REPLACING THE 4TH STAGE REVERSE
OSMOSIS MEMBRANE
About the Reverse Osmosis Membrane
When used under operating conditions specified on page 1
of the manual, your reverse osmosis membrane should last
at least one year. You should replace the membrane after
18 to 24 months. Replace it sooner if you notice a return of
unpleasant tastes or odors or a noticeable decline in water
production. The precise life span of your system's membrane
will depend on the quality of the water entering the system
and the frequency with which you use it. Frequent system use
prevents the filtered salts and minerals from building up on the
membrane as scale. The more water the system is required to
produce, the longer the membrane will last. You may wish to
find a variety of uses for your system in order to prolong the life
of the membrane.
During extended periods of non-use (such as during a
vacation), remove the membrane from the membrane housing
and place it in a sealed plastic bag. Store membrane in
refrigerator for future use. DO NOT FREEZE.
NOTE: If system stands for more than 2 to 3 days without
being used, the storage tank should be emptied.
Replacing the Membrane and Sanitizing the
System and Filters
NOTE: It is recommended that you sanitize the system
each time you change the membrane. It is not
necessary to sanitize the system when changing
only the prefilters or postfilter.
NOTE: When installing a new membrane, it is
recommended that you replace the prefilter and
postfilter cartridges as well.
Removing the Membrane and Filters
1. Turn off the cold water supply. Allow five minutes for system
to depressurize.
Place a tray under the system to catch any water that spills
during removal of the filter housings.
2. Remove electrical plug from outlet.
3. Open drinking water faucet to drain tank. When tank is
drained, close faucet.
4. Hold the membrane housing with one hand and remove the
cap with the other hand.
Do not disconnect tubing from membrane cap.
CAUTION
5. To remove the RO membrane, grasp membrane tube with
pliers and pull. Discard old membrane. Screw cap back
onto membrane housing. DO NOT install new membrane.
6. Unscrew filter housings from caps and discard used
cartridges.
7. Remove black rubber O-rings from grooves in housings.
Wipe grooves and O-rings clean; set O-rings aside.
10 • SE11 Model RO-2600 5 StageReverse Osmosis System
Sanitizing the System
1. Rinse out bottom of housings and fill each 1/3 with water.
Add 2 tablespoons of household bleach to each housing
and scrub cap, bottom of housings, and membrane housing
with non-abrasive sponge or cloth. Rinse thoroughly.
2. Lubricate O-rings with a coating of clean silicone grease.
With two fingers, press each O-ring securely into groove
below the threads of the appropriate housing.
The rubber O-ring provides the water-tight seal
CAUTION
between the cap and the bottom of the housing.
It is important that the O-ring be properly seated
in the groove below the threads of the housing
or a water leak could occur.
3. Screw bottom of housing onto caps WITHOUT inserting
prefilters and hand-tighten. Do not over-tighten.
4. Open the cold water supply and let the system run for 2 to 3
minutes to carry the bleach solution throughout the system.
5. Close the cold water supply and turn on the drinking water
faucet. Let the faucet run for about 30 seconds before
turning off.
6. Let the entire system stand for 30 minutes to sanitize.
7. After 30 minutes, turn on the drinking water faucet to allow
the bleach water to run out (about 3 to 5 minutes).
8. Unscrew bottom of housings. Discard bleach water and
rinse.
Replacing the Membrane and Filter Cartridges
To replace the filters, see Replacing the Prefilters and
Postfilter.
To replace the membrane, see Step 10: Installing the
Membrane, and Step 12: System Start-up.
NOTE: After installing new membrane and cartridges,
allow system to run for 3 hours to fill tank. Check
for leaks every hour. As pressure builds in tank,
leaks may occur that did not exist directly after
installation.