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GLOSSARY OF TERMS (Continued)
Permeate:
That portion of the feed water which passes through the membrane to become product water.
Permeate Line:
Tubing or pipe used to transport purified (RO processed) water from processor to the storage
tank.
Pressure tank:
A water storage device using a pressurized bladder that provides delivery pressure to down
stream uses.
Purge:
The act of flushing out. A term to describe the purging of entrained air in a system
Recirculation Valve:
A needle control valve used to blend concentrate water past the membrane again to
scavenge water molecules.
Recirculation Ratio:
The ratio in which concentrate water is reticulated past the membrane in order to
osmoisize more water molecules and reduce the wasted ratio of water. Typical recirculation ratio is 1:1
(1 gallon permeate: 1 gallon concentrate
Reverse Osmosis:
A water treatment process that removes undesirable material from water by using
pressure to force the water molecules through a semi-permeable membrane. This process is called
“reverse” osmosis because the pressure forces the water to flow in the reveres direction (from the
concentrated solution to the dilute solution) to the flow direction (from the dilute to the concentrated)
in the process of natural osmosis. RO removes ionized salts, colloids, and organic molecules down to a
molecular weigh of 100. May be called hyper-filtration.
RO:
Reverse Osmosis
RO Processor:
The system main stand, that consists of the main frame, pump, electrical controls, flow meters
and pressure gauges. A term used to signify a specific piece of the overall system.
Sediment Filter:
A filter used to trap and reduce rust, dirt and sand. Typically made from spun poly.
TDS:
Total Dissolved Solids, the total weight of dissolved matter present in water that does not constitute pure
water molecules. Measured in the form of resistively and or conductivity equated into TDS in ppm
(parts per million per 1 U.S. gallon)
VOC:
Volatile Organic Chemicals, synthetic organic chemicals that turn into vapor at relatively
Zero Soft Water:
Water produced by Reverse Osmosis measuring less than 1/0 grain per U.S. gallon (17.1
ppm or 17.1 mg/L) as calcium carbonate.
