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15-10-2011, 11:14
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Stuart, FL & Bahamas Cruising
Boat: Lagoon 37
Posts: 880
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Pickling a Watermaker
how often do you pickle your water-maker? DIY and I don't remember the recommendation
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15-10-2011, 11:20
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#2
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Moderator Emeritus

Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gabriola Island & Victoria, British Columbia
Boat: Cooper 416 Honeysuckle
Posts: 6,933
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
I've a Katydyn 80d and it has a valve that switches the intake flow to bypas the pressure pump. It gets turned and I turn the valve to change the intake form saltwater to a short section of hose that I put in a bucket with a couple of litres of the biocide and fresh water mix and then turn it on. Once the biocide is in the reject brine hose Bob's your uncle.
__________________
“We are the universe contemplating itself” - Carl Sagan
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15-10-2011, 11:23
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2008
Location: British Columbia, Mexico
Boat: S&S Hughes 38
Posts: 837
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
Katydyn says the biocide is good up to 1 yr. before replacing.
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15-10-2011, 11:53
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Tavernier, Fl
Boat: Outremer 50
Posts: 750
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
Depends on the manufacturer. I had a watermaker inc. unit that said 3-6 months depending on temperature.
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15-10-2011, 11:59
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus

Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gabriola Island & Victoria, British Columbia
Boat: Cooper 416 Honeysuckle
Posts: 6,933
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
Sorry I didn't read the question carefully ... Katydyn says one year but I've heard folks say they've left it longer without problem.
__________________
“We are the universe contemplating itself” - Carl Sagan
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15-10-2011, 12:04
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Stuart, FL & Bahamas Cruising
Boat: Lagoon 37
Posts: 880
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
Quote:
Originally Posted by hummingway
Sorry I didn't read the question carefully ... Katydyn says one year but I've heard folks say they've left it longer without problem.
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Actually I left out the "Often" and edited it  And thanks for the response
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15-10-2011, 12:33
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Depends
Boat: Cabo Rico
Posts: 771
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
Quote:
Originally Posted by hummingway
Once the biocide is in the reject brine hose Bob's your uncle.
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What does that mean??
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15-10-2011, 12:34
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Depends
Boat: Cabo Rico
Posts: 771
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
OK...Thank you Wikipedia
Quote:
Bob's your uncle (sometimes elaborately Robert's your mother's brother for humorous effect) is an expression commonly used mainly in Britain and Commonwealth nations. Typically, someone says it to conclude a set of simple instructions to mean, "And there you have it", or "You're all set". For example, "To make a ham sandwich, just put a piece of ham between two slices of buttered bread, and Bob's your uncle".
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15-10-2011, 13:07
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: On the boat - Carib, Chesapeake
Boat: 58 Taswell AS
Posts: 1,139
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
As infrequently as possibe - pickeling willshorten the life span of the membranes. When not in frquent use, I flush the system every week or so. This winter, for the first time in 8 years, I will not take the boat to the caribbean so I will pickle the unit when the boat arrives in Fort lauderdale for the winter.
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15-10-2011, 14:09
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hollywood, Fl.
Boat: FP Athena 38' Poerava
Posts: 4,028
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
In the Bahamas you shouldn't let any watermaker sit for more than week without flushing it or pickling it. In the warm summer months that time may be even shorter. Though the membrane may be able to take it for a slightly longer period of time the dead and decaying critters throughout the system may give you the infamous rotten egg smell. This can be quite a chore to eliminate depending on which watermaker you have. Using Propylene Glycol is prefered over the biocdes.
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15-10-2011, 15:52
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#11
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Elvish meaning 'Far-Wanderer'
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Boat - Greece - Me - Michigan
Boat: 56' Fountaine Pajot Marquises
Posts: 3,489
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
Quote:
Originally Posted by JusDreaming
how often do you pickle your water-maker? DIY and I don't remember the recommendation
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Really the question is WHEN do you pickle it verses HOW OFTEN.
If I'm using it every day, I don't do anything.
If it's going to be over 4 days with out use, I fresh water flush it.
If I'm not going to be using it for over 6 weeks, then I pickle it with a jar of Sodium Metabisulphide.
There is also an acid cleaner that you can use. My instructions are that it should only be used if the gph production drops. I didn't realize that the cores where relatively inexpensive ($200 each) so if my production drops and acid washing doesn't cure it, I'll just replace them.
__________________
Our course is set for an uncharted sea
Dante
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15-10-2011, 16:28
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Boat: Dragonfly 1000 trimaran
Posts: 7,274
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
Spectra specifically says NOT to use Sodium Metabisulfite on their units.
I have owned mine since 2000 and still have yet to pickle it in anything but its own product water every few months.
__________________
'You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
Mae West
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15-10-2011, 16:54
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#13
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Moderator Emeritus

Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gabriola Island & Victoria, British Columbia
Boat: Cooper 416 Honeysuckle
Posts: 6,933
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
Quote:
Originally Posted by senormechanico
Spectra specifically says NOT to use Sodium Metabisulfite on their units.
I have owned mine since 2000 and still have yet to pickle it in anything but its own product water every few months.
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That's an interesting approach. How much clean water do you flush through?
__________________
“We are the universe contemplating itself” - Carl Sagan
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15-10-2011, 18:29
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Boat: Dragonfly 1000 trimaran
Posts: 7,274
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
I watch the pressure drop, and the gph go up.
When they both stabilize, "Bob's your Uncle".
I never measured it, but I suppose a couple of gallons.
It takes about 3 minutes.
I have a Spectra 180.
BTW, did Philo steal that line from Plato?
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.Plato
Greek author & philosopher in Athens (427 BC - 347 BC) Quote Details: Plato: Be kind, for everyone... - The Quotations Page
================================================== ==
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.
A bit about Philo ...
Philo (20 BCE - 40 CE), known also as Philo of Alexandria and as Philo Judeaus, was a Hellenized Jewish philosopher born in Alexandria, Egypt. The few biographical details concerning him are found in his own works, especially in Legatio ad Caium, ("embassy to Caius") and in Josephus (Antiquities" xviii. 8, 1; comp. ib. xix. 5, 1; xx. 5, 2). ·
__________________
'You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
Mae West
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15-10-2011, 18:48
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#15
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Moderator Emeritus

Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Gabriola Island & Victoria, British Columbia
Boat: Cooper 416 Honeysuckle
Posts: 6,933
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Re: Pickling a Watermaker
Quote:
Originally Posted by senormechanico
I watch the pressure drop, and the gph go up.
When they both stabilize, "Bob's your Uncle".
I never measured it, but I suppose a couple of gallons.
It takes about 3 minutes.
I have a Spectra 180.
BTW, did Philo steal that line from Plato?
·
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I wasn't there but ... I have heard that the Plato attribution is incorrect that it actually was Philo who said it.
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