Reverse Osmosis Service and Membrane Replacement, Randburg & Johannesburg

An RO system is quietly brilliant until nobody services it. Then it is just a slow tap with a flat taste. We run a minor service every 6 months and a major overhaul when the membrane is due, remineraliser included, on any brand, at your sink.

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RO Servicing
Reverse osmosis system service by Andy Plumbers in Randburg
Membrane Replacement
Under-sink reverse osmosis unit stripped and serviced
Full Overhaul
"The water started tasting odd about a year ago. We just assumed that was what filtered water tastes like after a while."

A Bryanston family bought a reverse osmosis unit online three years ago. It arrived in a box, a handyman plumbed it in, and it made lovely water for a year. Then the flow slowed, the taste went flat, and eventually slightly sour. Nobody had touched the cartridges since the day it was fitted.

We stripped it: the sediment pre-filter was solid brown, the carbon was long exhausted, and the membrane, starved of protection, was fouled beyond saving. We replaced the membrane and every stage, sanitised the housings and the tank, and fitted a remineraliser on the outlet.

The water came back. Crisp, properly mineral, the way RO water should taste. The unit was never the problem. The silence after the sale was.

How We Service Reverse Osmosis Systems

Two kinds of attention keep an RO system honest: a minor service every 6 months, and a major overhaul when the membrane is due. Any brand, whoever installed it.

Minor Service, Every 6 Months

The pre-filters are the membrane's bodyguards, and they are the stages that clog first. Every 6 months we replace the sediment and carbon pre-filters, sanitise the system, check for leaks and test the water.

  • Sediment pre-filter replaced
  • Carbon pre-filter replaced
  • System sanitised and leak-checked
  • TDS and flow tested
  • Next service scheduled for you

Major Overhaul

When the membrane is due, we do the whole job: new membrane, every cartridge replaced including the post-carbon and the remineraliser, housings stripped and sanitised, O-rings checked, tank pressure reset, water tested before and after.

  • RO membrane replaced
  • All stages replaced, remineraliser included
  • Housings stripped and sanitised
  • O-rings and tank pre-charge checked
  • Before-and-after TDS readings

Remineraliser Fitment

Pure RO water on its own tastes flat. A remineraliser gently adds back calcium and magnesium, balances the pH and gives the water a smooth, bottled-water taste. Included in our major overhaul, and we can add one to any RO system that does not have one.

  • Calcium and magnesium restored
  • pH balanced
  • Fits most RO systems
  • The same final stage our AquaShield uses
  • Immediate taste difference

RO Servicing Across Randburg and Johannesburg

Membrane replacements, full overhauls and rescue jobs on systems that have not been touched in years.

RO membrane and pre-filter replacement in Northcliff home

Membrane Replacement

Northcliff - Membrane and all pre-filters replaced, system sanitised

Six-month reverse osmosis service with cartridge replacement

6-Month Minor Service

Randburg - Sediment and carbon pre-filters replaced, TDS verified

Remineraliser cartridge fitted to under-sink RO system

Remineraliser Added

Fairland - Remineraliser fitted to an online-bought RO unit

Complete reverse osmosis system overhaul in Johannesburg

Full Overhaul

Bryanston - Neglected system stripped, rebuilt and retested

How an RO Service Visit Works

Whether it is a routine 6-month service or a rescue job, the process is the same: assess honestly, service properly, verify with numbers.

1

Assess and Test

We test the water going in and coming out (TDS), check the flow rate, tank pressure and the age of each stage. That tells us whether today is a minor service, a membrane replacement, or a full overhaul. You get the honest answer before any work starts.

2

Service or Overhaul

Minor service: sediment and carbon pre-filters replaced and the system sanitised. Major overhaul: membrane and every stage replaced, remineraliser included, housings stripped, O-rings checked, tank pre-charge reset. Compatible cartridges for any brand, including online-bought units.

3

Verify and Schedule

We flush the system, re-test the TDS and flow, and leave you the before-and-after numbers. Your service goes on our schedule, so the next reminder comes from us, not from the taste of the water.

Why RO Systems Need a Service Rhythm

Reverse osmosis makes the best drinking water available at home, but only on a schedule. Here is why the rhythm matters.

The Pre-Filters Protect the Membrane

The membrane is the expensive heart of the system, and the sediment and carbon pre-filters exist to protect it. Chlorine in particular destroys membranes, and an exhausted carbon stage lets it straight through. Skipping the 6-month minor service is how a membrane that should last years dies early.

  • Minor service every 6 months
  • Pre-filters shield the membrane
  • Chlorine is the membrane's enemy
  • Small service, big saving

The Major Overhaul Resets Everything

When the membrane is due, half measures waste money. Our overhaul replaces the membrane and every stage, including the post-carbon and the remineraliser, sanitises the housings and tank, and resets the tank pre-charge. The system leaves the visit performing like the day it was installed.

  • Membrane plus all stages
  • Remineraliser included
  • Housings and tank sanitised
  • Before-and-after TDS proof

Any Brand, Bought Anywhere

Most RO units in Johannesburg were bought online or from a shop that sells boxes, not service. We service them all: standard under-sink systems, 5 and 6 stage units, pumped systems. If it has housings and a membrane, we can strip it, rebuild it and put it on a schedule.

  • Online-bought units welcome
  • Compatible cartridges carried
  • No lock-in to where you bought it
  • Honest advice if it is not worth saving

We Build These Systems Ourselves

Our own AquaShield is a six-stage RO system with a remineraliser as the final stage, so the units we service get the same standard we hold our own product to. The remineraliser is not an upsell trick, it is the stage that makes RO water taste right, and we think every system should have one.

  • AquaShield six-stage builders
  • Remineralisation as standard thinking
  • Plumbers, not couriers
  • Decades of water work in Randburg

RO Servicing in Randburg and Greater Johannesburg

We service reverse osmosis systems across Randburg, Fairland, Northcliff, Linden, Parkhurst and Blairgowrie, and we travel across greater Johannesburg, Sandton and Bryanston included. Most of the RO servicing offered in Johannesburg is actually a courier sending you cartridges. Ours is a plumber at your sink, with the housings open.

If your system is beyond saving, or you are ready for something better, we install new systems too: reverse osmosis installation, under-sink water filters, or the AquaShield six-stage system with remineralisation built in. For non-RO systems, our water filter replacement service covers whole-house and under-sink filters of every kind.

One honest note: if your RO water has tasted flat since the day the system was installed, it probably never had a remineraliser. That is a 20-minute fix, not a new system.

Common Questions About RO Servicing

How often should a reverse osmosis system be serviced?

A minor service every 6 months: the sediment and carbon pre-filters are replaced, the system is sanitised and the water is tested. The membrane itself is replaced in a major overhaul when testing shows it is due, typically every 2 to 3 years depending on your water and usage. We track both on a schedule for you.

What is the difference between the minor service and the major overhaul?

The minor 6-month service replaces the pre-filters that protect the membrane, plus sanitising and testing. The major overhaul is the full job: new membrane, every stage replaced including the post-carbon and the remineraliser, housings stripped and sanitised, O-rings checked, tank pressure reset, and before-and-after TDS readings so you can see the difference.

What does the remineraliser do?

Pure RO water tastes flat because the membrane removes minerals along with everything else. The remineraliser gently adds back calcium and magnesium in a controlled way, balances the pH and gives the water a smooth, bottled-water taste instead of that empty RO taste. It is included in our major overhaul and can be added to any RO system.

Can you service an RO system I bought online?

Yes. Most of the units we service were bought online and never serviced, because the store that sold them does not offer servicing. We carry compatible cartridges and membranes for standard under-sink systems and will tell you honestly if a unit is not worth rebuilding.

Why does my RO water taste flat or slightly off?

Flat taste usually means no remineraliser, or one that is exhausted. An off or sour taste usually means exhausted cartridges or a fouled membrane, and in neglected systems, bacteria in the tank or housings. A service with sanitising sorts the second problem; a remineraliser sorts the first.

How do I know the membrane needs replacing?

Three signs: the TDS reading of the output water creeps up toward the input reading, the system produces water noticeably slower, and the taste degrades even after a pre-filter change. We test the TDS at every service, so the membrane's decline shows up in the numbers before it shows up in your glass.

How much does an RO service cost in Johannesburg?

It depends on the system, the number of stages and whether the membrane is due, so we quote upfront before any work starts. The minor 6-month service is a small, quick job; the major overhaul costs more because every stage is replaced. Either way the quote comes before the spanners.

Put Your RO System on a Proper Schedule

A minor service every 6 months, a major overhaul when the membrane is due, and water that tastes the way it did on day one.

Book an RO Service Call 011 477 1118