Solved: Why Does My Reverse Osmosis System Make Clicking Noise?
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Jun 1, 2023
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Reverse osmosis filtration is not an overly loud process, but some noise is associated with such water filter systems
As strange noises can be an indication of something wrong, it is important to know what noises are normal and what noises are not normal.
While some quiet gurgling and hissing as the system processes water are nothing to worry about, what about clicking sounds? What is causing those? Let’s find out.
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Key Takeaways
- Clicking coming from your reverse osmosis system is usually caused by the tubing being too long and hitting things when water flows through them.
- It is easily fixed by shortening the length of your tubing.
Why Your Reverse Osmosis System Is Clicking
Clicking from your reverse osmosis system is usually caused by some of the tubing. When water flows through the tubing, pressure increases, and the tube may move. This is more likely to happen when the tubing is too long, and it will knock against whatever is in its vicinity, usually the storage tank or the sink.
While it may be an irritating sound, it is not necessarily harmful to the RO system or an indication that it is faulty, and it can be easily fixed.
How to Fix Reverse Osmosis Clicking Noise
How to fix reverse osmosis clicking noise?
To fix the issue, you need to shorten the tubing so that it doesn’t move as much. You can do this using a utility knife;
- Simply turn off the water,
- Close the valves,
- Drain the faucet,
- And then cut and adjust the tubing to size and reconnect. Done!
How to Deal with Other Reverse Osmosis Noises
A couple of things to listen out for when it comes to noises from your RO system and to differentiate an unusual noise from a normal noise is the volume and whether or not the noise is ‘new’. Reverse osmosis systems make some noise, but it isn’t loud. Loud noises or new noise from the system may indicate an issue.
Continuous Siphoning
When your RO tank is filling, it is customary to hear some draining noises. However, it is not normal to hear it constantly, and this may indicate an issue with the system (it may be that your reverse osmosis system is constantly draining).
Hissing Faucet
If there is a hissing sound coming from your RO faucet, this may indicate an obstruction in the faucet drain line from a buildup of debris, a crack in the faucet tubing, feed water pressure that is too high, or a leak somewhere in the system.
Vibrations
Vibrating or humming can come from air bubbles trapped in a reverse osmosis system. You can remove these by closing the storage tank valves and tilting the system at a 45-degree angle while running the RO faucet to force the bubbles to dissipate.
Sputtering and Gurgling
Gurgling and spluttering from the RO faucet can be caused by trapped air bubbles, siphoning issues, or an oversized RO membrane. Identify the issue, and fix it accordingly.
Further Reading:
Can Reverse Osmosis Noise Be Normal?
As mentioned before, some noise from your reverse osmosis system is perfectly normal:
- RO systems make noise as they process water.
- Turning on the dispenser, you may hear slight humming or gurgling.
- You might hear whining when the tank pressurizes for the first time.
If you have any questions about reverse osmosis clicking noise please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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