Problem with Spectra 150

[Jack1966]

After sitting for five years My Spectra 150 delux pressure gage is not working, but the water production seams fine, and the ppm reading is around 060. Any ideas what might be wrong?

[senormechanico]

Pressure gauge or flow gauge?
My Spectra 180 flow gauge sticks sometimes. It's a steel ball in a vertical tapered clear plastic tube. I just give it a whack when it's operating and it works again.

[Tellie]

Agreed with senormechanico. Is it really the pressure gauge or is it the flow meter? Either one can go bad after sitting unused for five years. But either one is an easy replacement. Also where are you making water that you are reading 060 PPMs? That's pretty low for a new system much less one that has sat for five years. Are you sure your hand held TDS meter isn't flashing a "X1" ? Take a close look, if you're not looking for it it's easy to miss.

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

Pressure gauge or flow gauge?
My Spectra 180 flow gauge sticks sometimes. It's a steel ball in a vertical tapered clear plastic tube. I just give it a whack when it's operating and it works again.

In the mechanical world, we call that a technical tap.

[senormechanico]

Cotemar,

The Bernina sewing machine engineers (Swiss) caution us techs never to use the word "bend" when we modify the shape of metal parts.
We're supposed to use the term "re-form" as it sounds more high tech !

[ShaktisBoy]

Wow 060! Ppm. Ours is new and we average low 200s

[senormechanico]

I start saving water after about 2 minutes of running at which time it's around 200 ppm.
After running awhile, it gets slightly below 100.
It's about 14 years old, and I've never used any chemicals for pickling.
I just store it in product water, and when it's time for the winter layup, I run it dry.

Works for me in the PNW.

[Jack1966]

OK, I tested it again and got the same reading, 064 ppm no x1, then I tested the sea water and got a reading of 750 x10, tested the water in my tank and got a reading of 210 ppm, the boat is in Harbortowne marina in Fort Pierce Fl and the water is a little brackish

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by Jack1966

OK, I tested it again and got the same reading, 064 ppm no x1, then I tested the sea water and got a reading of 750 x10, tested the water in my tank and got a reading of 210 ppm, the boat is in Harbortowne marina in Fort Pierce Fl and the water is a little brackish

Considering sea water has a TDS of around 32,000, and the water you are floating in is at 7500 that explains your low TDS reading.

[Jack1966]

And it is the pressure gage Thai is not working, the flow meter is working fine reading around 7

[Jack1966]

The reading I got from the sea water was 750 x10 ppm

[colemj]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

I start saving water after about 2 minutes of running at which time it's around 200 ppm.
After running awhile, it gets slightly below 100.
It's about 14 years old, and I've never used any chemicals for pickling.
I just store it in product water, and when it's time for the winter layup, I run it dry.

Works for me in the PNW.

That is amazing. You have certainly avoided all the niggly physics and chemistry problems with your method. You really store the membrane DRY over the winter, and have been doing so for 14yrs with no deterioration of performance? And that performance has been a TDS reading below 100ppm?

Everything I thought I knew about this is wrong.

Mark

[SV THIRD DAY]

Originally Posted by colemj

Everything I thought I knew about this is wrong.
Mark

Hey Mark, I don't think eveything you thought you knew is WRONG. If an RO Membrane Dries out or Freezes it is DEAD, Done, Trash, Buy a new one...you can't change the laws of physics or Chemistry. While the poster may have implied dry storage, the sealed system with water dropples could be keeping the membrane moist.

Regarding Pickling. The reason membranes need to be pickled is to prevent biological growth. Now if someone is lucky and is able to flush out all biologicals from the system by flushing with product water at the end of the season, that's great. But that example is the exception to the rule. Biological growth is dependant on temperature, so maybe the poster in the PNW is just above freezing to keep from destroying his membrane yet cold enough to keep biological growth from happening.

With no disrespect intended at all to the poster regarding his RO Membrane care, this is the exact type of Chat-Room-Cruise-Rumor type of informaiton that gets people in trouble. There is no conspiracy with DOW Chemical and all the water maker companies to make cruisers use pickling reagent. They all recommend it because it is necessary.
If a cruiser was to leave his water maker for the season down in Panama, Mexico, Florida, etc. unpickled and then comes back to find their RO Membrane fouled and ruined, the chances of getting a warranty replacement from the maufacturer is ZERO.

[senormechanico]

Originally Posted by colemj

That is amazing. You have certainly avoided all the niggly physics and chemistry problems with your method. You really store the membrane DRY over the winter, and have been doing so for 14yrs with no deterioration of performance? And that performance has been a TDS reading below 100ppm?

Everything I thought I knew about this is wrong.

Mark

Mark,
I run it for about a minute with the filter housing removed so it pumps out most of the water. I replace the filter housing minus the filter for storage.
It can easily go 6 months with no problems in the bilge area (annual temps between 40 to 60 f).
And those temps are why I mentioned in the first post that I was in the PNW.
I'd never leave it like that in Mexico or other tropical area without pickling.

[colemj]

You run your HP pump dry for a minute?

What watermaker is this?

Mark