We installed a new Schenker Zen 30 basic 12 months ago before we left
Australia. We are now in Sudan and the unit has done almost 200 hours. Performance has been consistently as per specification at 30 litres per hour using about 9 amps. For two people, 30 litres per hour is ample. We
shower every day and do the dishes (biggest consumers) and use 25 to 30 litres per day. Sometimes we hose the
deck (if we are motoring in calm conditions) and do
laundry as well. We run the Watermaker every 2 to 3 days for 2 to 4 hours to minimise the loss of
flushing at the end of the run.
We have 900w
solar and 900ah AGMs. No genset. We usually align water making with motoring where possible. Our
electronics draw about the same as the watermaker, so in the scheme of things it’s not huge.
We ordered the unit in March last year and it was delivered to
Australia exactly to the lead time offered by Schenker when we first contacted them. The comprehensiveness of the
plumbing kit etc was impressive and the build quality is superb. We also ordered a spare Johnson
pump, membrane and 3 years’ supply of filters and chemicals, all of which was competitively priced. The unit is more compact than we expected and the
pump, filters etc can be mounted separate from the unit itself.
Schenker’s customer
service has been absolutely fantastic. I had many questions pre-purchase and during
installation, and we always got an almost immediate reply from Riccardo (allowing for time zones of course). Our unit recently developed a minor leak and they shipped
parts free of charge (under warranty) to Djibouti the next day. We only paid for
customs inspection fee in Djibouti (could be the subject of a post on its own!).
I get the impression Schenker is fanatical about their product and we would have no hesitation in
buying one again in future.