When Should I Change My Filter?
When it comes to filtration systems, the health of the cartridge inside plays the most critical role in ensuring the desired results are delivered effectively and safely. But did you know that maintaining and replacing these filters is paramount to the system working correctly?
Onto the age old question… how often should you change your filters? The industry standard recommendation is when the pressure drop reaches 2 bar, or, especially for point-of-use applications, every six months. Of course these are standard recommendations that do not apply to every application, and we’ll explore why below.
Why Every Application Is Different
Several factors dictate the optimal time to change your filter, including the system size, feed water quality, your application type and required pressure. For example, if you’re using feed water with a high concentration of sediment, you’ll need to change your filters more frequently than those with little to no sediment due to blocking creating a higher pressure drop. To take this further, a large diameter (LD) system has a higher dirt holding capacity, extending the required change out time in this example. Awareness of these factors allows you to apply this knowledge in deciding when to change your filter.
For resin cartridges, a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) meter is available which will provide a clear indication on when it’s time for a replacement. This feature comes included on some RO Systems, including the SPECTRUM SRO and the Axeon LP systems, eliminating guesswork and ensuring that you always know when it’s time to replace your filter.
Summary
Don’t underestimate the importance of maintaining and replacing your filters – it’s the key to a successful filtration system. Standard industry recommendations exist for a reason… they work for the majority. Following this guidance, you can’t go too far wrong. However, as stated above, if your application isn’t utilising standard practices then we advise contacting us where our experienced experts in filtration can help you directly.
