You do NOT turn on either of your pumps on the SeawaterPro
control panel to back flush. You are using
boat system water, and the
boat fresh
water pump to provide the pressure. Speaking to Mike, the owner of the SeawaterPro, he stated that if you kept the high pressure valve screwed in, a proper flush takes a considerable time, but if you unscrew the valve, a flush can take place in 3 to 5 minutes.
I back off the pressure on the hi pressure side every time I finish using our
water maker.
We are now two years in (next month), 270.3 hours of running, and 7,605 gallons of fresh water produced.
While our very first gallon of fresh water cost us $4,724.00 (that was the total cost of the water maker, the
installation, and two spare membranes) we are now down to $0.62/gallon, and by the time we get to
Florida (currently in
Panama City, with expected transit through the
Panama Canal in two days) we anticipate we'll be down to about $0.55/gallon.
But it's not about the cost, it's about the freedom of not having to be constantly searching for potable water, and believe me, coming down from the
PNW to
Panama, potable water was really scarce! We've only filled with
dock water once since leaving
Seattle area, and that was yesterday.
What the water maker is really about is Freedom, as stated! Last month a finished installing the fresh water wash down system, which allows us to fresh water rinse the windows,
fishing gear, and whatever when on
passage, and also allows us to take fresh water showers on the back
deck anytime we come out of the
salt water! Wasteful? Perhaps, but the fresh water is there to be used! Also have a washer dryer, and use it whenever we need.
For us, it's not about cost, it's about convenience!