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Nowadays water pollution is a common thing and to cope with it, a water purifier is essential.
Water purifiers offer us fresh, clean water every time, and thus cleaning & maintaining them becomes imperative.
Fortunately, cleaning water purifiers at home is not a big task; it can be quickly done by following our straightforward steps.
So without further ado, let’s get started.
How to Clean Your Water Purifier?
We all know fresh and clean water’s importance, and just like everything, water purifiers need maintenance. Let’s look at how to clean it.
Here we have mentioned some cost and time-efficient methods to clean your water purifier.
But before we get into it, here we have only mentioned Reverse Osmosis (RO), Carbon filters, and Ultra Violet (UV) water purifiers as they are the most prevalent and prominent ones out there in the market.
RO
RO water purifiers mainly run on two levels. One is a membrane filter, and the other is a pre-filter comprised of activated carbon.
Before you start dismantling and clean the water purifier, make sure to wash your hands with unscented soap or sanitizer or, if possible, wear gloves.
And do not forget to turn off the water supply towards the filtration system before you clean it.
- Drain
You will need to empty the whole tank and drain the water from the filtration system and tank.
Once completely drained, ensure to close the faucet.
- Dismantle
Now, remove the pre-filter and membrane filter from the water purifier.
You will require a wrench to do so; make sure to remove the filters carefully to avoid any type of damage.
- Clean
Next, hose the filter down with water for a few minutes. Clean the filters thoroughly from every side, removing the excess junk.
You can also use some chemical cleaners; however, ensure that your company recommends them.
In case you are not sure what to use, you can also use unscented bleach (2 tbsp).
A dishwashing liquid can also do the trick. Once you are done with sanitizing, make sure to rinse properly.
- Rinse
After you have entirely cleaned both the filters with some solution, you must rinse them with clean water.
This way, you are removing all the chemical traces left behind while cleaning the filters.
- Assembling back
Once you have thoroughly cleaned and rinsed everything, assemble the parts again and start the system.
Enjoy the fresh and clean water as a toast for your hard work.
Note: To keep your system running healthy, we would recommend cleaning and maintaining the membranes at least once a year.
Carbon Filter
We can clean activated charcoal or carbon filter water purifiers just the same way as we did in RO water purifiers.
Like always, be careful while removing or working with the water purifier. Make sure that you have enough space to work with.
If possible, wear some gloves and glasses since you will be working with chemicals. Ensure that you are carefully following the mentioned tips.
Enough of scaring you off; let’s start with the cleaning.
- Dismantle
Remove the filter out carefully and keep a bucket below to catch any spills.
Make sure that you are meticulously removing every part so that you are not damaging them.
- Drain
Drain the water out from the tank and the water system.
You can dump the water in the skin or outside; even better, reuse it to water the plants or something similar.
- Remove the Plastic Netting
Carbon-based filters have plastic netting that keeps the paper of the filter intact.
Remove the netting so that you can easily clean the filter.
While cutting the netting, make sure to leave a small strip of the paper so that it gets easier to track it.
- Preparing the Solution
Get a bucket filled with half-gallon clean water.
You can use bleach or muriatic acid (2 cups). Next, use a stirrer to stir the water and leave it for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Rinse the Filter
If your filter is built with excess junk or debris, rinse the filter to remove them and soak the filter.
- Soak the Filter
Now soak the water filter for about five days and use a soft-bristled brush to scrub down the paper part.
You will need to eliminate the contaminants and keep the filter in the solution for at least five days.
- Soak in Clean Water
Once you have kept it for five days, remove the filter from the solution and soak it in clean water.
It will clean off all the chemical traces.
- Rinse
For thorough cleaning, rinse the filter after soaking it in clean water.
- Assemble back
Reassemble the parts and enjoy the fresh, clean water.
UV
Fortunately, UV water purifiers are relatively easy and cost-effective to clean and maintain than their other counterparts.
You will have to clean and change the UV lamp once a year, albeit they appear to be working healthy and clean.
Next, let’s clean the Quartz Sleeve.
- Water supply
Unplug and turn off the water supply.
- Safety Cap
Remove it by squeezing the tabs. Make sure the lamp plug wires are connected.
- Lamp Plug
From the chamber, remove the lamp plug with the bolt.
- Unscrew
Now unscrew the UV lamp by holding the bolt and remove the O rings.
- Clean Quartz Sleeve
Take vinegar and soft tissue, cover the quartz with tissue and soak it in vinegar for 20 minutes.
- Rinse and Reassemble
Wash it with clean water and reinstall the UV lamp. We would recommend cleaning them once in 2 years.
Verdict
Once in a while, cleaning the water purifiers is necessary, and it ensures that you are receiving fresh and clean water every time.
If you are still struggling to cope with our steps, it will be best to call for help and let them do the bidding. Not all DIY stuff is easy and straightforward.
That said, should you have any doubts — you know what to do.