23
OP-3 CHEMICALS 101
The Versa Sea Pak use four types of chemicals: Storage-1, Storage-2, Storage-3, and propylene
glycol antifreeze.
NOTE
: Never use any chemicals with the system pressurized! Always open the pressure relief
valve
1
/
2
turn. Always purge a system containing chemicals for at least 20 minutes unpressurized
before pressurizing and making water.
The Storage-1 is for storage only. It is no longer used as a cleaning chemical. To prepare the
system for storage, first do a fresh water flush until the brine discharge is below 1000 ppm or
does not taste salty. Mix one jar of Storage-1 with 1 to 2 gallons of product or dechlorinated
fresh water in a bucket and circulate UNPRESSURIZED with the fresh water in the system for
10 minutes, then discard. The system should be repickled every six months in warm conditions,
and every eight months in cooler conditions.
The Versa Sea Pak should be stored with propylene glycol if freezing could occur. This is the
food grade antifreeze used to winterize RVs, boats and cabins. This works very well for storing
in warm climates and is good for one year. See “OP-1 Winterizing or Pickling With Antifreeze”
for instructions on this procedure.
NOTE
: Do not use metasodium-bisulfate, the standard chemical used to store most
watermakers. This chemical will damage the hydraulic intensifier and void the warranty.
CLEANERS
: Cleaning can be detrimental to the membrane and shorten its life. Avoid
unnecessary cleaning. Avoid cleaning as a diagnostic tool.
Storage-2 is an alkaline cleaner used to remove light oil, grime and biological growth. It is
most effective if heated to 120
o
F. On a boat, this is not easy to do. If not heated, circulate for 2
hours and let set for several hours and recirculate for one hour and discard. In most cases the
water quality will increase in PPM after an Storage-2 cleaning. After a few hours it should
recover to near the PPM it produced before the cleaning
.
Storage-3 is an acid cleaner used to remove mineral and scale deposits. This is used in the same
way as the Storage-2. In most cases this is used first, and if no results are achieved, proceed
with the Storage-2. Storage-3 will in most cases lower the product PPM and over all pressures.
Scaling is a slow process that may take several months or years. Storage-3 is less harmful to the
membrane and will almost always improve the performance of an older membrane.
7/19/04
