Help & Support

Practical troubleshooting for filtration systems. Most of what goes wrong is a cartridge at the end of its life. Work through the relevant section below, and if it is not resolved in a few minutes, call 0421 601 540 rather than persisting.

Leaks and drips

Water pooling in the cupboard under the sink

Isolate the water first. Then look at where it is coming from: the filter housing seal, a push-fit fitting, or the tap itself. A housing that has been opened for a cartridge change and not seated properly is the most common cause, and it is usually the O-ring: not seated in its groove, twisted, or dry. If you changed the cartridge recently, that is the first place to look.

If it is not obviously the housing, or if it is coming from a joint we made, call us. Under our labour warranty there is no charge to fix our own work.

A steady drip from the reverse osmosis drain line

Some flow to drain during production is normal for RO. Continuous flow when nothing is being drawn is not. It usually points at a failed check valve or a flow restrictor, or a membrane at the end of its life. It wastes a surprising amount of water, so book a service rather than leaving it.

Pressure and flow

Pressure has dropped across the whole house

If you have a whole-house system, the cartridge is the first suspect: a loaded sediment cartridge chokes flow well before it looks dirty. Check when it was last changed. If it is due, change it or book a service and see whether pressure returns.

If pressure is also low at an outlet upstream of the filter, or at a neighbouring property, the problem is not your filter. Check Sydney Water for works or interruptions in your area.

The filtered tap runs slowly

On a standard under-sink filter, a slow dedicated tap is nearly always a spent cartridge. On reverse osmosis it is more often the storage tank: either it has been drawn down faster than it can refill, or the tank's air pressure has dropped. A tank that feels heavy when nearly empty has lost its air charge and needs attention.

The RO tap gives a burst then trickles

Classic symptom of low tank air pressure. It is a serviceable fault, not a failed system. Book a service.

Taste, smell and appearance

Water tastes or smells off

If it appeared gradually over months, the carbon cartridge has reached the end of its life. Carbon stops adsorbing long before it looks used up. Replace it.

If it appeared suddenly, or the system has been unused for a week or more, run the tap for several minutes first. Water sitting in a cartridge can pick up a taste. If it does not clear after flushing, call us. Do not keep drinking it while you wait.

Water is cloudy or milky

Fill a glass and let it stand for a minute. If it clears from the bottom up, it is dissolved air, which is harmless and common after any work on the line. If it stays cloudy, it is particulate, which points at a sediment cartridge past its life or a system that has been disturbed.

Black specks in the water

Usually fine carbon fines from a new cartridge that was not flushed enough. Run the tap for five minutes. If specks persist beyond that, the cartridge may be damaged. Call us.

New cartridge, water tastes strange

Normal, and it flushes out. Run the tap for a few minutes and discard the first tankful on an RO system.

Noise

A humming or gurgling from an RO system while it produces water is normal. A repeated cycle of noise every few minutes when no water is being used means it is refilling constantly, which points at a check valve or tank problem. Bangs or knocks in the pipes when a tap closes are water hammer, a plumbing issue rather than a filter issue, but one we can look at.

Maintenance you can do yourself

• Change cartridges on schedule. Typically 6 to 12 months for sediment and carbon; 2 to 3 years for RO membranes. Your water decides it more than the calendar.
• Flush after every change. Several minutes on a standard filter; discard the first full tank on RO.
• Know where your isolation valve is before you need it.
• Glance in the cupboard occasionally. A slow weep is far cheaper to deal with than the damage it causes over months.
• Flush after a holiday. Run the tap for a few minutes if the system has sat unused for a week or more.

When to stop and call us

Call 0421 601 540 if you have water you cannot stop, a leak you cannot locate, no water at all, a fault that returns after a cartridge change, or any concern about whether the water is safe to drink. Also call rather than improvise if a fitting will not seat. Over-tightening a plastic housing cracks it.

More

FAQs for general questions about systems and costs · Customer Services for booking, warranty and records · Complaints & Feedback if something has gone wrong.