How To Install Reverse Osmosis System? (Where to Install)

You’re probably thinking of buying a Reverse Osmosis filtering system, or you probably own one, and are thinking of the possible locations to install this bad boy.

Well, look no further because we have got you covered, and we will teach you through this article about all the steps in the process, and the possible locations you can install a reverse osmosis filtration system.

So, without further ado, let’s jump right in and find out more about the installation process!

Where to install the Reverse Osmosis Filtration System?

There are quite a few places and different sorts of filtration systems on the market. You can choose the one that suits your needs and requirements, there are four places you can install the filtration system.

The first one is the whole house filtration system, the second one is under the sink filtration system, the third one is the basement filtration system, and finally, the last one is the refrigerator filtration system.

All of these are discussed at length below, so let’s find out which filtration system is the best one for you!

Whole House Reverse Osmosis Filtration System Installation

There are quite a few items you will need to install this filtration system for the entire house, and we have taken the liberty of noting them down for you. To save you from the hassle of carrying around a notebook and looking for a pen, or vice versa.

The list is as follows:

• A solenoid valve:  This valve is responsible for turning the water feed on /off when the tank is turned on
• A micron sediment pre-filter: This filter is responsible for removing sediments from the water supply that is fed for filtration
• Pre-filter Pressure Gauge: This keeps a check on the water pressure
• Pump Pressure Gauge: This checks the pressure in the pump and it should not cross 150 psi
• Computer control: This acts as a fail switch and turns the system on or off
• Recirculation Valve: Checks the quantity of water that is fed into the system to be recycled
• Waste Vale: Checks the amount of water being sent to the drain
• Pump and Motor: This increases the water pressure of the system
• Throttle Valve: Can increase the pressure in the membranes and should not increase 150 psi
• Product Flow Meter: Checks the water amounts going to the distribution system
• Concentrate Flow Meter: Checks the amount of water going to the drain
• Recycle Flow Meter: Checks the amount of water being recycled
• Low-Pressure Switch: Acts as a safety switch and turns the system off during low pressures
• Membrane Pressure Vessels
• Power Supply cable
• Injection pump connection
• Tank level
• Re-pressurization pump
• UV light
• UV controller
• Tools required: Teflon tape and two channel locks

Instructions for installation

Plumbing

The pumps have a requirement of water pressure being fed, to be at least 35 psi with the temperatures not exceeding 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

The feed water connection

You have to attach the piping to the filter inlet, and the feed line has to be at least 3/4^th”

The permeate connection

You have to attach the permeate tubing (1/2”) to the top of the storage tank and make sure there is no choke in the valve and water can flow freely with no back pressure.

The wastewater connection

Attach the (1/2”) concentrate tubing to a drain. Ensure there is no back pressure and the concentrate line is going into a drain. To stop a bacterial infection from happening, make sure there is an air gap in the drain line.

Re-pressurization pump connection

Using the Teflon tape on the 1” steel nipple, install it to the bulkhead on the bottom of the storage tank. Using channel locks, screw the pairs tightly. Using the same technique, install the ball valve too. Attach the piping at the bottom of the storage tank to the 1” male threated connection on the re-pressurization pump.

The plumbing distribution system

Connect the piping to the plumbing system using the 1” male threaded connection on the UV light chamber

The Electrical Connections

• The Main Power System
  there is a total of 220 volts, 60 Hertz and 1 phase power on the defender system. This system comes with a 5 foot electrical cable, which can be hardwired to an outlet with the voltage that is the same as the system. You can power it with an isolated 20 amp breaker as well.
• Re-pressurization Pump
  This requires 110 volts, 60 Hertz and 1 phase, and should be wired with an energized 110 volt socket
• UV Light Controller
  The same requirements as the re-pressurization pump

Pre Filtration

The system doesn’t have an inbuilt pre-filtration system, which means you will need to get one to ensure the reverse osmosis system does not get damaged.

• The Pump
  This multi-stage carbon steel pump shouldn’t ever be run when it is dry, or when the water pressure is low. Secondly, it should always be fed filtered water because polluted water has debris that can damage the pump
• The membranes
  This system comes with an inbuilt thin film of composite membranes
• UV Light bulb and sleeve
  You will have to install the bulb and sleeve which can be done using the UV light manual provided

Tank Level and Lockout Wiring

The system has two switch circuits, and there is a circuit that is specifically made for dry contact.

• Tank level input
  there is an on/off switch for when an atmospheric tank is installed and the wires are colored, and these wires need to be wired so they can be opened and closed easily.
• Pre-treatment lockout wiring
  this is to turn off the reverse osmosis system for the backwash filter, and this is to ensure no untreated water is fed to the RO system. The wires need to be looped so they can be opened and closed.

Anti-Scalant Filling and its settings

This is used to control the hardness which is measured by the feed water analysis. The procedure is as follows:

• You have to fill 5 gallons of clean water into the tank, and then you have to add hyper-guard 7000 antiscalant solution per gallon of water, you can look up the specified quantity online
• To ensure there is no bottom out, you have to cut the injection valve off up to the male threads
• Put the injection valve in the chemical port of the RO system after the sediment filter
• Now you have to plug the injection pump into the female cord “dosing pump”
• Turn the injection pump’s switch to on

System Start Up

Adjust the Flow Rate

1. Make sue the pre-treatment systems are flushed
2. Remove the pre-filter and you have to fill water into it, this will eliminate air in the system
3. Water supply needs to be turned on and there should be at least 30 psi and the optimum pressure should be 60 psi
4. Open the concentrate valve
5. Switch on the RO system
6. Let the system turn on and run for 15 minutes
7. Keep an eye on the running in-let pressure and make sure it is between 40-60 psi and more than 30 psi

Under Sink Reverse Osmosis System Installation

Tools needed

1. Drill
2. Wrench that can be adjusted
3. Phillips head screw driver
4. 7/16” Drill bit
5. ¼” Drill bit

How to install

• The first step is the faucet, place the Ro under the sink where the thickness of the surface you are going to plant the RO on, shouldn’t be thicker than one inch and a quarter.
• Make sure before drilling, you aren’t messing with any plumbing down there, and then drill a hole that is 7/16^th and you can begin placing the faucet
• Put the rubber washer and the base plate on the faucet and put it inside the drilled faucet hole. Adjust the position of the faucet so it drains into the sink. Just below the sink, attach the washer and the star washer, and the hex nut. Make sure the screws are done tightly.
• Now connect the threads to the faucet adapter and use a wrench to turn it
• Now you will have to install the feed water stop valve
• You now have to shut off the cold water supply valve for the faucet (sink)
• Now you have to open the cold water and remove the faucet tubing from the shutoff valve. You have to install the stop valve and make sure it is secure and tight.
• Install the tube on the stop valve and make sure it is secured
• Check and see that the valve is in the closed position and then open the sink shut off valve and inspect if there are any leaks. If so, repair them immediately
• Now comes the time to install the drain saddle, which can be installed on a standard 1 ½” inch PVC drainpipe. You have to install the drain valve on top of the horizontal or vertical tailpiece.
• Use the side of the drain valve to choose the drill position. If the pipe is horizontal, don’t drill the valve below the pipe, place it on the side or above the pipe and drill the rubber gasket on the half of the drain valve and make sure it is in line with the porthole
• Drill a ¼” hole on one side of the pipe and put both halves of the drain valve on the drain pipe.
• Now just simply secure the drain clamp with bolts and make sure they are tight, but not too tight.

Start-up

1. Use Teflon tape on the tank outlet and wrap for about 6 times
2. Install the valve and use your hand to tighten it
3. Now is the time to connect the tubing
4. The blue line is for the faucet and make sure the tubes are all secure
5. The orange line is from the stop valve to the inlet on the filter housing
6. The black tube is the drain line
7. The green line is from the tank to the polishing filter
8. The system is now ready and turn it on until there is a steady flow of water and check for leaks as well

Related Article: How To Install Under Sink Water Filter?

Basement Reverse Osmosis System

How to install

Tubing:

• You will require some additional tubing to connect the system
• The system feed and drain lines are measures to be both ¼”
• Whereas, the lines to the faucet and tank are both 3/8”

Pressure:

• The pressure is mainly generated from the storage tank. It is pertinent to mention here that the farther the storage tank from the place the water is being used, there will be a loss of pressure. There will also be a loss of pressure if the tube is more than 10’ vertical or 20’ horizontal
• You can buy a permeate pump to counter this pressure problem, or even an electric delivery pump too

Refrigerator Reverse Osmosis System

1. You have to turn off the cold water feed into your RO system
2. You have to locate the tube that connects the RO faucet to the RO system
3. You have to place a big bucket or a bowl under this tube
4. Cut the tube 10 inches from where it exits the RO and let the water empty into the bucket
5. Install the tee fitting by pushing the ends on the tubing as far as possible and pull to secure the tube
6. Now you have to install the other end of the tee fitting and connect it to the faucet
7. Now take the 1/4” tube and cut about 10” off of it
8. Now you have to connect the shutoff valve to the other side of the 10” tube
9. Connect one end of the tube to the valve and turn the valve off until the tank fills to the brim
10. Connect the RO to the fridge using the polypropylene tubing. 20 feet of tube is sufficient.
11. You can connect the tube to the fridge’s icemaker if you want
12. Check and make sure the water pressure is sufficient

FAQS | How To Install Reverse Osmosis System? 

How much will it cost to install a Reverse Osmosis System? What are the charges for getting it installed by a professional?

Installing the reverse osmosis water filtration system for your whole house will cost you about $1500. You can expect for it to cost around $500 to $3000.

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of reading the manual and doing all the dirty work yourself, then don’t worry. You can call up a professional to do it for you, and it will save you a lot of time and effort and sweat. The professional will charge you the following , depending on the type of filtration system:

• The cost for a under the sink system is about $150 to $600.
•  Whereas the countertop costs $60 to $450.
•  The whole house costs around $500 or more.

Key points

• Installing a reverse osmosis system is easy and we have mentioned how to do so in the start of this article
• The advantages of reverse osmosis systems are that they provide clean water and ensure there is minimum to zero wastage of water
• Water is reserved and recycled, which is a precious commodity to have due to alarming problems in drinking water due to water shortage globally
• The pressure is less when the usage is away from the RO system, so you can buy an electric pump to counter this problem and enjoy clean water all around the house
• The cost is worth it because it is a long term investment

Conclusion | How To Install Reverse Osmosis System? 

Getting a reverse osmosis water filtration system is very trendy these days, not only is it trendy, but it is an eco-friendly device which should be installed in every household. It reduces the need for ground water, which is running dangerously low and as we all know, water is essential to life. This system filters and recycles water, which makes it excellent.

The recycled water is safe for all purposes, from drinking to washing. It is essential that we find alternatives for clean drinking water, and this filtration system just might be the answer to all our cries and worries about water running short. So, it is probably a good idea to go out and get one, as it is super easy to use and supplies the whole house with clean water, without actually using up new, and fresh ground water.

Technology has surely started to ease the burden on mother earth because it is under great distress. Distress due to situations such as global warming, and generally the running low of natural resources, so it is up to us to find alternatives to ensure the continuance of existence of life on Earth. And Reverse osmosis water systems just might be the answer.