These are questions people ask about reverse osmosis systems, answered from public sources such as the EPA. If yours is not here, ask it in the notes box on the contact page.
- 01SedimentCatches sand, rust and grit
- 02CarbonReduces chlorine taste and odor
- 03Carbon blockA second, finer carbon pass
- 04MembraneWater pushed through the RO membrane
- 05Post filterPolishes the taste at the faucet
Reverse Osmosis Company is an independent referral service, not an installer or plumber. When you send the form, your details go to an independent local water treatment pro who can contact you and prepare a quote.
Why there are no prices here
Many questions about RO are about cost: what an install, a whole-house system, a filter change or a commercial unit costs. This site prints no prices. A fair price depends on your water, your sink, the system and the work, and only a written quote from a pro who has seen those can give one. Ask for the quote in writing and compare like with like.
Why there are no health claims here
People also ask whether RO water is good or bad for them, or hard on the kidneys. This site does not answer health questions, and no one selling or fitting a water system should make a health promise either. Ask your doctor. What this site can tell you is what the EPA says RO can potentially remove, and how to check what a system is certified to do.
Why the answers name their sources
Water treatment is full of confident claims. The answers here say where each fact comes from, such as the EPA’s WaterSense program, the EPA’s private well pages or its pages on certified water filters, so you can check them yourself. Where no public source answers a question, the answer says so and tells you who to ask: your doctor for health, your utility or a certified laboratory for your water, and a pro for your system.
Have a question about your own water or system? Send the form and an independent local RO pro can contact you.
Questions people ask
Is Reverse Osmosis Company an installer?
No. Reverse Osmosis Company is an independent referral service, not an installer or plumber. When you send the form, your details go to an independent local water treatment pro who can contact you and prepare a quote.
What does it cost to ask?
Nothing. Asking is free and you never have to buy. Any price is in the pro’s quote.
Which areas do you cover?
Requests come from anywhere in the United States. Your ZIP code is passed to an independent RO pro who works in your area.
What is reverse osmosis?
The EPA describes it as the process by which pressure forces water through a semi-permeable membrane, making treated water (permeate) and reject water (concentrate or brine). See how reverse osmosis works.
What does reverse osmosis remove?
The EPA says RO systems can potentially remove contaminants such as lead, volatile organic compounds, PFAS, arsenic, bacteria and viruses. What a given system removes depends on its certification.
Will reverse osmosis remove chemicals?
Some. The EPA names volatile organic compounds and PFAS among what RO can potentially remove. Ask which contaminants a system is certified to reduce, by name.
Which certification should an RO system have?
NSF/ANSI 58 is the standard for reverse osmosis drinking water treatment systems. Check that the certification lists the contaminants you care about.
How much water does RO waste?
The EPA says a typical point-of-use system sends five gallons or more to the drain per gallon treated, some up to 10. WaterSense labeled systems send 2.3 gallons or less. See RO waste water.
Does an RO system need a drain?
Yes. The concentrate goes down the drain, so every system is tied into one.
Can I install RO myself?
Some people do. A pro is worth it for stone countertops, tricky drains, fridge lines and local permit rules. See RO installation.
Do I need a permit?
Many cities require a plumbing permit for a new RO drain connection. Ask the pro whether yours does and who pulls it.
Is an under-sink system worth it?
It depends on what you want from it. Start with your water report or well test and the question the TCEQ asks first: what do you want to remove or reduce?
Do I need whole-house RO?
Only if a test shows something you want out of all the water in the house. A whole-house system is a bigger installation that the installer sizes after a water test. See whole-house RO.
How often should RO filters be changed?
Follow your system maker’s schedule; it differs between systems. See RO maintenance.
Can I change RO filters myself?
On systems designed for it, yes. Use the maker’s filters, shut off and relieve the pressure first, and flush as the maker says.
Why is my RO system running out of water?
A pro may check the filters and membrane, the water pressure, the tank if there is one, and the supply valve and tubing. See RO repair.
Why does my RO drain keep running?
Some drain flow while the system makes water is normal. Flow that never stops needs a pro to check the system.
Can RO go on a well?
Test the well first with a certified laboratory. The EPA advises testing every year. See RO for well water.
Is reverse osmosis the same as a water softener?
No. A softener exchanges sodium for the hardness it removes, as water utilities explain; RO pushes water through a membrane. See RO vs a water softener.
Which brand do you recommend?
None. This site sells no system and recommends no brand. Compare systems on certification, water to the drain, filters and the written quote.
Is RO water hard on the kidneys?
That is a health question, and this site makes no health claims. Ask your doctor.
Can I ask about a system I already have?
Yes. Send the form, choose the job closest to yours, and give the brand and model in the notes box on the contact page.