OffShore Marine Labs. Frequently Asked Questions

Exactly what is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse Osmosis, or R.O., is a process which employs a "membrane" to separate a single stream of sea water into two streams. One stream is fresh, or potable, water and is equal to about 7-10% of the total flow. The second stream is a concentrated brine solution which is discharged.

How long has OffShore Marine Labs been in business?
OML has had over 20 years of experience in designing and manufacturing reverse osmosis purification plants.

Where are you located?
Our design and manufacturing plant operates out of Gardena, CA and our East Coast Factoy Store is located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. We can be easily reached at either location and assistance is also available through a coast to coast network of worldwide dealers and distributors.

What Do We Do About Service?
All of OffShore Marine Labs small to mid-range reverse osmosis plants can be easily serviced with an on-site service call, scheduled through the factory or any one of our nationwide dealers.

Our larger units, mid-range to land-base & commercial plants, are serviced on-site by factory trained service technicians.
Additionally, with the availability of local and international dealers and distributors, OML customers have the assurance of prompt part's delivery, as well as access to sound technical advice when time counts.

How do I order parts?
If you need parts - virtually anywhere in the world - we can have them in your hands within days. Contact OML , or your dealer, and remember to have your model number and serial number ready for quick reference.

How long can I store my R.O. system?
The general recommendation is to store a system for no more than 45 days at a time. There are many variables to consider. Biological growth occurs much more rapidly in seawater and in a warm location. If your system is in a warm area with seawater/preservative solution, chances are you will need to change your preservative quite regularly. A unit with an unchlorinated fresh water/preservative solution, and a cool area, will be able to stand idle for a longer period of time. Providing exact time frames is difficult due to differing environments.

Are There Special Installation Requirements?
For the most part, the installation of our marine-line products (Aegean, Baltic, Caspian, SQM-200 and OffShore Marine Laboratories SEA Series) can easily be accomplished by any person with some mechanical or technician experience. However, if installation is not within your field of expertise, our technicians are available to assist with any questions or problems that may arise.
The larger plants are more technical and do require installation and start-up by a fully trained technician. The installation of our commercial and industrial plants is accomplished by our factory engineers.

Do You Have Suggestions For Membrane Care?
Membrane elements require care and to assure long life from a membrane (element), a regular cleaning program should be implemented.

OffShore Marine Labs offers acid cleaner for removal of mineral scale from the RO membrane; alkaline for removing oil, grease, biological matter; and preservative for long term storage.

Another recommendation in the attempt to prolong the life of your membranes is to use a fresh water flush system. This system will allow you to flush your system regularly with fresh water, enabling short term (up to 2 weeks) storage as well as routine purging of the seawater which keeps your system clean and ready to use. The obvious benefit of having your system sit with fresh water is that it will retard the process of biological growth.

The cleaning procedure, or preservative treatment, is very similar. A chemical solution is prepared with unchlorinated product water and is then added to a micron filter housing. The system is designed to flush and clean the membrane by closing the valves on the front panel of your system. This allows the system to be continuously flushing in a closed loop configuration.

Membrane Web Page

How often should I replace the membranes?
The life of the membrane is directly related to the raw water conditions they are subjected to and will be markedly reduced if not properly maintained. Generally speaking, with an established maintenance program in effect, one can expect spiral-wound membranes to have a life expectancy of 3 -5 years.

What Are The Warranties?
Our Aegean, Baltic and Caspian reverse osmosis systems carry a two-year limited warranty.

The SQM-200 as well as the larger systems, SEA Series, Commercial Marine, Land Based, Oil Rig systems, all carry a full one-year warranty.

OffShore Marine Laboratories pressure vessels and titanium high pressure heads offer an unprecedented lifetime warranty and OffShore Marine Laboratories membranes come with a three-year pro-rated warranty.

Proven Internationally - We make the world's
finest reverse osmosis watermakers.