Spectra Watermakers VENTURA 150 MPC-5000 - Manual (Page 34)

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ACCUMULATOR PRESSURE
All Spectra Watermakers, except the Newport 700 and 1000 series, are supplied with a pres-
sure accumulator tank (part no. PL-ACC-TK) to be installed in the feed water line between the
prefilters and the Clark Pump. In addition, the Catalina 300 and Newport 400 series also have
an accumulator mounted inside the fresh water flush module.
The purpose of the feed line accumulator is to reduce the spikes in the feed pressure caused by
the cycling of the Clark pump. If the accumulator is not properly charged it can lead to prob-
lems with the ShurFlo pump pressure cutout switches. The accumulators have an air valve on
top similar to those found on car tires. This allows the internal air bladder of the accumulator
to be precharged. The accumulator should be pumped up to about 65psi (4.5bar) for best re-
sults. Add air using a tire pump or air compressor. You can experiment with the exact pres-
sure that will give the best pulsation dampening on your installation.
The purpose of the fresh water flush accumulator is to allow a steady flow of 1.5 gallons per
minute of flush water through the charcoal filter. Because the feed pump on the 300 and 400
hundred series exceeds this maximum allowed flow rate, the controller turns it on and off, to
reduce the overall flow rate. The accumulator gives the water flowing through the charcoal
filter somewhere to go while the feed pump is cycled off. The flush water accumulator should
be preloaded to 5 psi (.35bar).
9/27/04