FAQ’s

Schenker water makers use a low-pressure feed pump. The pressure is then increased using the patented Energy Recovery System powered by the waste water from the reverse osmosis process. This results in a very high-energy efficiency with a typical low power consumption of only 15 Watts per gallon of water produced.

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Schenker’s Patented Energy Recovery Technology is proven to be more reliable than traditional watermakers using high pressure pumps, which are the main cause of failures and maintenance problems. Schenker Watermakers all carry a 2-year guarantee.

Energy usage is up to 80% less than the typical piston pump system. Schenker watermakers can be powered directly from the vessel’s battery bank. A Schenker watermaker, is easy to use, does not require constant adjustments, is extremely quite and vibration-free during operation.

It is very important to test your water production for total dissolved solids. According to most standards, an acceptable TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) reading for drinking water is considered to be between 50 and 300 parts per million (ppm), with the ideal range falling between 100-250 ppm, this balance proves to have a good taste while maintaining necessary minerals without excessive levels. 

Schenker watermaker systems have easy to operate controls. Both start up and shut down is an easy chore. Standard panel has a one button startup feature.

Basic remote mounted panel features:

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• Remote start/stop
• Watermaker push button fresh water flushing
• Automatic fresh water flushing via seven day timer
• Timed watermaker runs of 1, 2 or 3 hours with automatic fresh water final flushing

One of the most critical components on a watermaker system is the pre-filters. Chlorine is an enemy of membranes and will cause damage. The charcoal activated carbon filter removes chlorine and many other compounds that can effect the quality and taste of the finished water production. It is important to replace these filters to prevent poor water quality and poor water production rates. The activated carbon filter should be changed every six months without fail. The particle pre-filter: Should be replaced or cleaned depending on the surrounding feed water clarity after thirty days, if cleaned then replaced every sixty days with a fresh filter.

Most watermaker manufactures recommend a dedicated thru-hull for the sea water inlet supply to the feed pump which ultimately feeds the watermaker unit. One more thru-hull inlet means more to worry about and maintain. Although a separate dedicated thru-hull is the optimal feed method. Sharing an existing thru-hull can be another solution when using a Y-valve that isolates the other system sharing the thru-hull. It would not be recommended to share an engine water cooling pickup. However other thru-hulls such a head water inlet can be utilized. Later if your vessel is dry docked for other maintenance then adding a new thru-hull would be a consideration.

Watermakers need to either run production and then back flush or just back flush every 5-7 days. If this is not done you run the risk of inherent sea creatures in the sea water using up their oxygen and expiring. When this happens anaerobic bacteria will begin to feast on the expired sea creatures and give off hydrogen sulfate gas, this results in a rotten like smell. This condition will ultimately damage the membranes. If the watermaker is not going to be in use for a greater period of time then the term pickling is used to describe a process of purging the system with a FDA approved biocide solution. This procedure will sterilize the membranes and interior plumbing components. Ultimatlely allowing the watermaker system to become in a state of suspended animation.