The Secret to Clear Ice Cubes and Pure Water at Home: Reverse Osmosis Filtration and Refrigerator Connection

For optimal performance, the inlet water pressure for most refrigerators should be between 20 and 80 psi. When it comes to residential reverse osmosis systems, they are typically installed under the sink and do not require electrical power or pumps to operate. Instead, they utilize an auto shut-off valve (ASO) to shut off the water supply when the storage tank is full. The ASO valve is designed to reduce the water pressure from the inlet to the product water by approximately 40%.

For example, if you have a city water pressure of 65 PSI coming into your reverse osmosis system, the pure water produced by the system will have a maximum pressure of 39 PSI when the storage tank is full. Using purified water from a reverse osmosis system slowly reduces water pressure. However, when the storage tank is almost empty, water pressure drops to 8 PSI, which can cause refrigerators not to work correctly.

At WPS Inc., we advise installing 3/8″ nonmetallic tubing to connect your refrigerator to your reverse osmosis system for optimal water flow. In some cases, delivery pumps may need to be installed to ensure that water pressure is sufficient for the refrigerator to function correctly.

It’s essential to remember that water pressure can significantly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of your reverse osmosis system, as well as the performance of your refrigerator’s water dispenser and ice maker.