Watermaker Problem ?

[Sulaire]

Hi

I installed a katadyn 40e watemaker on our boat beacause it only uses 4 amps/ hour and the idea was to leave it running a few hours a day even under sail.

There are only two of us living aboard so it seems a good choice, and it has worked flawlessly for 3 years.....

We have now moved into the medeteranean...........

I always let the unit run and check the ppm before collecting the water in 5 liter plastic bottles . When in northern europe we got a steady 120 ppm and could run the unit all day with no problems.

Then we hit the med! The ppm starts at 280 and rises as time goes on. The water for the first hour smells fine and tastes fine and we drink it with no problems.

After that first hour the water starts to smell of the sea and the ppm goes up to 360 and beyond. it is not a rotten egg smell, more like the seashore!!

The unit still makes the designed 5liters per hour and uses 4 amps, so i think the diaphram is ok.

We now have to swap out filters every hour or so which seems odd. We are very careful not to run it near shore or if we see dirty water ahead we turn it off. The filter does have a strong smell of the sea when taken out, but this goes after a clean and dry out in the sun and works ok again for an hour or so.

Does anyone have any ideas? What are others getting ppm wise? Is the med a problem for others too?

Maybe i am used to the lovelly clean water in the scottish highlands!!!

Charlie.

Charlie.

[GordMay]

The “Bible” on PowerSurvivor watermakers
➥ http://www.katadyn.ishipaco.com/docs/WatermakerBook.PDF

[belizesailor]

280PPM is still quite nice water. How high does it rise to over time? Anything under 500PPM is OK. EPA/WHO standards are 800PPM or less for regular human consumption.

I had a similar problem on my Spectra unit (starts out fine...rising PPM until unacceptable over time). Had a leaky seal that was causing it to lose internal pressure and thus not enough pressure over time across the membrane.

Could be time for some maintenance.

[Sulaire]

Wow, thanks gordmay for the book, my wife already thinks i am mad, but now i am reading a book about watermakers , well...........

I did have some air bubbles in the fresh water output belizesailor, so maybe there is a leak, i will read the book then decide where to start!!

Charlie.

[phorvati]

You had 120ppm due to cold water. the med is extremely salty. Your rejection ratio is probably the same, but product ppm went up due to warmer and saltier water. Im happy any time I get 380ppm.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by phorvati

You had 120ppm due to cold water. the med is extremely salty. Your rejection ratio is probably the same, but product ppm went up due to warmer and saltier water. Im happy any time I get 380ppm.

This is very true. Salinity and temperature affect all watermakers