Updated: September 5, 2022
In the infant days of home reverse osmosis, some of the systems available would use a small pump to increase the water pressure going into the reverse osmosis system in order to force the water through the system’s membrane. Not so much anymore.
Most homes will have more than enough water pressure to operate a reverse osmosis system. With advances in reverse osmosis technology, the amount of water pressure needed to operate reverse osmosis is less than needed years ago, and therefore electricity is no longer needed for a reverse osmosis system to function properly.
In some cases, an assist pump may be advisable when a homes water pressure is on the low side or if you wish to have the reverse osmosis system in one area, but the faucet that you will be getting your reverse osmosis water from is on an upper floor or is a long distance away on the same floor.
An assist pump for a reverse osmosis system is simply a small pump that will do just what it says it will do. It will assist the reverse osmosis system to deliver the processed water to your desired faucet location.
This pump will need to be plugged in or hard-wired into your electric system. It uses very little electricity and should only operate when water is being used by your reverse osmosis system.
Not sure about how often you should be changing your reverse osmosis filters? Check out my article on “How Often YOU Should Change YOUR Reverse Osmosis Filters“.
Can you use an assist pump just to increase the reverse osmosis flow?
You could use an assist pump for your reverse osmosis system just to increase the flow of the water, but if you are finding that your reverse osmosis water flow has decreased, then you should check the system’s filters and be sure the storage tank is properly pressurized.
If your filters are clogged, it can greatly inhibit the flow of your reverse osmosis water. Also if your storage tank is under-pressurized or over-pressurized, it will not deliver as much water, and the flow at which the water comes out of the faucet can slow down.
But my reverse osmosis has a light on it, isn’t it electric?
Many reverse osmosis drinking water systems have a built-in TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) meter. This is a battery-operated sensor that runs a very low electrical charge through the water being produced by the system to determine the level of solids in it.
This light is usually powered by a battery (often a 9-volt battery) that is in a small black box that is mounted somewhere under the reverse osmosis faucet. This light should be green when the quality of the water is within the specifications that the sensor is set for.
Basically, it is a pass or fail light.
Using a series of switches, this TDS meter light is set based on the quality of the water that your system should be producing. If the water going into your reverse osmosis has a Total Dissolved Solid reading of 100, the light should be set to read green unless the Total Dissolved Solid reading goes above 10.
Normally the green light will go from green to either yellow or red when the meter reads a TDS that is higher than the preset level. This light may also get triggered if the flow of the water decreases due to a clogged filter or inadequate flow from the storage tank.
Once you have changed your reverse osmosis filters and sanitized the system, the TDS meter light should be green, if not check the system’s storage tank pressure and repressurize it to the correct level.
How does this Total Dissolved Solid meter work?
Electricity flows easier through water that has a high amount of Total Dissolved Solids in it.
Because of this, if your reverse osmosis system uses a 9-volt battery to create a charge, and then passes it through the water being produced by your reverse osmosis, the drop in the electrical charge that is detected can be measured and give a general indication of the amount of Total Dissolved Solids in the water.
The switches in the meter can be set to detect a TDS of 0-10, 11-20,21-30, and so on. So by selecting the correct TDS setting that the system should be producing, the system will either display the green light if the TDS is within the set limits or yellow or red if the TDS has gone above the maximum preset limit.
Related Questions:
Why has my reverse osmosis water flow slowed down? A reduction in flow from your reverse osmosis drinking water system will most likely be caused by the filters and or membrane needing to be changed, your reverse osmosis water storage tank pressure being too low or the water pressure feeding the system has dropped.
Check your pre-filter, if there is dirt or discoloration of the filter, it may need to be changed. Always change your pre and post-filters together as they generally have the same life expectancy.
If the filters look ok and they have been changed recently, empty your storage tank and make sure to repressurize it to the correct PSI (Pounds per Square Inch).
This pressure must be very precise, if the tank has too little pressure, it will not be able to force the water out when you need it. If the pressure is too high, it will not allow water to go into the tank.
