Are Watermakers worth the pain?

Where do the 240 Volts come from? I was thinking about the average 12V unit. If you do not use them pretty well daily - back flush if not using for more than 6 or 7 days and certainly lay up with chemicals if you leave for more than a couple of weeks then you will need a new membrane. My filter change every month was obligatory - you only had to look at the state of the final filter to really want to change it... I ran mine for about 3 years and I am a really lazy person!

Still not clear where you are getting 240v to run yours? Perhaps yours is a very large sophisticated model for really big boats?
 
>Where do the 240 Volts come from?

All I can say is HRO make them, I guess others do too. From what you are saying we certainly don't need to do anything daily and we don't backflush it either. If we are spending time somewhere (e.g. marina) where we don't need to make water we just run it once a month.

>I am a really lazy person!

Good man, me too :-) Perhaps I have the solution to the 'lazy persons watermaker'.

>Still not clear where you are getting 240v to run yours?

We have a generator and we also run a 240v industrial grade Grunert fridge and battery charger.

>Perhaps yours is a very large sophisticated model for really big boats?

Not at all it's fairly small and sits in (obviously) a fairly small bilge - we're 36 feet on deck and 38 feet overall. Because of the small bilge we have the 'half size' membrane that produces something over 5 gallons per hour but the unit will take the bigger 10 gph+ membrane.
 
I have seen the towed watermaker on here loads of times, I've never heard from anyone who says if works! I, like most peope on here, would LOVE to hear some good news of something to raise the reputation? I wait with baited breath!!!
Allan
 
I'm with Kelly Eye - we don't experience any pain with ours.

Its a small 12v system - we only run it when we are runnig the engine to charge batteries. It delivers around 12 litres per hour so ensures our tanks are kept level despite 2 persons + showers etc each day.

We suck in pickling solution if we leave it unused for 5 days - but that takes literally 5 minutes.

Certainly last summer it allowed us to visit Syria, Israel and Egypt with out taking on any local water.......and we only carry 360 litres in fixed tankage.

Maybe when it breaks I'll feel different - but at this time we feel it was a good decision to install it.

JOHN
 
Just a fyi, Good Old Boat Magazine had a how-to-build-your-own-watermaker article (you can write us and ask for the info if you want--I don't know the issue off the top of my head) that my husband is using to put ours together. It produces 45 gph...but then, I'm no longer the young thing that I was when I didn't mind rationing. KISS is how I traveled Europe as a student, how I boated until Sea Venture. I've hauled my share of water and washed dishes with teaspoonsful--or in salt water with fresh water quick rinse.

If you build your own, you can usually fix your own--a few spare parts...

Of course, we also have a generator, but we can do laundry, make water, and top off batteries all at once--and with 45 gph, it doesn't take long to top off a tank.

Normandie
 
[ QUOTE ]
>It produces 45 gph

Are you sure about that or do you mean litres? You're getting into commercial ship volumes.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, the 45 gph is correct, based on pump and filter-flow calculations. Although we haven't finished ours yet, my husband Michael (mechanical engineer) sees no reason to think that the specs are incorrect.

Michael got his inspiration and a lot of his direction from an ariticle we read in Good Old Boat Magazine three years ago. The component costs are approximately $3000 (US) and the system can be spaced throughout the boat as opposed to taking up a single huge chunk of boat volume. The article was written by a fellow who builds and installs them professionally, and Michael found the system to be very robust and designed to good engineering standards, using easily available components. The unit can be built to be driven off the engine or electrically (AC) powered. If you need DC driven power, you will have to use something like a Clark Pump, which Michael believes is proprietary to Spectra or one of the other big companies. A DC-driven pump will not give you anywhere near 45 gph.

The article was in the Jan/Feb 2003 issue of Good Old Boat. They probably have back issues available from the web site. We also have copies of the issue that could be scanned.

Normandie
 
[ QUOTE ]
the 45 gph is correct, based on pump and filter-flow calculations.

[/ QUOTE ]

Whar size is the membrane as it is this that determins the output of fresh water not the pump size. When I designed my water maker the pump had approx 10 times the flow as the fresh water output as the remaining 90 % of incoming sea water passes over the membrane in a flushing action and the pressure across the membrane (approx 800psi) is maintained by a flow control needle valve.

Mine is simular to this but with onle one membrane giving approx 80 lt / hr
BMSW24_2_1.jpg
 
<span style="color:red"> Waterlog - there have been a lot of comments about the viability of this device. The majority of that has been speculative and viewed as too good to be true therefore rubbish.
</span>
Every thread over the last 2 or 3 years that has started out to discuss this machine, has ended up with villefication from people who dont really know and lead to the threads being pulled.

Let me be clear about this I have not tried one yet, but the following is relevant:

I have obtained one with another forumite - (Zefender) this was in a fairly sad condition. I sent it off for a service to Waterlog in UK expecting a rather large bill at the end of the work. They did take rather a long time to service it, but explained that they would be doing so, provided I was willing to wait, and that the work would not be charged. - yes it was serviced for free.

After one of the most vitriolic slanging matches about waterlog on here, the moderator at the time (Keith Walker) agreed that he would atend a demo and report it on the forums (either way good or bad). At the time it appeared impossible to match diaries.

As soon as I had obtained the waterlog, I invited Keith and the magazines to join a test of the device so that we could all be informed by a neutral judge. They did not even bother to reply.

My involvement is having to be finished due to a move of location, but as soon as the season starts, Zefender intends to give it a proper test, and will report thoroughly on it.

We are aware that the model we have has a fairly tired membrane such that we can only expect 60% of the normal throughput.

I really recommend that those who delight in slanging this machine off should sit on their typing fingers and wait for Zefender - however a number of those people, have never let the truth stand in the way of opinion.
 
[ QUOTE ]
In that case I really can't see why any yacht (unless a mega yacht) would want to make 45gph. A smaller output would be cheaper if only because of membrane costs.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are absolutely right. It takes a decent sized membrane to produce such a high output, but the way we look at it, if we run our generator for an hour every so often to make all that water and at the same time do the laundry and top off the batteries or whatever else we have in mind, then we're saving generator use. A friend sells and services Spectra watermakers and assures us that the filters will last between 5 and 7 years if treated properly. So--we're happy with the choice. It's certainly not for everyone--just something I thought I'd throw out there for anyone looking for a high output watermaker. Also, as we're using a 3-piston high pressure Cat pump, it's not exactly quiet--so using it for short periods of time will be better for us.

One other note is that though we like to cruise and enjoy much that is simple in life, we really prefer not having to fetch jugs of water or skimp on the showers. Just our time of life. When young, we camped much more readilly.

Blessings,
Normandie and Michael
 
[ QUOTE ]
As soon as I had obtained the waterlog, I invited Keith and the magazines to join a test of the device so that we could all be informed by a neutral judge. They did not even bother to reply.

[/ QUOTE ]

I remember having trouble matching diaries, but am sure I did reply to your request for someone to come on the test.

When/where are you planning the test?
 
As I stated on the last post, I have had to bow out of this (very regretfully) and Zefender is now running it. I understand that he is looking at March as a reasonable compromise between winter gales, and summer!, and is planning on at least two other well established forumites to assist. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Personally I welcome your interest, and if it was my boat/test, I would take you as first choice. (impartial witness etc). Request you contact Zefender.
 
Will do, just going into a meeting, but will PM him when I get out (unless he reads this beforehand.

Thanks,
 
Ooh good news.... looking forward to seeing the results of this one......a watermaker would be nice, but fitting one is too much hassle for how little I really need one, and these could be the answer... IF they work, and an proper test would help clear that one up nicely.... no so worried about it being 'independent' as such... I trust Zefender to report the facts as they are...
 
ah, but i mite be going along! I plan to wee over the stern, thus enabling me to actually recycle myself. If any equipment can withstand being in range of me for a while it must be amazing, or a screwdriver. Ooh no, forget the screwdriver...
 
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