Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E, Owner'S Manual

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11
Using your Watermaker
Watermakers like to be run often
Just like its predecessor, the PowerSurvivor 35 , the PowerSurvivor 40E watermaker can be operated
in either manual or powered mode. This dual-purpose feature of the watermaker has its roots in our
original products, which were designed as military-quality survival equipment. Our deep experience
in this technology, combined with many years of active user feedback, allowed us to design a
watermaker that is easy to operate with little or no technical knowledge. There are no complicated
adjustments to make or gauges to monitor. By following the instructions below and paying attention
to system maintenance, you can expect years of trouble-free operation.
Powered Operation
Pre-Run Checklist:
Before running your watermaker, always check the following:

Check for bad (“rotten egg”) smell from the water in the prefilter assembly. Replace the
element and clean the housing, as required. Also check for foul water in any in-line coarse
strainer.

Any valves in the seawater intake reject brine and product freshwater lines should be
open.

The prefilter 3-way valve should be in the position to intake seawater.

Assure that the product freshwater output is routed to a drain for testing/discarding.

Make sure the cleaning valve lever on the pump is in the “down,” or “run,” position.

Check battery or power supply voltage. Operating your watermaker below about 11 VDC
is hard on the electric motor and dramatically reduces the output of product freshwater.

Observe the seawater around your vessel. Is it clean enough to use for your seawater
intake? There are several things to avoid feeding to your watermaker:
 petroleum products, such as oil, fuel, thinners, paints, paint removers, etc.
 chlorine-treated water; e.g., most “dock” water

silty water — water contaminated by fine, hard, suspended particulates
 putrid water, “red tides”, or any seawater that smells or looks contaminated
It is important to remember that the watermaker is designed to process clean, open-ocean seawater .
Any departure from that standard for your seawater intake runs the risk of causing excessive wear or
damage to internal pump parts and/or the vulnerable reverse osmosis membrane, or producing
contaminated product freshwater.
Note:
Judging the quality of seawater input always involves a certain calculated risk. We know
of watermaker systems that have been destroyed far offshore by intaking fresh whale excrement
or oil contaminants from natural seepages — still, the chance of such things happening is
normally small. On the other hand, regularly running a watermaker in an enclosed marina or
harbor runs a much higher risk of harmful contamination. If you need to test a new installation
while in a marina or harbor, monitor the water quality around your vessel carefully while testing.
Most of the time you should be able to run the watermaker safely for enough time to check out the
system.
Don’t sail away without testing a new installation or repair!