ashtead
Well-known member
Hi lustyd of F pontoon -have pm you a picture of instalation in case of interest
Watermaker info resources UK
- Thread starter lustyd
- Start date
Neeves
Well-known member
We needed some extra pipework as we had our Clark pump further down the bilges (our bilges are compartmentalised). The supplied pipework from Spectra is 'like' Guest push fit piping. I found a local engineering firm who supplied pipework to the pharmeceutical, hospital and food industries industries and I bought quite cheaply, I think it was 12mm pipe work with sets of compression fittings. I was beautiful stuff, polished - but only good for straight runs.
If you are trying to make best use of space then locating units in 'different' places works - but you might need long pipe runs.
If we were installing a new Desal unit I would look at Rainman, I liked the idea of the Honda unit - but am, very, envious of Geem's unit. The problem with most off the shelf units, including Rainman is they are small, low output - or big ones are extortionate. Water is one of the benefits on the late 20th and now 21 st Century and having to be parsimonious seems a backward step. We would want generous output or you need to run an off the shelf unit for hours (and they are not quiet).
If you are designing and building your own - overestimate how much water you want to make - you will use it all (and want more).
Jonathan
Graham_Wright
Well-known member
I am interested in this. I never thought I would be able to justify such a system but now have a 4kVa generator which might make it possible.
I had a look at this;-
Building your own watermaker - Ocean Navigator
and it was encouraging.
I had a look at this;-
Building your own watermaker - Ocean Navigator
and it was encouraging.
Grith
Active member
Just a couple of more bits to buy ( right angle threaded prefilter in and outlets) to finish this project of making a secondhand Katadyn power survivor 40e completely portable in a modified cheap pelican case knock off.
Whilst small suitcase sized it weighs well under 20kg cased with prefilter and fits in our stern generator box with room still for our smaller Honda eu10 generator but not quite our larger Honda eu 2.2 which we no longer carry due to up scaling our solar system. It will also fit in our cockpit and under settee berth lockers but the stern locker is more convenient and less stuffed already.
The eu10 generator is also virtually redundant now except for perhaps 3/4 days plus of very heavy overcast despite going electric for cooking, refrigeration, hot-water, torqeedo auxiliary and dingy outboard and other 240v occasional use appliances including air conditioning and electric heating in our 28 foot trailerable semi liveaboard yacht.
I am toying with leaving this generator behind as well having not started it on our last over two months out cruising.
The Katadyn RO watermaker is not high output at only 5-6 litres an hour but uses only about 4 amps at 12v which our system can easily provide by solar.
Our daily use is under 10 litres of fresh water due to extensive use of plumbed pressurised seawater and our fitted tankage is 140 litres. We however use an additional 4x15 litre portable plastic tanks in preference to fitted tank a bit taste tainted water and will desalinate into one or two of these which we also collect rain water into as shown below.
The galley picture also shows a 10 litre spring water container in use which was a once off luxury extra for my initially very taste and contamination sensitive previously non boating partner.
She is over that hurdle now and we have lived onboard for multiple months!
The RO watermaker is to extend our time between needing resupply from 4-5 weeks to 3/4 months with water, wine and spirits being our previous constraints. For wine and spirits we will just have to carry more!
Whilst small suitcase sized it weighs well under 20kg cased with prefilter and fits in our stern generator box with room still for our smaller Honda eu10 generator but not quite our larger Honda eu 2.2 which we no longer carry due to up scaling our solar system. It will also fit in our cockpit and under settee berth lockers but the stern locker is more convenient and less stuffed already.
The eu10 generator is also virtually redundant now except for perhaps 3/4 days plus of very heavy overcast despite going electric for cooking, refrigeration, hot-water, torqeedo auxiliary and dingy outboard and other 240v occasional use appliances including air conditioning and electric heating in our 28 foot trailerable semi liveaboard yacht.
I am toying with leaving this generator behind as well having not started it on our last over two months out cruising.
The Katadyn RO watermaker is not high output at only 5-6 litres an hour but uses only about 4 amps at 12v which our system can easily provide by solar.
Our daily use is under 10 litres of fresh water due to extensive use of plumbed pressurised seawater and our fitted tankage is 140 litres. We however use an additional 4x15 litre portable plastic tanks in preference to fitted tank a bit taste tainted water and will desalinate into one or two of these which we also collect rain water into as shown below.
The galley picture also shows a 10 litre spring water container in use which was a once off luxury extra for my initially very taste and contamination sensitive previously non boating partner.
She is over that hurdle now and we have lived onboard for multiple months!
The RO watermaker is to extend our time between needing resupply from 4-5 weeks to 3/4 months with water, wine and spirits being our previous constraints. For wine and spirits we will just have to carry more!
dgadee
Well-known member
I reverse engineered a US system (I think the Australians mentioned did the same thing). The pickling liquid attacked the push fit fittings you can buy in the UK - US ones from the same company were made from a different material. A UK source of info would have been very useful to me, but was not available.
Mine is 1hp 240v and we run for an hour every 2 days when onboard. I used to use a Honda EU20i but now use an inverter and keep the engine running. Today we toddled along for under 2 hours and filled the tanks at the same time - 180l or so.
The pickle is vicious. I plan just to keep it in the pressure vessels and clear it out of everything else this winter.
Mine is 1hp 240v and we run for an hour every 2 days when onboard. I used to use a Honda EU20i but now use an inverter and keep the engine running. Today we toddled along for under 2 hours and filled the tanks at the same time - 180l or so.
The pickle is vicious. I plan just to keep it in the pressure vessels and clear it out of everything else this winter.
geem
Well-known member
Don't use pickling solution. Flush throughly with chlorine free water then mix with 50% propylene glycol. It s a biodegradable anti freeze. I pickle mine with that now. I left my system for 12 months like this. No degradation and no freezing
dgadee
Well-known member
Where do you buy it in Greece?
geem
Well-known member
Don't ask me. I am in the Caribbean
lustyd
Well-known member
Isn’t that just engine antifreeze?Don't ask me. I am in the Caribbean
geem
Well-known member
No. Food grade biodegradable antifreeze.
geem
Well-known member
dgadee
Well-known member
I see it is sold as non toxic antifreeze for solar water heaters. Should be esay to get.
How much do you use? With the sulphate stuff I mix up 20l and run it through. I have two 40" (?) pressure vessels.
How much do you use? With the sulphate stuff I mix up 20l and run it through. I have two 40" (?) pressure vessels.
geem
Well-known member
I bought a gallon off thr Internet last time for about £25.
Work out your system volume and add about 20% extra. Fill large bucket and mix to 50%. Run it around the sytem to ensure full saturation then isolate the system. Job done.
We have 3x40" membranes and I seem to remember using about 2/3 of a gallon when I did it last. Its a while ago as we have been onboard full time for 14 months so the watermaker has been in constant use
Elessar
Well-known member
I had one came with my boat. I’m not going to use it and have never commissioned it.
Want to make me an offer to strip it out? It’s a complete kit of parts.
Graham_Wright
Well-known member
Put it on the "For Sale" forum.
dgadee
Well-known member
It will be worth more than £400.
lustyd
Well-known member
Any idea on the specs? I suspect physical size would be the main issue as my whole issue is space on board.
rogerthebodger
Well-known member
Have a look at this document on building a DIY watermaker.
https://sublimesustenance.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/how-to-build-your-own-watermaker.pdf
I used this doc and managed to fit in and a very tight space by spreading the components in all remote spaces.
I used the Wanner Hydra-cell pump fitted with a foot nd flange mounted single phase motor. The pimp is mounted onto the flange of the motor and makes a very small compact unit
https://sublimesustenance.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/how-to-build-your-own-watermaker.pdf
I used this doc and managed to fit in and a very tight space by spreading the components in all remote spaces.
I used the Wanner Hydra-cell pump fitted with a foot nd flange mounted single phase motor. The pimp is mounted onto the flange of the motor and makes a very small compact unit
Elessar
Well-known member
I’ll get the book next time I’m on the boat.
It consists a long thin tube. Maybe 1.5m long. Two filters that are the size of fuel filters (mobo not yacht!) Plus a pump and a control panel. It sits under a bunk in my boat and is lost in it.
Edit found pics.
Control panel
The red taps are my fuel stopcocks it’s the bit above that.
Under bunk.
Pump middle bottom
Filters blue on the right
Tube is the silver and black thing to the right of the generator.
The strainer is for the inlet water for the water maker.
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