Brands Covered In the Research:
CruiseROWatermakers.com: Producer of Sea Maker systems
CruiserServices.com: Producer of CS systems
Seawaterpro.com: Producer of SeaWater Pro systems
The research criteria for the following table was determined by gathering input from fellow cruisers that have their own water maker systems aboard. What components would they want or change on their own systems was a good starting point for my research. The thoughts of others is always advisable when investing in major systems. I greatly appreciated the input they provided and found it very informative. One cruiser couple had been living aboard for six years and had experience in all aspects of their own water maker operation and maintenance, a huge asset of knowledge can be derived from those who live it.
Following items or components are a ” wish I had” or “if I could do it over” list:
1. Main Panel: Two of the cruisers that gave their input both agreed that they would prefer a main panel that was non metallic. They said that the aluminum plate their panel face was made of had a reaction with other stainless materials, the gauges had corrosion around them due to this. A common talking point was the functional controls where not all in one place or contained on the panel. One cruiser had no panel at all. He described his system as “what it must of been like to run a steam operated locomotive”, funny guy and very animated. He did mention that the system was very reliable and had minimal issues due to what he believed was the lack of automation features.
2. Boost Pump: They all agreed that a proper boost pump that provided good flow to the high pressure pump is a key component. One cruiser said he had lots of issues in this area until he bought a replacement pump which provided much more flow than the pump that came with the system. He was a bit peeved about the extra $400.00+ that he had to spend. One cruiser said his boost pump had an external cooling fan mounted to it that had quit and had to be replaced in short time frame, he also didn’t think the pump was quality because it was a diaphragm pump and not a centrifugal pump. One cruiser said his pump had an extra motor control and the pump had to be mounted right at the thru hull or it would shut off intermittently when in use.
3. Membrane Housings: The topic first was the end plugs or in some cases the caps. They said that this is a point that needs improvement. They all had aluminum which had corrosion issues. One cruiser had worn a hole in a plug and another had rotted or corroded out a fitting thread. They were in agreement that these should be stainless and were looking to replace theirs with stainless. One cruiser said they were available at a hefty price. They all had membranes that were non proprietary which is a must when cruising if you need to get a replacement.
4. High Pressure Pumps: Everyone agreed that this is no place to cut corners. One cruiser had replaced a pump with a upgraded full stainless purpose design from General Pump. He said his original pump got destroyed by the raw sea water and only lasted two seasons before it was practically swiss cheese.
5. Motors: This was a big topic as to the efficiency or deficiency of motors. “Rust Bucket” was a common term when describing a motor. One cruiser said his looked like it was from a “farm conveyor that had been left in the snow for decade”. I was quick to note that comment as it was delivered with great purposeful animation. They said and agreed that the lower the amp consumption the better. One cruiser said it had to run off a big gen-set because it was a hog. Epoxy paint was a wish list item.
6. High Pressure Hoses: One cruiser said he would prefer the common connection method JIC aka Joint Industry Council standard. A 37 degree flare connection common to high pressure hoses. He described his non JIC as a problem when trying to get a replacement and had to order it as a proprietary replacement part.
7. Component Parts: This was a very interesting topic. Most of the cruisers in the discussion did not complain about the components too much. One cruiser had a problem with some check valves that had a metallic hinge or spring inside of it and they had melted from the raw sea water, One cruiser said his check valves had fouled and could not be cleared without disassembling some of the pluming connections. I found both of these subjects odd, Why would there be any metallic spring in a sea water check valve and why weren’t the check valves serviceable? Other component subjects that came up were the breakers being used as on/off switches on the panels and how they had to run AC or 110volt wiring to and from the panels. One cruiser had a relay system that they all agreed was much more convenient method in regard to installation and that there was only low voltage running to and from the panel which was much easier to deal with. Again the subject of the membrane housing end plugs not being constructed of stainless came up. One cruiser said he didn’t like the way his membrane housings were mounted with clamps wrapped around the rods which spanned the membrane housings.
8. Auto Flush: They all agreed this is a must feature. One cruiser said his auto flush was what appeared to be a hose bib battery operated sprinkler timer, the batteries corroded at the terminals and the unit stopped working. He said he replaced it with a proper stand alone system that used the boats house batteries for power. Of course he was not happy spending the money for this upgrade. A second cruiser said the auto flush on his system was a 695.00 upgrade and didn’t understand why it wasn’t included.
Based on the research input from the cruiser discussions above I came up with a comparison checklist. The check list is below and can be downloaded if needed.
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