Eighty percent of the problems with upgrading a factory to reverse osmosis (RO) systems don't lie in the equipment itself, but in the process of communicating with the manufacturer. Do you think it's as simple as making a phone call, asking for a price, and placing an order? It's not that simple. RO equipment manufacturers have seen too many clients who immediately ask, "How much is a set?" without even specifying what kind of water they need to treat or how much water they need. This kind of communication is bound to cause problems later.
Reverse Osmosis Equipment
Inadequate understanding of upgrade needs makes communicating with manufacturers a waste of time.
Let me tell you, many factory owners don't even clearly define what they need before upgrading. What kind of water are they using? What standards do they want to achieve after the upgrade? How many tons per day? What is their budget? If you don't understand these basic details, contacting any RO equipment manufacturer is pointless. Some people immediately say, "I want the best." What does "best" mean? The best is what suits you best. In March 2024. a customer from Xianyang who manufactures electronic components contacted us, saying their factory wanted to install RO systems to produce pure water. They didn't even know the TDS of the influent water, just saying, "The purer the better." We asked him to test the water first, but he refused, saying it would delay production. Later, a solution was developed: a 10-ton unit, but his actual need was 20 tons, which was insufficient. He had to add another unit, costing over 40.000 yuan more. The process wasn't followed correctly, so the money was definitely wasted. If you have a limited budget, you can look into money-saving tips for small and medium-sized enterprises purchasing reverse osmosis equipment; there are some practical ideas there.
Two years ago, we took on a project for a machinery processing plant in Baoji. They were using well water, with a TDS of 2800 and excessive iron and manganese. The client found a reverse osmosis equipment manufacturer online; they provided a solution remotely without even visiting the site. Three months after installation, the RO membrane became clogged, requiring two membrane replacements, costing 12.000 yuan. Including downtime losses, they lost nearly 30.000 yuan. Later, they contacted us, and when we sent someone to the site, we found that a section of the original pipeline was severely corroded, allowing iron ions to directly enter the system. You can't discover this kind of problem without going to the site. Manufacturers who provide solutions without checking the site are just betting you don't know anything about the industry.
Reverse Osmosis Equipment
After finalizing the solution and signing the contract, you need to review each clause carefully. Confirming the solution is only the first step; the contract terms are the real guarantee.
After confirming the solution, the next step is signing the contract, and this stage is full of pitfalls. Some manufacturers' contracts state "one set of reverse osmosis equipment," making you think it includes everything, only to find upon arrival that the pump, piping, and instrumentation are not included, leading to unexpected additional charges later on.
The influent water quality requirements, pretreatment components, RO membrane brand and model, warranty period, and after-sales response time must all be clearly stated. At DIEN Water Treatment, we never play word games in our contracts; we include everything that should be included and clearly state anything that shouldn't be included beforehand. In fact, in the cases I've seen, unclear contract terms led to disputes later on in over 30% of the cases.
Installation is not the end; commissioning is the real challenge.
Many manufacturers treat the commissioning step as a mere formality after installation. They turn the pump on, run the water, and measure the TDS—this is equivalent to not installing anything at all. Commissioning a reverse osmosis system involves pressure regulation, concentrate ratio, and membrane flushing procedures; improper adjustments can significantly shorten the equipment's lifespan. At DIEN Water Treatment, we send technicians to the site for three days after each installation to provide hands-on training to operators on how to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot problems.
