Fresh water makers best price and performance?

[blackcatscooter]

We just bought our WM and went with a Spectra Catalina Z with the Silver Ion back flush, compact version, automatic controller and operation, 12V, ~15gph, ~18A. Does it make financial sense, probably not. But, after a lot of research and investigation, this was the best decision for us. The people that work with Spectra and their distributors have been nothing but amazing in their knowledge and their willingness to help. I have spent many hours on the phone with multiple people from various manufacturers and the Spectra dealers and employees provided the most help. These people helped to educate us about Watermakers, not just sell one. Thank you for all your time and help Tellie!


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by blackcatscooter

We just bought our WM and went with a Spectra Catalina Z with the Silver Ion back flush, compact version, automatic controller and operation, 12V, ~15gph, ~18A. Does it make financial sense, probably not. But, after a lot of research and investigation, this was the best decision for us. The people that work with Spectra and their distributors have been nothing but amazing in their knowledge and their willingness to help. I have spent many hours on the phone with multiple people from various manufacturers and the Spectra dealers and employees provided the most help. These people helped to educate us about Watermakers, not just sell one. Thank you for all your time and help Tellie!


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

Wow thanks! Your $1.17 endorsement fee is on the way

But really, the one thing I can say, not just about me but of those at Spectra as well. We really do enjoy our work and the great people we get to deal with like yourself all the time. As far as financial sense, I hear it all the time, "You don't NEED a watermaker" Yeah, well you don't NEED a boat either. I call watermakers freedom machines. With a good watermaker on board you are only limited by the amount of food you can store. The cost of a watermaker opposed to gaining the freedom to go and stay where ever and for how ever long you want and not have to schedule regular runs to the spigot or chase occasional rain clouds around is well worth it. As I learned with my first watermaker, waking up to the sound of little dingy motors at 7am, popping my head up through the hatch and seeing all those dingys and blue jugs heading to shore, there's no greater feeling than going right back to sleeping like a baby.


Halden Marine Services | Marine Watermakers, Solar Panels, Wind Generators

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Tellie

...waking up to the sound of little dingy motors at 7am, popping my head up through the hatch and seeing all those dingys and blue jugs heading to shore, there's no greater feeling than going right back to sleeping like a baby.

Too funny. A friend of mine who is a Bahama regular told me the same thing when I asked him "how will I know where to get the water." He said to follow the dinghy's. Or bring my jug over and he would fill it during the day with his Ventura 200T!

[sy_gilana]

@ Tellie.

I must applaud you for your loyalty to the supplier who keeps food on your table. I also bow to your clearly superior knowledge of RO systems in general.

I was surprised at your berating of a competing manufacturer relegating them to, in your words "This is just another round of a stainless steel energy recovery pump copycat."

You continue to say that you will not discuss it further, which leaves me the last word I guess.

I do not own one of their units but I know them well, and there is nothing in this for me, except to give people choice.

They have been in business for 15 years.

They hold USA patents on their Energy Recovery System. (If you have ever applied for a patent you will know that frivolous differences are frowned upon by the patent office)

The Stainless Steel parts you refer to, are ceramic on these units.

All Piston style energy recovery units are similar where opposing cylinders are joined by a common shaft transferring kinetic energy to the input side, but this is where the similarity ends.

Your units use non-return valves, theirs have none.

The flat surfaces are designed for wear, and continue working well, whereas the scores on the competing units require changing to recover output. Much like self sharpening blades on shears.

It can be and was clearly demonstrated by patent attorneys that the Eco-sistems units are not a copy of anything else on the market

I have no connection with them apart from installing some of their systems, and translating parts of the user's manual into English. I did have the opportunity to study the units, and found them to be of very high quality with intelligent design in my humble opinion.

[newhaul]

Sorry all I can find is a reference on a UK vendors site that says " new to the UK ! Patented energy recovery DC water maker". It says nothing about the patent or where it is filed not even who has the aforementioned patent. The eco-sistem water maker is made in Spain and needs no us patents

[jwcolby54]

Originally Posted by Tellie

OK, I think I've thoroughly saturated this thread.

PS Did I mention I'm here to help?


Halden Marine Services | Marine Watermakers, Solar Panels, Wind Generators

[senormechanico]

Owning a Spectra and very happy with it, I'm not in the market for a WM.
However if I was in the market, that Eco company's decision to void all Little Wonder owner's warranties would be enough for me to blackball them.

[colemj]

Originally Posted by senormechanico

However if I was in the market, that Eco company's decision to void all Little Wonder owner's warranties would be enough for me to blackball them.

Wait, wait! No!

The company that bought out several companies (Village Marine, Sea Recovery and HRO), voided all existing warranties, changed the new warranties to nothing more than "drive it off the lot and its your problem", fired many of their best employees and generally told the average small consumer to go pound themselves is -

PARKER-HANNIFIN.

Not Eco-anything. Please don't think badly about EcoTec or Eco-sistems, which are the two Eco-things discussed here.

Mark

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by sy_gilana

@ Tellie.

I must applaud you for your loyalty to the supplier who keeps food on your table. I also bow to your clearly superior knowledge of RO systems in general.

I was surprised at your berating of a competing manufacturer relegating them to, in your words "This is just another round of a stainless steel energy recovery pump copycat."

You continue to say that you will not discuss it further, which leaves me the last word I guess.

I do not own one of their units but I know them well, and there is nothing in this for me, except to give people choice.

They have been in business for 15 years.

They hold USA patents on their Energy Recovery System. (If you have ever applied for a patent you will know that frivolous differences are frowned upon by the patent office)

The Stainless Steel parts you refer to, are ceramic on these units.

All Piston style energy recovery units are similar where opposing cylinders are joined by a common shaft transferring kinetic energy to the input side, but this is where the similarity ends.

Your units use non-return valves, theirs have none.

The flat surfaces are designed for wear, and continue working well, whereas the scores on the competing units require changing to recover output. Much like self sharpening blades on shears.

It can be and was clearly demonstrated by patent attorneys that the Eco-sistems units are not a copy of anything else on the market

I have no connection with them apart from installing some of their systems, and translating parts of the user's manual into English. I did have the opportunity to study the units, and found them to be of very high quality with intelligent design in my humble opinion.

Fair enough. I knew when I hit the send button that I might squash a toe or two and I almost did not hit the submit button because of that possibility. Perhaps I should have given it deeper thought and taken the better road. I knew I was pushing a line I usually never cross and many threads can go sideways over even the most subtle of comments. Thus my comment about the Mods here, who have always treated me fairly, could pull the post if they felt I had gone too far without protest from me.
Though I have worked on practically every boat based watermaker to come out, I will apologize and retract my statement. I will concede to your knowledge of these units and listen closely to your comments on them in the future in anticipation of always learning something new.
But understand, and all the due respect to you that I can give, no one but Tellie puts food on Tellies table.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Fair enough. I knew when I hit the send button that I might squash a toe or two and I almost did not hit the submit button because of that possibility. Perhaps I should have given it deeper thought and taken the better road. I knew I was pushing a line I usually never cross and many threads can go sideways over even the most subtle of comments. Thus my comment about the Mods here, who have always treated me fairly, could pull the post if they felt I had gone too far without protest from me.
Though I have worked on practically every boat based watermaker to come out, I will apologize and retract my statement. I will concede to your knowledge of these units and listen closely to your comments on them in the future in anticipation of always learning something new.
But understand, and all the due respect to you that I can give, no one but Tellie puts food on Tellies table.

Well written, you probably have a lot of friends and a great marriage!

[sy_gilana]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Fair enough. I knew when I hit the send button that I might squash a toe or two and I almost did not hit the submit button because of that possibility. Perhaps I should have given it deeper thought and taken the better road. I knew I was pushing a line I usually never cross and many threads can go sideways over even the most subtle of comments. Thus my comment about the Mods here, who have always treated me fairly, could pull the post if they felt I had gone too far without protest from me.
Though I have worked on practically every boat based watermaker to come out, I will apologize and retract my statement. I will concede to your knowledge of these units and listen closely to your comments on them in the future in anticipation of always learning something new.
But understand, and all the due respect to you that I can give, no one but Tellie puts food on Tellies table.

Ok Tellie, I stand corrected about the food on your table, and we will both put this down to experience. Good luck with your future endeavors. No harm done. See you on the water mate!

[hoppy]

After getting UK pricing of the spectra Ventura 200, I'm starting to think it will be cheaper to pay for flights to Florida, a luxury hotel, hire car, food and booze, so I can buy it in person from Tellie, ship it to the EU and pay tax.

And if it only works out to be a break even arrangement, I get a watermaker and a free holiday.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[colemj]

Originally Posted by hoppy

After getting UK pricing of the spectra Ventura 200, I'm starting to think it will be cheaper to pay for flights to Florida, a luxury hotel, hire car, food and booze, so I can buy it in person from Tellie, ship it to the EU and pay tax.

And if it only works out to be a break even arrangement, I get a watermaker and a free holiday.

You have obviously never taken Tellie to a bar before. I bet the UK pricing will look pretty good once you include that…

Mark

[hoppy]

No problem, I'll hit a wall and phantom my way out of the bar and go into homing mode and stumble back to my hotel before it ends up costing too much.

I night out drinking these days generally costs me no more now than it did 30 years ago, as prices have gone up my stamina has gone down


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[wiekeith]

Originally Posted by wiekeith

I recently installed a RO watermaker that produces 25lt/hr and takes less than 10A at 12 volts, so runs from my solar panels, and it cost 2,995 Euro. The maker is a Spanish company Eco-sistems.

EDIT - for 10A read 20A...