Seawater Desalinators

Water Filtration Systems for Seawater

When you are traveling on a boat, yacht or other vessel, it is important to maintain healthy, contaminant-free drinking water. Desalination removes dissolved salts and other contaminants from seawater. This process produces water suitable for both drinking and other domestic uses.

Desalinator systems are used to separate fresh water from salt water. If you consume even the slightest bit of seawater you put yourself at risk of many health problems.

Desalination can be done through a number of different methods including reverse osmosis and distillation. Reverse osmosis removes salt and other particles from water. It is a fast and efficient process but expensive, requiring a lot of electricity. Distillation is the natural way of removing salt, but it is slow. Distillation can even use the cheapest energy source available - the power of the sun – to remove salt from water.

Some Desalinators
The Spectra Aquifier from FCI Watermakers in Australia is a robust desalinator well suited for a boat or RV. It hooks up to your battery and comes with a price tag of just over $10,000.

The Waterlog Watermaker gets some attention as a potential desalinator. However, in actual fact it receives few positive reviews from consumers. It makes some interesting promises (no electricity, easy installation). However, while it is relatively cheaper than other desalinators, the price tag still seems like a pretty big gamble (retails for $3500). The sheer amateurishness of their promotional materials makes us even more wary.

These are all larger units that use different technologies. Solar desalinators use a simpler technology. The kind that is most suitable for a boat or RV is a design called the Mexican modified still, made out of fiberglass. You can purchase one of these or try your hand at making one at home. A black bottomed aquarium-style tank evaporates the water which is caught by the ceiling of downward sloping glass.

Other Uses?
If you live near the sea your desalinator may even have other purposes aside from use on board. With the diminishing of freshwater supplies the world over, your desalinator might be a good investment for a number of reasons.