Spectra Watermakers LB-1800C, Installation And Operating Manual

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47
BAD SMELLING PRODUCT WATER
The reverse osmosis membrane is permeable by many gases including hydrogen sul-
fide, the gas that causes rotten egg smell. If there are bad odors in the feed water they
will go through the membrane and the product water will be affected. Usually the
source of the odor is from the decay of plankton trapped in the sea strainer and pre
-
filters
.
These tiny oxygen loving creatures soon suffocate and die inside the pre - filter
housings when the unit is shut down and begin to decay. Once this decay starts the
only solution is to rinse the Pre
- filter and let it dry completely (to kill the bacteria) or just
replace it with a new filter. If the system is making smelly water, it will likely be the pre -
filters that are the source of the problem. In cold climates this process of decay and
take weeks, but in very warm waters this can happen overnight. These bacteria can
spread throughout the watermaker, and begin to grow on the membrane, causing poor
water quality and high feed pressures.
Flushing the system with fresh water after every use greatly slows this process, allow-
ing the automated spectra units to operate with less frequent pre
- filter changes, but
units operated for only an hour or so a day will probably need to have the filters
changed due to odor before they are dirty enough to restrict water flow. After shutting
down the unit remove the used pre
- filters and install a clean set. Leave the housings
full of air until the next use.
If the rotten egg smell does not go away after operating the watermaker for 6 or 8
hours it may be time to clean the membrane with SC
- 2. Typically the smell will go
away with use, but if it persists cleaning may be indicated.
The Z - ION was created to eliminate this problem by disinfecting the system during
each fresh water flush, disinfecting the filters and the membrane.
More on this subject is available on our website at www.spectrawatermakers.com.
Oct 2013