An RO unit is a set of parts that fail in recognisable ways, and knowing the symptom-to-part map is worth real money — because the single most expensive component, the membrane, is also the one most often replaced when it did not need to be.
Delhi's water makes this worse, not better. High TDS across much of the city means membranes do genuinely work hard here, which makes "your membrane has gone" a plausible-sounding answer to almost any complaint. It is sometimes true. It is very often not.
This guide lists what each repair costs, and — more usefully — what each symptom usually means, so you can ask a specific question instead of accepting a general diagnosis.
A note on these numbers. XpertWorker is a marketplace, not a service company. We do not set any professional's price and we never charge you a paisa. Every figure below is an indicative market range collected from what independent technicians in Delhi NCR generally charge — a guide to help you judge a quote, not a quote itself.
In this guide
RO repair cost by part — Delhi NCR, 2026
Most real faults sit in the first few rows. The membrane is near the bottom of the list of likely causes and near the top of the list of quoted ones.
| Job | Typical market range | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| RO repair (by fault) | ₹400–1,500 | The general repair band — leaks, fittings, tubing, minor electrical |
| Pump / SMPS / adaptor replacement | ₹600–1,800 | The usual cause of "no water at all". Check this before anything expensive |
| Sediment / carbon filter (per filter) | ₹250–600 | Routine consumables. Due every 6–12 months in Delhi water |
| RO membrane replacement | ₹1,200–2,500 | Genuinely due every 2–3 years in high-TDS areas — not every service |
| UV lamp replacement | ₹500–1,200 | Only if your unit has UV. Lamps dim before they die |
| Storage tank / faucet repair | ₹200–600 | Leaking tank, dripping faucet, failed float |
| Water / TDS testing | ₹100–300 | A few hundred rupees that can save a few thousand |
| RO general service / cleaning | ₹300–600 | The routine service, for comparison |
| RO installation (labour) | ₹400–800 | Fitting a new unit |
Indicative Delhi NCR market ranges, 2026. Each professional sets their own charge and quotes you free before starting. Parts are normally billed on top of labour.
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Get free quotesWhat your symptom usually means
Match your symptom here before anyone opens the cabinet. It changes the conversation completely.
| What you are seeing | Usual cause | What it usually needs |
|---|---|---|
| No water at all, no sound from the unit | Power supply — SMPS or adaptor | Adaptor or SMPS, not a membrane |
| Unit hums but no water is produced | Pump failing, or a blocked pre-filter starving it | Check filters first, then the pump |
| Water flow has slowed over months | Choked sediment or carbon filter | Filter change — the routine consumable |
| Flow slow AND the water tastes different | Now the membrane is a genuine candidate | TDS test first, then decide |
| Water tastes salty or "normal" like tap water | Membrane bypass or a failed membrane | TDS test — the number settles it |
| Continuous drain flow, unit never stops | Faulty float or solenoid valve | Valve or float, an inexpensive part |
| Water leaking under the unit | A push-fit fitting or a cracked tube | General repair band |
| Unit runs constantly and the tank never fills | Low input pressure, or a tired pump | Check supply pressure before replacing anything |
The TDS test settles the membrane argument
A membrane's job is to remove dissolved solids. Whether it is doing that job is measurable in about thirty seconds with a handheld meter, and any technician working on RO units carries one.
The test is simple: measure the TDS of the water going in, and the TDS of the water coming out. A healthy membrane produces a large drop. A membrane that has failed or is being bypassed produces a small one.
- Ask for both readings, in numbers. Input and output. Not "it is high" — the figures.
- Much of Delhi runs high on input TDS, particularly in areas on borewell supply. That is precisely why the output number is what matters.
- If output is close to input, the membrane genuinely is not working, and replacement is the right call.
- If output is low and the water simply tastes odd, the problem is more likely a carbon filter, which is a consumable, not the membrane.
- Very low output TDS is not automatically better. Water with almost nothing dissolved in it tastes flat, and many units have a mineral cartridge specifically to add some back.
Our RO service and TDS guide goes deeper into what the numbers mean for drinking water.
Repair or replace the whole unit?
There is a point where repairs stop being worth it, and it is worth knowing where it sits before you are standing in front of someone with a screwdriver.
- Under about five years old: repair, almost always. Pumps, SMPS units, filters and even membranes are individually far cheaper than a new purifier.
- Seven years and beyond, with several parts failing together: the arithmetic changes. A membrane plus a pump plus filters starts to approach a mid-range new unit that comes with a warranty.
- Spares no longer available: some older or off-brand models genuinely cannot be repaired. Ask directly rather than paying for a diagnosis on a dead end.
- Beware the "it is not worth repairing" that arrives before any diagnosis. If nobody has tested anything, that judgement is a sales position, not an assessment.
If your unit has simply stopped working rather than deteriorated, start with our RO not working diagnostic, and the filter change guide covers the routine consumables schedule for Delhi water.
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Get free quotes →Frequently asked questions
How much does RO repair cost in Delhi NCR?
How do I know if my RO membrane really needs replacing?
My RO is not giving any water at all. What is it likely to be?
How often does an RO need servicing in Delhi?
Is it better to repair an old RO or buy a new one?
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How we put this guide together
The ranges in this guide are indicative market rates compiled from real jobs across Delhi NCR and reviewed by the XpertWorker pricing desk. They are not quotes, and they are not our prices — every independent, local professional sets their own charge and quotes you free before any work starts.