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sea recovery watermaker issue

Discussion in 'Watermakers' started by Rob morley, Jun 27, 2020.

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  1. Rob morley

    Rob morley New Member

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    I just spent $10,000 on my 1800 gpd. That brings my maintenance costs to $15,000 in 10 years. Wouldn’t buy another. The electronics failed , a common problem apparently and now the new panel says its producing 75gph but in fact it is only producing less than half of that. The original electronics gave you the number of gallons produced but the new version didnt. I’m out on the water without access to my technician. Any ideas?
  2. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Yeah, what pressure are you running? Around 800-850 PSI in saltwater?
  3. Rob morley

    Rob morley New Member

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    Thanks for your reply. All the numbers are good, 880 psi in saltwater. It just seems as if only about 50% or less of the 75gph being produced is going in the tank. I’m thinking maybe the diverter valve that sends water to the tank might not be working properly and I wonder if that’s the case if that’s something I can service. Unfortunately this is a highly automated machine and by going into settings there is very little that a user can change.
  4. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    How old are the membranes ? Low products flow at normal pressure is usually a sign the membranes are done
  5. Rob morley

    Rob morley New Member

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    Thanks for your reply , the membranes are the originals and are 10 years old. The display shows it is producing into 75gph.
  6. yr2030

    yr2030 Senior Member

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    Before you do anything else replace the membranes.
  7. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    10 years membrane. They re done
  8. d_meister

    d_meister Senior Member

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    75 gph is the hourly output for an 1800 gpd unit. Hopefully, the $10,ooo would have had the membranes tested, although the output indicates they're producing within spec.
    You may be on the right track with the diverter valve allowing product water to go both into the tank as well as over the side. If there's soft wall hose at the diverter bypass, you may be able to pull it off and plug it to see if the valve is bypassing. If you don't plug the hose, there may be backflow from the brine discharge, which often "T's" into the bypass.
    I've often wondered about the production rate of watermakers, because they never seem to produce the change in tank level I expect. Part of that may be sensitivity of tank gauges, and oftentimes the produced water is being drawn down at the same time.
    If you can find the product outflow line, maybe you can disconnect it and run it into a 5 gal bucket. It should fill at around 7 seconds.
  9. Rob morley

    Rob morley New Member

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    Ok,thanks for the info.
  10. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    Do not plug the bypass hose on the diverter valve. As it's an electronic watermaker, so the diverter valve bypasses product flow when the water maker starts, and you will either blow whatever you plugged it with out and have a geyser of epic proportions, OR the unit will dead head and cause other issues possibly over-pressurizing the membranes. I would temporarily put a clear hose on the bypass and see what it is doing. You could get a long hose and route it overboard through an ER vent and see what it's doing also.
  11. d_meister

    d_meister Senior Member

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    Maybe I wasn't clear. Pull the hose from the diverter and plug it to keep brine from flowing back. If the diverter valve is flowing product water out of the bypass; it, or the control is suspect. Sorry for not being clear:oops:
  12. Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    But, you're not understanding, the diverter valve flows/diverts product water out of the bypass for a few minutes until the salinity comes down below (usually 500 ppm) then switches/diverts it to the tank.
  13. d_meister

    d_meister Senior Member

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    If there's a soft wall hose on the bypass port, and he pulls the hose off, then the bypass port is free-flowing. That leaves the hose that may or may not be teed to the brine overboard discharge also open. If there is flow from that hose, it is brine overboard. Or, if below the waterline; seawater. Seems like plugging the hose in that scenario would be desirable.
    Looking at this Sea Recovery diagram, and the likelihood that everything is buried anyway, I suggest forgetting about self-testing the diversion valve and simply measuring the output. The output product hose should be easier to find. Maybe.
    upload_2020-6-29_11-48-47.png
  14. Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    The valve makes a pretty sharp click when it opens and sends product to the tank, a few seconds after salinity drops below acceptable level