How To Clean A Water Filter?

Cleaning is necessary for our lives. Drinking clean water is also a basic necessity in our lives. It’s not always easy to find pure and clean water for ourselves and our families though. Water filters make this easier by providing clean and healthy water. But, how do you clean a water filter?

Cleaning a water filter depends on which type of water filter you are using. For some filters, using a bleach solution, vinegar, muriatic acid, or oxalic acid are great options. For specific water filters such as a reverse osmosis filter or ultraviolet light filter, follow manufacturer recommendations. In general, it’s best to follow manufacturer recommendations for cleaning water filters anyway.

What Is A Water Filter?

A water filter is a tiny device that’s designed to provide you with clean water. Its main purpose is to remove impurities from water to make it clean and drinkable. 

What Are The Benefits Of Cleaning A Water Filter?

There are a lot of benefits to cleaning a water filter. Let’s start with how they save money.

It Saves Money

In general, cleaning a water filter is cheaper than buying a new one or purchasing bottled water all the time.

Cleaning Water Filters Is Good For The Environment

Cleaning water filters is environmentally friendly because you will reuse your filter system instead of buying a new one or buying bottled water.

It Provides Clean Drinking Water

When you clean your filter, it will continue to supply you with clean drinking water, which helps keep you healthy. 

It Improves Water Quality

If you did not clean your filter on a regular basis, then the water quality can be lowered or even compromised. The reverse is also true. 

When Should I Clean My Water Filter?

There are a few ways to know when to clean your water filter. Many water filters come with sensors that will alert you when it’s time to change them. If your water filter doesn’t have one or the sensor is malfunctioning, you can also know when it’s time to clean your water filter due to a change in the water’s taste. The product manual will also likely suggest a timeframe for cleaning your water filter.

How To Clean A Water Filter

There are varieties of water filters available on the market, which likely have manufacturer recommendations for cleaning them, but a basic method of cleaning water filters at home is making a mixture of bleach and water. Add one part bleach and ten parts water and soak the filter in it for almost one hour. After the wash, flush the filter with fresh water for 10 minutes, and it will be ready.

If you do not have household bleach or do not feel comfortable using it, then you can use muriatic acid or oxalic acid instead. Vinegar is another option as well.

How To Clean A Household Water Filtration System?

Shut off the water valve that was connected to your water filter pipe.  After that, you have to remove the filter globe by turning another valve. Next, you have to depressurize the filter. Then take the filter out and remember that a paper-based filter would not be cleaned but instead replaced. A carbon-based or synthetic fiber pleated filter can be cleaned easily. 

If the filter is carbon-based, remove the plastic netting from the filter, then depressurize it, wash it with water, and soak the filter in a solution of oxalic acid for 20-30 minutes. Let it sit until the filer is cleaned. After that, soak the filter in a bleach solution for 5-10 minutes.

For making an oxalic acid solution, add 62.8 grams to one gallon of water. Now rinse the filter and neutralize it with baking soda. Clean it with water before fixing it back zip the carbon sheet on the filter.  Put it back with more care.  Now fix the water valve and use it.  

Remember when finished cleaning the water filter to flush it with fresh water for 10 minutes.

How To Clean A Reverse Osmosis Filter

The contaminants that attach to the membrane need to be cleaned after a few months instead of changing your filter. Before removing the filter, wash your hands with soap and water and use gloves, then clean the nearby area of dirt and dust. Shut the water supply to the filter off, then empty the storage tank. Now remove the reverse osmosis filter membrane and wash it with the cleaning solution recommended by the filter company. After this, clean it with fresh water to rinse the chemicals, then mount the filter back, and reconnect it to the water supply. Let the water flow in the tank.

Cleaning A UV Light Filter

With this filter, you only need to clean the quartz sleeve that covers the UV lamp. The main purpose of this sleeve is to act as an insulating barrier between the water and the lamp, and it is made of quartz glass to maximum UV light transmission. Don’t touch the lamp with your naked hands though. Instead, use gloves for holding the lamp before starting cleaning. Before touching the filter, shut down the transmitter that was connected to the UV light filter and wait for 10 to 15 minutes until the filter cools down because its inner side will be hot due to light intensity.

According to the instructions, screw it open and remove the quartz glass with the UV lamp. Now separate the lamp from the quartz glass by opening its sealing rings. Start cleaning the quartz sleeve with a soft cloth instead of a rough one because it puts scratches on it otherwise. Prepare a mixture of vinegar and water, wipe the quartz with it, and rinse with water. Now attach it to the UV lamp and check for scratches because a little scratch would affect the transmission of light. Reinstall the UV lamp and connect the transmitter and run the filter again.

Conclusion: How To Clean A Water Filter?

In end, cleaning filters is as important as using them. Clean your filter according to manufacturer recommendations to stay healthy.

So, what do you think about our recommendations? What sort of water filter do you have? Let us know in the comments below!