Often overlooked, the Carbon Filter quietly resides in the corner of your plant room, faithfully performing its function for years with minimal maintenance. Nevertheless, it is crucial to periodically verify that it is effectively fulfilling its intended purpose.
At the carwash, the Carbon Filter plays a vital role in eliminating chlorine from the mains water supply. This removal of chlorine is essential, as it can be detrimental to the longevity of the R/O membranes responsible for producing spot-free rinse water. The presence of chlorine can significantly diminish the lifespan of these membranes.
Some systems employ a small cartridge-type filter that requires regular replacement, while most car washes employ a larger permanent filter of similar size to a water softener. These units contain a greater volume of carbon and can continue to extract chlorine from the water for many years through regular backwashing. Typically, they are set to backwash every few days, a process that repositions the carbon within the tank and exposes fresh carbon for effective chlorine absorption.
To ensure the proper functioning of your carbon filter, it is necessary to conduct a chlorine test. Test the water both before and immediately after passing through the carbon filter. The test results should indicate zero chlorine after filtration. This becomes particularly important when replacing R/O membranes. When investing in new membranes, it is essential to ensure that the carbon filter is functioning correctly. Failure to do so may result in expensive new membranes having a significantly shortened lifespan of just a few months.
We stock a quick and easy Chlorine Test kit that can be purchased online here.