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26-08-2013, 12:21
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Cruising Eastern Caribbean
Boat: Taswell 49
Posts: 1,199
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12 volt water maker suggestions
Presently shopping for a 12v watermaker for clients boat. Engine would be likely run during operation and boat is well equipped with wind a solar charging options. As engine is likely to be run during watermaking would prefer high output (well for a 12v unit anyway).
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Ted Reshetiloff
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26-08-2013, 15:05
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 65
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Re: 12 volt water maker suggestions
I think you should know how much water you need per day, with 4 people on board. That's important for the size of the watermaker. 1.5 or 4.5 gallons of fresh water per hour makes a difference....
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26-08-2013, 16:00
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,488
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Hard to beat the energy effieciency and excellent support from Spectra, but they are pricey.
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26-08-2013, 16:28
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#4
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Cruising Eastern Caribbean
Boat: Taswell 49
Posts: 1,199
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I'm in the BVI so anything is going to be pricey. As for the output question I hear ya. What is the top end to expect from a 12v system? PUR 80 is what 3.5 GPH? Spectra Catalina is bout the same? Maybe would be better off with an AC unit and a Honda EU 2k to run it?
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Ted Reshetiloff
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26-08-2013, 16:40
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,488
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Spectra Catalina 300 is about 12 GPH. Spectra makes a few models larger than the Catalina too. DC driven is not a limiting factor for cruising size systems.
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26-08-2013, 16:44
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Cruising Eastern Caribbean
Boat: Taswell 49
Posts: 1,199
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Ok maybe need to look that way. Have heard mores than a few spectra complaints here in the BVI though.
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Ted Reshetiloff
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26-08-2013, 17:09
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Canada
Boat: Shopping...
Posts: 309
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Re: 12 volt water maker suggestions
I have a Katadyn 80. I have to run it 1 to 1.5 hour every day to meet our water demand. I'm doing that with solar power. No need to crank an engine. What I like is the simplicity of the Katadyn: 3-5 minutes after start-up, water is at 280-300 ppm range. When we have made enough, just turn it off. No backwashing ever.
When we enter an anchorage where water is not clean enough (or taking a slip), it takes me less than 10 minutes and half gallon of fresh water to pickle it.
Whenever I'm not going to use it for more than 2 days, I pickle it. Doing so, I avoid bacterial growth in the system.
We are two persons on board.
Marc
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26-08-2013, 17:25
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,185
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Re: 12 volt water maker suggestions
We just recently installed the 40e and have been pretty happy with it. One thing that I'd comment on about the engine driven stuff is that there are times when you might not want to run your engine for power. We just had a tropical storm roll through and the water has been disgusting and foul for days. I wouldn't run the watermaker either, but I'm glad I've got 270w of solar.
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26-08-2013, 17:29
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#9
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,542
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Re: 12 volt water maker suggestions
The nice thing about engine drive is output for the initial cost, as well as... at 25 GPH, you can put 100 gallons in the tank while you are motoring to the next harbor! Then you dont have to make water out of that mucky, turd infested harbor water!
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"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard
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26-08-2013, 17:42
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,185
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Re: 12 volt water maker suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako
The nice thing about engine drive is output for the initial cost, as well as... at 25 GPH, you can put 100 gallons in the tank while you are motoring to the next harbor! Then you dont have to make water out of that mucky, turd infested harbor water!
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You couldn't pay me enough to spark the engine in this place, and it's been like that for two days, even just to leave the place.
I literally saw an entire intact palm tree float by, not to mention the cacti, tree stumps, and normally ~50' visibility reduced to ~1'. I barely want to flush the head.
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26-08-2013, 17:43
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Canada
Boat: Shopping...
Posts: 309
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Re: 12 volt water maker suggestions
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cheechako
The nice thing about engine drive is output for the initial cost, as well as... at 25 GPH, you can put 100 gallons in the tank while you are motoring to the next harbor! Then you dont have to make water out of that mucky, turd infested harbor water!
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Everyone's needs different. We tend to stay at anchor for weeks at the same spot, while exploring that new island. Running the 12 volts watermaker a bit every day out of the solar panels allow us to (almost) forget we have an engine!
Marc
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Sur le même bateau, l'homme de terre et l'homme de mer ont deux buts différents. Le but du premier est d'arriver, le but du deuxième est de repartir.
La terre nous tire vers le passé, la mer les pousse vers le futur.- Albert Londres, 1927
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26-08-2013, 18:07
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#12
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: narragansett
Boat: 45' leopard cat
Posts: 117
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Engine drive has worked well, echotech 20 gph and run sea frost refrigeration while making water an hour a day, also charges batteries. Usually motor at some point if travelling.
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26-08-2013, 18:11
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Cruising Eastern Caribbean
Boat: Taswell 49
Posts: 1,199
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Not likely to go engine driven on this boat. Perhaps on my own though. I'm thinking 12v system and wondering whose gives you the best gallon per watt ratio.
__________________
Ted Reshetiloff
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26-08-2013, 18:45
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: W Carib
Boat: Wildcat 35, Hobie 33
Posts: 13,488
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SV Demeter
Not likely to go engine driven on this boat. Perhaps on my own though. I'm thinking 12v system and wondering whose gives you the best gallon per watt ratio.
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Spectra by far. I did the math on all the major brands when I intalled mine...a bit dated now so some others may have improved. Their Clarkson pump ( actually a non-powered pressure intensifier) really drops the power usage because w it there is no power driven high pressure pump...just a feed pump.
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26-08-2013, 18:49
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: between the devil and the deep blue sea
Boat: a sailing boat
Posts: 20,437
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Re: 12 volt water maker suggestions
Many owners say buy biggest you can and I can see their point.
I like Spectra wm much as I do not like their control panels (the highly automated ones). I would buy a Spectra for our boat too.
b.
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