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We built our watermaker from scratch. We used 1/4" PEX on the low pressure side from the membrane to the panel, TDS meter, GPH meter, tank fill valve, then on to the tanks. Drilled a hole to fit a 90 degree 1/4" PEX fitting in each fiberglass tank and epoxied them in. Only fill one tank at a time, in case of contamination, though this is unlikely with the installed TDS meter.
How do you fill one at a time - manifold? separate lines product lines that you plug in? Transfer tank to tank? Physically move the product output hose? I think this was the OP's question.
There are other ways to get a contaminated tank besides the watermaker. The watermaker is probably the least probable contamination source. Either way, if you have multiple tanks and one is enough for a period of time, then filling only one at a time sounds like a good practice.
How do you fill one at a time - manifold? Either way, if you have multiple tanks and one is enough for a period of time, then filling only one at a time sounds like a good practice.Mark
After the overboard/tank valve we do have a couple of on/off valves to select the tank to fill.
We try to keep both tanks full so we have about a month's water in case the genset breaks down or the seawater sediment, like outside Jolly Harbor, Antigua, is unsuitable for making water.
We make 30+ GPH which is more than our normal consumption. a day. For the first time since 1969 I have no need to ration water, off the dock, which is an absolute delight. The watermaker is the biggest improvement to livability aboard, in my lifetime.
There is a good chance it is the hoses as much as the tank. If you decide to replumb, go with PEX - easier to plumb, cheaper, and doesn't grow stuff like the vinyl hose does. Best thing about it is you don't have hose clamps ripping your flesh every time you reach someplace.
Put an inexpensive house filter on the tank output and use a carbon block filter on it. Even clean water in tanks gets a bit of smell and stale taste if not used quickly. The carbon filter will remove that, as well as provide a 1-5um filter (don't go too small on the pore size or your pump will have issues).
Regarding PEX: Super simple to use. You just need to buy a $25 tool, a hose cutter, a few fittings, and the hose. I would get the clamp system rather than the crimp system. The clamps are stainless steel. The crimps are copper. The SS will not corrode as much as copper. The clamps are also removable (ish).
Out boat has no odors anywhere... including the water. However we don't have access ports to get inside to clean. They tanks are 35 years old and stainless steel. Since we don't need to trust they are clean and don't need to drink the water because the amount we consume for drinking is so small... I choose to simply not drink water that is stored in 35 yr old tanks. It's probably safe. But why take a risk when one doesn't have to?
Regarding PEX: Super simple to use. You just need to buy a $25 tool, a hose cutter, a few fittings, and the hose. I would get the clamp system rather than the crimp system. The clamps are stainless steel. The crimps are copper. The SS will not corrode as much as copper. The clamps are also removable (ish).
We use push-to-connect fittings. No tools required and allows the system to be easily installed, replaced, disconnected/reconnected, and modified when needed. However, they are more bulky than the clamp-type system.
Regarding PEX: Super simple to use. You just need to buy a $25 tool, a hose cutter, a few fittings, and the hose. I would get the clamp system rather than the crimp system. The clamps are stainless steel. The crimps are copper. The SS will not corrode as much as copper. The clamps are also removable (ish).
Our PEX system uses no clamps or tools. Cut the tubing and insert into the fitting. To remove, simply push in the tubing and hold the flange on the fitting with your finger tips and it pops out. For once, something easy, inexpensive, long lasting and secure that can be used on boats. It even comes in different colors so you can have green for sea water and blue for fresh.
Out boat has no odors anywhere... including the water. However we don't have access ports to get inside to clean. They tanks are 35 years old and stainless steel. Since we don't need to trust they are clean and don't need to drink the water because the amount we consume for drinking is so small... I choose to simply not drink water that is stored in 35 yr old tanks. It's probably safe. But why take a risk when one doesn't have to?
We use a dedicated filtered water line for our drinking water from the tanks. There are plenty of filters, including the UV filters that would make your tank water safe to drink these days.
From what I've been seeing over the last few years, bottled water isn't necessarily all that pure and some TV expose's have even found companies filling the bottles from the city water supply. For my purposes, I'd rather drink water I have filtered to the point I know it is safe.
We don't drink our tank water either, but we do cook/boil with it. I bet it would be just fine, it certainly doesn't smell. It's the winter layover that turns me off. I just can't tell what's growing inside the hoses over the winter, as she sits. I'd be more confident in a system I continually used 24/7/365.
I've known more than one to have a dedicated watermaker tank. I'm not sure I think this is the right way to go, but it is simple and isolated from mistakes, which could include improper manifold settings or shore water contamination. I'm not just referring to potential potable contamination, but chlorinated water than could actually damage the watermaker.
We use a dedicated filtered water line for our drinking water from the tanks. There are plenty of filters, including the UV filters that would make your tank water safe to drink these days.
From what I've been seeing over the last few years, bottled water isn't necessarily all that pure and some TV expose's have even found companies filling the bottles from the city water supply. For my purposes, I'd rather drink water I have filtered to the point I know it is safe.
A water maker is not an option in LIS.
Bottled water is safe... City water is fine too.
We filter water going into the tanks when we fill at dockside.
I DID drink tanked water for years
I DID desalinate when I was in Caribe and offshore.
Wifey likes San Pelligino... we keep cases for drinking but use tap water at home for cooking. On board we use the bottled Poland water for cooking.
We have never had any medical problems related to drinking water at home or aboard.
I feel my tanks are simply too old and were never cleaned, though I add chlorox when we fill up. The water is use for bathing and cleaning.
This is a major consideration if one has a watermaker. We use the same filter (carbon block) for drinking water and rinsing the watermaker, but never use shore water to flush the membrane. We'll empty a tank if we've been on shore water and put the water we make into it and then flush with that water.
Fecal chloroform is best killed by either chlorination or UV. Many of the harbors in the Carribean are used by boaters to dump black water.
Since the membrane of the water makers doesn’t alleviate this bacteria and chlorine potentially damages the membrane how can this water be safe.
Do you have to go offshore to run your water makers?
As far a bottled water , I don’t think it really is deemed unsafe even in the instances where proprietors have “cheated” in referencingvwhere the water was obtained from. That argument therefore doesn’t hold for water safety.
We too use bottled/ jug freshwater vs our tank. Tank is used for showers and the head.
In places where holding tanks aren't used, it is rare to empty whole tanks of black water. Instead, waste is pumped as it is created. This is a much less waste load at any given time, and not a real issue even in the most crowded harbors as long as there is some water flow.
It is true that a watermaker membrane can technically pass bacteria at a very very low level, but in practice this is not an issue.
One would need to be paranoid to fear making water in most harbors where boats are pumping overboard. Even then, one can always treat their tanks. Again, there are some harbors to avoid making water in, but these are obvious, and few people want to spend much time in them anyway.
We make water everywhere and anywhere, as long as there isn't oil floating in it, or so much sediment that the prefilters will clog in a short time.
As for bottled water, it isn't how much is consumed per day, it is how many days one is out. There is no way we could ever store enough bottled water to last us for what we would consider even a short time, let alone a cruising trip of several months between resupplies. Then resupplying would be very expensive in many places we visit.
Outside of coffee, brushing teeth, and cooking, we drink ~2 gallons a day. Even more if it is hot and I'm working on something outside - at which point I will drink 2 gallons myself.
Purely for drinking, coffee, tea, etc, I always plan on one gallon per person per day, for warm weather cruising. I can cut that in half, for days that will be spent dominantly ashore, while drinking water in restaurants, etc, if any.
When I wanted to add a UV filter to my system I was told by quite a few professionals in the watermaker industry that it was unnecessary as bacteria cannot pass through the membranes.
If you have information that disproves this please share.
When I wanted to add a UV filter to my system I was told by quite a few professionals in the watermaker industry that it was unnecessary as bacteria cannot pass through the membranes.
If you have information that disproves this please share.
Technically, bacteria and even viruses cannot pass through the membrane because the pore size is much smaller than they are. In practice, no membrane is manufactured perfectly, and it is possible that a microfissure can be present large enough to pass a bacteria.
However, outside of badly damaged membranes (which would be obvious by the salt content of the product water), passage of bacteria is not a real issue in operation. Yes, it is a potential issue, and an odd bacteria could make it through - but one gets much larger bacterial loads just from going about their daily business in such places.
The fear is unfounded, but surprisingly widespread. We know people who will only make water 3nm or more away from land, and regularly go out for an entire day sailing in circles just to make water. And they are often leaving harbors that have pristine and highly exchanged water to do so.
For running the watermaker, I'm very worried about oil in the water, only moderately worried about filter-clogging sediments, and not worried at all about bacteria. Ironically, if there is oil in the water, the sediments and bacterial are also generally present because that's the type of place it is. Luckily, that is the type of place we don't want to be.
Mark
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