PUR PowerSurvivor 35 Watermaker

[michaeld]

It was installed when we bought Imagine. I'm looking to get it working. Any and all inputs are appreciated, especially from those with first hand experience.

[tkeithlu]

No telling what its condition will be, from working just fine to total junk.

Can you get it freshwater for flush and saltwater to push through the filter? If so, divert the output into a jar and run it. Keep running it if water comes out until it loses the hydrogen sulfide smell. If it's still pumping out, test what you've got.

RO watermakers are supposed to have all kinds of maintenance. Yours has not. But then, my watermaker doesn't seem to care - I neglect it, I start it up, it produces a liter or so of nasty stuff, and then it produces water better than our municipal supply. You might get lucky.

[LLCoolDave]

This guy wrote the book on power survivors. Using the way back machine I was able to find a PDF copy of the book. If you can't find it pm me your email and I'll send you a copy.

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ser-40828.html

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by michaeld

It was installed when we bought Imagine. I'm looking to get it working. Any and all inputs are appreciated, especially from those with first hand experience.

We are using a powersurvivor 35 which we bought used in 1993.
Probably you will need a new membrane. You'll check this last.
Procedure:

1. verify that the motor runs and the pump moves the piston up and down. If this works and there are no broken bits all else is easily fixable.
2. Once the pump is running you need to see if it moves water. Hook up the intake hose to a source of water and see if anything comes out the product water pipe. If not (likely) you need a rebuild kit
3. Obtain a rebuild kit for it and follow the instructions (carefully). It is mostly replacing small O-rings and some small valves. You need an allen wrench to do most of it. Proceed slowly and carefully, following the instructions or the book referenced above. Note: Very small errors or misalignments will prevent the pump from working.
4. Once you have it pumping check the output water (by tasting it)
5. if it is not sweet, then you probably need a membrane. They are proprietary I believe.
6. Always run it with plenty of battery power because you can damage the motor with low voltage (I run ours only when the engine is going)
7. Always pickle it with preservative if you are going to NOT run it for over a few days.

One and a half hours a day, while charging our battery, produces enough beautiful fresh water for our drinking needs. More water than that, I recommend a bigger watermaker.

[GordMay]

How To Survive With A PowerSurvivor Watermaker
By Gary E . Albers* [ishipaco] Aboard S/V ISHI
➥https://web.archive.org/web/20110810...rmakerBook.PDF

Power survivor 35 manual by Recovery Engineering
➥ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...?do=file&id=26

PowerSurvivor Katadyn 40E Watermaker
➥ https://web.archive.org/web/20110805....ishipaco.com/


* Update, from Gary Albers (Ishipaco), 26-04-2021 ➥ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3395713

Gary's Profile ➥ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...aco-36204.html

[michaeld]

Thank you all for your replies. I'll get on it ASAP and report back when I have something to share.

[michaeld]

Lots of boat projects and maintenance going on. I finally had the time to check out the PUR PowerSurvivor 35 Watermaker. I took it home and powered it with a 20 Amp battery charger. I ran two gallons of distilled water through it. At first, the ejected water was discolored and the output was as well. After about 3/4 gallon of water, everything cleared up. No leaks, no weird noises. It "produced" a few ounces of water. My next "test" will be to run some ocean water through it to see what we get. Membranes are still available @ $400+, so I'll wait and see how it runs again for an hour or two before I shell out the cash. Thanks to everyone who replied and shared their knowledge.