Sea Recovery 900 gpd Watermaker

Do you have the fresh water flush? If so, that's probably why it's done so well.

Here's their information on frequency:

It is recommended that you clean your reverse osmosis membrane as needed or once every two years (on average). The reverse osmosis (R.O.) membranes last an average of five years and with proper operation and care can last up to 10 years.

It is highly recommended that owners get the Fresh Water Flush with their watermaker. By rinsing the watermaker with fresh water, salt water is displaced with fresh water throughout the R.O. system’s internal parts including the membrane. This process will prevent corrosion of the internal parts and reduces biological fouling of the membranes, therefore prolonging the life of the pre-filters and membrane
​

We use their cleaning solution but I'm sure some here will have alternatives. If you have a manual it's in section J. If you don't, here is one.

https://www.searecovery.com.au/downloads/AquaWhispermanual.pdf

The cleaning is really just forcing a lot of water through with a small amount of their chemicals.

What could your owners manual offer in detail of this event?

If you're using the fresh water flush regularly and have good clean filters, then the membrane lasts quite well with minimum maintenance. The performance loss that they refer to in the manual as a sign to do something is not something we've ever experienced. We do check the membranes and clean them every couple of years even though they show no signs they need to be. We've yet to ever replace one. I recall all the hoopla here complaining about their use of a proprietary membrane and the cost. Well, their proprietary membrane holds up amazingly well so no complaints about it from me.

I've read it all but not experienced it. We have five Sea Recovery watermakers and no issues with any of them. I find that owners of certain brands of boats on which they were factory installs appear to have much better luck with them than others do. Based on YF and other readings if I was getting a build of a different boat, I'd probably choose someone else as well. I know the experiences of others. Just not my experience at all. Maybe years down the road our experience will change.

The OP appears to have had very good service from his as well.

I think you've sort of hit a universal truth, that good maintenance and practices are really the key to performance of most equipment. I know ours have never been pickled or left to dry out. Now, I don't do any of it.

Really 9 years membranes working properly I'm not going to take the risk to acid clean, the only risk going to destroy it.
to know the condition of you membrane you need to check salinity to each membrane and you going to know the real condition of it.

Hugues

you have 2 membranes, on production line coming out of membrane you have a T, after 30 minutes of normal running disconnect the T (water maker running) and collect water from each membrane on glass, control PPM salinity from each sample, that going to give you good idée a condition of your membranes.

Hugues