Watermaker "Pickled"

[Pamlicotraveler]

We are looking at a boat with a Sea Recovery Watermaker that has been pickled. Since it is pickled we can't test it of course. How involved is it to "unpickle" the watermaker and how can you tell if the watermaker will work when you put it back in service? I have no experience with a watermaker at all, and am just trying to understand the process. Anyone with some real-life experience to share?

[hellosailor]

From their own web site, pickling will protect the mebrane for UP TO one year.

http://www.searecovery.com/watermake...html#Anchor_M5

Figure on replacing it, call a dealer for price quotes on the consumables. If you do not NEED to use it, or are not planning to use it, you'll find it is simpler & cheaper to just shut it down until you do need it, and start with fresh consumables then. You're looking at "plumbing" i.e. replacing cartridges, and flushing water lines, that's about all.

[Pamlicotraveler]

I think you're right...just wait until we need it and then get the new membranes etc... Thanks

[sailingdog]

BTW, you should use a watermaker at least every other day, if not daily, otherwise you'll have problems with it. If you're not going to be using it for a while, it should be pickled.

Some points about RO Watermakers that you may not know.

RO watermakers shouldn't be used in polluted or bacterially contaminated waters.

The membrane in the RO watermaker will be destroyed by exposure to chlorine, even the amounts found in municipal water supplies, so don't flush your membrane with chlorine treated water.

The system pressure should be adjusted for higher or lower water temperatures and higher or lower salinity, as not doing so can damage the membrane.

[Pamlicotraveler]

Thank you Sailing Dog.... It's amazing what I can learn here

[boog]

sailingdog is right. additionaly, check into having a carbon pre-filter in such cases where you are thinking of flushing the membranes but don't have clean product water. this will help with the chlorine issue mentioned. once you have product water in your tank you should use that to flush the membranes.

[sailingdog]

Yes, the carbon filter helps if you don't have RO water to flush the membrane with. But activated carbon filter media only has a relatively short active lifespan. One friend uses a Brita water pitcher to create water for backflushing the membrane, as the Brita filter is designed to remove most of the chlorine. He says it seems to work without any damage to the RO membrane but YMMV.