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AQUAbibe Support
AQUAbibe Support
→ How do I choose the right AQUAbibe Watermaker for my boat?
Before you choose the right AQUAbibe Watermaker, you need to evaluate the following influencing factors:
- Which power source you have on your boat to operate the Watermaker? (DC or AC?)
- Where are you operating your boat normally? (Coastal or blue water operation?)
- What is the size of your fresh water tank in the boat. How quickly are you currently using up this water tank? Keep in mind, that as soon as you have a watermaker, you will consume more water than before, because the water is “just” there.
Depending on the answers we can support you to find the best AQUAbibe Watermaker for your boat.
→ Where do I install the watermaker on my boat?
There are almost no limitations, except that you need to have an available seacock at the lowest possible location in the hull, because you should make sure, that the low pressure pump is always supplied with seawater without any air bubbles, because air can damage your membranes and also your high pressure pump. In the best case the low pressure pump should be mounted below the water line.
Another important topic is, that you should try to keep your low and high pressure hoses as short as possible, because too long hoses will increase the required energy consumption.
→ What power supply do I need?
Our AQUAbibe Watermakers are operated at AC 220 V/50Hz for the high pressure pump and DC 12 V for the low pressure pump.
Our Watermakers are designed to be operated with small generators like the widely used Honda EU22i (or previously the Honda EU 2000i). With this generator you can easily operate your AQUAbibe Watermakers and charge your batteries at the same time. We have also operated our AQUAbibe watermakers with battery power on an inverter like the VictronEnergy Phoenix 3000 Smart 12/3000. In combination with Lithium batteries you can operate our AQUAbibe watermaker as well.
→ How Much Water Do I Need?
As a rough guideline, one can assume that a person on board consumes approximately 30 to 50 liters of water per day. This includes drinking water as well as water for showering, cooking, washing dishes, and other uses.
A crew of four therefore requires at least 120 liters of water per day.
Experience shows that this crew typically uses around 200 liters per day once a watermaker is installed on board. The previously measured water consumption inevitably increases, as water is now available in unlimited quantities.
→ Is the Fresh Water Drinkable?
The fresh water produced by the AQUAbibe Watermaker is drinkable.
Through the reverse osmosis process using a semi-permeable membrane, only pure drinking water with a TDS content* of approximately 100 to 270 ppm passes through.
The WHO states that water with up to 1000 ppm can be safely consumed. Countries such as the UAE or the Bahamas are supplied with water produced by watermakers.
A common question concerns minerals required by the body that are no longer present in RO drinking water. This is not harmful, as the majority of required minerals are already absorbed through food.
* TDS: Total Dissolved Solids – a measure of mineral content in water
→ What Size Watermaker Should I Choose?
Several factors play a role here. In general, a seawater desalination system should be operated regularly. At the same time, it consumes power and generates noise during operation.
Therefore, the goal is to run the watermaker at regular intervals but for as short a time as possible.
Ideally, running the system for one to two hours every two days is sufficient to refill the tanks.
If a crew needs about 100 liters per day, a watermaker with a fresh water production of approximately 100 liters per hour would be ideal.
→ What Power Supply Is Required?
All AQUAbibe Watermakers require 230V AC operating voltage for the high-pressure pump.
The NAVA CORE series does not require any additional electrical installation.
The NAVA PURE series additionally requires a 12V DC connection.
Due to the combination of pre-pump and high-pressure pump, the NAVA CORE series requires a higher starting current and can be operated well with the specified generators, provided they deliver the required starting power.
The NAVA PURE series, due to the separation of high-pressure and pre-pump, has a lower starting torque and can therefore, in some cases, be operated via 12V DC inverters. For smaller variants, 2 kVA inverters are recommended.
Many modern sailing yachts are already equipped with generators, allowing AQUAbibe NAVA Watermakers to be operated reliably at any time.
→ Why a Modular Watermaker?
The modular design of the AQUAbibe NAVA CORE and NAVA PURE Watermakers allows installation even on small boats and in limited spaces.
Instead of installing one large box, the individual components can (within certain constraints) be flexibly placed inside the hull.
This setup, combined with the high degree of pre-assembly of all modules, enables quick and easy installation of your AQUAbibe Watermaker.
Typical Installation of a Watermaker on Board
