A reverse osmosis system pushes your water through a membrane fine enough to hold back most of what
is dissolved in it, then stores the treated water in a small tank under the sink and delivers it to
a dedicated tap. It is the most thorough drinking water treatment available for a house, and it is
the right answer when you want the water that goes into a glass, a kettle or a coffee machine to be
as clean as it can reasonably be. 180 Plumbing and Heating installs and services reverse osmosis
systems across southeast Calgary. Call 403-404-9975.
What it does
Water is pushed under pressure against a semi permeable membrane. Water molecules pass. Most
dissolved solids do not, and they go down the drain with the reject water. The treated water fills
a small storage tank, because the process is slow, and the tank is what lets you fill a glass
immediately.
A typical system has several stages: a sediment filter, one or two carbon filters ahead of the
membrane to protect it, the membrane itself, and a final polishing filter on the way to the tap.
What it takes out: the great majority of dissolved minerals and salts, along with the taste and
the film that come with them. It is the only common household treatment that reduces total
dissolved solids substantially.
What it does not do: it does not soften the whole house, it does not treat the water in your
shower, and it will not fix a hardness problem on its own. It treats one tap.
Reverse osmosis and hard water, which is the Calgary question
Calgary water is hard. The City’s own figures put the southeast, fed from the Glenmore plant, at
roughly 10.6 to 16.0 grains per gallon, which is the harder of the city’s two supplies. North
Calgary, on the Bearspaw supply, runs about 8.2 to 11.7.
That matters here in a practical way: hardness is hard on a reverse osmosis membrane. Scale
builds on the membrane surface, output drops, and the membrane needs replacing sooner than it
should.
So the sensible order is usually a softener first, then reverse osmosis on the drinking water tap.
The softener protects the membrane, the membrane deals with what the softener does not, and the
combination costs less over five years than replacing membranes early. If you already have a
softener, an RO system is a straightforward addition. If you have neither, we will tell you
honestly which one to do first for your house.
See water softeners.
What we install
- Under sink systems at the kitchen sink, with a dedicated tap. The standard installation, and
what most people want. - A line to the fridge or the coffee machine, so the ice and the coffee are made with the same
water. Worth doing at the same time, because running the line later means going back under the
cabinets. - The drain connection and the shut off, done properly. An RO system needs a drain saddle or an
air gap fitting and its own supply shut off, and this is where a rushed installation shows up
later as a leak.
We are not tied to one manufacturer. We fit and service a wide range of systems, and we size to the
household and to the space actually available under the sink, which in most Calgary kitchens is the
real constraint.
Servicing it
An RO system is not fit and forget. It has consumables, and ignoring them is how a good system
turns into a slow tap with a strange taste.
- Pre filters and post filter, changed on schedule. The pre filters protect the membrane, so
skipping them is a false economy. - The membrane, replaced when output or quality drops, which is a matter of years rather than
months if the pre filters have been kept up and the water is softened. - The storage tank pressure, checked. A tank that has lost its air charge gives you a trickle
and people assume the membrane has failed. - The whole assembly checked for leaks, because it lives in a cupboard where a slow leak can go
unnoticed for a long time.
We service systems we did not install, and we can usually source filters for common systems even if
the brand is not one we sell.
Is it worth it?
Honestly, it depends on what is bothering you.
If it is taste and the residue in the kettle, an RO system solves it at the tap. So, more
cheaply and less thoroughly, does a good carbon filter. See
whole home carbon filtration.
If it is scale on the fixtures, the dishwasher and the hot water tank, RO is the wrong tool.
That is a softener job, and it is the one that saves you money on appliances.
If you are buying bottled water for drinking, an RO system usually pays for itself faster than
people expect and takes the recycling out of your kitchen.
If you are on city water and you are happy with it, you do not need one, and we will say so.
Booking it
Call 403-404-9975.
What is free
An in home water hardness test. Ten minutes, no obligation, and it tells you the number that
should drive every water treatment decision in your house. We will tell you honestly whether you
need anything at all.
How we price this work
We charge by the job, not by the hour. You get one number for the finished work, agreed before
anything starts and always in writing. Parts, labour and disposal are in the number you agreed. If
we find something else once we are in, we stop and re-quote, and you decide.
Frequently asked questions
What does a reverse osmosis system remove?
Most of what is dissolved in the water, including the great majority of dissolved minerals and salts, along with the taste and the film they cause. A typical system also has sediment and carbon stages ahead of the membrane. It treats one tap rather than the whole house.
Do I need a water softener as well as reverse osmosis in Calgary?
Usually yes, and usually first. Calgary water is hard, and the southeast is the harder of the city’s two supplies at roughly 10.6 to 16.0 grains per gallon. Hardness scales an RO membrane and shortens its life, and only a softener protects the rest of the house: the fixtures, the dishwasher and the hot water tank.
How often do reverse osmosis filters need changing?
The sediment and carbon pre filters are changed on a regular schedule, and the membrane is replaced when output or water quality drops, which is generally a matter of years if the pre filters have been kept up and the incoming water is softened. Skipping pre filters is what kills membranes early.
Why is my reverse osmosis tap slow?
The most common cause is not the membrane. It is the storage tank losing its air charge, which leaves you with a trickle even though the system is working. Clogged pre filters and a membrane at the end of its life are the other two usual causes.
Can you run reverse osmosis water to my fridge and ice maker?
Yes, and the best time to do it is at installation, because running the line afterwards means going back under the cabinets. It means the ice and anything the fridge dispenses is made with the same treated water.
Do you service reverse osmosis systems you did not install?
Yes, and we can usually source filters for common systems even where the brand is not one we sell.
Written by Desmond Neufeld, Red Seal Journeyman Plumber and Certified Type B Gasfitter. Last updated 23 August 2026.
