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Reverse Osmosis Recovery Rate Vs. Efficiency Rating |
Date : 5/20/2014
From :
Peter
|
Question
Im trying to understand reverse osmosis filters. I see specifications regarding "recovery rating" and "efficiency rating." I am confused about the difference between the two. Can you help me, please?
Answer
The recover rating is the amount of water purified (Permeate Water) vs. the amount of water sent to drain (Reject Water).
Although people may claim efficiency ratings, they are simply sales marketing tools. Pretty much all membranes are designed to run at a 15%-20% recovery rate. If you flow less to drain you simply deposit more contaminants on the membrane surface and shorten the life of the filter.
The people claiming higher efficiency rates either have more contaminants passing through the membrane or they are allowing them to concentrate on the membrane surface and shortening the membrane life. As you remove pure water from the feed water, it concentrates the water in the reject water and on the membrane surface. At a certain point of concentration those contaminants form compounds that plug the membrane pores.
Membrane efficiency does not trump chemistry.
You can balance the cost of that water vs. the cost of more frequent membrane changes to see which is the best way to go.
More information on Reverse Osmosis can be found here :
https://www.apswater.com/article.asp?id=39&title=About+Reverse+Osmosis+Systems
Another answer on this subject can be found here :
https://www.apswater.com/ask-amy-view-message.asp?id=6594&title=Efficiency+Of+Reverse+Osmosis+Systems
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