What should I do if my ultrafiltration (UF) system shows persistently high differential pressure immediately after backwash?

If your ultrafiltration (UF) system exhibits high differential pressure immediately after backwash, this indicates incomplete cleaning or underlying process issues—not normal operational drift. At Chuxin Mingwei, we observe this most frequently in mineral water and spring water production lines (e.g., our Bottled Spring Water Filling Production Line), where feed water contains colloids, iron/manganese, or organic matter that forms irreversible fouling layers.

First, verify these three conditions before escalation:

• Backwash duration and flow rate: Confirm settings match design parameters—typically ≥90 seconds at ≥1.2× design flux . Short or low-flow backwashes fail to dislodge compacted cake layers.
• Pre-backwash integrity test: A rising transmembrane pressure (TMP) trend before backwash suggests progressive fouling—not just reversible cake. This points to inadequate pretreatment .
• Chemical cleaning history: If chemical cleaning hasn’t occurred within the last 3–6 months (or after >500 backwashes), organic or biofilm fouling may have accumulated beyond mechanical removal capability.

Our after-sales service boundary is clear: Chuxin Mingwei provides remote diagnostics within 2 hours of reported issue , including PLC log review, pressure/flow trend analysis, and step-by-step operator-guided checks. On-site technical support is scheduled within 48–72 hours for confirmed membrane or valve faults—subject to contract terms and regional logistics. We do not cover costs for consumables (e.g., replacement UF membranes) or third-party civil works (e.g., pipe re-routing).

Next step: Gather your last 7 days of UF system logs (TMP, permeate flow, backwash frequency), recent raw water test report (especially turbidity, Fe/Mn, COD_Mn), and confirm whether chemical cleaning was performed—and if so, with which agent (NaOCl, citric acid, or enzymatic). Submit these via our Contact Form. Our engineers will deliver a root-cause memo within one business day—including recommended action (e.g., adjust backwash protocol, upgrade prefilter, or schedule CIP) and optional service engagement options.