Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruising use
 

I'm looking for a mid-sized 120 VAC unit - maybe 15-20 gph - no 12 VDC
stuff as I have a 6 KW diesel genset. I have 280 gal in water tanks -
so the idea is to run the WM once a week or two and fill the tanks.
Use of standard parts and low maintenance is good. High price is bad.
Recommendations please.
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Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruising use
 

wrote in :

I'm looking for a mid-sized 120 VAC unit - maybe 15-20 gph - no 12 VDC
stuff as I have a 6 KW diesel genset. I have 280 gal in water tanks -
so the idea is to run the WM once a week or two and fill the tanks.
Use of standard parts and low maintenance is good. High price is bad.
Recommendations please.
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------


No problem off the SC coast last night. It was raining in some squalls
over 5" an hour. What you needed was a tarp with a hole, a funnel and
short hose to the tank inlet....same as in the 1800s.

Sleeping in something dry might have been more of a problem...(c;

Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruising use
 

On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:53:29 -0700, wrote:

I'm looking for a mid-sized 120 VAC unit - maybe 15-20 gph - no 12 VDC
stuff as I have a 6 KW diesel genset. I have 280 gal in water tanks -
so the idea is to run the WM once a week or two and fill the tanks.
Use of standard parts and low maintenance is good. High price is bad.
Recommendations please.
-----------------

None of the watermakers commercially available are exactly
inexpensive, and all require a fair amount of care and maintenance. We
are currently paying about 50 cents per gallon for water here in the
Bahamas and I still regard that as reasonably priced compared to
making our own.

My understanding is that the popular Village Marine units do not use
standard RO components but that Spectra does. Those seem to be the
two most popular units that I've heard of. If you like rolling your
own, check on Glenn Ashmore's web site. He goes into a fair amount of
detail on how to design and build your own unit.

Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruising use
 

On Jun 16, 9:53 pm, wrote:
...I have 280 gal in water tanks -
so the idea is to run the WM once a week or two and fill the tanks.
....

You use 280 gallons a week or two? Wow. How many POB? I've got a 12
volt Spectra but that will be way to small for you. There was a
Canadian guy in New Zealand who was making engine driven very high
output watermakers using off the shelf parts. I watched a demo. Very
impressive. I think his brother took over the company and is selling
them from Canada (BC?)... Something along those lines might work as
direct drive off your genset...

-- Tom.

Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruising use
 

Sorry, kind of backwards of me but I think this is the link:

http://www.wolfwatermakers.com/

This is not an endorsement. I don't have any experience with them one
way or the other. I just saw a working prototype.

-- Tom.

Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruising use
 

On 17 jun, 01:53, wrote:
so the idea is to run the WM once a week or two and fill the tanks.
Use of standard parts and low maintenance is good. High price is bad.

Due to bacterial growth you will have to operate the watermaker every
3-4 days. That's the only disadvantage of such a system (my 2cts worth
experience till now).
I built my own, 2 membranes, cat277, 2,2kW AC-motor, 55GPH. Works
perfectly. I got the motor, Cat HP pump and the pressure-vessels off
Ebay.
Total costs 900 euro's. But apart from low costs: 1) I really know
this system so repairs (none till now) are no problem and 2) I had the
opportunity to put elements in spaces on board as I saw fit. No large
bulky machines with filter units dripping on electrical parts for
me...

Fair winds,
Len
www.svpresent.waarbenjij.nu
(in Dutch)

Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruising use
 

On Jun 19, 3:16*am, Len wrote:
...
Due to bacterial growth you will have to operate the watermaker every
3-4 days. That's the only disadvantage of such a system (my 2cts worth
experience till now)....

If back-flushed thoroughly with fresh water you can run them much less
frequently than that.

-- Tom.

Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruisinguse
 

wrote:
On Jun 19, 3:16 am, Len wrote:
...
Due to bacterial growth you will have to operate the watermaker every
3-4 days. That's the only disadvantage of such a system (my 2cts worth
experience till now)....

If back-flushed thoroughly with fresh water you can run them much less
frequently than that.

-- Tom.
I am not endorsing this one but you may find in interesting if your
water needs are for drinking.
http://www.waterloginternational.com...kers%20ffp.htm
Boeland

Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruising use
 

On 19 jun, 11:15, " wrote:
On Jun 19, 3:16*am, Len wrote:
...

Due to bacterial growth you will have to operate the watermaker every
3-4 days. That's the only disadvantage of such a system (my 2cts worth
experience till now)....

If back-flushed thoroughly with fresh water you can run them much less
frequently than that.

-- Tom.

That sounds interesting to me.
What is your experience?
What do you mean by "less frequently"? every 8 days?
and what by "thoroughly"? 20 minutes? HP-pump on or off?
How long have you been doing this?
Tnx, Len.

Watermakers - what's best and cheapest for long term cruisinguse
 

Larry wrote:
wrote in :

I'm looking for a mid-sized 120 VAC unit - maybe 15-20 gph - no 12 VDC
stuff as I have a 6 KW diesel genset. I have 280 gal in water tanks -
so the idea is to run the WM once a week or two and fill the tanks.
Use of standard parts and low maintenance is good. High price is bad.
Recommendations please.
-----------------
www.Newsgroup-Binaries.com - *Completion*Retention*Speed*
Access your favorite newsgroups from home or on the road
-----------------


No problem off the SC coast last night. It was raining in some squalls
over 5" an hour. What you needed was a tarp with a hole, a funnel and
short hose to the tank inlet....same as in the 1800s.

Sleeping in something dry might have been more of a problem...(c;

I am not endorsing this one but you may find in interesting if your
water needs are for drinking.
http://www.waterloginternational.com...kers%20ffp.htm
Boeland