Every time I talk to client about Filmtec TW model, they are always telling me that it is only good for MWSS or tap water application considering that it is a TW (tap water) model.
Sad to say, sometimes we just rely on grapevine information without verifying the truth.
Realistically speaking and as per data providedby Filmtec, TW stands for TAPE WRAPPED and not TAP WATER and this model is for water applications that has high level of sodium chloride(NACL). Although, it is usually co related that high TDS is same as NACL, this model can be used specifically for feed water with high levels of minerals.
Based on test protocol, production is 2400 GPD at 225 psi operating pressure, 2000 ppm NACL level,15% recovery,99.5% efficiency/salt rejection and 20%+- marginal flux on permeate production(production variance)
Recently, I again heard of rumors that there are still ESPA 4 Japan models being sold in the market. I already discussed this issue before and I just want to inform you again about the issue.
ESPA 4 is a model of Hydranautics membrane made by NITTO DENKO in Japan. Later productions were made in the United States and recently now made in China.
As to the latest update given to us by Hydranautics management, ESPA 4 is no longer produced in Japan, few were produced in the United States to serve the American and European market and the rest were produced in China to serve the Asian market.
There are still ESPA 4 Japan but those are previous productions stocked in different regions in Asia, but whether it is made in Japan, United States and China, they are of the same quality, in short all of them are same banana.
Just want to repute the claims of others that ESPA 4 Japan and even ESPA 4 United States are far more superior that ESPA 4 China, sometimes these irresponsible people are just saying things without any basis, as for my comment, I have emails coming from Hydranautics stating that membranes irrespective of the place of production have the same quality. FYI
A client called me up complaining about the membrane that he bought from us more than a month ago. According to him, after a month of operation, the said membrane clogged up and he told me that membrane is fake because it did not last long. He even commented that he tried almost all the brands but all of them are not of good quality and that lead him to his conclusion that a lot of membrane nowadays are not the genuine one.
During our entire conversation, he did not mention anything about the configuration of his system and it's condition,even the quality of his feed water was never considered.
If you try to analyze his concern, it seems that all the failures were attributed to the membrane alone, it was really a one sided story as if ,he was able to perfect the art of membrane technology and have zeroed out the culprit which is,the membrane.
I asked him basic details about his system and the quality of his feed water but he knew nothing about it.
I asked for his technician to discussabout the issue, but still, he was very surprise to my inquiries. The client is totally relying on the technician who knew nothing at all about the principle of reverse osmosis and yet both of them claimed that it was the membrane failure.
"If a blind leads a blind, both will fall into the ditch."
As for membrane warranty, technically, suppliers will always deny it, not unless we were able to present pertinent data that would prove that, it is really the membrane failure, in legal parlance, you have to prove it beyond reasonable doubt,however based on our practice, no one in the commercial market is monitoring and recording such data, so, the warranty that we are discussing is just part of our imagination.
There are so many factors that could affect the membrane,we should always evaluate all the possible cause so that we can prolong the membrane's service life.
On the case of my client, no warranty will ever be considered, due to obvious reason and failure started one month after it's installation, it can be assumed that membrane's performance could have been affected by undetermined factor.
Always asked your technician or installer about system and feed water monitoring,based on my experience,it is not the factory defect, it is the technician's defect.
Always be sure of the technician or company that you are dealing with.
One of my dealer called me up and asked my advice about the burned RO motor. His client was complaining about the quality of the said motor and again asking for a warranty.
Based on the details and data that I gathered, it was due to incomplete safety feature of the system. Here are the results of the investigation.
1) System is suffering from cavitation or low feed volume(volume of water coming to the pumphead/Procon is insufficient) thus breaking the carbon parts of the pumphead.
2)As the carbon parts were broken, it prevented the pumphead shaft from rotating and since it was attached to the RO motor shaft,said motor was forced to rotate it's shaft unsuccessfully resulting to the increase in ampere rating that lead to the burning of the motor winding.
Burning of motor could have been prevented if safety devices were incorporated to the design of the system such as:
1)Low pressure switch- in events where in there is low feed volume and pressure, said switch would immediately cut the current, thus stopping the rotation of the RO motor and pumphead.
2)Magnetic contactor and overload relay- should there be an increase in ampere rating,at a given setting, it will cut the power supply going to the RO motor.
Most of the times,clients felt that if there is a problem with any of the parts they are using, they usually blame it's quality and not considering the entire design of the system.
