Schenker Zen 30
What you are actually buying
Drawn to this model’s own published specification: modular, 1 × 2.5×21in membranes, and a pump driven by a 12/24V DC 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:
DC systems have to fit inside the energy your solar, wind and alternator can spare. Run the numbers against your own bank in the calculator.
Is it worth it?
At 3.7 watt-hours per litre it is the 1st most efficient system we rank of 34 — a day's water for four costs 367 Wh, which a modest array covers without touching the engine.
Suits
- Boats making water off solar. 100 litres costs 367 Wh, which is roughly 92 W of array — well under a single 400 W panel, so it runs on surplus rather than on engine hours.
- A couple or a small crew. 30 litres an hour is a trickle by design; run it for 3.3 hours and the day is covered without a spike in the load.
- 12 volt boats with no inverter. It runs straight off the bank, drawing about 31 Ah a day at 100 litres.
- Awkward spaces. The modules mount separately, so they fit around obstructions a single frame will not clear.
Look elsewhere if
- Larger crews in a hurry. 30 litres an hour means 9.3 hours to cover a charter crew's day.
- Boats you cannot drill. This is an installed system: intake, seacock, brine discharge and a wiring run, quoted separately from the unit.
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 1 of 34 rated systems on watt-hours per litre, where lower is better.
This is an energy-recovery system: the brine's pressure drives the inlet instead of going overboard, which is why it needs so little power. How the two technologies differ →
What people cross-shop it against
The rest of the Schenker range
Common questions
- How much power does the Schenker Zen 30 use?
- It draws 110 W and makes 30 L/hr, which works out to 3.7 watt-hours per litre. Making 100 litres — four people at 25 litres a head — costs about 367 Wh, or roughly 31 amp-hours from a 12 V bank.
- How long does the Zen 30 take to make a day's water?
- At its rated 30 L/hr, 100 litres takes about 3.3 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 Schenker Zen 30 cost in Australia?
- Our indicative figure is $6,300, taken from European and US dealer listings 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 Schenker Zen 30 in Australia?
- 1 verified Australian business is listed as Schenker dealers or specialists, including Sustainable Water Systems. Each entry links to the manufacturer or company page that proves it.
- Is the Zen 30 efficient?
- It ranks 1 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 energy recovery, which is why it sits in the bottom band.
- Is the Schenker Zen 30 worth it?
- At 3.7 watt-hours per litre it is the 1st most efficient system we rank of 34 — a day's water for four costs 367 Wh, which a modest array covers without touching the engine. It suits several cases: Boats making water off solar. 100 litres costs 367 Wh, which is roughly 92 W of array — well under a single 400 W panel, so it runs on surplus rather than on engine hours. Look elsewhere if: Larger crews in a hurry. 30 litres an hour means 9.3 hours to cover a charter crew's day. We publish no opinion on build quality or reliability, because we have not tested it.