RO Membrane Housing Connection – An Installation Guide

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Installing an RO membrane housing can be simple and quick if you have the knowledge and proper equipment.

If you’re looking to install one in your home, this article provides a simplified step-by-step guide that’ll teach you all you need to know about the process, starting with gathering the right tools…

Let’s go!

Key Takeaways

Follow these steps to install an RO membrane housing:

  • Attach your membrane housing clips to the RO system bracket or another filter housing.
  • Mount the RO membrane housing on the clips.
  • Connect the tubing.

Installation: How to Connect an RO Membrane Housing Step by Step

So, how do you connect the housing of an RO membrane to the rest of a reverse osmosis water filtration system?

Required Supplies

For this simple installation, you’ll only need the following:

  • RO membrane housing clips
  • Membrane housing with cap

You will also need needle-nose pliers in case you want to install a new RO membrane and possibly a membrane housing wrench in case the housing cap is stuck.

Step 1: Attach RO Membrane Housing Clips

The first step is to attach your membrane housing clips to the system module/bracket or any other filter housing you may want to connect to your RO membrane to. These housing clips will help keep your membrane housing in place.

Step 2: Mount Membrane Housing

Next, you can mount your RO housing onto the clips. Be sure to attach it carefully so that it’s securely in place.

blue reverse osmosis membrane

Step 3: Connect Tubing

After mounting the housing safely, you must connect the necessary tubing. To do this, you’ll need to do the quick-connect fitting correctly.

These quick-connect fittings have a locking mechanism used to keep the plastic tubing connected to them providing a watertight seal.

Before connecting the tubing to the membrane housing, ensure it’s cut smooth and straight around the edges. If the mouth of a tube has burrs, it may end up damaging the O-ring inside the fitting as you push the tubing inside. To counter this, lay each tube across a flat surface and cut it evenly to create a smooth and even edge.

Once you’re done, mark each end of your tubing at about the three-quarter-inch line. This is important because a fitting can only be watertight when the tubing has gone into the collet and past the O-ring. Sometimes you may push the tubing in, and it’ll feel like it’s clicked in place even when it hasn’t. However, marking the end of your tubing helps you know when the tubing is in place because the marked area will disappear into the collet.

So after you’ve marked each tube, carefully push them into their respective fitting, at least until the three-quarter line you drew or until it snaps in place. Test how tight the connection is by trying to pull each tubing out. If it doesn’t budge, it’s tight enough.

In the end, there should be one tubing connection to the pre-filters (tubing connected to housing cap), one to the drain, and one to the RO tank or post-filtration.

If you want to disconnect any tubing, hold the outer clip of the collet, push it in, and then gently pull the tubing out.

(Step 4: Install RO Membrane)

If you also want to install a new RO membrane, do so before connecting the tubing to the membrane housing cap.

The installation process is simple:

  1. Remove the membrane housing cap by turning it counterclockwise. If it’s too tight, loosen it with the membrane wrench.
  2. After you’ve removed the membrane housing cap, take out the old RO membrane and replace it.
  3. You can’t fix the new membrane with your bare hands, or you risk contamination. So instead, use needle-nose pliers to pick up the new membrane and fit it into membrane housing (let the double O-ring portion go in first).
  4. Once you’ve fit the membrane perfectly inside the housing, close the housing with the cap and tighten it with your hands (do this clockwise).
  5. After that, tighten it further with the membrane wrench to ensure it’s watertight.
  6. Then, connect the tubing as we described earlier.

Additional Connection Tips

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you install your RO membrane housing:

  • Never touch the membrane with bare hands.
  • Always double-check to make sure the tubing is securely connected.
  • Always flush the system before you start using it. It’s never advisable to drink from the system immediately after installation because RO membranes usually come with some form of chemical preservative. So after installation is done, turn on your water supply, open the valves, check for leaks and flush the system by emptying the tank once or twice before you finally use the water.

If you have any questions about RO membrane housing installation 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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