Sk Watermakers

Freesail99 · #1 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007

I am looking at buying a Sk Watermaker. Does anyone know anything about the company or watermaker ? Seem like a good unit that uses over the counter parts. I am also looking at installing a watermaker on my boat for safety of what I drink. I have been to Mexico ......

soul searcher · #2 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007

Hi Free,
We have a sk water maker the 12v 6gph model. did you have a specific question?

Matt

Freesail99 · #3 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007

Hi Matt,
How long have you had it and how has it held up ? I am looking at the same one. I don't have a large tank only 38 gallons, but I figured I could shower every day and use a lot of water, lol. I planned on running it every third day. I do plan on having a flexible tank also.

sailingdog · #4 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007

I've heard good things about their equipment... and anything that uses OTC parts is an improvement over things that use proprietary parts.

Be aware that all RO watermakers have some serious limitations on where and when you can use them—polluted waters, waters with high-bacteria counts, and waters with a lot of sediment are generally not good places to use them...so many anchorages are not ideal.

Chlorine can destroy the membrane in a watermaker, and ideally, if you need to back flush your water maker's membrane, you should be using RO water to do so.

Sizing the watermaker is also something to look at... often getting a slightly bigger watermaker is going to be more efficient in the long run than a smaller one. On my friend's boat, she runs the watermaker once every two or three days rather than every day since she got a larger watermaker. This ends up being much more efficient, since the amount of water, percentage wise, that is required to flush and maintain the watermaker is much lower...as is the amount of electricity used.

I do not have a watermaker on my boat... and don't envision installing one anytime soon, as the waters I sail in don't really require me to have one.

Freesail99 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007

Sailingdog, thanks for the feedback. The sk is also a modular unit so you can spread it around the boat into free available areas. The chlorine issue is a good one and is one of the reasons I intend to have a flexable tank in addition the the tank I already have. The current plan calls for me to cruise until the boat sinks or something other befalls me. This years cane season will dictate when I leave.
Fair winds.....

sailingdog · #6 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007

Fair winds...and I hope to see you out there...

soul searcher · #7 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007

We have only had the boat a little over a year and only ran the watermaker for one trip It worked real well. It has been on the boat since 98 and the PO
told me hee had never had to do anything to it other than regular maintenance. They cruised the boat all over the Caribbean.
When I started it up last summer it had been pickled for two years. I didn't really expect it to function. I figgured the membrane would be toast but it wasnt. everything SD said is true so I wont go into that.
ours isn't plumed into the tanks it just has a hose on it long enough to reach the tank fills It seemed a lazy way to install one at first but I like it that way now its easier. the hose has a cork on it that fits the water fill so you can add to the tanks and fill up water bottles. with out having to crawl into the lazz to switch valves around. Thats the method the PO fond worked well. They would fill a bunch of bottles that they stashed all over the boat for drinking and then let it run into the tanks for showers and cleaning.
What I did to flush it was run the first three or four gallons into a bucket and set that aside to flush it out with when we were done.
The draw back is the motor and pump asymbly are big and heavy We have the unit that every thing is seperate on I forget what they call it but the control panel is in one place the membrane is in another and the pump is seprate so each piece can be placed were it fits best.
I like the fact that there are no proprietary parts most of them can be found
just about anywhere in the world.
I haven't had any need to call SK and the PO said he never did either so I dont know about support.
They make a back flush kit for them that would be great if you plumbed it into a tank. But you would have to be real careful not to accidently back flush it with cloronated water. thats the beauty of having it set up with just the hose. you cant mess it up in advertantly.
It made a little more than 6 gph in the gulf and I got caught by suprise in the bay it made beter than ten. do to the lower salinity wich is something you need to watch if the water get too fresh you need to back the pressure down or you can damage the membrane.
over all I give it two thumbs up
oh one other thing I found sodium metabisulfite(pickling agent) at a home brewing place for a whole lot less than paying 2 to 3 dollers an once from the manufacturers.
Hope this helps
Matt

Freesail99 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-07-2007

Thanks Matt, you been very helpful. I know all about metabisulfite, I am a winemaker by trade. I use the same stuff on the winery filters.

Fair winds.....