Watermaker - seawater inlet - where?

zefender

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I'm fitting a watermaker to the boat (Bav40) and I've been pondering about where and how to fit the pipework. If I fit it in the transom void, I could avoid a new through hull skin fitting by using the raw water inlet for the engine and teeing off this - but I'm not sure whether stealing the water might impact engine cooling performance (Volvo MD22L 50hp). Alternatively, I could fit it under the bunk in the forecabin. Whilst I could connect the brine outlet to an existing sink drain, I would need a new inlet fitting. Another place is pretty much on the centreline inn a locker in the saloon. I understand that watermakers get a bit messed up if they take in air as well as water, so I need to be sure that, when on a broad reach, the inlet is underwater at all times, taking in nice clean water (i.e. not behind existing drainage or engine outlet etc.

Any views on whether pinching inlet water from the engine cooling pipe would cause problems? If so, any expereinces of the best place to stick the 'hole'? Watermaker is PUR 80E - not sure of raw inlet flow (though it makes a max of 18 ltrs/hr or so of clean water and must need loads more seawater to produce this.)
 

iangrant

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Zefener,
My watermaker intake in a low down as possible ("T"d off the cockpit drain in front of the engine intake by the keel) ) The original seacock it came off was installed about half way down the hull but apparently drew in air which really upsets a watermaker.
There is a maze of pipes and Y valves which I've yet to turn the right way to depickle the beast and make water.. arrrrg

Ian
 

boatmike

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I don't think its a good idea to siamese off the engine intake as you need quite a volume of water. A seperate intake would be better.
 

zefender

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Hi Ian - thanks for that. Whilst waiting for the esteemed views of forumites I've found a set of FAQs that suggest that the model I've got should be OK to steal engine intake water (required flow is apparently 34 (U.S.) gals per hour.

I've not received the watermaker yet (I managed to get a bit of a bargain new one from a West Marine auction) so my question was to help plan things (running out of time - eek!) For the outlet brine, I'm going to use a basin outlet 'Tee' which should be OK, I hope.

Scary list of things to do yet .....DuoGen to fit, back up solar, LED masthead lights, new plus additional batteries to fit, SSB receiver, satcoms, additional headsail to buy, new cooker. Boat now out of water and slapped with loads of antifoul and engine serviced. Got what might be a bit of a prob with rudder though (oh no!)... Still, about 8 weeks before we head off to Portugal for first leg.... :)
 

iangrant

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Surprisingly that's not an issue as such, the filters cope with solids as a first stage, the reverse osmosis squeezes out the rest to offer cleaner water than comes out of the tap at home, without chlorine!!

Ian
 
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