Free checklist
Reverse osmosis system quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly reverse osmosis system round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against manufacturer's published instructions, IPC / UPC plumbing codes. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Prefiltration
Sediment prefilters checked and pressure drop noted
Cartridge or housing condition checked, inlet-to-outlet pressure drop across the prefilters read and compared to a clean set.
Carbon stage condition and interval verified
Carbon cartridge or bed within its service life, no channeling or bypass, dechlorination stage protecting the membrane confirmed in place.
Free chlorine tested after the carbon stage
Sample from the carbon outlet or RO feed port reads no chlorine on the test kit; where a softener feeds the skid, hardness tested at the same port against the membrane maker's limit.
Membrane performance
Operating and permeate pressures read at the gauges
Feed, concentrate and permeate pressures read off the skid gauges and compared against the unit's normal operating range.
Permeate flow and product-quality reading observed
Permeate flow and the product-quality meter observed and logged as displayed, trended against the last visit. The reading is recorded, not judged against an invented limit.
Concentrate flow read at the flowmeter
Concentrate or reject flowmeter read at the same moment as the permeate flow, both compared with the commissioning baseline for the same feed temperature.
Feed conductivity read alongside the permeate
Feed conductivity read where a feed monitor is fitted, or with a hand meter, at the same time as the permeate, so salt rejection can be compared with the baseline and last quarter.
Recovery rate worked out from the flow log
Permeate and concentrate flows from the log give the recovery, compared with the commissioning design; a drift upward is flagged, since it scales the tail membranes.
No photoPressure drop across the membrane array trended
Feed minus concentrate pressure worked out from the gauge readings and compared with the commissioning baseline, a rising drop pointing to fouling at the lead membranes.
No photo
Pump and leaks
High-pressure pump running normally
Pump holding pressure without cavitation noise, vibration or overheating, no cycling on a starved inlet.
Skid, housings and fittings checked for leaks
No weeping at housing seals, membrane vessel end caps or fittings, no moisture tracking under the skid.
Controls and discharge
Controller alarms and alarm history read
RO controller showing no active alarm, history since the last visit read, low feed pressure, high conductivity and tank-full events recorded.
Drain air gap at the concentrate outlet checked
Concentrate and flush lines discharge above the drain rim with an air gap, no hose pushed down into the drain, no backup or overflow at the receptor.
UV unit on the product line checked where fitted
Lamp-on indicator or intensity reading normal, lamp hours against the manufacturer's replacement interval, no alarm at the UV controller.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Prefilters run past their change interval, so the high-pressure pump pulls against a starved inlet and the whole skid loses output.
- Product-quality meter glanced at but the reading never logged, so the slow climb that signals a failing membrane is invisible.
- A carbon cartridge left in past its capacity, letting chlorine reach and damage the membrane it was there to protect.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this reverse osmosis system quarterly checklist cover?
- 14 items across 4 sections, covering prefiltration, membrane performance, pump and leaks, controls and discharge. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The water-treatment or plumbing tech on the quarterly round of the RO skid.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter, since a loaded prefilter starves the pump and a fouling membrane both show up here before product quality falls off.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 11 of the 14 items call for photo evidence, 14 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a reverse osmosis system quarterly inspection?
- Prefilters run past their change interval, so the high-pressure pump pulls against a starved inlet and the whole skid loses output. Product-quality meter glanced at but the reading never logged, so the slow climb that signals a failing membrane is invisible. A carbon cartridge left in past its capacity, letting chlorine reach and damage the membrane it was there to protect.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 14 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.