RO Membrane cleaning/replacing

I need a 101 on RO membranes, mine is testing at 265 on the tds meter so something is wrong. Do I throw it away and replace, have it cleaned, service it ????? whats the story on them. How long do they last ? mine is in the catolag for $300.00 . I dont know how old it is, I have owned it for 1 year and I would not be surprised if its 7 years old ?? Dont want to jump and do the wrong thing.
Thanks

If it's testing high on the TDS, the membrane is ruined and must be replaced. Cleaning will only help a clogged membrane. Before you replace it, make sure the charcoal filter is functioning properly, and if you don't know when it was serviced last you should replace the activated carbon when you replace the membrane.

Isnt the charcoal filter for Chlorine in the city water ? We are on a well and there is no Chlorine ????
How do you test a charcoal filter ? Thanks

No, there won't be (or shouldn't be) any chlorine in a well. If you do decide to test it, I've found the best way to be an ordinary pool and spa kit and test the RO reject. The chlorine is filtered and will be concentrated there, making it easier to detect.

If you're running water provided by a municipal service and that comes from a well, it may still be chlorinated.

ordered new membrane will install this afternoon. Seems like the flow came to a stop completely yesterday so I turned it off. Windtrax said they have never heard of one lasting 7 years hehe. I have been using the spot free rinse myself for the lasy year and never noticed it not working but I guess we get used to something and it slowly goese bad on us. I should have got a tps meter sooner HU. :) I THINK this is the last system in this car wash I have not gone completely thru and learned yet :) Now I am trained haha

If the flow stopped that quickly, you might check on your softener. I know you said it tested soft in another thread, but it could be running hard before it regenerates. Check it every day for a month to be certain you don't ruin your new membrane due to intermittent hard water.

Installed the new membrane, the tds reads 6 not 600 or 60 but six single didgit, I thought it was iside down at first and reading 900 :) but no its six . How good it is to have something work that well:)
I will watch the soft water like a hawk for a while and learn this testing stuff. ONLY thing zi am not sure about now is the flow meters, I have two, one is production and the other is ??? waste ??? production is at 1.5 gpm with the pump pressure at just under 200. Doese that sound right now how do you adjust the other flow meter, with the little on off valve attaced to it, I played with it till I gat 50 oercent of the production meter ????? is this correct.
I washed and rinsed my car with the new RO water and wow, what a clean windshield :)

Setting the product to reject ratio depends on the system. Some recirculate reject back to the pump and are meant to run at 1:1. Some dump all reject down the drain, and setting those at 1:1 will shorten the life of the membrane. That type should be at least 2:1, even 3:1 is recommended by some manufacturers. I've replumbed a few systems that were set up in a manner that would not let them reject at less than 8:1.

If your unit isn't plumbed for 1:1, it's simple to change it. You would only need a second adjusting valve next to the current reject adjusting valve, and plumb that after the inlet solenoid and before the pump inlet. I like to use a bypass regulator on the recirc. side, then you only have to set the pressure and adjust the reject flow to make 1:1.

I've also found that the recirc. setup produces more RO water.

My system is set up with a valve to set the ratio 2-1 I might even go 3-1 for while and watch it. Thanks