Looking to install a desalinator in the next 6 months.Interested in the Rainman petrol driven portable desal. unit manufactured in Sydney.Has anyone experience of this unit. Any comments appreciated

Mmmm.. don't think I'll be spending $7K to $10K on this.

I am waiting for the release of the desalbeerator.

Bobg said..
I am a great believer in having some money left over for beer.Can anyone point out where a good DIY plan can be obtained .Sourcing components appears to be a problem especially a powerful enough 12v motor.
Once again any help appreciated.

You could run a pulley off the auxiliary motor with a magnetic clutch ((wreckers off a car ac system) buy a cheap high pressure washer off I think K archer (bunnings)$150 to $300 has a ceramic pump1500 psi and presto you only have to buy the membranes and filters and some high and low pressure piping

yup all my boat stove fuel starts its life off being fermented in my 200litre barrel and then distilled to 96%. burns well in the stove. get about 10 litres of waste for fuel per year.. keeps me going and the rest is to drink :).

Me too

Yes HG02 it would be worth the effort to design and build your own watermaker.I have some of the necessary skills and mates who would have some input.Very happy to have ago.Hope to sail to Asia next year and think a watermaker worth having.Have just read a report on the engine driven Rainman in latest Cruising Helmsman.They give it a good wrap but report it to be quite noisy.

Well... is there a manually operated water desalinator which is able to keep you alive in emergencies? Which is able to produce a gallon of drinking water a day if you need it?
I personally find the cost of this Rainman and its ilk quite prohibitive and unnecessary after all l do wash myself and my clothes even cook most of my food in salt water, if l have to for a while, the only real need is water to drink.
I've seen my mates pump, a manual-one years ago - it looked like those old grease pumps mechanics use to have - and it was quite expensive too, about $1.800 but could not find one recently. For l would use it only in case of serious need, l could for the difference in price, buy an ultra-light aeroplane for $4.500 ex Europe and fly around a bit.
I never researched the subject in detail but why are desalinators so expensive? After all - as you stated - the bits could be had for a song at B. For a song compared to the asking price of a readily available unit anyway. I know, very high pressures are involved and the filter or membrane is quite special, but still...
The cheapest would be using the sun's energy to boil sea water and distill it if it could be figured out how?

www.fcubed.com.au/cms_resources/F%20Cubed%20Brochure%20%20WEB.pdf

Interesting system ....don't know if it will work with boat motion...not underway...while not a huge output, continual addition will extend time when out.

You are correct that rain water is "distilled" insofar that it has been evaporated from liquid and then condensed back to a liquid, but on the way back down it has managed to pick up solid matter thereby rendering the distillation as being not quite so pure any more and not so injurious to your health.

You can drink distilled water, short term only, like what the trendy people do when they go on their various "de-tox" diets as it will strip the minerals out of your body, including magnesium which is one you really should never be without.

Quite right nods, the message that needs to be conveyed to people is that distilled water is pure, but it is not safe .... well not long term anyway.

How would a mixture work a 50/50 mix of your own tank water and distilled at least you could extend your stay away

nswsailor said..

LooseChange said..
You are correct that rain water is "distilled" insofar that it has been evaporated from liquid and then condensed back to a liquid, but on the way back down it has managed to pick up solid matter thereby rendering the distillation as being not quite so pure any more and not so injurious to your health.

Are you saying that rainwater is "injurious to your health" Loosechange????

No, not at all, all I was doing is to agree with sirgallivant's statement saying that rainwater is distilled but because of the impurities it has picked up via its journey back to Earth and now has a high number TDS thereby rendering it not pure distilled water any longer.

Yeah, all correct, but l have to emphasise that l am talking about s h o r t t e r m consumption of distilled water in cases of utter emergencies aboard.
Want of water to top up your tanks does not qualify.
You could hidrate yourself with distilled water in those cases, no worries.
Anyone with ideas where could one find such hand operated desalinator pump??? After all that was the essence of the thread.

Would love to have some feedback if you ever test it before you must rely on it.

The way I read it is that if I use it, i have to keep on using it or else flush it with some sort of anti-algi stuff.
I have no doubt that the thing is good, brand-new and in excellent condition.
They are just old, excess stock. Well packed etc.
the algecide (don't know how to spell it) is some special stuff you have to buy from them if you want to store the desalinator for more than a month or so.
Maybe if I ever use it, I will buy some off them so I can store the thing properly.
Hope you get what I am saying.
Cheers !