Jamesuk
Well-Known Member
"Each time you pickle your system the membrane is slightly degraded and leads to an earlier demise"
True or false?
True or false?
Kill your membranes early by pickling, T or F?
- Thread starter Jamesuk
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pampas
Well-Known Member
Both, depends on the membane material and the chemy you use
noelex
Well-Known Member
T, but significant biological growth will shorten the life more.
Jamesuk
Well-Known Member
Yes i thought so, the guy who told the owner to pickle it before every 2 week break should be shot!!!
rivonia
Well-Known Member
The reason for pickling is to STOP bacteria growth. As long as the system if flushed before and after pickling all will be OK
Marsupial
Well-Known Member
+1
In general water makers like to be used as much as possible. I toyed with the idea of doubling our water maker output but on balance that would mean the genny would have nothing much to do except charge batteries at least with the water maker as a load the genny is a happy bunny. The system was sized so the water tanks get filled as the batteries are up to full charge - so I left it alone. . (that's a first!)
Its a good idea to plan your water maker usage so you dont end up pickling the membrane too often I have no evidence but I think too much pickling will reduce the service life.
IF you flush the system with product water you dont have to touch it again for a couple of weeks and even then all you have to do is run it for a couple of hours then flush it and leave it.
IF you want to lay up the system then clean it with the acid and then the alkaline solutions then pickle it - you can then leave it for a year (at least). This treatment once a year should not adversely affect the life of the membrane.
My own handy tip is that I have found better results cleaning the membrane if the chemical mixtures are "hand hot".
Next tip, Change the pressure pump oil after the alkaline rinse so when you add the sodium metabisulphite solution (pickle) the new oil will find its way around the pump and everything will be fine in a years time (we hope).
noelex
Well-Known Member
For 2 weeks break what I normally do is rinse the watermaker for 5mins with freshwater every 3-4 days in summer and 5 days in winter. This can be continued much longer than two weeks if necessary.
It is important that the water contains no chlorine.
The antifreeze pickling solutions seem to be the kindest if you do need to pickle frequently.
Deciding between the damage from bacterial growth and damage from the pickling solution is difficult because there is little data, but for an unattended boat where no regular fresh water rinse was possible I would be inclined to pickle if it was more than two weeks and do nothing if it was less. Colder temperatures favour doing nothing and warmer temps favour pickling.
The membranes only have a life of 5-8 years no matter what you do.
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