Cat. No.

M000-04
Rev. 02 – 4/98

R.O. DESALINATION UNIT

TECHNICAL MANUAL

IW Model
1996

Culligan reserves the right to change any technical or design specifications

CULLIGAN ITALIANA S.p.A. - Via Gandolfi, 6 - 40057 Cadriano di Granarolo E. BO (ITALY) - Phone +39/51/6017111 –
Telefax +39/51/765602

Quality System Certified according to UNI EN ISO 9001 Norm

This manual is intended for the Staff specifically appointed to
install and/or operate and/or repair the Culligan systems. Work by
unauthorised staff, or not in accordance with the instructions in the
manual, will relieve Culligan of all liability for the possible
consequences.

SAFETY WARNINGS

• All handling, maintenance and repair of systems must be carried out by suitably trained
staff.

• The room which is to house the systems, the accessory material and the consumable
products must comply with the safety, use and storage requirements envisaged by the
regulations in force.

• The water produced by each device must be used for the specific purpose for which it was
intended. Culligan is not liable for the consequences of improper use of the water produced
by its equipment.

• All system malfunctions must be reported to the Culligan Service Centre immediately.
Culligan is not liable for the consequences of protracted use of a system on which
malfunctions have occurred.

• Where necessary, chemicals must be selected, dosed and handled by professional qualified
staff, in accordance with the Culligan instructions and the Safety Technical Information.

• The system must be disconnected from the electricity and water supplies during all
maintenance or repair operations.

• Waste or consumable materials from water treatment systems must be disposed of in

accordance with the regulations in force.
GENERAL - The nominal temperature is
used for the calculation of
IW series industrial R.O. desalination units expected plant performance.
are designed and constructed to offer reliable
- The SDI value required may
operation, high efficiency, user-friendliness
be achieved by means of
and simple maintenance.
adequate pre-treatment.

The materials used for construction, - Chlorine is normally added

particularly those in contact with water, are to raw water for disinfection.
food grade and have high resistance to The excess should be
corrosion (AISI 316 stainless steel, uPVC and eliminated by means of
polyethylene). The water for treatment must activated carbon or injection
have the following main characteristics (for of suitable chemicals.
the other parameters not considered here, it - Calcium sulphate, Calcium
is supposed that the water meets drinking carbonate and Silica: the
water standards). limits indicated refer to the
Feed pressure : 0.3 bar min. prevention of scale-forming
precipitations.
Product pressure : 1.5 bar max.
Normally, on the basis of the chemical
Temperature : 2-35°C (design
analysis of water, the limits are borne in mind
temperature is
during the design phase and the necessary
20°C)
corrective pre-treatment (acidification,
Salinity : 5000 mg/l (as sequestrant injection or conditioning with
TDS) max. products such as polyphosphates, softening
on resins, etc.) is suggested.
S.D.I. : <3

pH : 4 - 11
Free chlorine : absent
DESCRIPTION
Calcium sulphate (CaSO4) : concentration in
the reject water The Aqua-Cleer IW consists basically of:
below the
solubility limit
- A skid.
Calcium carbonate
- One or more pressure vessels and
(CaCO3) : negative
relevant R.O. membranes.
Langelier index in
the reject water - Multistage centrifugal pump(s) (AP01).
Silica : concentration in - Automatic valve on raw water inlet
the reject water (SV01).
below the
- Control valves for recycle and reject
solubility limit
(RV02 and RV03, if applicable).
WARNING - Temperature out of the
permitted range could cause - Feed pressure control valve (RV01).
irreversible damage to the - Control panel with:
membranes (because of
frost or deterioration of the - pressure switch for low inlet pressure
osmotic film). (PS01)
- pressure switch for high product
pressure (PS02)

Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98 Aqua-Cleer IW 1

 - pressure switch for high pressure pump
(PS03)
- pressure gauges
- product flow meter (Fl02)
- reject water flow meter (Fl03)
- recycle flow meter (Fl01), if applicable.
Logic of Operation
The R.O. unit is operated on level installed in
the treated water accumulation tank.
The starting procedure is as follows:
- Solenoid valve SV01 is energized,
opening the automatic valve AV01
installed at the R.O. unit inlet and allowing
the feed water to pressurize the system.
The low pressure switch PS01 controls the
pressure, and does not allow automatic
start-up of the high pressure pump AP01
unless it exceeds the preset value. This
prevents damage to the pump caused by
lack of water and/or insufficient pressure.
Once the pump AP01 has started, the
water is pressurized and sent to the R.O.
membranes.
A part of the feed water passes through
the membranes and loses a large portion
of salts (PRODUCT), while the remainder,
with higher salt content, is rejected to
drain (REJECT).
In order to reduce the quantity of reject
water, some of it can be recycled by
setting the regulator valve RV02 as
appropriate, on the basis of the reading of
the flow meter Fl01.
The system is equipped with three safety
pressure switches:
2 Aqua-Cleer IW
- Flushing system with:
- horizontal cylindrical container
- minimum level switch (LSL01)
- vacuum breaker
- non-return product valve.
- pressure switch for low inlet pressure
PSL01
- pressure switch for high discharge
pressure pump PSH02 (detects
malfunctions)
- pressure switch for high pressure product
PSH03 (to protect the R.O. membranes).
Whenever the values set on the pressure
switches are exceeded, the system cuts out
and the associated alarm is signaled.
The operating pressures and flow rates are
displayed on the pressure gauges and flow
meters supplied with the unit, which are
regulated with the aid of the manual valves
installed on the HP pump discharge line
(product RV01, recycle RV02, reject RV03).
Once the maximum level has been reached in
the treated water tank, the unit automatically
carries out a flushing cycle.
In the flushing phase, all the water inside the
membranes is totally replaced with the
osmotized water drawn from the flushing
tank.
The flushing time set allows use of about 75%
of the water available in the tank.
At the end of the flushing phase, the unit is
switched off.
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
 IW R.O. DESALINATION UNITS

Description IW05 IW06 IW08 IW10 IW12 IW14 IW16 IW18 IW20 IW22 IW24 IW26 IW28 IW30 IW30A
Q.ty/ Q.ty/
Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/ Q.ty/
type typetype type type type type type type type type type type type type
Membrane BW 30-400 4 5 7 9 10 12 15 16 18 20 22 25 28 30 30

Cat. No. M000-04 - 9/97

1x4 2x3 2x5 2x5 2x6 3x4 3x4 3x5 3x6 3x6
Pressure Vessels 1x4 1x5 2x5 2x6 5x6
1x3 1x3 1x5 1x6 1x6 2x4 2x5 2x5 2x5 2x6
1x 1x 1x 1x 1x 2x 2x 2x 2x 2x 2x 2x 2x 2x 2x
Pumps SV1615 SV1615 SV1615 SV3012 SV3012 SV1615 SV1615 SV1615 SV1615 SV3012 SV3012 SV3012 SV3012 SV3012 SV3012
15 kW 15 kW 15 kW 22 kW 22 kW 2x15kW 2x15kW 2x15kW 2x15kW 2x22kW 2x22kW 2x22kW 2x22kW 2x22kW 2x22kW
Instruments:
Conductivity Meter 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Termperature gauge 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Pressure gauges (1) 4 4 5 5 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 5
(3)
Flow indicators (2) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2

IW
Pressure switches (4) 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
HPP discharge valve 1x2” 1x2” 1x2” 1x2½” 1x2½” 1x2½” 1x2½” 1x2½” 1x2½” 1x3” 1x3” 1x3” 1x3” 1x3” 1x3”
uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC uPVC
Pipework AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI AISI
316 316 316 316 316 316 316 316 316 316 316 316 316 316 316
Control panel NOT INCLUDED
Flushing tank 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
(1)
- Single Stage: HP pump suction, HP pump discharge, reject, product.
- Double Stage: HP pump suction, HP pump discharge, reject 1st stage, reject 2nd stage, product.
(2)
- Product, reject, recycle.
(3)
- Unit without recycle.
(4)
- HP pump suction, HP pump discharge, product.

3
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98 Aqua-Cleer IW 3
4 Aqua-Cleer IW Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
 Note: Model IW 30A without recycle.

Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98 Aqua-Cleer IW 5

6 Aqua-Cleer IW Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
 Note: Model IW 30A without recycle.

Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98 Aqua-Cleer IW 7

Installation Instructions
MEMBRANE ELEMENT LOADING
Although it is very simple to load the spiral
wound membrane elements into the pressure
vessels, it is very important that is should be
done with maximum care and attention. One
damaged product tube or forgotten
interconnector may cause a lot of time
consuming labour in fault finding later on.
Therefore, the handling of element loading
has to be carefully conducted and supervised
intensively.
- Use of a membrane element loading tool
is strongly advised for 8" membrane
elements.
- During membrane element loading the
location of the membrane element
numbers has to be recordered in the
membrane location sheets (see Figure
No. 1).
- Don't expose the membrane elements to
direct sunshine, sand or dust after
unpacking, lay them in a single layer on a
clean even surface.
- To prevent membrane elements from
drying out, unpacked membrane elements
must be loaded within 20 minutes.
Figure No. 1
8 Aqua-Cleer IW
- Drain the pressure vessels as much as
possible.
- Losen pipe couplings from endcaps.
- Loosen all permeate - feedwater - and
concentrate piping/couplings from
manifolds.
- Remove ends from pressure vessels and
slide the O-Rings on the pressure vessel
free from the endcaps. Note condition of
gasket: if cracked or damaged, replace
with new gasket.
- Place end caps on a clean surface.
Note: in case of membrane element
replacement, push the old membrane
elements out in the same direction as
the flow of water.
NEVER USE A STEEL ROD.
(Please note: when removing old
membrane elements, it is necessary
to support them on emerging to
prevent product tubes from breaking,
a membrane element loading tool
would provide for this).
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
Figure No. 2
- Wipe the pressure vessel with a clean
water-soaked sponge (e.g. polyester)
glued to a PVC pipe, and then wipe with a
glycerin-soaked swab or sponge (see
Figure No. 2).
After use, the swabs should be rinsed in
water. Do not permit strong oxidizing
agents such as nitric or Potassium
permanganate to contact the glycerine.
- The membrane elements are coupled with
element connectors (see Figure No. 3).
Inspect the O-Rings and lubricate with
glycerine.
- The membrane elements are inserted one
at a time into the pressure vessel with the
concentrate end (opposite end of brine
seal) of the membrane element first (see
Figure No. 1). Lubricate the brine seal with
glycerine before the membrane element is
completely inserted. All lubrication has to
be done sparingly.
- Lubricate the membrane element
connector with glycerine and position on
product tube. Use a twisting motion to
ease the membrane element connector
O-Rings over the product tube and push
the membrane element connector onto the
product tube until it butts.
- When the number of membrane elements
inserted into the vessel equals the number
for which the vessel was designed, the
product tubes on the membrane elements
will extend to the ends of the pressure
vessel.
Now replace both endcaps and insert
Holding Plates and Bolts.
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
- The piping/tubing (feedwater, product
water and brine lines) must be
reconnected exactly as they were prior to
disassembly.
Note: some units may be supplied with less
membranes than the available space
in the pressure vessels (e.g. 3
pressure vessels for 6 membranes
each and 15 membranes only). The
number of membrane is suitable for
producing the required amount of
water under the applicable design
conditions. The available space may
be used in the future to compensate
for membrane ageing.
Great care must be taken during
membrane loading: push the
membranes to the end of the
pressure vessel connecting brine and
product ports. Install the plug - Cat.
No. R07935 + R05551 - on the
membrane product tube and the cap -
Cat. No. 600368 - on the adapter
located inside the product port of the
pressure vessel end plate (see Figure
No. 4).
- Then the train of membrane elements is
pushed in the direction of the permeate
outlet side of the pressure vessel (this can
be done by means of the membrane
element loading device).
The distance between the front-product
tube and the pressure vessel end plate
should be less than 50 mm for 8 inch
membranes.
- Assembly the endcap of the pressure
vessel. Tighten the Victaulic bolts.
Aqua-Cleer IW 9
MEMBRANE ELEMENT FAILURE
DIAGNOSIS
The location of the O-Ring leak or failing
membrane element begins by sampling the
permeate output from each pressure vessel,
until the particular pressure vessel, that
rejects less Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) than
it should, has been found.
Doing this, we have to realize that Permeate
TDS increases along with the R.O. assembly
as a function of the local concentration. For
these vessels which are rejecting properly,
the next step is to isolate the failing
component. In each vessel there are two ring
joints for each membrane element, any of
which could cause a high TDS reading.
The technique of determining the failing
membrane element or connection consists of
the use of a 6-mm diameter plastic tube
(supplied with the unit) which is inserted in
the permeate passage of a pressure vessel to
determine the TDS of the permeate at various
points along its passage through the vessel.
Insert the tube to the far end.
By sampling one can develop a contour of the
salinity at each location throughout the
pressure vessel by measuring the
conductivity of the water at each position of
the probe.
Samples are tested from various positions
along the lenght of the vessel. A sample with
a much higher conductivity content than the
previous sample indicates a leak in the area
from which the latter sample was taken.
The initial reading is a check of the O-Ring;
the second reading is a ckeck of the
membrane rejection; the third reading is a
check of the next O-Ring junction etc.
10 Aqua-Cleer IW
Usually this will indicate where the problem
lies so that the necessary action can be
determined.
In a multimembrane element pressure vessel,
the data may not be conclusive and it is
sometimes necessary to remove two of the
elements in a shell in order to isolate one
element.
If it becomes necessary to remove membrane
elements from the pressure vessel, they
should not be exposed to humidity of less
than 100% for more than a few hours. An
easy method to prevent this condition is to
have a container larger than all dimensions of
the membrane element and submerge the
elements as soon as removed from the
system.
First, examine the O-Rings; each O-Ring
must be in its groove without being twisted,
distorted or nicked so that perfectly seal
around both its inside and outside surface,
avoiding concentrate from entering the
permeate passages. Also examine the
connectors and bushings for damages or
cracks. If the feed water does not enter the
permeate passages, the resulting TDS
reading will depend upon the portion of feed
water (high in TDS) penetrating into permeate
(low TDS). Usually there is only one failure
but examine all connections to be sure.
Secondly, consider the brine seal is a tapered
device which prevents the pressurized feed
water from by-passing a membrane element.
Failure will cause a drop in the permeation
rate since one membrane element has, in
effect, been removed from the normal flow of
feed water.
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
Figure No. 3

Figure No. 4

Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98 Aqua-Cleer IW 11

R.O. Unit Start-Up
Note: the description of the start-up
procedure describes a unit with single
high pressure pump. If two pumps are
installed, the procedure described
applies to both pumps.
After making sure that the R.O. feed water
quality is within the operating limits, the
system can be started up.
- Set the safety pressure switches:
low pressure pressure switch
PSL01 = 0.3-0.5 bar
high pressure product pressure switch
PSH03 = 1.5 bar
high pressure pump pressure switch
PSH02 = 25-28 bar
- Temporarily, connect the product water
line to drain using a flexible hose.
- Set the control valves for high pressure
pump discharge (RV01), reject (RV03) and
recycle (RV02, if applicable) 50% open.
- Open the automatic switch installed to
protect the high pressure pump (AP01),
the pump cannot start.
- Feed to the control panel and turn the
R.O. unit control switch to RUN position.
- The solenoid valve (SV01) will be
energized and the automatic valve (AV01)
installed on the unit inlet will immediately
open to pressurize the system.
From the reject flow meter (Fl03) check
that all air has been expelled from the
circuit (air bubbles will gradually
disappear).
- Vent the air from the pump AP01 using the
suitable vent port located on top of the
pump.
- Make sure there are no leaks in the water
circuit.
12 Aqua-Cleer IW
- Switch off the power supply to the control
panel and close the automatic switch of
the pump AP01.
- Switch the control panel power supply
back on.
After the preset delay, if the feed water
pressure conditions are met, the AP01
pump will start.
Note: check that the motor runs in the
direction shown by the arrow;
otherwise, reverse two wires on
the motor terminal board.
- Set the system correctly for the operating
expectations, by adjusting the control
valves on the pump discharge (RV01),
reject (RV03) and recycle (RV02, if
applicable) lines.
Note: all flow rate and pressure
parameters can be checked
immediately on the flow meters
and pressure gauges supplied with
the system.
- Leave the system in operation with the
product line connected to drain for about
two hours to eliminate any trace of
chemicals from the R.O. membranes.
- Restore the original connection of the
product water line and fill the treated water
accumulation tank.
- When the tank is full the R.O. unit will
automatically switch to flushing mode. In
this phase the solenoid valve (SV01) is de-
energized; the automatic inlet valve
(AV01) is shut, while the motor-driven
pump unit continues running, drawing in
water from the flushing tank. The R.O.
unit will stop after the preset time.
Note: the flushing tank is equipped with
one minimum level switch to
prevent the pump from dry
running.
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
CHECKING THE ALARMS
R.O. UNIT LOW PRESSURE ALARM
(PAL01)
Shut the manual valve at the R.O. system
inlet and check that the unit stops
immediately and the "Low Pressure" alarm
lights up on the general control panel.
Turn the manual valve back on and reset the
alarm.
PUMP HIGH PRESSURE (PAH02) AND
PRODUCT HIGH PRESSURE (PAH03)
ALARMS
To check that the high pressure alarms are
working properly, modify the settings of the
pressure switches themselves to values
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
below those indicated on the relevant
pressure gauges.
When the alarm condition occurs the unit cuts
out immediately and the "Pump High
Pressure" or "Product High Pressure" light
illuminates on the control panel.
Restore the pressure switches to their original
setting and reset the alarm.
FLUSHING TANK LOW LEVEL ALARM
(LAL01)
To check that the sensor installed in the
flushing tank is operating correctly, increase
the time set on the flushing timer, simulate
the TANK FULL condition, wait for the
flushing tank to empty and check that the
pump stops immediately.
WARNING: great care must be taken during
this procedure to avoid the pump
to run dry.
Aqua-Cleer IW 13
Operation
GENERAL
The R.O. unit has been designed to run with
a minimum of operators attention. In order to
protect the most vulnerable parts of the plant,
it has been provided with a number of
instruments that will bring the plant to a safe
emergency shut-down state when a safety
limit is exceeded.
Emergency shut-down should be avoided as
much as possible. The various alarms will be
indicated on the system panel.
Note: it is very important that right from the
initial start-up of the plant all readings
of pressure, temperature, flow, SDI and
conductivity are logged or recorded on
plant log sheets and recorder rolls,
where provided.
Daily logging, and also whenever there is an
operator's shift change is the minimum
required (SDI weekly logging is normally
acceptable).
Absence or incompleteness of plant log
sheets and recorder paper may invalidate
the guarantees.
New membrane elements have a higher initial
permeate flow, that will decrease because of
compaction of the membrane material. The
compaction will be higher at higher pressures
and temperatures and will stabilise after a
certain period of time. In the design of this
plant, the compaction effects are accounted
for with an appropriate design margin.
The actual effect of compaction on system
pressure under constant flow conditions can
best be established in practice by a
comparison between the initial system
pressure and the system pressure after about
500 hrs running period. For the best
comparison the plant should first be cleaned.
After this period, compaction will progress
much more slowly and, apart from
temperature and fouling effects, the plant will
then operate under steady conditions.
14 Aqua-Cleer IW
PLANT PERFORMANCE LOGGING AND
DAILY CHECKS
To achieve a smooth and continuous
operation, the following items must be
checked and logged on a daily basis.
- Silt density index of the feed water
The purpose of the silting index test
procedure is to obtain an indication of the
amount of suspended particles in the R.O.
feed water. R.O. membranes foul, because
they retain solids, a portion of which will
form a fouling layer on the membrane.
A small scale membrane filtration under
standard conditions gives information about
the fouling rate of a given feed water. To
determine the silt density index, follow
procedure as described in the following
section.
The maximum acceptance silt density index
for spiral wound membrane elements is 3.
Results of all silt density index tests must be
logged, and used filters marked with the
date of the test and stored in a filing system
for reference in the event of warranty
claims.
- Pressure drop across the cartridge filters
The plant will shut-down on low feed
pressure to the H.P. pump. When the
cartridge filters are clogged to such extent
that the outlet pressure gauge reads 0.7 bar
less than the original value, the cartridges
have to be replaced in the cartridge system.
- Concentrate and permeate flows
Concentrate and permeate flows will vary
with varying temperature and pressure, they
might require re-adjustment by operating the
feed control valve as well as the concentrate
and recirculation control valves. Increase of
permeate flow will be obtained by opening
the feed control valve and closing the
concentrate control valve. Increase of
concentrate flow is obtained by opening the
concentrate flow valve and opening the feed
control valve.
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
Silt Density Index (S.D.I.) Test Procedure

GENERAL

The object of this procedure is to provide a 7) The Silt Density Index is now calculated by
means of determining the tendency of the the formula:
feed water to foul a reverse osmosis system. T1
1-
The SDI test has to be done weekly or T2
S.D.I. = x 100
whenever a change in feedwater quality is T
suspected. For a safe operation of the plant
SDI must be below 3. where T is test time in minutes (usually 15
minutes, but may be less when if 75%
plugging occurs in less than 15 minutes).
PROCEDURE
8) Note the result of the test on the plant log
sheet, mark the used filters with the date
1) The Silt Density Index test assembly of the test and keep them in a file.
consists of a pressure control valve and
Millipore filter holder type SX 0007400 and
a pressure gauge to 5 bars, in the feed
directly in front of the Millipore filter.
2) Prime the filter holder, open up the filter
holder and place by means of forceps a
new MF 0.45 micron filter concentrically on
the filter bottom.
3) When the filter is soaked, it will stick more
or less to the filter bottom and the filter
holder can be closed again.
4) Adjust the feed pressure to the filter
quickly to 2.2 bar on the pressure gauge
by means of the pressure control valve.
5) Start a stop watch and time the period to
fill a flask to the 500 ml mark. Record this
time as T1 seconds. This should take
longer than 15 seconds. A shorter time
indicates incorrect pressure or a leak on
the filter assembly. Leave the valve open
for continuous flow.
6) After 15 minutes repeat step 5. Time the
period it takes to fill the 500 ml flask.
Record this time as T2 seconds.

Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98 Aqua-Cleer IW 15

Membrane Cleaning
GENERAL INFORMATION
a) Introduction
Deposition of suspended solids,
precipitation of sparingly soluble salts or
biological growth can foul R.O.
membranes if the feed water does not
receive adequate pre-treatment. Fouling
has also been known to occur over a
period of time even when the feed water is
from a source that has a low Silt Density
Index.
Symptoms of fouling are decreases in both
permeate flow and permeate quality.
The earlier that fouling is detected, the
easier it is to clean the membranes in
order to restore their performance. The
purpose of this report is to provide
guidelines for the detection of fouling and
to recommend procedures for cleaning the
membranes.
b) Detection of Fouling
The permeate flow rate varies with the
temperature of the water that is being
processed and the pressure to which it is
subjected. Generally it is recommended
that the applied pressure is adjusted to
maintain constant permeate production at
MULTIPLICATION FACTOR
TEMPERATURE (°C)
16 Aqua-Cleer IW
rated capacity.
It is also recommended that the cleaning
procedures described in this report are
executed if it becomes necessary to
increase the applied pressure by as much
as 5-10% to maintain constant output.
Fouling can be easily detected if such
increases are required, provided that the
feed water temperature and the recovery
rate remain constant.
However, increased pressure will also be
required to maintain constant output from
clean membranes if the feed water
temperature decreases. Furthermore,
some increase in pressure will also be
required if the recovery is increased while
the concentrate flow rate is constant or if
the concentrate is increased while the
recovery is constant. The latter factors
have a relatively minor effect on required
pressure increases compared to the
temperature factor and can usually be
ignored. The following chart can be used
as a guide for approximating the effect of
temperature on the pressure requirements
for clean membranes.
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
 A temperature of 20°C was arbitrarily
chosen as a base point for this chart for
plotting the multiplication factors. If a base
point other than 20°C is needed, its
multiplication factor can be adjusted to
another temperature by using the ratio of
the two multiplication factors taken from
this chart. If, for example, an R.O. plant is
producing rated output at 25°C at an
applied pressure of 17 bars and if the
temperature decreases to 16°C, the
approximate factors taken from the chart
are 0.87 and 1.1 respectively.
The pressure that will be needed to
produce the same output at 16°C will then
be approximately:
1.1
x 17 = 21.5 bar
0.87
In this example, cleaning is recommended
if the pressure required to produce
constant output increases to:
17.0 x 1.05 = 17.8 bar at 25°C
or
21.5 x 1.05 = 22.6 bar at 16°C
If operation were to be continued at higher
pressures, the deposited foulants would
become more compacted, and
subsequently cleaning would not be as
effective in removing them.
c) Recommended Cleaning Solutions
The following are a selection of cleaning
chemicals that have been shown to be
successful at other installations. The choice
of the cleaning solution will be made by
engineering. Add the given quantities to
R.O. water product as described.

SIMPLE CLEANING SOLUTIONS FOR R.O. MEMBRANE

Cleaner 0.1% (W) 0.1% (W) 0.1% STP 0.2% 0.5% 2.0% 0.2% 1.0%
NaOH and NaOH and and 1.0% (W) (W) (W) (W) (W)
pH 12, pH 12, Na4EDTA HCl H3PO4 Citric NH2SO3H Na2S2O4
30°C max 30°C max or Acid
or 1.0% or 0.025% 0.1%TSP
(W) (W) and
Na4EDTA Na-DSS 1.0%
and and Na4EDTA
pH 12, pH 12,
Foulant 30°C max 30°C max
Inorganic Salts
(for example
CaCO3 CaSO4
BaSO4) best OK OK OK
Metal Oxides
(for example
Iron) good OK good
Inorganic
Colloids (Silt) good
Silica OK
Biofilms best good good
Organic OK good good

(W) denotes weight percent of active ingredient.

Cleaning Chemical symbols in order used: NaOH is Sodium hydroxide; Na4EDTA is the tetrasodium salt of
ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid; Na-DSS is Sodium salt of dodecylsulfate; STP is Sodium triphosphate
(Na5P3O10); TSP trisodium phosphate (Na3PO4⋅12H2O); HCl is hydrochloric acid; H3PO4 is phosphoric acid;
C3H4(OH)(CO2H)3 is citric acid; NH2SO3H is sulfamic acid; Na2S2O4 is Sodium hydrosulfite.
Foulant Chemical symbols in order used: CaCO3 is Calcium carbonate; CaSO4 is Calcium sulfate; BaSO4 is
Barium sulfate.

Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98 Aqua-Cleer IW 17

Cleaning Procedure with the "CLEANING KIT" System
The Cleaning Kit includes:
1) A chemical preparation tank
2) A mixing system
3) A pump
4) Hoses for connection to the ports provided
on the desalinator.
PROCEDURE
1) Fill the cleaning tank with R.O. water.
2) Add the product to be used for cleaning
(citric acid, caustic soda, etc.) to the
osmotized water.
3) Supply power to the pump and recycle
until the solution is thoroughly mixed
(when an electric stirrer is not provided).
4) Switch off the power supply in the general
control panel.
5) Use the hoses provided to connect to the
R.O. unit inlet, product and reject lines
(connections already provided).
6) Open the valve on the cleaning pump
discharge line totally or partially, as
required. Supply power to the control
panel.
7) Recycle the solution through the
membranes for about 1 hour or until a
temperature of max. 35°C is reached.
This procedure can be repeated several times
of course changing the cleaning solution each
time.
EMERGENCY CLEANING PROCEDURE
(when the system is not equipped with the
"CLEANING" KIT system)
The osmotic membranes require cleaning
when malfunctions are noticed:
18 Aqua-Cleer IW
1) Drop in product water flow rate not
justified by simultaneous decrease in feed
water temperature.
2) Increase in product water conductivity.
3) Increase in the ∆P across the membranes.
The flushing tank should be used for storage
of the solution used for cleaning.
Fill the container to 75% of its total capacity
(check the real quantity of water present).
Disconnect the flange of the product water
outlet pipe to the top of the container.
Connect the reject pipe to the flushing
container, using a hose.
Fully open the manual valves RV02 and
RV03 on the recycle and reject line.
Set the manual valve on pump discharge
about 80% closed.
Set the flushing time at 60 minutes using the
timer provided.
Prepare the cleaning solution and pour it into
the flushing container, after calculating the
concentration correctly.
Turn the "duty-flushing" key-switch to flushing
and supply power to the electrical panel.
Adjust the manual valve on pump discharge
line until a pressure of 6 bar approx. is
reached.
Leave the system in operation until it stops
automatically, checking the solution
temperature from time to time.
Restore the product and reject line
connections.
Turn the key-switch to DUTY.
Wait until the water in the flushing container
has been completely replaced, then restore
the initial parameter, pressure and flow rate
settings.
Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98
ENCLOSURES:

1- R.O. MEMBRANE SPECIFICATION

2- R.O. PRESSURE VESSEL SPECIFICATION

3- HP PUMP SPECIFICATION

4- PRESSURE SWITCH SPECIFICATION

5- FLUSHING TANK LEVEL SWITCH SPECIFICATION

6- FLOW INDICATORS SPECIFICATION

7- THERMOMETERS SPECIFICATION

Cat. No. M000-04-9/96 – R2-4/98 Aqua-Cleer IW 19