Echotec watermaker

[Troutbridge]

Anybody have any experience with the Echotec watermaker (as supplied through Hydrovane)? It seems a lot cheaper than other makes, even allowing for the fact that it's a 'taste and use' rather than a fully automated unit.

 

[jeremyshaw]

No personal experience, but assuming this is the one made in Trinidad, then it is generally regarded as a good unit.

There was a thread on watermakers here a few weeks ago which covered many of the basic issues, and if you've not seen it you may find it useful to review. Getting the right specification and installation is, I would argue, more important than the right brand.

 

[Medic]

We fitted a belt-driven Echotec watermaker here in the UK a couple of years ago. I imported it directly from Trinidad as there was no UK agent at that stage.

It has worked flawlessly since installation, producing 60 litres per hour with no maintenance required other than changing filters at the recommended intervals and pickling the membrane when we leave the boat unattended. It has taken us in comfort from the UK to the Caribbean, and along with a Hydrovane, has been the best bit of kit we fitted. Friends with other makes seem to have had much more in the way of problems (or maybe I only hear about those that cause problems).

I can't give anything other than a personal view but on the basis of our experience I can thoroughly recommend the Echotec system.

I have no connection in any way with the company other than as a very satisfied user.

James
Malo 38

 

[ccscott49]

Did you pay VAT on it?
The prices now quoted for a UK price are high! Dollar for pound.

 

[HoratioHB]

Personaly I hear that its is only cheapskate Catamaran owners to go for these!!!!!

Left hand down a bit.

 

[ccscott49]

Oh! OK, will forget it then!! Tee hee.

I am considering a new watermaker, one about 20gals an hour, want a cheap one!!

 

[HoratioHB]

Ccscott 49 - sorrypardon, my snide remark was aimed at Troutbridge with whom I have an on-going debate about the merits of monos versus cats - because he is wrong and I'm right! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[ccscott49]

Yes, you are right, which one do you have!!!

 

[HoratioHB]

Er - boat or watermaker? - actually both are virtual at the moment - paid for but not delivered. The boat is a Jeanneau and water maker is a Desalo. I did do some research on these Echotecs and they seemed good value but needed a lot of management and as my boat is coming new I decided to go with the what manufacturer said would actually fit in the spaces provided.

 

[Troutbridge]

French rubbish! Anyway, thanks to everybody who gave sensible replies.HHB, you and the memsahib can always visit me when you want a "flat" beer or even a "still" water (as produced by an echotec WM).

 

[Sea Devil]

I fitted a Echotec water-maker in Trini myself with really good advice from the Germans who made them - well put the bits together.. went round the world with it and it did what it said on the label... I was not in the least unhappy with it except the responsibility of keeping it going... I also had a hydrovane from the original English designer and found it wonderful all the way round from Gibraltar..

 

[Troutbridge]

Thanks Michael. I've pretty well made up my mind to go ahead with the Echotec. It seems a well engineered product. Just curious, what did you mean by 'the responsibility of keeping it going'? I had a Hydrovane on my last boat and it was fine, not convinced about putting it on a cat (Broadblue 385) though.

 

[Sea Devil]

on the one hand a watermaker was really useful and stopped jerry jugging.. on the other hand it needed constant TLC - filters, in dirty harbours needed laying up -- if you stopped cruising for a while....

I too look at cats and wonder if the wonderful hydrovane would work... probably but I am not 100% sure...

 

[svtaravana]

another satisfied user; it does what it is supposed to do; simple, bullet-proof construction...no automated features to fail, no fancy thin-film push buttons to fail; we run ours every other day in the Carib, only fresh-water flush if not using for over 10 days; no expensive propriatary(?) membranes to buy; most parts are available worldwide or can be Fed-Xed...great unit for the $$

 

[Anonymous]

[ QUOTE ]
... no expensive proprietary membranes to buy; most parts are available worldwide or can be Fed-Xed...great unit for the $$

[/ QUOTE ]For the benefit of others who have watermakers that require proprietary parts, I did some research last summer after a discussion with an industrial RO expert who told me that only a very few firms worldwide make membranes. Somewhere carefully stored on my hard drive are details of manufacturers and distributors. I see from my records that I wrote to one www.desal.co.uk in October but it seems they didn't reply but there were others. When my Spectra needs a new membrane I shall remove it, check the manufacturer's details then see if I can source an alternative.

However, beware, in the case of Spectra, things are more complicated as the pump is a constant volume device not a constant pressure device. When you go into brackish estuaries, the pressure falls but the product water volume remains constant. This means that the RO membrane can be operated outside the manufacturer's spec. when the salinity and temperature are high and the membrane is becoming blocked. However, in practice, the membrane supplied by Spectra works well and the rejection is superb and less than half the 'normal' level of Total Dissolved Solids which and one eighth of the 'acceptable' level of TDS.

For pre-filters, last summer I bought 40 off PX5-9-7/8 5 micron filters @£2.54 each Carriage £16.00 Plus VAT from Derwent Water Systems. They should last for years. These are spun poly and I just throw them out, rather than clean them. I seldom need more than two per week and one often lasts for ten days or more, which seems a fairly reasonable price to pay for 200 litres of water per day, at anchor.