Water Filtration Plant

[Biggles]

While home in June I made a couple of water filtration kits. One for a friend.

 

 

Linky

[ditchcrawler]

Have you tested the water that comes out

[phill]

Have you tested the water that comes out

When was the last time you tested your tap water?

[Biggles]

I think drinking 4 pints in less than 24 hours and not getting ill is a reasonably test. It's all I want.

[Arthur Brown]

Looks like a nice system if the river is clean but with the brown windsor coloured water seen in canals the life of the filters could be limited.

[ditchcrawler]

When was the last time you tested your tap water?

When I worked Offshore it was a monthly task. Some of the waterpoints on the Broads don't come up to scratch and have notices to tell you to boil before drinking.

No I don't test my tap water but if I was going to drink my well water even after filtering I would get that tested.

[Grace and Favour]

Nice one, Biggles.

 

How often will the filters require replacing?

[bottle]

every time, (before) you use it.

 

Edited September 4, 2014 by bottle

[Woodstock]

When was the last time you tested your tap water?

Never- but I know the water authorities do and that there are microbiology regulations that they have to comply with. To be honest, I dont know what the cartridge is filled with but from the composition and particulate sizes of the filter material- you could confirm if it will remove bacteria and viruses etc

[bottle]

but only whilst the filter is not 'full' and how do you know when it is 'full'

[ditchcrawler]

On one platform we had a UV purification unit and had more bugs grow in that than anywhere else in the system, in the end we removed it.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hi ya Biggles.

Looks great,

You may know I had Pre-Watermaker filtration plant similar to yours, & a Watermaker on board, (until I sold them both only last month).I had very good results from them both for over 8 years, in all my cruising grounds wether it was Canal, River Eateries or Sea, if you go on my Profile, then Gallery, there is a picture or two of my filters and set up together with the frequency I use to change them all, Another thing to possibly consider in your set up is the flow rate and therefore the 'Exposure Time' to the actual UV !. Mine for instance was a very slow flow rate, and only made 20/30 gallons in 24 Hrs as a result it had good exposure to the UV !.. As far as the test kit I use to use, infact I've still got one or two of them if you want to try one !

https://www.dropbox.com/s/556qmwwziqr4hbu/2014-03-30%2011.36.26.jpg?dl=0

If it works for you, and your happy with the results, well done you.

I can certainly say, I already miss them both, my ice cubes are now White & Cloudy instead of Clear, & I seem to be contantly filling up !.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[Woodstock]

On one platform we had a UV purification unit and had more bugs grow in that than anywhere else in the system, in the end we removed it.

Where do you work- that's interesting- We had a unit "fail"in the soft drinks industry a few years ago- basically the distance between UV and the liquid was too much. UV is only effective if it is within a few mm of the substance its treating. I say fail- it didn't really- it was sold to an engineer without explaining the systems limitations. I've seen UV units above doors in factories in China and when I ask what they are controllong , no-ones knows- but they had a good salesman who convinced them they needed it

[blackrose]

Interesting. Is such a system available to buy if you didn't want to make it yourself?

[BlueStringPudding]

Looks like a nice system if the river is clean but with the brown windsor coloured water seen in canals the life of the filters could be limited.

 

If the canal water goes into a small holding tank first, a lot of the sediment would settle allowing slightly better canal water to pass into the filter system, I'd have thought

[BlueStringPudding]

While home in June I made a couple of water filtration kits. One for a friend.

 

 

Linky

 

Interesting that your system has filters down to 1 micron. There's a company called Osmio who have built a system designed for canalwater that only takes the filters down to 20 microns. They claim that this combined with their UV thingy would be enough to produce safe drinking water. Their whole caboodle would cost a grand or more. Yours for £650 sounds a much better deal and filters more thoroughly!

 

Can it be run on 12v though? If so, it's probably an earner.

Edited September 19, 2014 by BlueStringPudding

[Graham Davis]

When was the last time you tested your tap water?

 

It seems to be done very regularly by my water supplier so why would I need to do it?

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Cysts & Virus are about I Micron I believe.

[Biggles]

 

Interesting that your system has filters down to 1 micron. There's a company called Osmio who have built a system designed for canalwater that only takes the filters down to 20 microns. They claim that this combined with their UV thingy would be enough to produce safe drinking water. Their whole caboodle would cost a grand or more. Yours for £650 sounds a much better deal and filters more thoroughly!

 

Can it be run on 12v though? If so, it's probably an earner.

 

Hi

 

Yes it can be run on 12v if you have an inverter . Seriously though a 12v should be no problem for a lift pump, but not sure about the UV light. You could chlorinate to sterilise as an option.

Edited September 19, 2014 by Biggles

[blackrose]

It's very ingenious pof you Kevin, but it sounds like a lot of hassle and expense too. Are water points really that rare that this is the best solution? How do the working barges and all the other boats deal with the situation?

[phill]

Water points are not only rare, a cubic metre of the stuff will likely cost you 10 euros or more. The smart move on continental waters is towards making your own at the very least for washing and bathing.

Edited September 19, 2014 by phill

[Biggles]

It's my "understanding" although not widely broadcast that most if not all of the hotel boats make their own water. An average of water supplies both here and in UK seem to be less than 1000L an hour. A hotel boat would spend the whole trip just taking on water.

None of this is about money saving, its about independence. With this, if there was a closure and no close tap we have water, if we get frozen in we have water, if we want to wild for weeks we have water.

[blackrose]

It's my "understanding" although not widely broadcast that most if not all of the hotel boats make their own water. An average of water supplies both here and in UK seem to be less than 1000L an hour. A hotel boat would spend the whole trip just taking on water.

 

I don't understand the bit about average water supplies?

 

I personally know the director of a very large European hotel boat company and they don't "make" their own water. They just have huge water tanks and fill them regularly.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

I agree with Biggles, I love having a Watermaker aboard, I've actually had one on most of my boats owned spanning back a while,, absolutely lost without one, but it certainly isn't about saving money, In my mind, it's about Convenience, Quality of life aboard & all the stuff previously mentioned in Biggles earlier post, and just oneless thing to worry about.

Each to there own,

 

Buy the way,

Yes I drink the water, Make the Clearest ice cubes and have suffered no I'll effects as yet, I find the Gills and Webbed feet come in very handy and Listerine masks the 'Fishy' breath nicely !.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Paul's Nulife4-2

[ditchcrawler]

It's my "understanding" although not widely broadcast that most if not all of the hotel boats make their own water. An average of water supplies both here and in UK seem to be less than 1000L an hour. A hotel boat would spend the whole trip just taking on water.

 

None of this is about money saving, its about independence. With this, if there was a closure and no close tap we have water, if we get frozen in we have water, if we want to wild for weeks we have water.

The hotel boats we have been on used "Fire Main" type connections and hoses at their overnight moorings, some of which they own.