Watermaker in a box

[Highland Fling]

Hi folks I am thinking of building a portable watermaker in a box to sit on the transom swim platform NO pumbing issues for pick up and waste brine and the product will go into jugs. This would be only for use at anchor. I have a Katadyn 160E that I will be using. Have not as yet done a component lay up but was wondering about two things. IF i use a 10" filter housing for the 30 micron filter can I (are there any issues to) mount(ing) it upside down?

Next can you get 5" filter housings and 30 micron polyesdter cartridges to fit? AND of course would a 5" filter be big enough for this watermaker? Obviously needs cleaned twice as often.

Also any Katadyn 160E users out there who can tell me how noisy it is and how much it vibrates with the mounting bracket underneath the Leeson motor/reduction gear box and the BIG overhang of the right angle drive and the stainless steel pump.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Rainman water makers has build different versions of what you are talking about.

http://www.rainmandesal.com/?gclid=C...FRQlgQodi5cKaA

[Lepke]

Upside down filter housing will collect air. I'd drill the top (bottom) and install a small valve to purge the air and a full length filter.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Not just collecting air is a problem, but you can have a hard time getting the filter element to sit properly in the center of the housing while tightening the filter, same if they are leaning sideways.

[daletournier]

I have a 80e and it is noisy. I wouldn't say it vibrates much.

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by Lepke

Upside down filter housing will collect air. I'd drill the top (bottom) and install a small valve to purge the air and a full length filter.

I see SPECRA have a watermaker in a box with the 10" filter on a hinge and you flip it out to have it vertical when you are using the unit.

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I have a 80e and it is noisy. I wouldn't say it vibrates much.

Sent from my GT-N7105T using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

HOW niosy....what is making the noise, the motor, the reduction gearbox, the right angle drive or the pump itself?

As par as I know the 160E is just an 80E with a bigger motor that goes twice as fast.......OR maybe it is the same size motor with a different gearbox ratio.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Highland Fling

I see SPECRA have a watermaker in a box with the 10" filter on a hinge and you flip it out to have it vertical when you are using the unit.

Spectras been building these 12/24 volt watermakers a box(Aquifers) for a long time and for many applications other than just boat based systems. I ave customers that buy these systems and share them with their racing buddies, take them camping, and use them at remote cabins.


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

[Highland Fling]

PROGRESS of sorts.

Yesterday I rebuilt the right angle drive on the Katadyn 160E pump. I used no hardening Permatex to seal the two gearbox halves as I could not find any Hylomar in stock in SXM ( this is my fave joint to joint face to face sealant ) Filled the gearbox with EP140 oil AND we did a wee test.

Sat the pump and the membrane on the back of the cockpit on an ex Moorings seat life presever cushion and connected up the power direct to the batteries with a nice heavy cable and a 50A C/B as a switch, then some hoses and a VETUS coarse filter then a transparent 10" filter housing with a 20 micron filter element in there and popped the intake hose into the sea with a SS/ fitting screwed into the 1/2" hose to act as a weight and keep it submerged.

Filled the 10" housing and switched on the pump.

Lots of air and no operation the 10" filter empted quickly but was not filling.

After trying a few things for 10/15 minutes and seeing no improvement I stuck my tongue over the sea end of the intake hose.....NO SUCTION

So we removed the vetus filter and refilled the 10" housing.

Water in housing vanished and there was a wee drib into the housing but not enough to get things working.

Filled a bucket with sea water and sat that on the swim deck and refilled the filter again......we quickly had a working system so I dropped the intake hose back in the sea.

After ten mins I tasted the product water and it was good - we didn't have a TDS meter....one on order.....so I let the PW just flow for another ten minutes then put it in a five litre water jug.........after ten minutes timed by stopwatch it was full WOW THIRTY liters an hour........Today we borrowed a TDS meter and the RO water is showing 470PPM.

IT IS NOISY but does not vibrate a lot. The Noise is mostly mechanical noise from the reduction gearbox and the Right Angle Drive with the pump making a little noise too. This is the old style RAD with just a cast iron eccentric and a bronze looking bearing surface on the con rod....

There is a new modified version that uses roller bearings so that might be quieter but at around $500 to get it to SXM I will see how things go with the total project before doing that modification.

It was drawing about 15A with the batteries on around 13.4V the sun was up (NOT high in the sky as we tested this at around 16:00 hours and the solar was charging but not like it does between 10:00 and 14:00 when we see around 20+ amps going into out LIFePO4 batteries. So not a SPECTRA....see my other thread soon......but 15A for 6.6 UK gallons is not too bad a performance I think.....specs say 25.5 litres / hour so I guess our high voltage is helping here NOT that I did measure voltage at the pump which I will do at the next experiemental run.

I have modified the ends of the 160E membrane housing taking off the steel pipe and having 90 degree fittings on both ends sadly this needed a bronze female to female adapter as I could not find the 'right' fittings here in SXM.....pictures soon.

[Highland Fling]

FITTINGS.

I am thinking of using the garden style male female bayonette hose connectors for the brine outlet and the sea water inlet hoses.....not an issue with the brine outlet but I am worried that the one on the inlet might be a source of air leaking into the system doubly so as they are used in a positive pressure environment and I would be using in a negative pressure environment......

Sensible thoughts please and advice on what I could use that is a 'better' fit for this application, preferably not screwed connections BUT IF NEEDS MUST that might be the only way to go here. Also a QC for the 1/4" product hose would be lovely too.

[Highland Fling]

RUNNING OUR TEST

Yesterday the 10" prefilter was half full/empty when the system was running is this normal?

This did look odd but seemd to have no real efect on the operation of the Katadyn 160E water maker once it was 'making' RO water.

[colemj]

How high above the water is this operating?. The hp pump does not like a high draw, and you may need a boost pump to supply it. What you observe with the filters and suction is not normal, nor good for the pump.

Mark

[Highland Fling]

SPECTRA.

I have now got a Spectra Clark pump and a 40" membrane.

I dont have a Specra low pressure pump but do have a Shurflow 'similar pump which i was going to use to see if the clark pump is operational.

Is that dooable?


I have no idea of the age of the Clark Pump but it is an old one as it has the tapered fittings...the membarne has the straight threads with the O Ring seal.

The Clark Pump is suffereing from stress cracks around one of the fittings see picture

GGGRRRRRRRRR My iPad wont post the URL here properly the picture is on my watermaker album


here is the serial number 0202161983

[Highland Fling]

Originally Posted by colemj

How high above the water is this operating?. The hp pump does not like a high draw, and you may need a boost pump to supply it. What you observe with the filters and suction is not normal, nor good for the pump.

Mark

The Katadyn has a lift pump as part of the HP pump

As to your question around a foot.....difference or less between pump and intake

Katadyn DON'T recommend a lift/boost pump. sadly the filter housing does not have a bleed screw or button... I was not happy but the KD 160E was quite happy, there was no air dowstream of the 20 micron pre-filter.

[colemj]

A foot should be fine without a boost pump, so there must be an air leak in your filter housing or fittings.

Mark