Katadyn Watermaker

[swagman]

Pleased to give a good review for a Katadyn Powersurvivor 80E we just installed. I'm just a user - no relationship with supplier etc.
Not only cheap (by UK standards anyway) at US$2,800 on ebay but easy to install with water intake off the engine intake, and waste out via gally drains - so no additional hull openings were needed.
Quiet in operation and by producing it's 12 litres per hour, means we keep out water topped up as we average 3 / 4 hours engine per day when cruising.
Cheers
JOHN

[GordMay]

I don’t recommend sharing the Engine Raw Water intake with anything. Watch your Engine Temperatures carefully!
1. It’s possible that the Watermaker could draw down the Engine’s Cooling Water Pump, leaving a vacuum in the pump.
2. The best time to make water, is when the Engine (& Alternator) are running, something you NEVER want to do with a shared intake - it could starve the Engine of vital Cooling Water.
I recommend you install a dedicated water supply intake to the watermaker, ASAP.
FWIW,
Gord

[swagman]

Appreciate the suggestion as I had similar inital concerns.

But when speaking with other prior installers and Katadyn themselves - they all assured me this form of installation was OK - and I'm pleased to say they've been proved right.

We've been running both engine and watermaker together with no lack of water to engine or watermaker - both when stationey and when underway.

Cheers
JOHN

[GordMay]

John:
I'm glad to learn that your system runs trouble-free /w the shared intake.
What sizes are the main intake, and each pump feed?
Gord

[swagman]

Gord,
The main water intake is possible 50 mm ID as it exits the saildrive leg. I can't compute the overall intake area on the saildrive leg itself.
The watermaker take off is 12.5 mm ID.
Our engine takes in and discharges approx 1200 litres of cooling water per hour (calculated at .35 litres per second).
The watermaker takes 120 litres per hour to produce 12 litres per hour of fresh water.
Cheers
JOHN

[Brent Swain]

I just fired up my watermaker. It works well. I built it for around $800CDN It puts out 540 gallons a day.My book tells how to build it. The friend who put me onto it has used his since 1998 with no problems.
Brent
brentswain38@yahoo.ca

[any]

I will like to knoe IF there is a website to get information on how to install a water maker

[gbanker]

any, just google "how to build a watermaker" or similar.