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Thread: Cleaning membranes

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

    Default Cleaning membranes

    I have 3 400 gpd membranes that need a cleaning..i read i need to use 200 gallons per nembrane to flush..really????

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

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    I'd be very surprised. Normally an RO is rated in gal/hour. If a 400 gpd is translated to gal/hr, divide by 24. That rounded gives you 17 gal/hr. That is about what you need to clean it. Start with a cold permeate rinse, to push sweet to your concentrate tank. Let it flow for about 4-5 minutes, control the pressure so both permeate and concentrate hoses appear equal flow. Then add about 1 gal of hot permeate (about 100F) in a wash bucket, Add the soap recommended by the membrane manufacturer, usually a lye solution, in your case maybe a teaspoonful. Run that for 10 minutes with both hoses returning to the wash "tank". Then rinse, using cold permeate for 5 minutes. If you need an acid wash, after the above is done, set another bucket with 1 gal cold permeate, add a teaspoonful of "reaLemon" or similar lemon concentrate. circulate for 5 minutes, rinse with cold permeate for 5 minutes. Then do another soap wash as before and finish with at least 5 minutes rinse. In all of that, you will have most likely used between 15 and 20 gal of permeate. If this was after the end of the season, let it set for a week with the lemon wash to dissolve any mineral trapped in the membrane(s). Then do a soap wash, cold rinse and put it away for the next season.
    The soap wash removes organic fouling, the acid wash removes mineral debris in the membrane.
    Last edited by maple flats; 03-23-2021 at 07:20 PM.
    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 2016
    Location
    MA
    Posts
    588

    Default

    I have essentially the same setup and I flush with 10 gallons permeate after each use.
    60ish taps on buckets
    D&G Sportsman 18x63
    Turbo RB15 RO Bucket

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2018
    Location
    Manitoulin Island, Ontario
    Posts
    39

    Default

    thank you so much dave...this is so helpful

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