Katadyn Watermaker......Any Good?

[reiner]

I am looking at water makers on the net and found a brand Katadyn.
It looks like a compact and neat unit.
Are they good Quality?

Thanks
Reiner

[dsinger]

I have the 40e on my Allied Seawind. I find that the Katadyn was easy to install and simple to maintain. Their units do not produce large volumes of water compared to some of the other watermakers out there but it is the dependability and small space and energy requirements that drew me to their line of watermakers.
I power mine with my Kyocera 130 solar panel wtih no problem. I am care ful to pickle if it is not used in three days. This is an easy process. I have had the unit for 2 years and no problems.

[reiner]

Originally Posted by dsinger

I have the 40e on my Allied Seawind. I find that the Katadyn was easy to install and simple to maintain. Their units do not produce large volumes of water compared to some of the other watermakers out there but it is the dependability and small space and energy requirements that drew me to their line of watermakers.
I power mine with my Kyocera 130 solar panel wtih no problem. I am care ful to pickle if it is not used in three days. This is an easy process. I have had the unit for 2 years and no problems.

Thanks for your reply. I had a look at the 40E and like the size and power consumption . Do you find 6 ltr per hr is enough for two people?
We would just use it as a backup as we mostly island hop here in Australia.

[annk]

Had our 35, precursor to the 40 for over 12 years now. Still works well and produces 5-6 litres an hour. Solely powered by our KISS wind generator. Plenty to provide a backup for the two of us out cruising.

Whenever there is excess wind we put it on and top up the tanks. Had no problems with it at all, maintain it well, replace the main filter every 2-3 years. Highly recommend it.

[NewMoon]

We've used a 40E for 14 years. It works well, but I'd probably choose an 80E if I were starting over. It would permit more frequent showers and a little less painstaking dish rinsing.

[dsinger]

I have no problem keeping up with the needs for two with the 40e. The 80 will not take up much more space but is pricier and I find that it is good to run it as much as possible so to avoid pickling in the tropics with the 80 iyou may have too much too quickly. Google and download Gary Albers book How to Survive with a Powersurvivor Watermaker. It has all the info you could possibly want as far as maintenance and use. It is a free download and I keep it on my netbook on my sailboat just in case.