Spectra Watermaker experience

[bstronger]

I have a new Maine Cat P47 with a Spectra Ventura 150 watermaker. First I had a failed flow meter which was a difficult replacement due to poor service location on the unit. Now I have a failed salinity probe which makes the unit inoperable. The service manual specifies a bypass 'that will destroy the salinity probe in a few days'. I am curious as to the experience of others? Is this typical and how have you found warranty service coverage to be?

[Spectra]

Hello,

You can always contact techsupport@spectrawatermakers.com for assistance. The watermaker can always be operated manually or it is simple to bypass the salinity probe using the "Programming from the Display" function. I'm not sure where you are reading that the salinity probe will be destroyed (I actually write the manuals).

There is a service tech in the process of scheduling a 6 hour round trip warranty service call (no cost to you) to this problem. Let us know what else we can do to help.

The tech support team at Spectra

[Bayside Bert28]

I'm installing a Spectra water maker now after having received some excellent references. So far, so good. Seems like a very nice unit.

[DeepFrz]

Looks like great service.

[ardoin]

Carry a spare salinity probe. Mine cannot be bypassed. It cost about $200, but the first one lasted almost 10 years.

[twistedtree]

Mine works great, and Spectra's support is among the best in the industry when things do go wrong.

[roetter]

I had good support from Spectra when I was in Europe and in need of a new part for the Clark pump. Very quick response from their service department on my email and good service near Rome. Getting another Spectra installed on my new boat next month.

[Boatguy30]

Have come across a few boats with heaps of issues with these units. Perhaps the newer ones are better? Of course the warranty was good, but cost a bit to fedex the thing back from Tahiti.

[CarlF]

I've also found Spectra support very good (the couple of times I've called). I also had a salinity probe failure but the new one was less than $100 and the customer support tech just took my credit card info over the phone and it arrived a few days later.

I was a little less happy when I called this summer with another minor problem (of my own making). After diagnosing the problem, customer support told me that they no longer sell parts directly and I'd have to go through a local distributor (who I'd never heard of and didn't have an internet storefront or even a parts list online).

I understand the need for a manufacturer to support a dealer network but this is a big step backwards in customer service.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Spectra.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Spectra

Hello,

You can always contact techsupport@spectrawatermakers.com for assistance. The watermaker can always be operated manually or it is simple to bypass the salinity probe using the "Programming from the Display" function. I'm not sure where you are reading that the salinity probe will be destroyed (I actually write the manuals).

There is a service tech in the process of scheduling a 6 hour round trip warranty service call (no cost to you) to this problem. Let us know what else we can do to help.

The tech support team at Spectra

Watch me get my backside in a sling with the boys in tech.

Actually the OP is partially correct and I'm sure this is what he is referring to. In the older Spectra manuals (I've read them all) there was a procedure for older type salinity probes to dip the removable cable fitting at the salinity probe into a glass of salt water and run the system to bypass the salinity failure. This would destroy the fitting in a few days but this does not apply to his system as that probe is no longer used. But if the control panel is alarming "Salinity Probe Failure" it's pretty certain the probe is already done for and will need replacing. But if the OP has a new boat I would assume the VT150 is a new unit as well, and yes there is a simple disable salinity probe feature on his system.

Now as far as "There is a service tech in the process of scheduling a 6 hour round trip warranty service call (no cost to you) to this problem. Let us know what else we can do to help."

I would say this is just how Spectra operates and is not surprising to me at all. It's one of the many reasons I believe in them more than any other watermaker on the market hands down. Their service goes beyond exceptional.

[SV THIRD DAY]

Even as the owner of Cruise RO Water which makes our own brand of high output water makers...I can confirm Tellie's comment that Spectra has exceptional customer service. In fact, if every marine gear company took care of their customers like Spectra then there would be a lot less customer service horror stories out there in the cruising fleet. I'm 100% comfortable in satating that as a fact!

Now of course you can't talk to the owner and designer of the Specta water maker on weekends or even on Thanksgiving Day for customer service and support calls like you can me...but then again...I don't have thousands of water makers out in the field like Spectra does. And once I do...heck...well I may quietly remove my personal cell number from our website and manual...and go back to having a life outside of work...ha ha ha

[belizesailor]

I've had a Spectra since 2004. Always excellent support.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by SV THIRD DAY

Even as the owner of Cruise RO Water which makes our own brand of high output water makers...I can confirm Tellie's comment that Spectra has exceptional customer service. In fact, if every marine gear company took care of their customers like Spectra then there would be a lot less customer service horror stories out there in the cruising fleet. I'm 100% comfortable in satating that as a fact!

Now of course you can't talk to the owner and designer of the Specta water maker on weekends or even on Thanksgiving Day for customer service and support calls like you can me...but then again...I don't have thousands of water makers out in the field like Spectra does. And once I do...heck...well I may quietly remove my personal cell number from our website and manual...and go back to having a life outside of work...ha ha ha

Thanks for the confirmation Rich. I know your personal customer service is top rate as well. I would not say that if I did not mean it. But it's true, you can not talk directly to the owner of Spectra on the weekends or Thanksgiving, you probably can't talk to him much of the rest of the year either. He hires the right people to take service and support calls five days a week during normal business hours, and they are very good at it. But the owner of Spectra rests easy the rest of the time knowing, as he does, that anyone that has ever dealt with me over the years knows that I have always had my cell on 24/7 and that good service and support is only a phone call or E-mail away any time they might need it. Heck Rich, you can call me anytime you'd like as well. Even when you get those thousands of your units out there

Best Regards Tellie (954-515-7077)