Under-utilised Watermaker

[ronbo1]

I have a Spectra 180 that is “pickeled” with alcohol-free pink antifreeze each year. Unfortunately I won’t be using it for more than a year. What effect does the antifreeze have on the diaphragm?

Thanks
Ronbo

[sailjumanji]

I have a Spectra 150D pickled with same stuff two years ago. Scheduled for restart in Feb 2019 - so that will make it almost three years. (Took it off previous boat and waiting to install on new one, and do cruising.). I'm hoping the answer is that everything will work OK.

[MV Wanderlust]

Our marina neighbor bought their boat five years ago and it came with a pickled watermaker. They let it sit, pickled, for four years before flushing it out and starting it the first time. Granted, that's a lot longer to leave one pickled than is normally recommended, but theirs worked just fine.

[newhaul]

Shoot jt a pm he is our resident spectra expert.
Cruisers & Sailing Forums - View Profile: Tellie

[a64pilot]

Yeah, send Tellie a PM, cause the membranes will likely be OK, but maybe there is something you need to do to that pump. I don’t know.

[Tellie]

Actually PG is exactly what I would like to see in this case for extended storage. The feed pump is a diaphragm pump and PG is going to keep it nice and supple far longer than the SC-1 storage compound would. But even then pump heads are inexpensive enough and about a 15 minute change out.