What To Know About Reverse Osmosis Systems

Water plays a large role in the commercial kitchen. From mixing with carbonated beverages and brewing coffee to running cook-steam cycles on combi ovens, foodservice operators use water  in ways well beyond washing dishes and filling customers’ drinking glasses.

In any type of water use, water quality matters. The minerals and particles that occur in water from natural sources or disinfectant chemicals added in at treatment plants, can affect the taste of drinks and even foods.They also can cause corrosion and buildup of scale on equipment that can lead to problems over time.

For operators looking for solutions, a reverse osmosis system can help improve water quality while maintaining the taste preferences customers enjoy.

What Water Can Do to Foodservice Equipment
Few things are more frustrating in a kitchen than downtime forced by equipment failures. One of the culprits that can bring harm to equipment is the water used to make it run. Depending on what part of the country you’re located in, your water could have a high percentage of mineral content just from the groundwater source.

In addition to naturally occurring minerals, municipalities add chemicals when they treat water. One thing that has changed in recent years is the types of chemicals added. It used to be chlorine was the only disinfectant added to water, but today some water treatment plants add a combination of chlorine and ammonia. These bond together to form a compound called chloramine.

The minerals in water can ultimately cause damage to equipment, which in turn affects performance. A few examples include the following:

• Scale buildup on heating elements, increasing time for water to heat
• Scale on sprayers, making the nozzles work incorrectly
• Corrosion, even on high-grade stainless steel, and degradation of O-rings, gaskets and other rubber parts.

RO systems work to reduce the percentage of total dissolved solids (TDS for short) in water, which in turn lessens the amount of damage done to equipment over time. These systems help operators protect the return on their investment in expensive equipment.

The Basics: Understanding RO Systems
There are many ways to treat water, from water filtration systems to water softeners. RO systems are an addition to this arsenal. The TDS they reduce in water include minerals, ions and particles that are not visible to the naked eye.

RO systems use a filter made up of a media that traps TDS on one side, while allowing water to flow through. Then another flow of water flushes over the membrane, taking the concentration of TDS down the drain.

Most RO systems can be programmed to reduce minerals to a certain percentage. For example, you might set it up to reduce to 95% rather than 100%. This is important for two reasons. For brewing coffee, some minerals are necessary to enhance the flavor of the bean. Even with carbonated beverages, retaining a small percentage of TDS positively impacts the overall flavor. And secondly, for equipment such as a combi oven that uses a probe, a trace of minerals needs to be in the water to allow conductivity to produce readings.

The RO systems available from Aqua-Pure™ Water Filtration have new features that make them more water efficient than previous models. Water scarcity has led many restaurants and local water authorities to search for ways to reduce costly water use and a water-efficient RO system can help do that. One feature is a proprietary membrane with a scale inhibitor. Slowing the formation of scale on the RO membrane allows the system to flush less often. The second innovation is an electronic circuit board that incorporates intermittent fast flushes to pump out the buildup on the filter. Fine-tuning the timing of fast flushes leads to less water use during the flushing process. Aqua-Pure™ Water Filtration’s RO systems are capable of running at 77% efficiency without installing a water softener.

Getting the Right RO System for Your Operation
One thing that’s important to remember is RO systems don’t produce on-demand water. So getting the right size for your operation is imperative to make sure you have a system that meets your water needs.

Before purchasing a RO system, there are three questions to ask yourself:

1. What equipment will you be using this water for? Are you running a coffee shop with a single espresso maker? Or are you operating a full multi-equipment kitchen with steamers and a combi oven?
2. How much water do you use for that equipment? Think about per day, as well as peak periods.
3. What is your water like? You’ll need to analyze how hard or soft it is, as well as the mineral levels, to help determine how to program the RO system for the best output.

The experts at Aqua-Pure™ Water Filtration have access to a database of water quality information from all over the country. Even within the same city, two different locations can have very different water quality. Using that database, water testing and the Langelier Index, which measures water’s tendency to cause corrosion and scale, the company can help determine the size system you’ll need, and help dial in the appropriate programming. Keep in mind in some parts of the country, TDS are so low a RO system might not be necessary.

It’s important to do your research when purchasing a RO system. Installing the wrong solution could potentially lead to the high costs of equipment failure or disappointed customers from off-tasting drinks or foods. It also could lead to a lack of water. Working with the experts at Aqua-Pure™ Water Filtration can help you get the right size system without overspending.