By power source · updated 5 September 2026

Petrol watermakers

No electrical draw at all: a small petrol engine drives the pump. Budget roughly 700 ml of fuel per hour. Popular as a portable unit that lives in a locker between uses.

Highest outputRainman Portable Petrol 140L100–154 L/hr
Lowest indicative priceRainman Portable Petrol 75L$5,804
SystemPowerOutput L/hrDraw WWh per litrePrice
Portable Petrol 140L
Rainman
Petrol100–154
petrol
$6,731
Portable Petrol 75L
Rainman
Petrol55–82
petrol
$5,804
Portable Petrol 70L
Rainman
Petrol50–77
petrol
$6,699
Under 6 Wh/L · energy recovery
6–12 Wh/L
Over 12 Wh/L

Common questions

How many Petrol watermakers are sold in Australia?
We currently table 3 Petrol systems. The list grows as we verify more brands.
What size Petrol watermaker do I need?
Start from daily litres, not boat length. Four people at 25 litres a head is 100 litres a day. Divide by a candidate's rated output for run time, and multiply by its Wh per litre for the energy it takes out of your day. Our sizing calculator does both against your own battery bank.
How much fuel does a petrol watermaker use?
Budget roughly 700 ml an hour. The trade is that it takes nothing from the house bank, which is why petrol units suit boats with small electrical systems.
Other power sources

Compare another way of driving the pump