Reverse Osmosis Water Filter Replacement Instructions

Changing & Flushing your New Filters is Easy!

The following guide includes instructions for draining the cooler, accessing the tank, cleaning the tank, performing a filter change and flushing your new filters. 

 Supplies needed to Drain and Clean the tank:

  • Bucket 
  • Paper towels
  • 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (the kind you can get at the drug/grocery store)
  • clean gloves or thoroughly washed and sanitized hands
  • Q-tips (optional for cleaning inside faucet nozzles) 
  • Phillips head screwdriver to open the lid of the water cooler

Supplies needed to Change and Flush filters:

  • Bucket
  • Paper towels
  • Spare piece of tubing with no-tool elbow fitting (included with your filter order)
  • Flathead screwdriver or fitting removal tool to help pry off fittings (if you already have the no-tool fittings with colored tabs, disregard)
  • Clean cup
  • TDS Meter

Draining the Tanks: 

  1. Turn off the water to the cooler.
  1. Unplug the cooler from power source.

*If your cooler is digital and will not allow you to dispense water without power, you can turn off the heating and cooling elements instead. The switches to turn on/off the hot and/or cold water are typically found on the back of the cooler. The heating element, if there is one, should be off while the hot tank is empty.

  1. Drain as much water as you can out of the cold and hot faucets. 

CAUTION: FOR NEXT STEP (STEP 4) - THE WATER COMING OUT OF THE HOT TANK DRAIN IS EXTREMELY HOT AND WILL BURN !!!

You may want to wait a little while with the cooler unplugged or the heating element OFF to allow the remaining water in the hot tank to cool down before you remove the cap to the hot tank drain in the back of the cooler.

  1. Remove the cap or plug of the hot tank drain, located on the rear of the cooler. After it has fully drained, replace the cap or plug. 
  1. Open the top lid of the cooler.

Cleaning the Tank: 

    1. Wash hands well or put on clean, unused disposable gloves (you will be touching the inside of the tank for these next few steps).
    1. Open the cover of the cold tank - on many coolers you can pry off the lid with fingers or flathead screwdriver.
    1. Remove the ambient/cold water divider from inside the cold tank. Refer to your owner’s manual to find out how the divider should be removed. In most cases the divider is removed in one of two ways - On some cooler models such as Global Water Coolers, the divider can be pulled straight up. On other water coolers, such as the Wellsys and Hyundai models, the tank divider is removed by turning it counterclockwise like a screw.
    1. Pour about a cup of 3% hydrogen peroxide directly into the tank and use paper towels drenched in the peroxide to clean the tank, divider, float, inner lid, etc. (all of the parts that your clean, filtered water comes in contact with). Allow the surfaces to remain wet with peroxide while you change the water filters. This gives the peroxide time to effectively sanitize the surfaces. (While you wait, go to filter changing and flushing instructions below and then return to these instructions)…
    1. Once changing and flushing the filters is completed, drain hydrogen peroxide from the tank through the cold water spigot. If any peroxide remains in the bottom of the tank, just soak it up with a dry paper towel.
    1. Replace the tank divider and the tank lid to the cooler. 
    1. Turn on the water and allow the cooler to refill with fresh water. You can let some water run into a bucket while it’s filling back up just to rinse the taste of any residual peroxide out.
    1. Once cooler has refilled, you can plug in the cooler or turn on the heating and/or cooling elements and replace the lid to the water cooler.

     To clean inside the faucet nozzles, hydrogen peroxide soaked Q-tips work well. Rolled up pieces of paper towel also work. Ideally, faucets should be cleaned on a regular basis between filter changes.   

    Changing the filters: 

    Note: in most situations when changing the filters, you will only need to disconnect the fittings from the filters, not the fittings from the tubing.

    When removing each of the old filters, it may be helpful to remove the top fitting of the filter first and put your finger on the filter hole while removing the bottom fitting. This keeps the water that is in the filter from spilling all over the place while you are getting the old filter into the bucket or sink to drain before disposing.  

    Notice that the replacement filters have an arrow designating the direction of water flow. If you have the color coded blue and orange no-tool elbow fittings, the orange ones go on the inlet end of the filter and the blue fittings on the outlet end. Replace each filter making sure the arrow is pointing toward the blue fitting. You will notice the filter arrows will alternate pointing up or down when installed.

    Flushing the Filters: 

    You can flush the sediment and Pre Carbon filters at the same time. The goal is to prevent loose carbon from the Pre Carbon filter from entering the Ultrafilter. Don’t worry, a little carbon going into the UF membrane won’t be a problem but getting the bulk of the loose carbon rinsed out first is best.  

    1. Remove the fitting on the outlet end (the end that the arrow on the filter is pointing to) of the Pre Carbon filter. 
    1. Attach the spare piece of tubing w/fitting that came with your new set of filters to the outlet of the Pre Carbon filter.
    1. Turn the water On and allow the water to flow through the Sediment and Pre Carbon filters into a bucket. If the water comes out black at first, this is completely normal - it is just loose carbon particles. Flush about a gallon of water.
    1. Turn the water Off
    1. Remove the spare tubing with fitting from the Pre Carbon filter and return the original fitting back to the Pre Carbon filter.
    1. Attach the spare tubing to the clean water outlet of the Reverse Osmosis Membrane. This will be the post closest the edge of the filter on the end that has two posts.
    1. Turn on the water and flush about a gallon into your bucket. 
    1. Let some water run into your clean cup and check with your TDS meter. Continue flushing until TDS meter reads approximately 10 ppm and then you can stop flushing/turn the water off. 
    1. Replace the original fitting to the RO filter.
    1. Now flush all 4 filters together by attaching the spare tubing to the outlet end of the Post Carbon filter. Turn the water on and flush another gallon or so of water.
    1. Turn water off and re-attach the original fitting for the Post Carbon filter.
    1. Make sure all fittings are securely connected. 
    1. Put a paper towel below the filters to check for leaks. You can leave it there during cooler re-filling and for a few minutes after the cooler has filled up so the filters will be under pressure. This way, if there is a leak, you will be able to find it quickly and easily.
    1. Now return to step 10 of the Tank Cleaning instructions above.