Choosing the right
reverse osmosis system for your needs involves a lot of details about your
boat, you life style, and how you intend to use the
water maker.
I decided on the village
marine system for the following reasons.
1. there is no proprietary magic in this
water maker business. All of the systems on the market are dependent on the same sources for the critical components of the system. The magic happens at the membrane (these membranes would not be affordable for us sailors if it were not for the apple juice industry) and none of the systems providers has a corner on any membrane technology.
2. The efficiency of the spectra system comes at the
price of size, complexity and dependency on a lot of proprietary components for
repairs and
maintenance. Other, less efficient, systems use more commonly available components.
3. Not all amp hours are created equal. If you are running your water maker off your
batteries at
anchor then the efficiency of the spectra may make sense. If you run your
engine often enough for other reasons then the amp hours to make water are virtually free. Also consider how much of your existing fresh water reserve does it take to start up the system. That has to be deducted from the productivity numbers the manufacturers provide.
4. Have a look at the
installation instructions for all the different manufacturers. The spectra instructions seem to be very concerned with bubbles and require a larger dedicated through
hull with a scoop.
I think that the major manufacturers in this industry provide products that honestly perform as advertised but the same solution is not appropriate for every application
I originally intend to buy a spectra system but as I looked into it in more detail I decided that the energy efficiency was not worth the negatives for me and the way I intend to use the system.