Chemicals for watermaker

[katiestevetabor]

Our Schenker watermaker requires both chemical no. 1 acid and chemical no. 2 alkaline cleaners. There are expensive to buy from Mactra, the UK distributor and only available in small bottles. Does anyone know if I can buy a generic version of these chemicals? Understandably they dont publish what they are (biocides)and I can not risk using the wrong stuff, however I thought that someone might know the answer to this.

 

[rivonia]

We also have a Schenker and would not use any other chemicals. I dont know how old yours is but the warranty would be invalidated by using incorrect chemicals. We visited Mactra and met the owner Jim and his wife a lovely couple. We managed to get FREE chemicals from him. He buys in bulk from Manchester and bottles them himself. Contact Jim and ask for a BIG discount . Unless you ask the answer is no
Good luck

 

[demonboy]

Fidelis - this is all very well if you return to the UK. We won't be. In fact we are heading the opposite way so I think tabor's is a fair question.

I do know that a friend of ours who has a different water maker uses sodium metabisulfite as the pickling agent. I would like to know if we can use the same and what the availability is like in various countries and whether it can be purchased across the counter.

 

[grumpygit]

If you get caught out can you not use white vinegar as a substitute ?
/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[demonboy]

Tabor - just been in contact with Jim of Schenker and you need to be VERY CAREFUL about what you put through your water maker. The membrane and other parts are made of plastic, not metal like other watermakers so my suggestion of sodium meabisulfite would have been a disaster!

Go with what fidelis suggested.

*Sigh* There's nothing like retracting statements and being proven wrong in public. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[Marsupial]

I am having a bit of a problem following this, my water maker has plastic and metal bits and its pickled with sodium metabisulphite. - sodium or potassium metabisulpite IS used almost universally for steralising and pickling MOST water maker RO membranes, its the same chemical used in wine and beer making and food preservation (known as campden tablets) so you could use campden tablets diluted in water to pickle a membrane, it destroys chlorine and inhibits bacteria growth AND keeps the membraine moist, just what the membraine ordered. Get them in Boots or home brew shops 99p for a 100. If the mixture smells like rotten eggs its probably right!

Cleaning MOST membranes types is accomplished with two chemicals both are readily available from hardware stores.

Alkaline cleaner for MOST membraine types is sodium hydroxide – caustic soda to most of us BUT this stuff needs some care when using it to unblock drains or cleaning RO membranes. You must get the concentration right – its caustic DON’T DRINK IT it will hurt!!!

Acid cleaner for MOST membraine types is citric acid – vitamin C not exactly Alien blood is it! Again get the concentration right, if you drink some it will taste like a sharp lime.

SO ask your water maker supplier to tell you exactly what the chemicals are and what the active ingredient is – if they supplying them to you THEY MUST IDENTIFY WHAT THEY ARE and give you a hazardous chemical data sheet, then go out and buy them all for about £3.00!!

AGAIN THE ABOVE APPLIES TO MOST MEMBRAINE TYPES BUT CHECK TO AVOID A COSTLY ERROR

 

[claudio]

Check this out. I don't know whether it's relevant to your particular water maker, but it may answer some questions

 

[rogerthebodger]

The membrane in my yet to be commissioned water maker was manufactured by DOW (Filmtec) and some good info on cleaning and Sanitization is here

 

[HowardJG]

Does anyone have an update on the ingredients of the No.1 & 2 Schenker Water Maker Cleaning Granules?
Keen to know why it is so expensive for what should be cheap ingredients?
Thanks

 

[HowardJG]

Or what can be used in their place please?

 

[bronskimac]

I have no idea of alternatives, but you can view the data sheets for both products at the following links. These tell you what's in them., the harmful chemicals, anyway. Not if there is a harmless secret sauce, though.
https://mar-nautic.com/mediafiles/pdf/Schenker/SDSs/SDS_Schenker_SC1_Flocon_MC67_IE_EN.PDF
https://mar-nautic.com/mediafiles/pdf/Schenker/SDSs/SDS_SC2_Flocon_MC11_GB_EN.pdf

 

[Yngmar]

Nice find, those weren't around when I looked. So SC1: sulphamidic acid 10-25%, citric acid 2.5-10% and some stuff that isn't unsafe. pH 1.5-3. Sulfamic acid you can actually buy a bag full on ebay. Citric acid isn't hard to get either. Might be some other stuff in the remaining percentage that is still a mystery. Perhaps someone could eke it out of the supplier. Or ask if you can buy it directly in bulk

And SC2: trisodium orthophosphate 30-32%, tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetraacetate 30-32%, citric acid 5-7%, pH 10.5 - 11.5. Sounds difficult to source, but you can buy the original product (Flocon MC11) in 10kg pails online for a couple hundred AU$. Likely will outlast the watermaker, but you'll save around 7 EUR per year!

 

[VicS]

Nice find, those weren't around when I looked. So SC1: sulphamidic acid 10-25%, citric acid 2.5-10% and some stuff that isn't unsafe. pH 1.5-3. Sulfamic acid you can actually buy a bag full on ebay. Citric acid isn't hard to get either. Might be some other stuff in the remaining percentage that is still a mystery. Perhaps someone could eke it out of the supplier. Or ask if you can buy it directly in bulk

And SC2: trisodium orthophosphate 30-32%, tetrasodium ethylene diamine tetraacetate 30-32%, citric acid 5-7%, pH 10.5 - 11.5. Sounds difficult to source, but you can buy the original product (Flocon MC11) in 10kg pails online for a couple hundred AU$. Likely will outlast the watermaker, but you'll save around 7 EUR per year!

usually called trisodium phosphate or TSP and EDTA tetrasodium salt

both easy to find although EDTA disodium salt perhaps more common than the tetrasodium salt

 

[geem]

We have used propylene glycol to pickle ours. It's also sold as biodegradable antifreeze. We have used it laying up in the UK as it provides frost protection as well as preserving the membranes

 

[overstag]

Yes, I also use propylene glycol to pickle my Schenker Zen 30. It can be difficult to source in Greece