Watermakers under 50 litres per hour
A couple or a small crew, or any boat where the watermaker has to live inside a solar budget. Every energy-recovery system in the table sits in this band.
Most efficient in this bandSchenker Zen 30
Systems in this band7
| System | Power | Output L/hr | Draw W | Wh per litre | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zen 30 Schenker | 12/24V DC | 30 | 110 | 3.7 | $6,300 |
| Ventura 150 Deluxe Spectra | 12/24V DC | 24 | 108 | 4.5 | $6,000 |
| Ventura 150 Connect Spectra | 12/24V DC | 24 | 108 | 4.5 | $7,400 |
| Scout SW20 LEDIreported | 12V DC | 20 | 200 | 10.0 | on request |
| Portable 12VDC 34L Rainman | 12V DC | 26–37 | 400 | 12.7 | $4,898 |
| Modular 12VDC 34L Rainman | 12V DC | 26–37 | 400 | 12.7 | $5,053 |
| Ventura 200 Tropical Spectra · spec unconfirmed | 12/24V DC | 31 | — | not published | $8,200 |
Under 6 Wh/L · energy recovery
6–12 Wh/L
Over 12 Wh/L
Common questions
- Is under 50 l/hr enough for my boat?
- Work from crew and habits, not boat length. Frugal cruising is 10 to 15 litres per person per day; daily showers and a washing machine push past 30. Four people at 25 litres is 100 litres a day, which a system in this band makes in 3.3 hours or so.
- Should I buy more output than I need?
- Usually yes, within reason: a higher-output system spends less time running, which means less noise and less wear per litre. The catch is that on a conventional pump, higher output normally means higher draw, so check the Wh per litre rather than assuming bigger is kinder to the bank.
Other output bands