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.

[hezi973]

Hello sailors, I installed 2 water makers systems on my catamaran for redundancy. 12 volt 17 GPH and 220 volt 40 GPH. On both I get 350+- ppm and 12 and 30 GPH respectively. Since the boat is oversea and I don't live on it full time yet, I had to pickle. I used 33% food grade glycol to water and pickled from a diversion valve after the pre filters and before the high pressure pump with the pressure valve open all the way. When I ran out of pickling solution, I turn system off and close the pressure valve to retain the solution in the membranes (if it make sense). Initially I bought Potassium Metabisulphite for the pickling solution but never used it when the watermaker seller changed their strategy when realizing this is very corrosive and advised glycol. In the next 2 years, before going full time live aboard, I will have to pickle often while leaving the boat away and flying in and out to enjoy it in various destination. Due to the poor output of both water makers (production volume and ppm), I suspect the membranes are compromised. Now I am told pickling too often (which I haven't yet) with glycol will premature wear off the membranes. This throw me off balance. Am I doing something wrong? When do I need to pickle if I don't make water, 1 week? 2? More? Less?

Any input is appreciated. Thanks!

[CrispyCringle]

Originally Posted by 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 -
Attachment 287724

Just call Rich or Chuck (?) and ask them. They have dealt with these issues for years and should at least have some good inputs to think about. Whenever I call and leave a message I get a call back same day. Usually within a few hours.

[CarlF]

I would definitely call Rich.

Also, use RV/Marine water system antifreeze (propylene glycol) instead of the poweder chemicals. Available at any WestMarine. It's much kinder to the membrane and lasts longer. It's preferred in the CruiseRO manual.

[hezi973]

I considered the pink anti freeze glycol but was told to gets the more expensive food grade glycol. I didn't buy it fron these fellows (I assume the owners of cruise RO) and not comfortable asking now. I will create a trap to immerse the membranes in and hope for the best. Thanks for

[Tellie]

A couple of things. When pickling a watermaker the only thing that requires pickling is the membrane. If you flushed the entire system with fresh water and then removed the membrane and pickled it separate that works. Pickling is for the membrane. I am a big proponent of PG as well. We started a lot of this back on my boat experimenting with PG and the different concentrations many, many, years ag,,,, a while back. We started out using PG-100 which is a more concentrated solution. After lots of pickling systems I found that the PG-50 (Pink color code) works best. The PG-100s concentration was causing sticking issues and a membrane pickled with PG-100 was taking hours upon recommissioning to clear the membrane. With the PG-50 it solved that problem. It's inevitable that when you use PG to pickle your system that there will be a certain amount of fresh water left in the unit that will mix with the PG. I use a rough estimate for most sized watermakers most will see in the 30'-45' range. I have had no problems with growth by using two gallons of PG with an estimate of about a half-gallon of fresh water left in the system. But, as I have said many times. Though membrane protection is nice, it is not the main reason I recommend PG for watermakers. Back in the day, again a little while ago, membranes were very expensive and the watermaker worlds concern was to protect that membrane at all costs. What was quickly discovered is the protection abilities of PG for the rest of the watermaker. Membranes are nowhere near the cost as high-pressure pumps, feed pumps, fittings connections tubing etc. all found on all watermakers. But PG really does a far better job than any powdered pickling solution in protecting the other expensive parts of a watermaker, PG keeps corrosion down better, helps keep parts like diaphragms', O-rings shuttle valves, etc. much more supple and corrosion free. So even at the equator, use PG-50. Of course, we all know its really good for watermakers that will see freezing conditions.

[Lepke]

Call CruiseRO 1st.


I have a homemade but similar 40 gph system. Every time I make water I make 5 gallons extra in a bucket that I flush thru the entire system. Then put the pickling mix in the bucket and pump that in.
My seacock is shut, the bucket connected to the low pressure pump. The high pressure pump is also run but at minimum pressure.
I had growth trouble on ships that were laid up with sea water in the plumbing. So I don't leave untreated sea water in any part of it.