Pickling Watermaker - Bypass HP Pump or Not?

[mvweebles]

I have a new CruiseRO watermaker and I'll be laying-up my boat for a few months so pickling for the first time. The CruiseRO instructions show the high pressure pump is bypassed so only the membranes are pickled (see attached picture). They are also explicit to NOT turn on the high pressure pump during pickling. SeawaterPro video shows no such bypass and says it ok to run the HP pump during pickling. .

https://youtu.be/4VLB9l7210o?feature=shared

I would think the pickling solution should be run through the High Pressure pump as the SWP instructions show. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance -

[Captain Bill]

While I keep the HP pump in line I use only the fresh water pump pressure to flush pickling solution through the system. Pump and membrane are 10 years old and I'm still making less than 200ppm product water. Note that I only pickle using product water from the tank and then still run it through a carbon filter in case there is residual chlorine in the system from previous city water fills. I usually have done several water making runs before pickling so there is not much original tank water left in the system.

[Lepke]

I pickle my whole system from the SW pump on. Both pumps, filters, etc. My plumbing is setup to be able to feed FW to the SW pump. My system always rests in FW. When I pickle I mix 5 gallons and feed to the SW pump so everything is pickled. When making water I run for 15 minutes or so before sending the product to the tanks. Usually a taste test, too. Recently changed 10 year old membranes because they were old but still had good numbers. I make water year round so don't pickle too often.

I have a homemade 40+gph (in 77°F water) somewhat similar to Cruse RO. After mistakes and learning it would have been cheaper to buy one of their systems.

[Pizzazz]

It makes no difference if you switch the high pressure pump on or off as long as you do not create pressure in the system with the needle valve. Water will just run through the system at no pressure with the needle valve fully open. Many water makers have just one high pressure pump and no feed pump at all.

I am against pickling in general though... the cleaning agents run $80-90, plus the hassle while a new membrane is $189. I would just use the old membrane until the quality of the water decreases then replace the membrane.