Does a Reverse Osmosis System Need Electricity?
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Jun 1, 2023
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One of the best benefits to reverse osmosis systems is their convenience.
They are easy to install and require relatively little maintenance in the long term, and can also be used in various circumstances.
Does this include situations where you don’t have direct access to electricity? In other words, does a reverse osmosis system require electricity? Let’s find out!
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Key Takeaways
- Reverse osmosis systems don’t need electricity to run by default.
- Some models on the market do, however, because they include additional features like pressure pumps or UV bulbs.
- Running reverse osmosis on an industrial scale always requires electricity.
Does a Reverse Osmosis System Need Electricity?
So, does a reverse osmosis system need electricity?
No, a reverse osmosis system does not need electricity per se. All RO systems need to run is water pressure. No electricity is required for that as the system simply uses the existing pressure in your plumbing.
There are modifications to reverse osmosis systems, however, that do require an electric connection, but those are not part of the standard package and are entirely optional. These include pumps to increase the pressure and UV lamps.
What If My Reverse Osmosis System Has a Light?
In some cases, your reverse osmosis system might have some small indicator lights. Those usually run on their own dedicated batteries and don’t require a connection to an electric outlet. The easiest way to tell is simply to check if the lights work when the unit is not connected to any power supply.
Examples of RO Systems That Run on Electricity
Some models available on the market do require electricity to run, but this is usually explicitly noted by the manufacturer. In most cases, power is required either to run advanced pumps or to display additional information about the unit.
AquaTru
The AquaTru is one of the most advanced reverse osmosis systems on the market. It comes with four filtration stages that eliminate most types of contaminants with a high level of effectiveness, and it also displays some information about the unit’s current status. An internal pressure pump boosts filtration performance and recovery rates. That’s why the AquaTru requires a power connection.
Waterdrop G3
The Waterdrop G3 is another example of a highly effective, advanced reverse osmosis system capable of removing a large number of contaminants. The system comes with a smart display faucet which provides you with information about the current TDS level of the output water. And just like the AquaTru, the G3 also uses an internal pump – and this requires a constant power supply.
How Does a Typical Reverse Osmosis System Work?
Reverse osmosis systems are very simple in mechanical terms. The main idea behind these systems is that they force water through a semipermeable membrane at a relatively high level of pressure. Only water molecules are able to pass through the membrane and almost all types of contaminants get rejected. They then get mixed with the reject water stream and removed from your home.
All home reverse osmosis systems come with additional filtration stages to improve their efficiency. Reverse osmosis by itself is a very effective process that can deal with many types of contaminants, but it does have some minor shortcomings. Combining it with approaches like carbon filtration and UV purification improves the effectiveness significantly. Keep in mind that some of these solutions might require their own power supply.
Further Reading:
Electricity Usage of Reverse Osmosis Treatment Plants
It’s a different story when you look at things on an industrial scale, of course. Reverse osmosis is heavily used to filter water for industrial applications. And as you can expect, large plants tend to consume a lot of electricity – not just for the filtration itself, but also for various auxiliary processes.
According to commonly available reports, the cumulative power usage of RO plants around the world is estimated to be over 200 million kWh per day, with a cost of around 3-10 kWh for one cubic meter of purified seawater. This is significantly higher than regular water treatment plants, which usually only use around 1 kWh per cubic meter.
If you have any thoughts about the question, does reverse osmosis require electricity, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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