Quote:
Originally Posted by Lucey Blue
Hi,
I contacted Applied Membranes to see how much a membrane for a Ventura 150 might cost today and they asked if I had any more detail on the unit required. My water maker is working well, but I would like to have a few spares before we head out and thus would be grateful if you could share the model number for membrane you purchased.
All the best
Nick
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Hi Nick,
Welcome aboard. I visited your blog site and was reminded of when my daughter was at that age and we were planning to head off into what ever adventures lay ahead. You'll never regret nor will you ever get this most special of times back spent with your
kids. They are very very fortunate to have parents like you.
As far as your Spectra 150 is concerned, I see your Cat is an older model. Is the 150 something you bought new or did it come with the
boat when you bought it? The reason I ask is that membranes have a certain life expectancy. This is determined on how well the water maker has been previously taken care of. You may very well be at the end life of your existing membrane or you may have more than enough life left to take you through your entire
cruise. There are several tests that can be done with the 150 to help determine what's going on inside the water maker. For the most part taking a "spare" membrane is unadvisable because they have a shelf life of about one year, usually on a
boat they last even less. If your
current membrane has a few years left it's a waste of
money to carry a spare. If your
current membrane is on its very last leg then it would be advisable to change it out with a new one now before you leave. For the 150 the only reasonable spare I would recommend would be a new feed
pump head. In a reasonable taken care of Spectra 150, this seems to be the one part that you will eventually need. It is a very easy replacement/repair job that should take the first timer about 45 minutes to do. But it is a propriatry part to Spectra. It may look like a dozen different Shurflo pumps but it is not. You need Spectras, no matter what your
dock buddies say. Also before I forget, the membrane for the 150 is a SW2521 or
Salt Water 2.5" diameter x 21" long. If you have never changed out a membrane on a Spectra before, I recommend you read the manual very carefully first. I've worked on all the available vessels made. Spectras membrane vessels are by far the best there are and make changing out membranes a breeze. But you must understand the few basics. It can get expensive fast if you break
parts, especially aroun the SS fittings on the vessels end caps. If you have any questions at all about any part or operating procedure on your 150 you can always ask me.