my water production hasn’t slowed down. Our water out the tap has gone up from about 280 to 325ppm so unsure if that would cause the rise in ppm. I was under the impression membranes are supposed to remove 95% of the impurities. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? As it seems I am using so much more resin than I used to.

With a tap tds that high, I would have thought they would need checking and changing more often, we were having mains water pipes renewed around were we live and this has caused issues also the water pressure has dropped by more than half with the hot weather in recent weeks, this was my sediment filter this morning I only changed it on the 9th of July and it looked worse than this now in around 8-10 weeks I now on my 3rd sediment filter, this has never happened in over 11 years of wfp but events can have an impact that you don't expect

 

[spruce]

With a tap tds that high, I would have thought they would need checking and changing more often, we were having mains water pipes renewed around were we live and this has caused issues also the water pressure has dropped by more than half with the hot weather in recent weeks, this was my sediment filter this morning I only changed it on the 9th of July and it looked worse than this now in around 8-10 weeks I now on my 3rd sediment filter, this has never happened in over 11 years of wfp but events can have an impact that you don't expect

View attachment 17278

We went through this a few years back with my 4040. Used to replace the sediment filter once a month and the carbon block once every 3 months.

I recall that I got caught with my old 450gpd once. I just changed prefilters and found the sediment filter completely blocked the following day.

 

[spruce]

I am a Pure Freedom user, I would recommend everything they manufacture, I wouldn't buy any filters, resin etc from them as I don't think their quality is what it's meant to be. @sprucesays that on their website they will state if Axeon Membranes aren't available they will supply you something of equal quality. 

It was Window Cleaning Warehouse

https://www.windowcleaningwarehouse.co.uk/low-volume-membranes.html

This is the note on that page. If I click the box





Item:  


150gpd









 




Code:  MEM150
Brand:  AXEON®

I expect an Axeon membrane. I might not see the note above that in red which reads;


Premium AXEON® or SPECTRUM™ Branded Membranes
Please Note: Either Brand Version Supplied


I honestly don't know what the Spectrum membrane is like, but if I order a particular manufacturer's brand of membrane then that's what I want.

I don't want to order a Ford Fiesta and have the order replaced with a Vauxhall Corsa because they both have 4 wheels.

I had a feeling that @doug atkinson also used to supply Spectrum membranes at one time but I don't see them on his site.

 

[doug atkinson]

With a tap tds that high, I would have thought they would need checking and changing more often, we were having mains water pipes renewed around were we live and this has caused issues also the water pressure has dropped by more than half with the hot weather in recent weeks, this was my sediment filter this morning I only changed it on the 9th of July and it looked worse than this now in around 8-10 weeks I now on my 3rd sediment filter, this has never happened in over 11 years of wfp but events can have an impact that you don't expect

View attachment 17278

That is the make of filters which I found was having a pressure drop going to the membrane as a result higher ppm and less production

Premium AXEON® or SPECTRUM™ Branded Membranes
Please Note: Either Brand Version Supplied


I honestly don't know what the Spectrum membrane is like, but if I order a particular manufacturer's brand of membrane then that's what I want.

I don't want to order a Ford Fiesta and have the order replaced with a Vauxhall Corsa because they both have 4 wheels.

I had a feeling that @doug atkinson also used to supply Spectrum membranes at one time but I don't see them on his site.

I stopped selling them as feedback from customers were they did not perform well. We were originally informed these were Axeon membranes re-branded but after further investigation found out they were not.

Not very good sellers so stopped selling them. 

 

[ks789]

With a tap tds that high, I would have thought they would need checking and changing more often, we were having mains water pipes renewed around were we live and this has caused issues also the water pressure has dropped by more than half with the hot weather in recent weeks, this was my sediment filter this morning I only changed it on the 9th of July and it looked worse than this now in around 8-10 weeks I now on my 3rd sediment filter, this has never happened in over 11 years of wfp but events can have an impact that you don't expect

View attachment 17278

That filter looks terrible. My tap waters the worst tds, yet everytime i change the sed filter at 10,000 or a bit more, the filter has hardly any discolouration, just a light beige shade. I get the sediment and carbon filters doug sells. I appreciate the sediment issue wont  necessarily have much baring on high tap tds to start. Also, despite our tap tds being so terrible, I get the impression there isnt too much chlorine in it. As Spruce has said before, maybe its due to how far you are from the dosing place. Ive always been a big water drinker, and some places you can taste the chlorine in it, disgusting, and dont make a good cuppa either. Despite ours being tap 530 tds, is actually a tasty drink compared to many others ive drank.

 

[spruce]

That filter looks terrible. My tap waters the worst tds, yet everytime i change the sed filter at 10,000 or a bit more, the filter has hardly any discolouration, just a light beige shade. I get the sediment and carbon filters doug sells. I appreciate the sediment issue wont  necessarily have much baring on high tap tds to start. Also, despite our tap tds being so terrible, I get the impression there isnt too much chlorine in it. As Spruce has said before, maybe its due to how far you are from the dosing place. Ive always been a big water drinker, and some places you can taste the chlorine in it, disgusting, and dont make a good cuppa either. Despite ours being tap 530 tds, is actually a tasty drink compared to many others ive drank.

I'm just repeating the findings @doug atkinson reported on so no credit to me.

 

[Part Timer]

It was Window Cleaning Warehouse

My error, I still wouldn't buy consumables from them though

 

[Iron Giant]

That is the make of filters which I found was having a pressure drop going to the membrane as a result higher ppm and less production

Thanks Doug, I've not had issues with them to a point as the water board did say during the works some discolouration in water supply could occur, although only apparent with my filters, as the work is now finished only time will tell, I will check in 2-3 weeks time, then place an order with you to top up my pre-filters 

That filter looks terrible. My tap waters the worst tds, yet everytime i change the sed filter at 10,000 or a bit more, the filter has hardly any discolouration, just a light beige shade. I get the sediment and carbon filters doug sells. I appreciate the sediment issue wont  necessarily have much baring on high tap tds to start. Also, despite our tap tds being so terrible, I get the impression there isnt too much chlorine in it. As Spruce has said before, maybe its due to how far you are from the dosing place. Ive always been a big water drinker, and some places you can taste the chlorine in it, disgusting, and dont make a good cuppa either. Despite ours being tap 530 tds, is actually a tasty drink compared to many others ive drank.

the discolouration has a clay like feel to the touch, thankfully my tap tds is around 69ppm at the moment, so nice drinking water also 

 

[spruce]

My error, I still wouldn't buy consumables from them though

I wouldn't either. The resin debacle was enough for me. There were also some aspersions cast regards the origin of some Shurflo copy pumps they sold. 

I do agree with you regarding their manufactured products - they are excellent quality for the price.