Water maker or not?

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

a) do NOT get a small unit, if you can afford a bigger one (afford both in money terms and in energy onboard terms),

Very, very good advice.

You might learn that a larger unit will actually use LESS energy, since it makes more water in less time even though it may use more energy per unit of time (the time becomes less).

Like this:

The math is interesting. Originally, I thought I would go with a Katadyn unit that does 40 gallons per day. It consumes 4A compared to the Spectra unit's 9A and would have more than met our 15 gallon per day consumption requirement.

The dealer actually gave me a good education. We only need to run the Spectra unit for a couple of hours a day instead of 9 or 10 hours a day on the lower output unit. More importantly, The Spectra unit is about 1.5 Ah per gallon compared to 2.6 Ah/g for the Katadyn.

[JPA Cate]

Stu,

Anytime you can run your watermaker only 2 hrs. a day, off your solar panels, you'd be in ample water heaven!

Ann

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Stu,

Anytime you can run your watermaker only 2 hrs. a day, off your solar panels, you'd be in ample water heaven!

Ann

Yes.

From off the grid, solar perspective: optimum moment is as your batteries stop accepting full solar output. This is often somewhere between noon and 14:00 solar time. As you said, if the watermaker can make enough water in two hours nothing gets wasted and life is sweet.

b.

[Tellie]

30gals of fresh water per day peak solar hours.

Watt/Hr per Gallon =16
Watts per hour =224
X 2hrs =448Watts
amp hr =18.2
Total amps =36.5

Not one drop of fossil fuel.

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

[tuffr2]

I have a lot to learn about sailboat electical set-ups. It sounds like a water maker can run off the 12v system. I am guessing a sailboat is set up similar to a travel trailer. If plugged into shore power the water maker could be run and use the shore power...correct?

Sent from my SM-G360V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Dennis.G]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Watt/Hr per Gallon =16
Watts per hour =224
X 2hrs =448Watts
amp hr =18.2
Total amps =36.5]

Could these units be any more screwed up?? Watts per hour is just so wrong!

Maybe instead:
16 Wh/gallon
224 W
448 Wh
18.2 A
36.5 Ah

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

I have a lot to learn about sailboat electical set-ups. It sounds like a water maker can run off the 12v system. I am guessing a sailboat is set up similar to a travel trailer. If plugged into shore power the water maker could be run and use the shore power...correct?

Sent from my SM-G360V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

A 12 volt water maker can run off of the 12 volt system, when on shore power and you have a battery charger the watermaker is still 12 volt, but is being supplied power from the charger that is also charging the batteries. Other water makers use 120/220 VAC and require a generator or large inverter or shore power to operate.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by Dennis.G

Could these units be any more screwed up?? Watts per hour is just so wrong!

Maybe instead:
16 Wh/gallon
224 W
448 Wh
18.2 A
36.5 Ah

I'll keep your correction for future use. The other is just another way for the non electrical engineers to see things. I find more often than not simplistic works best. I've tried teaching Ohms law and the Ohms wheel to customers but usually the eyes just glaze over. But how ever the point gets across I'm all for it.


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

[tuffr2]

That is how a travel trailer works. The converter charges the battery when plugged into shore power which powers the 12v system. On a TT the lights, radio, water pump, furnace controls and blower run off 12v. The TV and Micro wave need a generator or shore power.

Does taking a portable generator make sense on a sailboat?





Sent from my SM-G360V using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

...If plugged into shore power the water maker could be run and use the shore power...correct?...

When plugged into shore power, you can use the garden hose on the dock to fill your water tanks.

[tuffr2]

Humm...I guess the means that unlike some campgrounds that have electricity but no water hook-up that all marinas that have an electric hook-up also will have a water hook-up...correct?

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[StuM]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I'll keep your correction for future use. The other is just another way for the non electrical engineers to see things. I find more often than not simplistic works best. I've tried teaching Ohms law and the Ohms wheel to customers but usually the eyes just glaze over. But how ever the point gets across I'm all for it.

Sigh! Another US "engineer" ? My eyes would glaze over too if the person trying to teach me Ohm's Law didn't know the difference between an Amp and an Amp hr.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1933764

[StuM]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

That is how a travel trailer works. The converter charges the battery when plugged into shore power which powers the 12v system. On a TT the lights, radio, water pump, furnace controls and blower run off 12v. The TV and Micro wave need a generator or shore power.

Or an inverter, which is very common on cruising sailboats.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by StuM

Sigh! Another US "engineer" ? My eyes would glaze over too if the person trying to teach me Ohm's Law didn't know the difference between an Amp and an Amp hr.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1933764

OK, you win.

[zboss]

How many dB's of noise does a Spectra make?