Service an RO system annually, with pre- and post-filter changes every six to twelve months and membrane replacement every two to five years depending on your water. In Albuquerque’s hard water, filters and membranes work harder than average.

The Service Schedule

  • Sediment pre-filter: every 6–12 months. It protects everything downstream.
  • Carbon pre-filter: every 6–12 months. Critical — chlorine destroys RO membranes, and this filter is what stops it.
  • RO membrane: every 2–5 years, depending on water quality and how well the pre-filters were maintained.
  • Post-filter (polishing carbon): annually.
  • Storage tank pressure: checked annually — low tank pressure is a common cause of weak flow at the faucet.
  • System sanitizing: periodically, particularly when filters are changed.

Why Pre-Filter Timing Matters Most

The carbon pre-filter exists to remove chlorine before water reaches the membrane. Chlorine degrades RO membranes quickly, and a membrane costs considerably more than a pre-filter. Letting the carbon stage lapse to save on a cartridge is how homeowners end up replacing membranes years early — it is the single most consequential item on the schedule.

Signs You Are Overdue

  • Slow flow from the RO faucet, or the tank not refilling properly
  • Taste declining or returning to tap-like
  • The system running more than it used to
  • Water that tastes or looks different from when the system was new

The Local Factor

Hard water shortens membrane life. Dissolved minerals foul the membrane surface, which is why an RO system downstream of a water softener lasts considerably longer than one fed straight from hard municipal water. That pairing is worth considering if you are installing both anyway.

Testing Confirms It

A dissolved-solids reading before and after the system tells you definitively whether the membrane is still performing — better than guessing from taste.

Care Club members get scheduled service. Contact B. Carlson about reverse osmosis in Albuquerque.