Full Water Filter Replacement Pack to suit the GT1-70CC pH Neutralising Portable RO System (GT1-11CC-M)

Full Water Filter Replacement Pack to suit the GT1-70CC pH Neutralising Portable RO System (GT1-11CC-M)

This Water Filter Replacement Pack suits the Portable Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter | pH Neutralising (GT1-70CC).

Stage 1: 100% Activated Coconut Carbon Filter (GT6-21) (Replace every 12 Months)

The first stage is a 5 Micron (uM) Coconut Carbon Sediment. This cartridge helps to protect the reverse osmosis membrane from physical damage caused by particulate matter, and chemical damage from Chlorine. Physical contaminants (which can surprisingly be found in most municipal water supplies), tend to clog up filter system components causing reduced water flow, lower osmotic pressure, diminished filtration efficiency, and ultimately, inferior water quality. Perhaps more importantly, the carbon block matrix enables maximum surface area and contact time, taking the first hit to adsorb chemicals such as Chlorine (which causes damage to the membrane), along with other harmful organic chemicals and contaminants. Keeping up with regular maintenance of this pre-filter (changing it every 6 months) is crucial to protecting and extending the life of all filters that come after it.

Stage 2: 0.0001 Micron Asprinn 50 GPD Reverse Osmosis Membrane (GT36-59) (Replace every 1-4 years depending on water quality)

The RO membrane is the "engine room" of your RO system. All the crucial work is done here, so all the filters before the membrane are primarily there to protect the membrane. This membrane has a 0.0001 Micron rating and can produce up to 190 Litres (50 Gallons) of water per day.

Stage 3: Dual Finishing Cartridge: Activated Coconut Carbon/Calcium Alkalising Post-Filter (GT6-18LS) - (Replace Every 12 Months)

The last stage features a high grade of activated coconut carbon to impart a naturally sweet taste, which then passes through calcite (CaCO³) alkalising media to raise and buffer the final pH to between 7-8, without causing hardness. Note that upon installation, a new Calcium Alkalising cartridge may register an initial pH higher than 8, but it will quickly balance out.

How often should you change reverse osmosis water filters?
Filter Replacements & Maintenance Schedule

To maintain the optimum level of filtration year-round, and to ensure you get the maximum life out of your RO membrane (the engine room of this system), we strongly recommend a consistent filter maintenance schedule. 

• Pre-Filter

  Every 6 months you will need to change the pre-filter, which help protect and extend the life of the membrane. Some people neglect to keep up with the maintenance of the pre-filter, thinking that the RO membrane will take care of it! However, the RO membrane is the most delicate and expensive filter within any RO system, so it's worth protecting your investment!

  The pre-filter thus serves the dual purpose of blocking sediment particles larger than 5 microns and removing chlorine, which both cause damage to the inside of the RO membrane in different ways:

  • Sediment particles physically damage the fine internals, causing micro-tears that allow contaminants through to the "clean" side of the osmotic membrane, as well as blocking up the membrane which can cause the system to stop producing water and force an excessive amount of water to waste. 

  • Chlorine that has been dissolved in water creates corrosive hypochlorous and hydrochloric acids, which dissolve the delicate RO membrane (via a process called "ring chlorination" which disrupts the hydrogen bonding between the membrane's polymer matrix) and allows contaminants to pass through to the "clean side". Because this process occurs gradually over time, most people don't notice the taste of contamination until they change their membrane! 

• Reverse Osmosis Membranes*

Reverse Osmosis membranes filter down to an ultra-fine level of filtration - down to 0.0001 of a micron - which is the reason why RO membranes can filter out minerals, salts, and metals (unlike carbon). Because this level of filtration is so fine, RO membranes do eventually clog up over time. How long you will be able to get out of your RO membrane, depends on the consistency of your membrane pre-filter maintenance, along with the starting quality of your water.

Schematic diagram of the pores in a reverse osmosis membrane.

(Adapted from Geise, G.M., 2021, found in https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abe9741)

• • HARD WATER (water that is full of salts and minerals) takes a bigger toll on RO membranes than water that is SOFT (water with a low Total Dissolved Solids rating).

  • Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland tend to have hard water, along with those whose main source of water comes from a bore.

  • Thus, whilst we have specified a recommended maintenance schedule (below), the quality of the water in the area you live, is ultimately what will determine how long you get out of your RO membrane.

  • *If you are on hard water, at the 2-year mark, simply go for the FULL Replacement Pack (which includes an RO Membrane). Note - cases of extremely hard water may get less than 2 years out of an RO membrane. 

• Post-Filters

These are all filters that go after the RO membrane to buffer the pH back up from an acidic state to an alkaline state, and "perfect" the water for final consumption. Over the course of a year, the diffusion of the alkalising minerals into the water will significantly diminish, whilst the carbon post-filter will eventually exhaust its capacity to adsorb residuals. 

Please see the Recommended Filter Replacement Schedules (per the above) and links to the replacement filters:

HARD WATER - Recommended Filter Replacement Schedule*

• Every 6 Months - Pre-Filter 5 Micron Inline Carbon Block
• Year 1 - Pre+Post Filters Pack 1- pH Neutralising Water Filter Replacement Pack (GT1-11CC)
• Year 2 - Pre, Post Filters + RO Membrane - pH Neutralising Water Filter Replacement Pack (GT1-11CC-M)

MODERATE/SOFT WATER - Recommended Filter Replacement Schedule

• Every 6 Months - Pre-Filter 5 Micron Inline Carbon Block
• Year 1 - Pre+Post Filters Pack 1- pH Neutralising Water Filter Replacement Pack (GT1-11CC)
• Year 2 - Pre+Post Filters Pack 1- pH Neutralising Water Filter Replacement Pack (GT1-11CC)
• Year 3 - Pre+Post Filters Pack 1- pH Neutralising Water Filter Replacement Pack (GT1-11CC)
• Year 4 - Pre, Post Filters + RO Membrane - pH Neutralising Water Filter Replacement Pack (GT1-11CC-M)

Instructions for Changing your Filters at Home:

Recommended Tools Required:

• A Shifter Wrench
• Plumber's Thread Tape
• A Membrane Opening Spanner (For the RO Membrane Only)
• A Pair of Plyers (For the RO Membrane Only)

Inline water filter cartridges are very simple to install and dismantle. As the name suggests, the water flow is inline which means that either end of the cartridge contains a fitting to accommodate tubing. When changing filters, we recommend taking a photo of the system from various angles, then one by one, changing the cartridges. This will help you remember the orientation of the filters and the flow direction and may save you time trying to put the filter back together from scratch.

• Using Push-Fit Connections: These connections are very easy to use however if you have not used them before, they may be a little tricky at first. To remove the tubing, depress the floating collet, then pull on the tubing and it should release. When re-installing, you need to firmly push the tubing into the opening until you feel a “click” which signifies that the tubing has pushed through the internal O-ring and is seated correctly. If leaking occurs, it may be due to roughly cut tubing OR the tubing is not pushed in far enough.

• Installing Fittings: All push-fit fittings should come with an o-ring fitted to seal the connection. To replace each inline filter, use a shifter/wrench to unscrew the fitting from the filter (focus on one filter at a time), and screw the fitting into the new cartridge, before re-inserting the tubing as per the original configuration. If you experience any leaks or cross-threading, the fitting may require replacement (you can purchase a set of replacement fittings within this listing). Alternatively (e.g. if the o-ring has deteriorated and/or you don't have a new fitting handy), you may use 6-8 rounds of plumber's thread tape to form a water-tight seal.

• Changing the Membrane: You may wish to purchase a Membrane Opening Spanner to help with this, as membrane housings are notoriously hard to open (please note: there is no need to unscrew any of the push-fit fittings of the RO Membrane Housing)! Open the membrane housing by the end cap (as per the standard lefty loosey, righty tighty). Once you've opened the cap, pull out the RO membrane (a pair of plyers will help with this, as it is incredibly hard to pull our the membrane with bare hands), and insert the new membrane into the opened housing with the o-ringed stem first, as per the below diagram. Finally, screw the RO Membrane Housing Cap back up and nip it up gently with the Membrane Opening Spanner. 

• System Restart/Flushing: When the new filters are installed, you will then need to flush the system again, much the same as when you first used the system. Disconnect the tubing from the screw cap end of the membrane and (observing the flow of the filter) flush the water through the pre-filter (stage 1) for approx 1-2 minutes, shaking the filter frequently to loosen any carbon fines. When this has been completed, reconnect the system and run for about 15-20 minutes to flush out the remaining filters. HINT: If you can, plug each filter directly into the inlet line and flush it straight off the kitchen tap pressure, this will greatly shorten the flushing times. Once the system is flushed, you're good to go!