Rainman Portable AC 70L
What you are actually buying
Drawn to this model’s own published specification: portable, 2 × 21in membranes, and a pump driven by an AC 240V motor.
What it costs to run
A four-person crew using 25 litres a head needs 100 litres a day. On this system that is:
This is an AC system, so it needs a generator, shore power or a large inverter. The Wh figure is what the generator has to cover.
Is it worth it?
At 19.7 watt-hours per litre this is one of the thirstier systems we rank — 5.4 times the energy of the most efficient, for the same litre. 1,969 Wh a day for a crew of four is an engine run, not a solar surplus.
Suits
- Boats where it has to come off. A portable unit stows, moves between boats and can be serviced on a bench rather than upside down in a locker.
- Tight budgets. At $5,296 indicative it is in the cheapest quarter of the table — the saving is up front, and the energy is where you pay it back.
Look elsewhere if
- Boats without a generator or a large inverter. 1,250 W on 240 V is not something a modest inverter starts happily.
Worth pricing against it: Schenker Zen 100 makes 100 litres an hour at 4.0 Wh/L, so the same 100 litres costs 1,569 Wh less every day — for $4,304 more up front. See the Zen 100 →
Every line above is a consequence of a published figure. We have not tested this machine and publish no opinion on its build, reliability or support. How we judge systems.
Where it sits in the market
Ranked 32 of 34 rated systems on watt-hours per litre, where lower is better.
A conventional high-pressure pump with limited membrane area, so each litre costs comparatively more energy. Fine on a generator, expensive on a battery bank. How the two technologies differ →
What people cross-shop it against
The rest of the Rainman range
Common questions
- How much power does the Rainman Portable AC 70L use?
- It draws 1,250 W and makes 50–77 L/hr, which works out to 19.7 watt-hours per litre. Making 100 litres — four people at 25 litres a head — costs about 1,969 Wh.
- How long does the Portable AC 70L take to make a day's water?
- At its rated 50–77 L/hr, 100 litres takes about 1.6 hours. Output falls in cold or silty water, so treat that as a best case rather than a promise for every anchorage.
- How much does the Rainman Portable AC 70L cost in Australia?
- Our indicative figure is $5,296, taken from the manufacturer's published US list and excluding freight, duty and installation. Australian dealer pricing is usually all-inclusive and reads higher. Ask a stockist for a landed AUD quote before you budget.
- Who sells the Rainman Portable AC 70L in Australia?
- 16 verified Australian businesses are listed as Rainman dealers or specialists, including Quadrant Marine, Spot on Marine, CROFTECH Marine and Motor. Each entry links to the manufacturer or company page that proves it.
- Is the Portable AC 70L efficient?
- It ranks 32 of 34 rated systems in our table on watt-hours per litre, where lower is better. The best in the table is 3.7 Wh/L. It uses a conventional high-pressure pump, which is the main reason it sits above the energy-recovery systems.
- Is the Rainman Portable AC 70L worth it?
- At 19.7 watt-hours per litre this is one of the thirstier systems we rank — 5.4 times the energy of the most efficient, for the same litre. 1,969 Wh a day for a crew of four is an engine run, not a solar surplus. It suits several cases: Boats where it has to come off. A portable unit stows, moves between boats and can be serviced on a bench rather than upside down in a locker. Look elsewhere if: Boats without a generator or a large inverter. 1,250 W on 240 V is not something a modest inverter starts happily. We publish no opinion on build quality or reliability, because we have not tested it.