HOW TO SELECT

FLOW
RESTRICTOR
FOR RO DOMESESTIC MEMBRANE

PROTECT MEMBRANE
ENHANCE PERFORMANCE
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What is a Flow Restrictor ?
A Flow Restrictor in a RO Units restricts the flow of reject
water. It maintains a high pressure inside the RO Membrane
by creating back pressure on the Membrane and controls the
recovery ratio of the Purifier.

If Flow Restrictor are not used then

the high-pressure water coming in
from the booster pump will flow
unrestricted from the reject outlet of
the RO membrane. This will result in
Low Pressure inside the Membrane
and higher wastage of water. RO
Membrane will not work if required
pressure inside the membrane is not
available

How to Select a Flow Restrictor ?

Flow Restrictors are generally available in different flow ratings
and must be properly sized according to the capacity of the RO
Membrane.

The ratings that we see on Flow Restrictors ( FR 200, FR 300,

FR 450, FR 550, FR 800 etc) indicate the flow rate in Millilitres
Per Minute.

The capacity of RO membrane is given in GPD (Gallons Per

Day) like 75GPD / 80 GPD / 100 GPD etc...
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For Understanding 1 Gallon is approximately equal to 3.78
litres. Generally, the Flow Restrictor value should be 4 times
the production rating or the capacity of the membrane.
To find a matching Flow Restrictor, first, we need to convert
the Flow Restrictor’s capacity value into GPD. Multiply the
Flow Restrictor capacity in mL per minute by 0.38 to convert it
into GPD

Example of Flow Restrictor for 800 mL is :800 x 0.38 =304 GPD.

As we know the flow restrictor rating should be 4 times the RO
membrane.
Dividing the above rating by 4 i.e. 304/4, we get 76 GPD.
For an RO membrane of 75-80 GPD, you should use 800 mL
flow restrictor.

What happens if Proper FR'S are not used ?

RO membrane GPD and Flow Restrictor capacity must be
matched to keep a proper balance between water wastage and
purification quality. If they are not matched, this can cause
excessive wastage of water or may reduce the life of the RO
Membrane.
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Under Sizing of Flow Restrictor

Using Lower capacity Flow Restrictor for a Higher Capacity
Membrane will result in early choking of the RO Membrane,
reduced Membrane life and an increase in TDS value of the
purified water.

Over Sizing of Flow Restrictor

Using Higher capacity Flow Restrictor will result in Higher
wastage of water and Lower pressure inside the RO Membrane.
Low pressure inside RO Membrane can have an adverse effect
on the quality of purification.

When to Change the Flow Restrictor ?

We recommend that the Flow Restrictor should be replaced
every time a Membrane is replaced. Because over time, like
RO membrane and Filters, Flow Restrictors can also get
choked because of scale build up.

If New RO membrane of a different capacity is changed then

the Flow Restrictor should be changed according to the
capacity of the RO membrane.

MOST TECHNICIANS ARE USING FLOW RESTRICTOR 450

WITH 75 GPD OR 80 GPD RO MEMBRANE.
BUT, WE RECOMMEND A FLOW RESTRICTOR OF
AT LEAST 550 ML