MSR Guardian Purifier Backpacking Water Purifier Instruction Manual

INSTRUCTION
MANUAL GUARDIAN™ PURIFIER

TIPS

WATER COLLECTION AND PREPARATION
Use the cleanest, clearest water available.
STORAGE
DO NOT disassemble and attempt to dry out Filter Cartridge. A dry cartridge will not work properly.
Pump out any excess water from the Purifier prior to storing it.
PREFILTER
The Prefilter is designed to draw water from just below the surface, where it’s cleanest. Position the Dual Hose and Float such that the Prefilter’s mesh cage floats vertically under the Float.
In some cases, the mesh cage may rotate partially out of the water. This is OK. The cage is designed to draw water even when it’s partially submerged.
If the mesh becomes clogged with debris, swirl it in water and brush the dirt off. If dirt becomes trapped inside the mesh, remove the Prefilter by gently twisting and pulling it from the Inlet Hose. Then, rinse the dirt out.
IN FREEZING TEMPERATURES
DO NOT pump the Purifier if its Filter Cartridge is frozen.
The cartridge MUST be fully thawed before pumping.

KNOW YOUR MSR® GUARDIAN™ PURIFIER

PREPARE PURIFIER

1. Uncoil the Dual Hose and place Prefilter in water.
2. Remove RED Clean Side Cover and pump 5-10 strokes to ensure clean-tasting water.
   

WARNING
WARNING – DO NOT pump water over 160˚F (71˚C). DO NOT pump if purifier is frozen. These actions could damage the purifier.

PURIFY WATER

1. Attach threaded container to threaded bottom of purifier.
   Or, a hose may be attached to the Clean Water Port.

2. Pump to purify water (~60-80 strokes/min. is optimal).
   

PACK AND STORE PURIFIER

1. Detach container and remove Prefilter from water.
2. Pump the Handle to purge excess water from purifier.
3. Replace Clean Side Cover & wrap Dual Hose.
   

WARNING
WARNING – DO NOT disassemble and attempt to dry out the Filter Cartridge. See “Replacing the Filter” for more information.

PURIFIER INTEGRITY TEST

The Guardian Purifier withstands freeze- and drop-testing (6 ft. to concrete), but if you believe the Filter may have been compromised, an integrity test should be performed, and can be done in the field. A CLEAR, THREADED WIDE- MOUTH BOTTLE MUST BE CARRIED TO PERFORM THE TEST. Read all steps first.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Uncoil Dual Hose and place Prefilter in a water source.

2. Remove Clean Side Cover and attach clear, threaded bottle to bottom of purifier.

3. Pump Handle to fill about 1/3 of the bottle with water.

4. Remove the Prefilter from the water source and disconnect Dual Hose.
   STOP. READ STEPS 5-7 BEFORE PROCEEDING.

5. With threaded container attached, orient pump upside down, and face Inlet/Outlet Barbs away from you; water will be exiting them. Pump Handle 5-10 strokes until only air exits the Outlet Barb. (A little water will drip from the  bottle.)

6. Plug Outlet Barb (the smaller hole) by securely placing a finger over it. Pump 5-10 complete strokes (one stroke = complete pump in and out).

7. Keeping Outlet Barb plugged, observe water in bottle for 30 seconds: If a steady stream of air bubbles exits the Clean Water Port, the purifier is NOT SAFE to use.
   If a few bubbles escape, pump the Handle 5 more strokes and observe another 30 seconds.
   If no subsequent bubbles escape, the pump is safe.
   If your Filter Cartridge has been compromised, please purchase a replacement at msrgear.com.

FIELD MAINTENANCE

The MSR Guardian Purifier is designed to be serviceable in the field.
Please purchase the Annual Maintenance Kit for replacement parts, available at msrgear.com.

WARNING
Disassembling the Purifier can expose you to contaminated parts, resulting in sickness. MSR recommends sterilizing the Purifier before any disassembly.
If you cannot sterilize the Purifier, wash your hands thoroughly after disassembly.

PUMP HEAD MAINTENANCE
DISASSEMBLY:

1. Remove Handle Pin (pinch, then push) and Handle Pin Sleeve.
2. Remove Pin & Pin Clip. Set Handle aside.
3. Unthread Piston End Nut and remove Piston assembly.
4. Separate Piston from Piston End Nut.
5. Remove Umbrella Valve by lifting it out with your finger.
6. Note orientation of Cup Seal. Remove all seals (Cup Seal, Piston O-ring, End Nut O-ring).
7. Rinse all parts with clean water.

ASSEMBLY:

1. Using finger, firmly insert stub end of Umbrella Valve into center hole of Piston Cavity.

2. Install new End Nut O-ring and Piston O-ring. Apply a thin layer of MSR Silicone Lubricant to each.

3. Install new Cup Seal onto Piston in the same orientation as old Cup Seal.
   Apply a thin layer of Lubricant to Cup Seal and the inside walls of Piston Cavity.

4. Slide Piston End Nut onto Piston.

5. Thread Piston End Nut into Piston Cavity until rotation stops completely.

6. Reattach Handle with Handle Pin Sleeve and Handle Pin.

7. Align Piston to Handle and reinstall Pin & Pin Clip. Confirm that end of Pin Clip is clipped onto Pin.
   

PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE AREA MAINTENANCE
DISASSEMBLY:

1. By hand or using a coin, push and rotate Relief Valve Assembly 1/3 rotation.
2. Carefully slide Relief Valve Assembly from cavity.
3. Remove Relief Valve O-ring.
4. Rinse Relief Valve Assembly with clean water to remove debris.
5. Flush Relief Valve Cavity with clean water. DO NOT place objects in the Relief Valve Cavity.
   

ASSEMBLY:

1. Replace Relief Valve O-ring and apply a thin layer of Lubricant to it.
2. Verify that the rubber end surface of the Relief Valve Assembly is clean of debris.
3. Reinstall Relief Valve Assembly by pushing while rotating it until its arrow aligns with the arrow and lock symbol on the Pump Housing.

PURIFIER CARE AND MAINTENANCE

To keep your Guardian Purifier performing reliably for many years, service your purifier using the Annual Maintenance Kit, available at msrgear.com.
STORAGE
Before storage, pump out any excess water and attach the Clean Side Cover.
DO NOT disassemble and dry the Filter Cartridge. A dry cartridge will not work properly. (Please contact MSR customer service if you suspect your filter has dried out.)
Towel dry the outside of the pump. Gently rub off any debris from the Prefilter and rinse it with fresh water.
Before or after long-term storage, sterilize the purifier to ensure fresh- tasting water (see “Sterilizing the Purifier”).
STERILIZING THE PURIFIER
When to sterilize: Sterilize the Purifier before and/or after long-term storage to ensure long life and fresh-tasting water. Also sterilize it before any disassembly.

1. Mix a solution of 2 mL (~1/2 tsp) of household bleach (free of dyes or perfumes) with 2 L of water, or dissolve 12 MSR Aquatabs® tablets in 2 L of water.
2. Pump most of this solution through the purifier, stopping before air can enter the pump.
3. Wait 30 minutes.
4. Pump 1-2 liters of clean water to clear any remaining solution from pump.
5. Pump the Handle to purge excess water from the Purifier.

WARNING
Disassembling the Purifier can expose you to contaminated parts, resulting in sickness. MSR recommends sterilizing the Purifier before any disassembly.
If you cannot sterilize the Purifier, wash your hands thoroughly after disassembly.

REPLACING THE FILTER CARTRIDGE
The Guardian Purifier’s Hollow Fiber Filter has been tested to over 10,000 liters.
When to replace: The Filter Cartridge should be replaced when the flow rate drops to less than 1L /min. when pumping 70 strokes per minute. The filter is still purifying water, but more wear occurs on internal parts as the flow rate drops.

DISASSEMBLY

1. Unthread the Filter Base from Pump Housing.

ASSEMBLY

1. Lightly lubricate the Filter Cartridge O-ring and Filter Base O-ring.
2. Thread the Filter Base into the Pump
   Housing. Don’t over tighten.
   The Filter Base is designed to stop rotating when it’s fully threaded.

HOW IT WORKS

The Guardian Purifier’s Hollow Fiber Filter removes pathogens and other particles through size exclusion purification. This is the most reliable means of purification because the fibers’ pores physically block pathogens, including viruses.  Pressure forces clean water through the walls of these fibers. The microbes and dirt left behind are pumped out through the Dirty Water Outlet Hose.
Other purifiers rely on chemicals or UV light to kill pathogens, or adsorption (such as carbon) to attract them. While these methods can be effective in clear water, the Guardian Purifier is reliably effective in all water types – clear, turbid,  tea colored or muddy.
The Guardian Purifier also uses a patent-pending system to self-clean with every stroke. It does not require in-field cleaning to maintain flow.

MOUNTAIN AFETYR ESEARCH®
For product information and service contact
Cascade Designs, Inc.
4000 First Avenue South, Seattle, WA 98134 USA
1-800-531-9531 or 206-505-9500
www.msrgear.com
info@cascadedesigns.com

References

• MSR | Mountain Safety Research: Backpacking, Camping & Mountaineering
• MSR | Mountain Safety Research: Backpacking, Camping & Mountaineering

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