How to clean a clogged household reverse osmosis membrane?

FROM：本站   DATE：2025-07-14

How to clean a household reverse osmosis water purifier when it encounters RO reverse osmosis membrane blockage during use? RO reverse osmosis membranes play a decisive role in the water purification process of reverse osmosis water purifiers. However, in actual operation, due to various reasons, household reverse osmosis membranes may become clogged, causing the machine to malfunction and affecting our daily drinking water.

So, what are the main reasons for blockage of reverse osmosis RO membranes?

1. Improper assembly of the pre filter results in physical blockage;

2. Improper pressure regulation results in low concentrated water output, high working pressure, and high-pressure reverse osmosis membrane, accelerating the deposition of calcium and magnesium ions. The longer the time, the more irreversible it becomes;

3. The high content of organic matter and microorganisms in the incoming water forms organic mucosal fouling on the membrane surface, blocking the permeability of the reverse osmosis membrane;

4. The hardness of the incoming water is too high (high concentration of calcium and magnesium ions), causing calcium and magnesium ions to deposit on the membrane surface, forming insoluble carbonate scale, which prevents water from passing through the reverse osmosis membrane.

What measures should be taken to clean and handle blockages like this?

1. Chemical cleaning

Chemical cleaning is an effective method for any type of pollution. For the gel layer formed on the membrane surface by macromolecular substances, the effect is not very good only by physical cleaning. The polluted membrane can be soaked and cleaned by acid or alkali solution. Organic matter, silicon dioxide, and biological pollutants are easily cleaned under alkaline conditions, while some metal ion pollutants are easily dissolved under acidic conditions. Surfactants and chelating agents can remove firmly attached substances. For RO reverse osmosis membranes with different types of pollution, the selection of chemical agents should be targeted to prevent damage to the membrane by chemical cleaning agents.

2. Physical cleaning

Generally refers to hydraulic cleaning, such as mechanical scrubbing and backwashing. The main method of hydraulic cleaning is backwashing, such as water flushing and air-water backwashing expansion method. Because water washing does not introduce chemicals, the method of water washing is economical. Backwashing refers to the method of removing membrane surface deposits by blowing gas or liquid through the side, external pressurization refers to backwashing with compressed air or pressurized liquid at 0.1MPa, and internal suction refers to periodically drawing air or liquid from the outside of the membrane into the inside for backwashing.