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Old 23-06-2020, 12:54   #16
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Re: Watermaker Noise

My understanding of the Spectra is that most of the noise is the whoosh from the booster/feed pump and that the Clark pump itself isn't that loud.

Is this correct?
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Old 23-06-2020, 14:35   #17
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Re: Watermaker Noise

SB1,
I'm assuming that you you are going to buy a ready to install WM. But if you want a much quieter unit, replace the normal box stock triplex pump with a Wanner Hydra Cell pump. World of difference in noise but pricey and AC driven.
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Old 23-06-2020, 15:39   #18
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Re: Watermaker Noise

You think it’s not about inefficiency until you buy an inefficient DC watermaker, that forces you to run the generator to keep the batteries charged, or restrict your water use to 5 gl a day.
If you go DC, be sure it’s a very efficient one, cause if it’s not then your running the generator to charge, and what was the point of going DC then.

If you go with a watermaker, Try to size it so that you can fresh water flush and maybe have a washing machine on board.

If you go with an AC machine, go for one that makes at least 30 GPH, I still play with the idea of buying the bigger motor and pump for mine and making it a 40 GPH one.

There is some start up surge, quite a bit actually, but after installing a soft start on my AC, I wonder why you can’t for a Watermaker?
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Old 23-06-2020, 15:41   #19
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Re: Watermaker Noise

Send Tellie a PM or call him about a Spectra. I bet he knows a way to quieten one.
Soft mounting a pump and connecting it with a loop of hose to give it flexibility so it can’t transmit noise through the line often quietens them right down.

Cruise RO used to run a booster pump wide open and install a recirculation loop with a valve to control pressure.
As it was a positive displacement pump it had to run at full RPM or it would soon overheat, and running at full RPM was noisy, but I believe he has gone to a variable speed pump, dumped the recirculation loop and valve and it’s way less noisy now.
At least he told me to install one, it greatly simplified plumbing and is much quieter, and uses less power, and I assume as the pump is loafing along now it doesn’t run as hot and will last longer.
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Old 23-06-2020, 16:14   #20
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Re: Watermaker Noise

Quote:
Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
My understanding of the Spectra is that most of the noise is the whoosh from the booster/feed pump and that the Clark pump itself isn't that loud.

Is this correct?


Actually it’s the click/woosh from the Clark pump. The booster pump sounds most like a wash down pump or the domestic water pump.

It’s a very unobtrusive noise if hidden in a space such as beneath a berth.
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Old 23-06-2020, 16:56   #21
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Re: Watermaker Noise

we have a 240v echotec 80LPH. as this needs the gennie, normally you cannot hear any significant noises from the watermaker - the generator drowns it all out (nb : both in the same soundproof compartment)

however we are on shore power at moment, and ran the w/m on shore power for first time (partly because it needed to be run and partly to see what happened)

was very interested to notice that most of the noise was from the low pressure pump. if not in a soundproof room, it would have been quite annoying after a while. might be able to reduce this with eg rubber mounts

the HP pump itself actually didn't make much at all...just a background humm / buzz that would be easy to live with.

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Old 24-06-2020, 11:46   #22
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Re: Watermaker Noise

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Originally Posted by Sailmonkey View Post
Actually it’s the click/woosh from the Clark pump. The booster pump sounds most like a wash down pump or the domestic water pump.

It’s a very unobtrusive noise if hidden in a space such as beneath a berth.
This is good description. Ive been on three boats with WM. A Katadyne, a Spectra 150D, and a Spectra 200T. The Spectras were significantly less noise. The Katadyne owner stepped on our boat and heard our Spectra 150D, and was shocked by how quiet. I had it on my Seawind 1000 under a berth, and it was very muffled. I installed it under the cabinet in our Seawind 1160 head, and it wasnt an issue either. Sound to me is a low hmmmmm, then a click when the Clark pump strokes.
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Old 24-06-2020, 15:14   #23
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Re: Watermaker Noise

For me the Spectra has to be QUIET if I am going to have run and listen to it all day every 5 days. Otherwise it seems foolish to not install an AC system, get the water make in 2 hours, and save $2600 on the system.

So from the above noise description: I wouldn't what to have to listen to my water pump run all day and I have no way to quantify the "click".
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Old 24-06-2020, 18:55   #24
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Re: Watermaker Noise

Here is a video where you can here a Spectra Ventura 150 running as they explain their system.

https://youtu.be/eK0NZ57-ilQ
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Old 25-06-2020, 00:47   #25
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Re: Watermaker Noise

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sailmonkey View Post
Actually it’s the click/woosh from the Clark pump. The booster pump sounds most like a wash down pump or the domestic water pump.

It’s a very unobtrusive noise if hidden in a space such as beneath a berth.
I agree with this comment but we seem to have a different kind of pressure water pump - the watermaker is significantly quieter.

We have a Spectra Ventura 150 mounted on a plywood bulkhead in the cockpit lazarette. If the boat is moving, noised generated by the watermaker is barely noticeable above the sound of the wind and water - I often forget that it is running. It is possible to feel slight vibration in some seating locations.

Inside the boat, there is some vibration noise created by the bulkhead. Again, if the boat is moving, it is barely detectable. At anchor, it is not intrusive for the couple of hours per week that we run it.

I much, much prefer the low noise level of this device compared to what we would have to endure from an onboard generator.

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Old 25-06-2020, 04:38   #26
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Re: Watermaker Noise

I have a Cruise RO - 120LPH - It needs 240V to run, so the Generator drowns out the noise - If you are in the compartment with it (separate front Bow cabin on a cat) then it is pretty noisy, but otherwise OK. I think I'd rather go for the short sharp burst and produce a load of water than have the background noise/hum all day.
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Old 25-06-2020, 06:30   #27
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Re: Watermaker Noise

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Originally Posted by Marathon1150 View Post
I agree with this comment but we seem to have a different kind of pressure water pump - the watermaker is significantly quieter.

We have a Spectra Ventura 150 mounted on a plywood bulkhead in the cockpit lazarette. If the boat is moving, noised generated by the watermaker is barely noticeable above the sound of the wind and water - I often forget that it is running. It is possible to feel slight vibration in some seating locations.

Inside the boat, there is some vibration noise created by the bulkhead. Again, if the boat is moving, it is barely detectable. At anchor, it is not intrusive for the couple of hours per week that we run it.

I much, much prefer the low noise level of this device compared to what we would have to endure from an onboard generator.




Really nice and clean install. Did you do it yourself? If you ever need any help or advice on your Spectra, don't hesitate to ask.
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Old 25-06-2020, 20:28   #28
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Re: Watermaker Noise

I installed our Spectra 150D filters, etc., under the head sink, and the Clark pump under the floorboard in the head. Height just barely cleared the floorboard. Mounted starboard panels on the wall and the hull, and then mounted the components on the panels. I used barrel nuts that come in from the back, so could mount the components with machine screws that would allow for easier removal if needed.

When you close the cabinet doors, you never see any of this. Plus since it is on the wall and not on the floor, we didn't lose any storage space. This is the second boat this unit has been installed on. On last boat, the Clark pump was in a difficult spot to access, but here it is super easy. This was right after install, had not been commissioned yet, and the pink stuff in the lines is propylene glycol that was used to pickle it for storage.
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Old 26-06-2020, 08:22   #29
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Re: Watermaker Noise

Now this may not be what you want to hear but a few years ago I went through the what watermaker do I want conundrum.
It boiled down to me to be between two watermakers. A Spectra if I wanted DC, because nothing makes more water for less energy than a Spectra, but of course you have to have a DC electrical charge source large enough to feed it, plus your normal house loads, meaning of course you have to have more Solar than you use now.
I didn’t, not everyday and I was not willing to run my propulsion motor just to charge batteries, so that means I needed / wanted to have a generator.

So if your going on to have a generator, then get as high an output a watermaker that your generator can support so that you don’t have to run it for long.

Price wise, if you don’t already have a generator, be sure to include the price of one when your comparison shopping for Watermakers when your looking at AC ones, we already had a generator so the decision was pretty much made for us.

I still maintain that the decision of whether to go DC or AC for a watermaker is not really a DC or AC question, it’s really a are we willing to have or do we want a generator or not one.

Plus if you think as some do, that removing the AC pump motor and replacing it with a DC one means you can do without a generator, your mistaken. The pressure washer pumps used by high output AC watermakers are so inefficient that going with a DC motor isn’t getting you out of not having to have a generator.
To not have to have a generator means a very efficient watermaker, and I believe that pretty much means a Spectra?

Then be sure to size a watermaker to be much larger than you think your needs will be, because if you have an abundant supply of good clean fresh water, you can enjoy more frequent, longer showers and a washing machine on board, can fresh water rinse your dive gear off etc. I even fresh water rinse off my anchor chain as it goes into the locker, and now ther is never any odor and the chain dries quickly and seems to not rust.

A nearly unlimited supply of fresh water will change your life, and where and how you can cruise. You don’t pick anchorages based on water availability and you don’t have to leave a nice place anymore because there is no water there.
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Old 26-06-2020, 08:41   #30
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Re: Watermaker Noise

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Originally Posted by Tellie View Post
Really nice and clean install. Did you do it yourself? If you ever need any help or advice on your Spectra, don't hesitate to ask.
Thanks for the compliment. I had a lot of guidance and some assistance at a few points during the install from a pro.

Thanks for the offer of advice as well. Our boat is in Papeete, Tahiti, and we are in Canada. There is some chance that we can get back there in late July when "tourism" will open up and some flights will resume. But there is also a risk that everything will shut down again later in the year for a variety of reasons.

I pickled the watermaker before we left the boat using the recommended Spectra equipment and chemicals. How long can we safely leave the watermaker without re-pickling it? Spectra advises 6 months, but others have said a year is probably ok. What is your advice?
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