This is a step-by-step process. You don't have to follow this exact order, but it will be easier if you do. The instructions below are specific to our basic 3- or 4-Stage Q Series systems. If your unit is slightly different, you may have to improvise or call for instructions.
Tip: Don't empty the storage tank before you change the cartridges. You don't have to service the tank every time you change the cartridges, but it's a good idea to do it. If you never replenish the air in the tank, you'll eventually reach a point where you don't have enough water. (There will be water in the tank, but it won't come out.) The best practice is to service the tank each time you change cartridges. If you don't put air in the tank, you should at least open the faucet and let the tank empty AFTER you've changed the cartridges. This step is necessary to rinse the postfilter.
First, check the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) level of the unit if you have a tester. This is a test of the reverse osmosis membrane, not of the carbon filters. It measures in ppm (parts per million, which is the same as mgl, or milligrams per liter.). The unit's product water should be about 1/10 the TDS of the tap water. For example, if your tap water has 500 ppm total dissolve solids, your RO unit should be running at 50 or lower. If you don't have a tester, take a guess. If the water tastes good, the membrane is probably OK. Membrane life depends on lots of variables, but a good RO membrane should last from two or three years to five or six.
Assuming the membrane is OK, turn off the inlet water at the inlet valve to the unit. Turn off the tank valve at the top of the storage tank. Open the ledge faucet. Leave the ledge faucet open during the entire service procedure. If no water comes from the faucet, the unit is turned off and it's safe to replace the cartridges.
If you're using one of our cartridge packs, read the special instructions below before you proceed. If you're working without the cartridge pack, just remove the old cartridges, remembering the order they were in. The cartridges will screw off of the caps easily. Replace with the new cartridges. Go on to step 5 unless you are replacing the membrane.
If the membrane has to be replaced, simply disconnect the three tubes that connect it to the unit. Make a mental note of the color coding of the membrane so you'll know which tube goes where in the new membrane. The Quick Connect fittings release by pressing in on the collet that touches the tube with your thumbnail while you gently pull outward on the tube. Remove the old membrane, put the new membrane in place in the clips, then reinsert the tubes into the new membrane. If the membrane is replaced, allow the unit to run to drain an additional one hour after startup to rinse the membrane well before you begin to capture water in the tank.
When the cartridges have been replaced, open the inlet valve part way and let water slowly enter the unit.. Check for leaks. If everything seems OK, open the inlet valve completely. It is normal to hear lots of gurgling and air escaping down the drain. Next, with the ledge faucet open, open the valve on top of the tank. After a moment, water will come from the open faucet. It's normal for black particles (called carbon fines) to come out of the faucet. Let the tank drain completely. It may take some time. It will finally become a fast drip. The drip is the unit's production–the amount of water that it produces. It should be a fast drip or a small stream. With Q series membranes, it is normally a small stream.
Now, with the ledge faucet still open, service the storage tank. Start by attaching a small hand pump like a bicycle pump to the air valve on the tank. (It's on top of some tanks, on the bottom of others, and sometimes on the side.. You'll have look for it. On our standard tank, it's on the side near the bottom.) With the faucet still open, pump air slowly into the tank. A larger stream of water will start to leave the tank through the open ledge faucet. Continue to pump air into the tank slowly and steadily until all water is out of it and the stream returns to the small stream you saw before you started putting air in the tank. Try to leave about 7 pounds of pressure in the empty tank. If you don't have a low-pressure gauge, guess. The exact amount isn't that critical. Don't over-air the tank, however, because you won't be gaining more pressure; you'll just be leaving less room in the tank for water.
When the tank is aired, close the faucet and let the unit refill. You're through. You'll have enough water to use in a few minutes, but it may take a couple of hours for the tank to fill completely.
These instructions assume that you are looking at the unit from the front. (The front is the side you can read the decals from.)
Q 363. 3 Stage Unit. Replacing one cartridge, recycling one cartridge.
Remove the prefilter (on the left) and discard it. Move the postfilter to the prefilter position. Put your new cartridge in the postfilter position.
Q 363 3 Stage Unit. Replacing both cartridges.
Remove and discard both cartridges. Put the carbon block cartridge (Q5621) in the prefilter position, on the left, and the Coconut Shell GAC (Q5640), on the right, in the postfilter position.
Q 364. Recycling one cartridge, replacing two.
Remove the left (prefilter carbon) and center (prefilter sediment) cartridges. Move the current postfilter from the extreme right to the extreme left. Put a new sediment filter (Q5605) into the center position and a new coconut shell carbon GAC (Q 5640) into the right position.
Q 365. Replacing all three cartridges.
Remove and discard all three cartridges. Replace by putting the carbon block cartridge (Q5621) on the left, the sediment cartridge (Q5605) in the center, and the coconut shell GAC (Q 5640) on the right.
(whole house & well units)
(listed by part numbers)