DIY Watermaker: Pros & Cons

[ghaffy]

Originally Posted by Tellie

Hi Andreas,

... I noticed in your website that you cruise in France and along the Danube. I have one question for you. Isn't where you are cruising in fresh water? Have you used your boats water maker in salt water yet? There will be a difference. ...
Best Regards Tellie

Thank you, Tellie,

for your comment. You are quite right. There is no need for a watermaker on rivers. And although it works there, too, at a much higher production rate and on a ridiculous low pressure due to the very low osmotic pressure of fresh water (some 40 psi for fresh water compared to some 450 psi for sea water, but you know that all, of course), we tried it but I still would not recommend it.

I do not know whether the SW30-membranes can handle fresh water continuously, what however for sure is fact is, that the pre-filters get clogged quite rapidly due to the sediments in the Danube water.

Anyhow, we don't use the watermaker on inland waterways but only when at the sea, as our main area in summer is the Mediterranean. And there it worked perfectly so far.

(BTW, the French river stories on our web site are from our friends Laurence & Patrick in the Camargue region (south France). We haven't ever been there with our boat so far.)

However, I do not dare to hijack this thread, not as a newcomer to this forum. . I'd really like to get more information on Greg's pump.

Andreas

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by svcattales

I used readily available components that are not sole source items and are reasonably priced; e.g., membrane $164, pressure vessel $215, 3 filter housings with filters and mounting bracket $49, etc.

The electric motor and pressure pump are mated together and are very robust industrial components, but they are not energy efficient. The 1/3 HP electric motor looks like the starter motor of a Peterbuilt. :

GREAT JOB!!!

I have started the search for components for my DIYer. With any luck I should have something ready by spring. I was VERY IMPRESSED with how little you paid for your pressure vessel and membrane along with the appearance of your pressure pump.

Can you share source information on where similar cost effective vessels/membranes are sold? Also is that a Wanner pump? Pump specs?

Thanks--

Foggy

[svcattales]

Originally Posted by foggysail

GREAT JOB!!!

I have started the search for components for my DIYer. With any luck I should have something ready by spring. I was VERY IMPRESSED with how little you paid for your pressure vessel and membrane along with the appearance of your pressure pump.

Can you share source information on where similar cost effective vessels/membranes are sold? Also is that a Wanner pump? Pump specs?

Thanks--

Foggy

Foggy, I used americanro.com for the pressure vessel and boundlessoutfitters.com for the membrane. There were a few sources for the same products so google them and find the best deal. Yes, the pump is a Wanner pump, F20E. Check depcopump.com for specs.

[goboatingnow]

danfoss, now make a hydraulic intensifier for RO use, actually a pump, with a high pressure water drive add on. Its a bit pricey though.

There are other designs for hydraulic intensifiers though, besides the Clark pump.

Dave

[foggysail]

SV-- THANK YOU, I will check out each of these sources. Having big problems finding a good pump at reasonable cost. The CATs are fine, but I understand they are noisey. I will look back into the Wanners again,

More later--

Foggy

[ghaffy]

Hello,

At the moment they offer fantastic Danfoss APP 0.8 pumps here Danfoss Sea Recovery Nessie APP 0.8 Pump 180B3037
They are small, light weight, much less noisy - and usually prohibitively expensive.

Sea Recovery uses them in their watermakers.

Regards
Andreas

[goboatingnow]

Anyone tried the danfoss energy recovery device

[wingover]

I was looking at the specs for the smallest pump and it require 2.4 HP at 1100 PSI. How would you run this on a 12v motor?

[ghaffy]

If you run it at 800 PSI you are at about 1.9 hp. This means about 100 Amps.
We have a 110 Amp alternator and 400 Amp hours battery banks. This works somehow.

Andreas

[GRIT]

This is an old thread, but it would be great to get an update from Cattales regarding his watermaker. I'm particularly interested in comparing the noise of a wanner pump to that of a triplex pump (Cat, General, Giant or other).

Cheers.
Paul.

[MIKE_PANGAEA]

An update from Cattales regarding the watermaker would be appriciated!

[svcattales]

Originally Posted by svquintana

This is an old thread, but it would be great to get an update from Cattales regarding his watermaker. I'm particularly interested in comparing the noise of a wanner pump to that of a triplex pump (Cat, General, Giant or other).

Cheers.
Paul.

Paul, I'm not familiar with the other pumps so I don't have any basis for comparison. I always run one or more engines when I'm making water so the diesel pretty much drowns out the pump noise.

I have used the wm for 4 cruising seasons and it is still working well and water quality is excellent.

[jcapo]

I'm in the process of finishing a hydra-cell pump watermaker install. I have heard Cat pumps run and they make a clickity clackity sound. The hydra-cell pump is a different sound and I'm not sure how to describe it. Most of the noise in my installation is from vibration and its about a loud as the Cat pump as I recall. The vibration may be less when I get a good pump, I hope.

Wanner is having problems with the small hydra-cell pumps. My pump was leaking oil in the shipping box. Back to Wanner for repair.

2 months later due to bad communication and cruising I get the pump back. Install and test and pump reaches 160F at 400 psi within 10 minutes. The pump is on a 12 volt 1/2 horse motor and and at 400 psi its drawing 40 amps or about twice what it should at that pressure. Back to Wanner.

According to Wanner, "This pump failed because the E series cam shaft installed is too soft."

Wanner is having new cam shafts made from a different material and different heat treat process. I chose to have them rebuild with an S cam shaft that moves .55 gpm instead of .73 gpm rather than wait several weeks and be the beta tester for the new cam shafts.

Got the pump with the S cam on Friday and installed it on Saturday. I can get to 800 psi but still a heat problem. Rises to 160F at 800 psi within 15 minutes and would go higher if didn't shut it down. Past 150F power consumption
increases dramatically.

I'm sure Wanner will get this straightened out but the delays are a real hassle.

The good news. I used the SW30-2540 membrane and at 800 psi I get 13 gph of product. At 850 psi I get 15 gph. I'm real happy with those numbers if I can get a pump that does not overheat and uses almost twice the power that it should.

[GRIT]

Again, this is an old thread, but if Jcapo has an update, I'd be very happy to hear it.
Did your new pump work? Are you still using a wanner pump?
Are you still using the sw30 2540 membrane, and is it the original one? I often wondered about using that membrane with less than a gallon a minute flow. They say it'll clog prematurely, but how premature? Will it last several years?

Thanks.
Paul.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by svquintana

Again, this is an old thread, but if Jcapo has an update, I'd be very happy to hear it.
Did your new pump work? Are you still using a wanner pump?
Are you still using the sw30 2540 membrane, and is it the original one? I often wondered about using that membrane with less than a gallon a minute flow. They say it'll clog prematurely, but how premature? Will it last several years?

Thanks.
Paul.

The answer is Yes and No. Even the smallest of watermakers will require around 2gpm of flow on a membrane half that size. Pressure is only half the equation.


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