Water maker

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cherod

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Hi , I have been offered a water maker at seemingly a good price , it is a reverse osmosis type , the seller is very honest and suggests that it might not be suitable for use on boat for drinking water as it tastes not great after all minerals have been removed , but I thot that these are what everybody uses , any advice ? Type , “ osmotics pure water system “
 
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Not sure what more information is required , the unit is marketed as for domestic type fish tanks , drinking water etc and is currently being used as filtration system for marine aquarium , it ii not huge output my my concern is the water “ not taste great “ as all minerals have been removed , ‘twas my belief that the reverse osmosis type was the favoured type for use on boats ?? Yes I
 
This is not a water maker in the desalination of seawater sense. It is designed to remove contaminants from tap water not salt from sea water. From their website, it doesn’t use the high pressures and membranes of a desalination system: it relies of beds of resin beads to remove contaminants. It won’t turn sea water into drinking water.
 
Duncan is quite correct having done both (kept fish and have a water maker on board). This is a totally different product for a different purpose if it is designed for aquarium keepers. Reverse osmosis is used to remove minerals and contaminants from tap water (especially nitrates) and effectively produce distilled water ideal for marine fish keeping or some freshwater fish (Discus). They are designed also to work off mains pressure. Boat water makers in a sense achieve the same end product but are designed to remove large amounts of common salt as well so the membranes are very different and the pressure required is usually considerable higher. It is true both produce close too distilled water so it is lacking in taste and minerals. Most people agree it will not do you any harm, but some do use a mineral additive to rebalance the water from a water making for drinking.
 
Ok boys, thank you very much for your input / help / advice , well , as they say “ if it seems too good to be true etc ! “ , so back to the search .
 
ip485 said:
Duncan is quite correct having done both (kept fish and have a water maker on board). This is a totally different product for a different purpose if it is designed for aquarium keepers. Reverse osmosis is used to remove minerals and contaminants from tap water (especially nitrates) and effectively produce distilled water ideal for marine fish keeping or some freshwater fish (Discus). They are designed also to work off mains pressure. Boat water makers in a sense achieve the same end product but are designed to remove large amounts of common salt as well so the membranes are very different and the pressure required is usually considerable higher. It is true both produce close too distilled water so it is lacking in taste and minerals. Most people agree it will not do you any harm, but some do use a mineral additive to rebalance the water from a water making for drinking.
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+1 - it tastes like crap, I tried it at our old apartment when the test results on the water quality were so poor. I THINK MAYBE TRY DRINKING DISTILLED WATER WOULD GIVE YOU SOME IDEA.

W.
 
cherod said:
Ok boys, thank you very much for your input / help / advice , well , as they say “ if it seems too good to be true etc ! “ , so back to the search .
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https://sublimesustenance.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/how-to-build-your-own-watermaker.pdf
 
That was quite a comprehensive video , simple put together and not bad price , @ 1k£ with current exchange ,,, but then import tax would add considerable amount , and bulky and heavy , would need careful positioning and large area , and oh so so noisy !! Have seen quite a few videos on instillations and that is one of the better ones . Ty R
 
cherod said:
That was quite a comprehensive video , simple put together and not bad price , @ 1k£ with current exchange ,,, but then import tax would add considerable amount , and bulky and heavy , would need careful positioning and large area , and oh so so noisy !! Have seen quite a few videos on instillations and that is one of the better ones . Ty R
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I have no idea where you are located so I don't know about "import duty" . In Australia we would have to pay GST (read VAT) but it still comes out very cheaply. The unit produces a lot of water per hour so I'm sure I could put up with a bit of noise (They tell me I wouldn't be very popular in a quiet anchorage though)
 
coopec said:
I have no idea where you are located so I don't know about "import duty" . In Australia we would have to pay GST (read VAT) but it still comes out very cheaply. The unit produces a lot of water per hour so I'm sure I could put up with a bit of noise (They tell me I wouldn't be very popular in a quiet anchorage though)
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A watermaker is often noisy not only due to the motor/pump combo (mine are silent, not Kaarcher!) but due to having the generator (or engine for 12-24V systems) running all the time. Unless you are lucky to have a massive solar/wind output midday and don't need to burn any diesel for your water. And then again you better be sure that all the boats around you are using their blackwater tanks (not necessarily true around here...)
Since once on an anchorage I avoid having engines on, I always make all the water when moving from an anchorage to another. Works out v.well as I don't really need more than 1-2h (100-200lt) every couple of days.

cheers

V.
 
Ah , I see , I perhaps wrongly , assumed the vid was from the land of the infidel eg US $ , it may be Aus $ which ( without checking ) is even better exchange , maybe there is a dealer in Uk , I was thinking that was Karcher but couldn’t really make it out , karcher not really my favourite brand !!
 
Idomenios , I have considered making my own , didn’t realise before that all that was needed was an old pressure washer ( tho I thot that when I saw and heard that one start up !! ) , looks cost effective tho
 
cherod said:
And ,,, what is the preferred , 240v ( via investor ) or direct 12 v from ships battery bank ?
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depends on your battery bank...
my watermaker is approx 2KW and would need a serious inverter to start it up and would suck your battery bank dry fairly quickly

12V wont be able to use the el cheapo karcher pump and would have to go to proper ss piston pump and matching motor - should be way over a grand for them alone!
 
idomeneus5 said:
I've just started to build one following the video above. cheap pressure washer A$50, (throwaway job), bought the membrane and housing, high pressure gauge and needle valve from china via Alibaba, at the moment just at A$1000 appx
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Roger Shaw made up his own water-maker: you should keep in touch with him.

I've got enough on my plate already so I'll buy one direct from the US of A (They will supply without the 110V Karcher)
 
ive been in contact with him in the states, still over 2 grand even without the karcher, he keeps trying to push an italian made pump. i asked him about the homelite pressure washer (bunnings) he said it would work ok, for the price of his u beaut pump i could buy 12-14 pressure washers. paid for membrane and housing last night, US$344 +US$80 postage, came to A$525 inc $20 in bank fees . I couldnt buy them for that here. pressure washer runs ok off my inverter with engine running. might have to run in 15 min bursts, or as vas said whilst motoring.
 
idomeneus5 said:
Ι paid for membrane and housing last night, US$344 +US$80 postage, came to A$525 inc $20 in bank fees .
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If I may ask, what membrane and pressure vessel? The price is REALLY CHEAP!!!

15min bursts is going to p1ss you off v.soon!
dont' forget that unless you have a soft start system (which you wont with the karcher) and unless you want to change membranes v.often, you have to start the thing with the needle valve undone (no pressure) leave it a minute or so to stabilise, and then slowly (over a period of say 15-20secs up the pressure to 800psi, THEN it produces water.
Shutting down is reverse process, slowly lower pressure, leave it for a min then turn off pump.

Now do that on 15min intervals and you wont be happy I tell you.

I went to the trouble of replacing the v.nice and expensive 1phase 220V motor to a 3phase one mated to a VFD and configured it to soft start the thing so that I don't have to go to the lazarette to start the thing and stop it later on.

V.
 
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