Dougcole
Guru
Thank you for all of your well thought out advice. I am a few months from hauling out, so I am trying to think it through before I do anything.
I currently only have a single through hull in the laz, the 3/4" one with a marine hardware bronze strainer that serves the gen-set. In order to use another existing through hull I would have to make a pretty long hose run through a bulkhead into the main engine room. Even then, I only have a few choices; the engine pick ups, the 3/4" air conditioning pick up, and the holding tank outflow (obviously a no on that one). None of them a re really convenient.
Here is a link to installing a rainman water maker for those that may have interest. It calls for a 3/4" pick up.
https://www.rainmandesal.com/rainman-water-maker-installation-manual/
I like things simple and manual. I currently store the high pressure pump and the membranes in the laz when not in use with the pump plugged into a GFI outlet down there that I installed specifically for it. My main reason for the semi install is to eliminate having to pull the membranes up on deck for use and having to have the laz hatch open with hoses running in and out of it while the gen-set runs. It is loud and sort of awkward.
I can easily reach the tops of my two water tanks which are already in the ER, so I am consider installing deck fill caps in the top of them for filling within the laz. I could tee off a hatch scupper drain hose that is located in the laz for the brine outflow hose, so no need for any sort of through hull there.
So my water making procedure would work like this:
1. While in the laz with the gen-set running open the through hull and start the pump then turn the valve to begin making water.
2. Run 3 or 4 gallons of fresh water into a bucket in the laz.
3. Open a deck fill on either tank and put the fresh water hose into it. climb out of the laz, close the hatch and let it run until tanks are full. The tanks feed each other, so I wouldn't have to switch the hose from one side to the other.
4. Close the valve and turn off the pump. Close the through hull.
5. Open a tee on the bucket pickup line and put its hose into the freshwater in the bucket to flush the system. Turn pump back on and open the valve. Run until the bucket is dry. Turn off the pump.
I like that since the membranes mount with just four screws I could still easily pull the entire system out to bring it home with me or for service etc. I also like that I would only have to add one more hole in the boat.
I could also use the through hull for a wash down pump.
As an alternative, I also like the idea mentioned above of just connecting the wash down hose from the pump to the high pressure pump. That would mean I could eliminate the tee fitting for the pickup/fresh water flush bucket. For flushing just unscrew the high pressure pump hose from the wash down hose then put the H.P. pump hose into the bucket.
I currently only have a single through hull in the laz, the 3/4" one with a marine hardware bronze strainer that serves the gen-set. In order to use another existing through hull I would have to make a pretty long hose run through a bulkhead into the main engine room. Even then, I only have a few choices; the engine pick ups, the 3/4" air conditioning pick up, and the holding tank outflow (obviously a no on that one). None of them a re really convenient.
Here is a link to installing a rainman water maker for those that may have interest. It calls for a 3/4" pick up.
https://www.rainmandesal.com/rainman-water-maker-installation-manual/
I like things simple and manual. I currently store the high pressure pump and the membranes in the laz when not in use with the pump plugged into a GFI outlet down there that I installed specifically for it. My main reason for the semi install is to eliminate having to pull the membranes up on deck for use and having to have the laz hatch open with hoses running in and out of it while the gen-set runs. It is loud and sort of awkward.
I can easily reach the tops of my two water tanks which are already in the ER, so I am consider installing deck fill caps in the top of them for filling within the laz. I could tee off a hatch scupper drain hose that is located in the laz for the brine outflow hose, so no need for any sort of through hull there.
So my water making procedure would work like this:
1. While in the laz with the gen-set running open the through hull and start the pump then turn the valve to begin making water.
2. Run 3 or 4 gallons of fresh water into a bucket in the laz.
3. Open a deck fill on either tank and put the fresh water hose into it. climb out of the laz, close the hatch and let it run until tanks are full. The tanks feed each other, so I wouldn't have to switch the hose from one side to the other.
4. Close the valve and turn off the pump. Close the through hull.
5. Open a tee on the bucket pickup line and put its hose into the freshwater in the bucket to flush the system. Turn pump back on and open the valve. Run until the bucket is dry. Turn off the pump.
I like that since the membranes mount with just four screws I could still easily pull the entire system out to bring it home with me or for service etc. I also like that I would only have to add one more hole in the boat.
I could also use the through hull for a wash down pump.
As an alternative, I also like the idea mentioned above of just connecting the wash down hose from the pump to the high pressure pump. That would mean I could eliminate the tee fitting for the pickup/fresh water flush bucket. For flushing just unscrew the high pressure pump hose from the wash down hose then put the H.P. pump hose into the bucket.