An RO purifier is the one appliance where neglect has a direct health cost. Filters do not fail loudly; they simply stop removing what they were fitted to remove, and the water keeps flowing and tasting fine. That is why RO servicing is scheduled by time and usage, not by symptoms.
A realistic service schedule
For a family of four in Gurgaon, on typical municipal or borewell supply:
- Sediment pre-filter — every 3 to 6 months. It takes the silt and rust, and clogs first.
- Carbon pre-filter — every 6 to 9 months. It removes chlorine, which would otherwise damage the membrane.
- RO membrane — every 2 to 3 years, sooner on very hard input water.
- UV lamp — every 12 months. The lamp still glows well after it stops emitting effective UV, so age matters more than appearance.
- Post-carbon or mineral cartridge — every 12 months.
What TDS actually tells you
TDS measures total dissolved solids in parts per million. Input water in parts of Gurgaon runs anywhere from 400 to well over 1,500 ppm. Purified output should typically sit between 50 and 150 ppm — low enough to be safe, high enough to retain some minerals and taste normal.
The useful number is not the output on its own but the ratio. If your output TDS has climbed noticeably closer to your input TDS since the last service, the membrane is passing solids it should be rejecting, and it needs replacing regardless of the calendar.
Signs your RO needs attention now
- The purifier takes much longer to fill the tank than it used to.
- Water tastes flat, salty or metallic.
- The unit runs continuously, or cycles on and off every few minutes.
- Visible leakage at the housing joints.
- Rejected water volume has increased sharply relative to purified water.
Insist on seeing the old cartridges
Filter replacement is an area with a lot of poor practice — cartridges that are not changed at all, or replaced with unbranded ones. Ask the technician to hand you the removed cartridges and to show your TDS reading on a meter before and after the service. Any honest service will do both without being asked.
Need help from a technician?
Namra Tech Solutions covers RO water purifier service across Gurgaon — experienced technicians, genuine spare parts and transparent pricing agreed with you before any work starts. Book a service online or call +91 85277 52074 and we will call you back to confirm a slot.