Reverse Osmosis Faucet Making Noise? Here’s What to Do!

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Reverse osmosis faucets that contain air gaps may sometimes make strange noises.

If your RO faucet makes noise, this guide will show you what to do.

We’ll also talk about noises that are perfectly normal for air gap RO faucets.

Key Takeaways

  • If your reverse osmosis faucet makes gurgling noises, you should release air bubbles, fix siphoning issues, or downsize your RO membrane.
  • If your RO faucet is making hissing sounds, you should check for deposits inside the drain line, cracks in the tubing, elevated feed water pressure, and system leaks.
  • It’s normal for a newly installed reverse osmosis system to make noise. Also, some noise in evitable with air gap RO faucets while the system is refilling the storage tank.

Reverse Osmosis Faucets Making Noise — Here Is What to Do

Gurgling and hissing are common with air gap reverse osmosis faucets. This article covers what to do depending on what type of noise is coming from yours.

How to Get Rid of Loud Gurgling Noise from Your RO System Faucet

If you hear loud gurgling noise from your RO faucet, here’s how to get rid of it.

Releasing Air Bubbles

Accumulated air bubbles can cause gurgling noises.

To stop the noise, you need to release the bubbles by turning off the tank ball valve and tilting the system module to at least 45 degrees. Then, turn on the faucet and let the water run for about a minute before turning it off. After about 30 seconds, repeat the process (repeat 3 to 4 times).

Fixing Siphoning Issues

If the drain tube connecting the RO faucet with the drain saddle is too long and it sags and acts like a siphon, you should reduce the drain tube length.

Downsizing the RO Membrane

If your RO membrane is a lot bigger than what your system can handle, the drain line will receive more water than necessary and cause gurgling. You’ll eliminate the loud gurgling sounds by reducing the size of your RO membrane to meet your other system components.

young girl opening reverse osmosis faucet

Hissing Sound at the Water Dispenser

What if your RO faucet isn’t making gurgling noises, but you hear hissing sounds? Don’t worry; we’ve listed some possible causes of water dispenser hissing sounds and what you can do about it.

Obstructions in Faucet Drain Line

A build-up of dirt or debris in the drain line can cause whistling in your air gap faucet.

To stop the noise, check the faucet’s drain tube and clean off any stuck impurities.

Hissing from obstructions mainly occur after you’ve used the RO system for a while.

Small Cracks in the Tubing

If any of the tubing that connects to the faucet has cracks, it can cause hissing noises in the air gap.

To get rid of the sound, cut off the split in the tubing and reconnect it to the faucet.

Water Pressure Too High

If your home’s water pressure is too high, your faucet air gap will draw in a large amount of air, causing hissing sounds.

To stop it, you need to get a flow reducer and fix it into the pipe that connects to the RO unit.

A Leak in the System

Check your entire reverse osmosis system for leakages and fix them if you find any. If your RO unit leaks, the air gap will inevitably draw in some air and cause noises.

Normal vs. Abnormal Noises Produced by Reverse Osmosis Faucets

The noises mentioned above are abnormal noises produced by reverse osmosis faucets. But some noise is normal. For example, when your RO faucet is discharging water into the drain, you’ll likely hear noise from the air gap. The air gap is an important feature that makes RO-treated water safe; it prevents contaminated water from entering the system if there is a blockage in the sink drain.

Another normal noise occurs when you run a new RO system for the first time. The air gap faucet releases air from the RO system causing gurgling.

If you have any questions about a reverse osmosis faucet making noise please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

About the Author Gene Fitzgerald

Gene Fitzgerald is one of the founders of BOS and currently head of content creation. She has 8+ years of experience as a water treatment specialist under her belt making her our senior scientist. Outside of BOS, Gene loves reading books on philosophy & social issues, making music, and hiking.
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Leave a Comment:

Ed smith says April 10, 2023

My system makes a “groaning sound” when I draw water to make morning coffee. The groaning is brief, but usually followed by a gurgling sound in the drain. The gurgling can be brief or for several minutes. Can you direct me to the cause?

Reply
    Gene says April 11, 2023

    Hi Ed,
    Have you tried any of the fixes we offered against gurgling?

    Reply
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