Flow way off

[Kevin]

I have a 300 gph Waterloo small with (2) 4x40, NF90 membranes. Problem I'm having is that my permeate flow is WAAAYYY off....like 75%. My guess is that the membranes need a really good cleaning. Any suggestions? Was thinking of doing a soap wash overnight, like 12 hours long but didn't know if this would take care of my problem.

[wdchuck]

I'm no expert, but it sounds like your just processing really cold sap. Yesterday, we ran through a lot at 6 degrees C and at best got 85-90 % of regular flow through the machine, but the pressures were running really high. Still, washing cant hurt...........I'd try it anyway.

[802maple]

Cold sap will effect the flow, but cleaning is the key. I always say when you have cleaned it to much clean it again. Your machine should turn off by itself as it has a high temperature shutdown unless it isn't working. It should not go higher than 110 degrees fahranhiet to 116 or there abouts or 40 degrees cellcius or thereabouts. You should be rinsing every 4 hours and washing every 12 hours.

Remember the guy that keeps his chainsaw sharp will always out cut the guy that waits until it is dull.

[powerdub]

When were they cleaned last? How old are they? What temperature sap are putting to it? What are your pressures? what are you flows? Too little info to make a call. 802 and wd could have it but it wouldn't hurt to have more info.

[Russell Lampron]

How often do you do a wash on your membranes? I wash mine after every use and rinse every 4 hours if I am going to run it for longer than 4 hours. I haven't run it for 12 hours non stop so I haven't gone that long before doing a wash with soap. Like 802 said the machine should shut itself off automatically at about 40 deg celsius, mine shuts off at 43. If it has been a long time since you have done a wash with soap try doing 3 washes followed by a short rinse after the first 2 times and a long rinse after the 3rd.