A Tip For Spectra Watermaker Installers

[a64pilot]

Well Tellie says call him, I would.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by crayiii

I sent you emails. Phone service is not good.

I know you did. Thanks, and we'll get you those gaskets as fast as possible. I'm just letting everyone else know that if they have any problems with their Spectras they should call me if they want faster service and accurate information. Been doing this a long, loooong, time.

[crayiii]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I know you did. Thanks, and we'll get you those gaskets as fast as possible. I'm just letting everyone else know that if they have any problems with their Spectras they should call me if they want faster service and accurate information. Been doing this a long, loooong, time.

Thank you. We appreciate it!

[crayiii]

Originally Posted by Morgali

I'd be a damn sight more than disappointed. I'd be posting it on CruisersForum, and on Reddit, and every other damned high-traffic social media place I could find just to shine a light on bad behavior by a well known, reasonably well respected, considered gold-standard for the purpose, company and product.

If I got pissed everytime something broke on this boat and the manufacturer made it impossible to get it fixed under warranty I would be a wreck.

In the last 6 months I've paid many thousands out of pocket for what should be warranty issues. If we didn't, we would have never been able to leave a marina. It's sad but true. I haven't given up on getting reimbursed but we'll see.

We're staying in a hotel for the next couple of nights to take a break from our boat. Air-conditioning set to max!

[BigNut]

Originally Posted by Tellie

I'm just letting everyone else know that if they have any problems with their Spectras they should call me if they want faster service and accurate information. Been doing this a long, loooong, time.

OK, an almost Spectra buyer here. So I guess I am an “everyone elser”.

Rant mode ON:

Why should one have to CALL to get decent service? Why are there different “grades” of service if you call versus email? It is not always easy or simple or cost-effective to get to a phone, and this worries me.

Maybe it’s OK for those folks who never venture far from home, but for those of us going to more remote areas, this approach is maddening. At least to me. My friends call me grumpy sometimes.

But the thinking that somehow one is providing better service because someone calls as opposed to emails becomes paradoxically true, because ultimately you lose customers like me, who would rather deal with companies who do not expect to be called by voice, often several times, just to sort out a simple problem.

Rant mode: OFF.

[crayiii]

Originally Posted by BigNut

OK, an almost Spectra buyer here. So I guess I am an “everyone elser”.

Rant mode ON:

Why should one have to CALL to get decent service? Why are there different “grades” of service if you call versus email? It is not always easy or simple or cost-effective to get to a phone, and this worries me.

Maybe it’s OK for those folks who never venture far from home, but for those of us going to more remote areas, this approach is maddening. At least to me. My friends call me grumpy sometimes.

But the thinking that somehow one is providing better service because someone calls as opposed to emails becomes paradoxically true, because ultimately you lose customers like me, who would rather deal with companies who do not expect to be called by voice, often several times, just to sort out a simple problem.

Rant mode: OFF.

I read that to mean contact him rather than Spectra support to get better service.

[BigNut]

Originally Posted by crayiii

I read that to mean contact him rather than Spectra support to get better service.

I hear you, and I understood it like you. But isn’t Tellie a Spectra dealer anyhow?

But my rant was triggered by the wider phenomenon of this issue. It’s not only Spectra or Tellie.

I do feel better after that little tantrum, lol.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by BigNut

OK, an almost Spectra buyer here. So I guess I am an “everyone elser”.

Rant mode ON:

Why should one have to CALL to get decent service? Why are there different “grades” of service if you call versus email? It is not always easy or simple or cost-effective to get to a phone, and this worries me.

Maybe it’s OK for those folks who never venture far from home, but for those of us going to more remote areas, this approach is maddening. At least to me. My friends call me grumpy sometimes.

But the thinking that somehow one is providing better service because someone calls as opposed to emails becomes paradoxically true, because ultimately you lose customers like me, who would rather deal with companies who do not expect to be called by voice, often several times, just to sort out a simple problem.

Rant mode: OFF.

Let me give you my thoughts, not being a Spectra owner.
A Spectra is not a very simple piece of equipment, and installation has to be a huge factor in how well it works, and how trouble free, and how failures wont cause further harm.
Were I to be buying a Spectra and if were at all possible I’d motor on down and get it from Tellie and have him install it.
That not only ensures it’s installed correctly, but also I feel sure you will be walked though operation and servicing, and what is normal and what isn’t. What to look for and how long do things last, what spares are required and which are nice or have, and maybe even emergency operation modes if there are any.

I have a different type and brand of watermaker, and I spent probably a month figuring out and thinking where to mount everything, and still got the filter housings wrong. They need to be very accessible and in a place where leaks won’t hurt anything, I put them finally in the bilge and the boost pump in the bilge too, that way the inevitable spilling of water when you change filters and the inevitable leak one day won’t hurt anything.
But if I was a Pro installer and had installed a hundred, then I’d know all the tricks, plus I would have in hand any little seal or O-ring that may be missing or crimped on assembly etc.

But I’ll choose customer service over most anything, I’ll pay more for it, and even accept a less capable piece of equipment if it comes with stellar customer service.
Sometimes with large companies, you have to know who to email or call. I prefer email as it leaves a record, calls I forget when I called, and possibly what was said.

[BigNut]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

But I’ll choose customer service over most anything, I’ll pay more for it, and even accept a less capable piece of equipment if it comes with stellar customer service.
Sometimes with large companies, you have to know who to email or call. I prefer email as it leaves a record, calls I forget when I called, and possibly what was said.

I couldn’t have said this better myself.
Which is why I am currently almost ready to install one: being sure that the installer knows his stuff. I have such a person standing ready.
But it is not always as simple as “sail on down”. Particularly when after sales service is needed.
Just f’rex: I never realized until reading this post that I need special tools. I mean, seriously? C’mon Spectra!

[mvweebles]

I don't understand this thread. $11k for a 15 gph watermaker with proprietary parts. I am thinking of replacing my older Village 7 gph watermaker with a 35 gph cruise RO unit that uses easily sourced off the shelf parts and I got a call back from Rich in about 15-minutes when I'm a nobody. Price? $4500. And he's a fellow cruiser aboard his Force 50, in La Paz so understands the challenges.

What am I missing? Why spend 3x money for half the production and proprietary parts - just to get an automatic system? And someone mentioned a provider in the Caribbean who has an even less expensive system. What's up with this thread?

[Dsanduril]

@crayiii - sorry, I wasn't able to find the O-rings locally (it is a small town after all, even if a bit industrial), they'd have to come from the lower. Hopefully Tellie can get you sorted quickly even if the factory can't. If you don't get it sorted by tomorrow PM and let me know, I have sources on SF/Oakland that I'm sure could get something headed your way.

@mvweebles - in general I agree with you, and I love to hate my Spectra. But when you want to run on the lowest possible power there really are no other options. The power savings when running on solar charging may (!!!) be worth the cost.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

I don't understand this thread. $11k for a 15 gph watermaker with proprietary parts. I am thinking of replacing my older Village 7 gph watermaker with a 35 gph cruise RO unit that uses easily sourced off the shelf parts and I got a call back from Rich in about 15-minutes when I'm a nobody. Price? $4500. And he's a fellow cruiser aboard his Force 50, in La Paz so understands the challenges.

What am I missing? Why spend 3x money for half the production and proprietary parts - just to get an automatic system? And someone mentioned a provider in the Caribbean who has an even less expensive system. What's up with this thread?

Well, I too have a Cruise RO, and have received stellar customer service and have bought many other things from Rich too for that reason, he has I believe a type or Yacht service company or something, but you can get a good alternator and serpentine belt kit, battery chargers, and other things through him at a good price too, and of course the stellar Cool Blue ice box conversion kit.
He refers to his watermaker that you are talking about as a 30 GPH unit, although it usually will outperform that number, but water temps and salinity can reduce it too.
In cold water I get closer to 30 GPH, but my TDS is as low as the 50’s too


But a Cruise RO is not a Spectra, completely different animal, you see a Cruise RO pretty much means you will have a generator, now I know some want to argue that you can run one off of Solar, but you really can’t, it’s a very inefficient system, it’s simple, easy to repair, and high output and relatively inexpensive, but efficient enough to run off of Solar it’s not.
Now I bought into the need or requirement or maybe just desire to have a generator early on when making my decisions on outfitting the boat, so for me, the decision for a Cruise RO was an easy one.

But if you don’t want to have the noise and complexity and fuel etc required for a generator to make water, then you need a Spectra.

[admiralslater]

I have a 15 year old spectra and love it . There is a spectra dealer in the Rodney bay complex who can get parts . There is a ferry from le Marin that goes there

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

But if you don’t want to have the noise and complexity and fuel etc required for a generator to make water, then you need a Spectra.

A $7k premium for a Spectra buys a lot of batteries, solar, Balmar, and/or generator. And your chance of getting stuck somewhere is reduced. All of that extra stuff is usable for other purposes too, not just a watermaker.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

A $7k premium for a Spectra buys a lot of batteries, solar, Balmar, and/or generator. And your chance of getting stuck somewhere is reduced. All of that extra stuff is usable for other purposes too, not just a watermaker.

I don’t know why you think I’m arguing with you. I went the generator route, well actually two of them, cause I like backups.
But I’m not everybody, many don’t want a generator.

To me the decision of which watermaker isn’t about which watermaker, it’s actually are you willing to have to run a generator to make water, I am, for many reasons. We are often washing clothes and making water, and anytime a motor is running, we are making ice too, and there is enough left over to do some battery charging with a Honda and of course plenty left over if you have a built in generator.

But other people have an aversion to generators, and they need a Spectra.