Reverse Osmosis Filters

How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?

Reverse osmosis works by a thin filter with microscopic holes (a semi-permeable membrane) specifically created to only let water molecules through and leave the impurities behind. The water is forced through this membrane and the tiny holes block any dissolved impurities and up to 99% of chemicals.

During the process, there are pre and post-treatments required. For example, carbon filtration may be required for the removal of chlorine and organics. Other pre-treatments may also be required depending on the nature of the feed water.

Buy Reverse Osmosis Systems from Fileder

Fileder is proud to offer quality reverse osmosis systems for residential, commercial, and industrial settings. We have years of experience in the filtration industry, and are an award-winning and ISO-certified company celebrated for delivering reliable reverse osmosis solutions. If you’re looking for reverse osmosis systems, membranes, or housings, we can help. Browse our range of products now or get in touch with us for help or more information.

The Benefits of Reverse Osmosis

Better Taste

Reverse osmosis strips away minerals and impurities from water, resulting in better-tasting drinking water. That’s why RO water filtration systems are often used in hotels and restaurants so that coffee, tea, and food dishes taste as fresh as possible.

Consistent Product Quality

RO, when used in engineering, pharmaceuticals, and many other applications, ensures superior water purification by removing a wide range of contaminants. This leads to a more consistent product quality.

Environmentally Responsible

Reverse osmosis produces purified water without the use of chemicals or salt, meaning no harmful waste enters drainage or effluent systems. Impurities are physically separated from the water stream, reducing environmental impact and supporting cleaner, more sustainable operations.

Versatile & Scalable

RO systems are available with a wide range of flow rates and rejection options, making them suitable for domestic, industrial, and seawater applications. This flexibility allows systems to be tailored precisely to performance requirements, from small-scale installations to high-demand processes.

How to Choose the Right RO System

Assess Your Water Demand

Calculate your total daily water requirements for your operations.

Evaluate Feed Water Quality

Test for Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), hardness, iron, manganese, chlorine, heavy metals, etc. High TDS or hardness may require pre-treatment to protect RO membranes. Also, check water pH and temperature.

Choose Appropriate System Capacity and Configuration

Select the systems that are designed for scalability, such as SPECTRUM RO system options. Also consider space constraints for installation, maintenance, access, etc.

Factor Budget

It’s important to balance initial capital investment with long-term operating costs such as energy, membrane replacement, and labour. Consider the total cost of ownership rather than just the upfront price.

System Types and Configurations

Under-Sink RO Systems

Under-sink reverse osmosis solutions are compact systems designed to fit neatly beneath kitchen counters. Due to their compact design, they are great for apartments, small households, and direct drinking water supply.

Features include:

• Space-saving design
• Dedicated drinking water tap
• High-quality, PFAS and contaminant-free water

Commercial RO Systems

These are reliable, mid-sized systems designed for industries needing consistent, high-quality water production. This generally includes businesses like restaurants and cafes, offices, breweries, car washes, and dental practices, as well as small manufacturing sites and laboratories.

Features include:

• Smaller packaged systems, simple but effective
• Robust performance for continuous or lower-volume batch operation
• Effective reduction of salts, minerals and other dissolved solids

Industrial RO Systems

Perfect for large-scale water purification across industrial applications, these customisable and flexible systems are perfect for industries such as manufacturing, food & beverage, laboratories, agriculture, and high-demand water processing.

Features include:

• Used to treat a variety of water sources
• Seawater desalination option available
• Customisable pre-treatment and post-treatment options

RO System Maintenance

Maintaining your reverse osmosis system is the best and most cost-effective way of getting the most out of it. It reduces the need to carry out large repairs and protects against downtime. To ensure you get the most out of your filtration system, you should regularly carry out certain maintenance tasks.

Replacing Consumables

Cartridge filters and membranes need to be regularly replaced to ensure they are performing optimally. For membranes, this can be between 2 and 3 years, whereas cartridge filters will need replacing more regularly.

Cleaning

Larger reverse osmosis systems typically require a Clean-In-Place (CIP) to ensure the system operates to its fullest potential. However, the frequency will depend on factors such as water chemistry and desired recovery rate. The type of system will also affect the time it takes to clean, with some systems taking up to a full day. Therefore, it’s important to plan this into your schedule.

Pre-treatment

Although pre-treatment isn’t generally considered ‘maintenance’, it is an important part of the operation when it comes to your RO system. The type of pretreatment needed depends on your feedwater chemistry and the final use of the permeate. It can include filtration, chlorination, antiscalant dosing, acidification, granulated activated carbon (GAC) and more, and ensures your desired permeate quality.

Common Concerns

Although there are many benefits to reverse osmosis systems, there are some common concerns that we can address.

Wastewater Production

RO systems create a reject stream that carries away the dissolved contaminants. This is commonly viewed as ‘waste’ water. However, many modern systems use high-recovery membranes that significantly reduce the amount of water that is wasted. Wastewater can also be repurposed for cleaning, irrigation, or cooling tower makeup.

Removal of Beneficial Minerals

Reverse osmosis removes most dissolved minerals, so many people think the drinking water tastes flat due to the lack of naturally occurring minerals. However, a lot of systems can include remineralisation cartridges to restore taste, and industrial users generally require low-mineral water for processes, so it is often a benefit.

Higher Upfront Cost Compared to Simple Filters

Reverse osmosis systems cost more than basic filters upfront. However, they provide a much higher contaminant removal than other filters can achieve alone, and they are much more efficient, providing lower running costs over time.

Reverse Osmosis Alternatives

Although reverse osmosis is one of the most effective methods for purifying water, there are other alternatives that also may be suitable depending on the application.

Activated Carbon Filtration

Activated carbon filtration effectively removes chlorine, organic compounds, VOCs, tastes, and odours. However, it doesn’t remove dissolved salts, hardness, nitrates, or TDS like reverse osmosis systems.

UV Systems

UV filtration systems neutralise bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms using UV light. They do not remove chemicals, minerals, metals, or particulates like RO systems. This alternative is therefore ideal for microbiological safety or paired with reverse osmosis systems for comprehensive treatment.

Water Softening

Water softening systems replace hardness minerals with sodium or magnesium to prevent scale, so they are great for protecting boilers, heaters, and other appliances. RO systems, on the other hand, also reduce TDS, heavy metals, and organics to achieve purity for production, medical, or drinking water. Water softening is often used before RO.

Reverse Osmosis Pricing

The cost of RO systems varies depending on a range of factors such as:

• System capacity
• Configuration
• Water quality requirements
• Complexity of installation
• Additional elements like pre-treatment and post-treatment
• Storage solutions
• Ongoing maintenance

For the most accurate pricing, a site assessment and water analysis are recommended to ensure the system is correctly sized and configured for your specific needs. Contact us today, and we can help you determine the cost of your ideal reverse osmosis system.

Why Choose Fileder Reverse Osmosis Filters?

Fileder have over 40 years of experience providing reverse osmosis systems to industries ranging from food and beverage to manufacturing and healthcare. We’re one of the UK’s leading suppliers of filtration and water treatment solutions and are proud to offer a carefully selected range of residential, commercial, and industrial RO systems. We provide the full package, including pre-treatment, membranes, housings, pumps, and consumables, so contact us today, and we can ensure every part of the process performs at its best.

FAQs

Can Fileder help me choose the right RO system?

Yes. Our technical team provides guidance based on water usage, feed water quality, space constraints, budgets, and application requirements.

What support is available after purchase?

Fileder provides ongoing technical support, specification advice, and access to technical documentation, datasheets, and product experts.

What contaminants does RO remove?

RO systems remove dissolved salts, heavy metals, nitrates, fluorides, pesticides, organics, and many other contaminants. Pre-filters can also help remove sediment, chlorine, and particulates to protect the membrane.

How often do RO membranes need replacing?

Typically, every 2–3 years, depending on feed water quality and system usage. Industrial membranes may last longer if proper pre-treatment is in place. If you need more guidance on when your membrane needs replacing, we can help.

How do I know what size RO system I need?

Sizing depends on daily water demand, peak flow requirements, feed water TDS, and available pressure. Fileder’s technical team can specify the correct unit and pre-treatment.