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Sea Recovery 900 gpd Watermaker

Discussion in 'Watermakers' started by CSkipR, Oct 27, 2017.

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  1. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    I've had my aqua whisper watermaker for 9 yrs and have never changed the membranes or even cleaned them besides the normal back flushing. Feel its probably time to replace or at least clean the membranes. How do you clean your membranes and how often? The unit has been very good with minimum issues. I typically only use it for our annual 2-3 month trips to the Bahamas.
  2. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    Afaik regular fresh water flush is enough.
  3. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    Do you have the fresh water flush? If so, that's probably why it's done so well.

    Here's their information on frequency:

    It is recommended that you clean your reverse osmosis membrane as needed or once every two years (on average). The reverse osmosis (R.O.) membranes last an average of five years and with proper operation and care can last up to 10 years.

    It is highly recommended that owners get the Fresh Water Flush with their watermaker. By rinsing the watermaker with fresh water, salt water is displaced with fresh water throughout the R.O. system’s internal parts including the membrane. This process will prevent corrosion of the internal parts and reduces biological fouling of the membranes, therefore prolonging the life of the pre-filters and membrane
    We use their cleaning solution but I'm sure some here will have alternatives. If you have a manual it's in section J. If you don't, here is one.

    https://www.searecovery.com.au/downloads/AquaWhispermanual.pdf

    The cleaning is really just forcing a lot of water through with a small amount of their chemicals.
  4. Capt Ralph

    Capt Ralph Senior Member

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    What could your owners manual offer in detail of this event?
  5. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    In true Salt, what output (gph) are you getting and at what pressure? (psi)
  6. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    At 800-850psi I'm getting 40-45 gph.
  7. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Actually I have read the manual. I'm looking to see if anyone uses a different method (alternative methods like olderboater mentions) that may work better.
  8. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    If it's a 50 gph it's probably worth changing them. Have you measured the salinity content in true saltwater to see where you're at? If that's still good, I'd be more apt to just buy the membranes and store them on the boat right before your next 3 month Bahamas trip.....they're easy enough to change if you had to.......
  9. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    If you're using the fresh water flush regularly and have good clean filters, then the membrane lasts quite well with minimum maintenance. The performance loss that they refer to in the manual as a sign to do something is not something we've ever experienced. We do check the membranes and clean them every couple of years even though they show no signs they need to be. We've yet to ever replace one. I recall all the hoopla here complaining about their use of a proprietary membrane and the cost. Well, their proprietary membrane holds up amazingly well so no complaints about it from me.
  10. captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    Proprietary filters, Proprietary parts such as needle valves, diverter valves etc. Sea Recovery's proprietary membranes aren't "magical " long life membranes and only proprietary due to their abstract length that wont match up to any over the counter replacement membranes for $200 ea. vs $1,200 ea. nor are they any better quality than Filmtec membranes as they're manufactured by Filmtec and licensed exclusively to Sea Recovery for resale . Certainly not "Hoopla" but rather semantical fact. Good maintenance will extend the life of any system or component and YF contains many pages of what abysmal machines Sea Recovery makes. Purchase and install an HEM or similar quality machine in one of your fleet of yachts and then lets talk apples to oranges.
  11. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    I've read it all but not experienced it. We have five Sea Recovery watermakers and no issues with any of them. I find that owners of certain brands of boats on which they were factory installs appear to have much better luck with them than others do. Based on YF and other readings if I was getting a build of a different boat, I'd probably choose someone else as well. I know the experiences of others. Just not my experience at all. Maybe years down the road our experience will change.

    The OP appears to have had very good service from his as well.
  12. captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    Reading CSkipR's previous posts and looking at his posted photos of various issues that he's had from time to time its obvious that he takes the maintenance of his vessel very seriously and the maintenance of his boat is a labor of love vs a chore. Its gratifying to see an engine room in that spotless condition and I'm sure he carries this attention to detail over to all systems aboard by reading his posts. I'm not surprised in the least that he's gotten 10 yrs. out of his (proprietary) membranes and Ill wager that they've never been "pickled" nor left to dry out for any length of time in the last ten years as both actions are membrane killers.
  13. olderboater

    olderboater Senior Member

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    I think you've sort of hit a universal truth, that good maintenance and practices are really the key to performance of most equipment. I know ours have never been pickled or left to dry out. Now, I don't do any of it.
  14. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Thanks for the compliments. It is my labor of love and luckily I'm retired and can spend the time needed to keep everything in ship shape. It is amazing how much time and dollars I spend trying to keep it that way. Based on the posts think I will purchase some of the cleaner and just run it through.
    Since I have never removed a membrane, once removed can you spray it down under pressure if the water is non chlorinated to clean it additionally.
  15. captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    Sorry, no. The membrane isn't an open vane or fin type filter but rather a bundle of fibers encapsulated in a poly sleeve that will have protruding nipples @ each end for sea water in and sea water / brine out and product out. The end caps of your pressure vessels match up to these nipples so there's no reason to remove the membranes from their pressure vessels (HP containment sleeves) to perform any type of maintenance. The only reason to remove the membranes from the pressure vessel is for replacement purposes. Run the cleaner through per the manufacturers recommended procedure.
  16. 101TUG

    101TUG Senior Member

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    Really 9 years membranes working properly I'm not going to take the risk to acid clean, the only risk going to destroy it.
    to know the condition of you membrane you need to check salinity to each membrane and you going to know the real condition of it.

    Hugues
  17. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Check salinity of each membrane? Not sure I'm following your advice. Check salinity after exiting each membrane?
  18. captholli

    captholli Senior Member

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    PPM on your brine discharge per membrane.
  19. 101TUG

    101TUG Senior Member

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    you have 2 membranes, on production line coming out of membrane you have a T, after 30 minutes of normal running disconnect the T (water maker running) and collect water from each membrane on glass, control PPM salinity from each sample, that going to give you good idée a condition of your membranes.

    Hugues
  20. CSkipR

    CSkipR Member

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    Ok can do that. I normally check ppm at kitchen faucet when I've been using the watermaker for a few days. Usually runs from 150-450ppm.