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Thread: did i screw up

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Manitoulin Island, Ontario
    Posts
    39

    Default did i screw up

    when i stored my membranes i flushed them with permeate then put them in a pvc cannister with permeate , sealed it and stored in coldroom in basement....no soap wash or acid wash just flushed with permeate...did i do wrong?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Oneida NY
    Posts
    11,547

    Default

    Very possibly. I suggest you now put them back into the RO,, rinse them, then do a soap wash followed by an acid wash, let the acid wash set 3-4 days. Then repeat the process a second time. After that do a benchmark test. If they pass, then do another wash, acid wash and final rinse. Then add preservative and store them again until preps for next season.
    You should never just pack the membranes without doing both a soap wash then an acid wash and finally adding preservative. If you don't the membranes may likely be permanently ruined. A costly mistake.
    If you have serious doubts buy new membranes. After using mine for 9 seasons I found they started passing a little sugar. I just bought MES membranes. After checking which membranes most producers were replacing theirs with and how the new ones performed it was either H2O or MES, but MES got about twice the good reports that H2O did. MES also seems to have one of the best prices too. I still will save my old ones for emergencies.
    By the way, you will need good water to do the washes, no hardness and no chlorine. If you have soft water, good, if you use soft chlorinated water, let it set for at least 3-4 days to lose the chlorine before doing the washes.
    Last edited by maple flats; 09-12-2020 at 08:30 AM.
    Dave Klish, I recently ordered a 2x6 wood fired evaporator from A&A Sheet Metal which I will be converting to oil fired
    Now have solar, 2x6 finish pan, 5 bank 7x7 filter press, large water jacketed bottler, and tankless water heater.
    Recently bought another Gingerich RO, this one was a 125, but a second membrane was added thus is a 250, like I had.
    After running a 2x3, a 2x6, 3x8 tapping from 79 taps up to 1320 all woodfired, now I'm going to a 2x6 oil fired and a 200-425 taps.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    159

    Default

    Ok - I hope I didn't screw up my membranes.

    I have a RO 10 bucket kit, just got it last year. At the end of the year last year, I did the prescribed wash with the soap that came with the kit, and rinsed very well. Then, I took the membranes out of the housings, put each in a ziplock bag, and put them in my refrigerator. I did not leave them sitting in any solution. There is some condensation on the inside of the ziplocks, so they are still damp, and I did make sure that they did not freeze in the refrigerator. Then I read about people leaving them in solutions in the off season. I did not. Are they ok?
    2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
    2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
    2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
    2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
    2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    124

    Default

    Your membranes should be fine. As long as they didn't dry out and there isn't an awful odor, I would get them back in and do a permeate rinse. If you notice anything, run some ro soap or hydrogen peroxide through it.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2020
    Location
    Connecticut
    Posts
    159

    Default

    Finally have enough sap to use the RO!!! I took it out of storage today, and no smell! I will know tomorrow if it still works, after I test the sugar content of the permeate and concentrate! I have high hopes! Thank you Carl!
    2017 - 20ish taps on buckets, boiling outside in two baking pans
    2018 - 70+ taps, 14-buckets, 50+ on tubing, homemade arch from oil tank in my barn, 17 gal syrup
    2019 - same set up, 20 gal syrup
    2020 - less taps, short season, but RO kit was fantastic! 6 gal syrup and a maple cat!
    2021/22/23 - expanded into the neighbors yards! 50 taps on buckets and 40 taps on tubing

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