Just installed a PowerSurvivor 35 Watermaker looking for advise

[Rocketman]

I just installed a PowerSurvivor 35 Watermaker. I bought it used. The guy I bought it from sent it in for service about 8 years ago and got it back looking like new. He never used it after getting it serviced. He told me they replaced all seals and pickelled the membrane. Now, after having ran it for several hours everything seems good with it, but I would like to know how to test the water quality, and make sure that the membrane is still good. The water tastes fine. I would also like to know where to buy a replacement membrane to have as a spare or to replace the one I have now. I know they sell the membranes at west marine but was hoping to find a supplier that was a little more reasonable. Any help would be great.

[robert sailor]

If it tastes good you are half way to the bank. You can buy a little hand held meter to test the quality, look for something less than a thousand parts per million, probably closer to 4-500 depending on where you are. The membranes are proprietary so you have to buy ones from the manufacturer or their agent, something less than $400. If your watermaker is producing water at 500 parts per million or less the membrane is like new in most cases.

[Rocketman]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

If it tastes good you are half way to the bank. You can buy a little hand held meter to test the quality, look for something less than a thousand parts per million, probably closer to 4-500 depending on where you are. The membranes are proprietary so you have to buy ones from the manufacturer or their agent, something less than $400. If your watermaker is producing water at 500 parts per million or less the membrane is like new in most cases.

Thanks for the quick responce. Where does one get a hand held meter to test the quality and is one beter than another?

[rebel heart]

$20

Amazon.com: HM Digital TDS-4 Pocket Size TDS Tester Meter Without Digital Thermometer, 0-9990 ppm Measurement Range , 1 ppm Resolution, +/- 2% Readout Accuracy: Home Improvement

[Jim Cate]

From our experience in the somewhat distant past, the best advice I can give you is to use it frequently... like every day, or every other day. All the problems that we encountered were when it sat for a while, pickled or not.

Jim

[model 10]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

From our experience in the somewhat distant past, the best advice I can give you is to use it frequently... like every day, or every other day. All the problems that we encountered were when it sat for a while, pickled or not.

Jim

You got that right. It may have been purchased as a back up but it needs to be used often. Don't know about every day but not every 6 months either.

[ksanders]

You dont really need a meter

If the water tastes fine it's fine.

My powersurvivor came with a meter. I think I used it once then never used it again.

[colemj]

I would be careful about the taste test. The WHO considers safe drinking water at a maximum TDS of 500ppm. Many people cannot taste the salt content until above 1000ppm, and many even well above that. Salt content at these levels can cause kidney problems. TDS meters cost 20 bucks (less if you look around) and require no training to use - surely that cost is worth a kidney?

Mark

[Tellie]

Agreed, get the hand held test meter and use it. The taste test works in a pinch but it is always advisable to test the water regularly as this will also give you an indication of how the system is working and perhaps slowly failing. Also it's a pretty good deal that the membrane is still operational after eight years of sitting around. I would think it's getting close to the end of it's life span. Depending on your cruising intentions will determine whether you should change the membrane or just use it until it slowly fails. Carrying a spare membrane is usually a bad idea because by the time it's needed and the fact that it may be sitting around for a few years chances are good that it won't be. But a 35gpd watermaker because of it's size is going to see A LOT of run time real quick so if it's going to have issues they will probably happen soon.