Water maker, Schenker modular 35

[Ariadne]

Anybody used one of these?
If so can please let me know what you think about them, as I'm thinking about getting one.

Had a good write-up in the yachting press, but I've not met anybody who has 1st hand use of them.

Thanks

 

[snowleopard]

I have a Schenker w/m bought 2001.

My wife thought I had started a new religion as I would spend hours kneeling in front of it muttering 'O God, Oh God'.

The plumbing on the low pressure side was made with screwed plastic joints which burst regularly ('low pressure' in this case means 8 bar as opposed to the 200+ bar at the membranes). The over-pressure micro switches burned out because they were carrying many times their rated load. The pumps would stop working the moment any bubbles got into the system so if there was more than 5 knots of wind I had to bleed the air from the pipes every half minute. The installation by the suppliers was poor - they even got out a flatbit to drill through grp bulkheads!

At the end of the cruise I contacted the suppliers who said 'ship it back to the manufacturers.

Before we head out again I plan to re-build it properly with high pressure plumbing, re-wire the pumps and build an air eliminator.

 

[jeremyshaw]

I have a feeling Schenker use a non-standard pump for their system. Most watermakers use fairly standard components so it's easy to get parts. I'd check out this aspect before buying.

 

[Ariadne]

Thanks for this so far. They had a good write up, but maybe there are a few problems.

Mactra, have offered us to go down to their workshops, and see them set and commisioned before we buy.
Sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[jeremyshaw]

Visiting their workshop sounds a good plan. The main thing to remember about watermakers is they all use hte same basic technology and I'm told only two companies actually make the membranes. So evaluating which one to go with comes down to things like:
* quality of fittings used (incorrect or poor fittings a common source of failure).
* Access for maintenance
* Control systems i.e. ease of fresh flushing, pickling etc. as well as automated or manual salinity detection.

Good luck

 

[snowleopard]

No, there are two technologies to consider. Yes, they all use the same membranes but there are two ways to put the pressure into them. The common one is to use high pressure pumps that develop the requisite 200 bar. The other is to use lower pressure pumps (ca 8 bar) and a hydraulic amplifier as in the Spectra and Schenker. The latter type produces much more water per amp-hour of current but both these makes have some serious reliability issues.

 

[Ariadne]

Thats not fair, just when I was starting to feel confident about a watermake you go and say that. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif