Have you ever thought about what happens in your RO plant when you open the reject valve?
It’s more than just pressure loss — it initiates an essential maintenance step, known as a Forward Flush. You can think of this as a daily power wash for your costly membranes.
Let’s break down the science:
With that valve fully opened, backpressure = 0. Rather than the pump pushing water through the small, microscopic pores of the membrane, all of that velocity water moves across the membrane.
When the water moves in the manner described, it physically creates a layer that does 3 things:
1. Carry away small dirt and debris from the surface of the membrane.
2. Remove a captured volume of saline water from the housings.
3. Stop the permanent formation of scale and a biological slime that is in the early stages of formation.
One thing you need to be aware of: Forward Flush is physical cleaning, and not a chemical one. In other words, it will not remove hard, baked-on calcium scale. Additionally, it will also not remove the deep fungal roots. You will require a proper CIP for that.
Pro Tip: As a preventative measure to protect your investment, run quick forward flushes for a couple of minutes to a maximum of 5 minutes before starting your plant. Also, repeat the quick forward flushes before turning off the plant at the end of the day. Doing so helps to minimise wear and tear and extend the overall lifespan of your membranes.
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