RO membranes are made of thin film composite material that gradually wears down from constant pressure and mineral buildup. It’s like a sponge that slowly loses its bounce—except this sponge is a wizard at filtering out bad stuff.
After about two years, the small pores start widening. More contaminants slip through, and your system works harder. You end up wasting more water as it flushes away the bad guys. No one wants a water-hogging system.
The “Hard Water” Tax
If you’re on well water or city water with over 150 ppm of hardness, cut that timeline down to 18-24 months. Hard water minerals like calcium and magnesium coat the membrane like a crusty pizza pan. Yes, it’s delicious in thought, but terrible for your system.
You might even need a pre-filter to soften the blow—literally.
