B+G has become an official dealer and service center for FCI Watermakers. FCI has been in the business of building watermakers for over 30 years and build systems from 200 to 264,000 GPD. In their marine line, their range of 200 – 3,600 GPD fits the needs of our clients perfectly.
FCI’s Watermaker components have progressed significantly to increase the life cycle of the system and to accommodate the changing marine environment. One major advantage is FCI’s fully automated control system which operates at the touch of a button. Owners no longer need to manually adjust the pressure, or be in the engine room or lasserte to start the system or make adjustment.
FCI uses Reverse Osmosis technology for purifying water. Reverse Osmosis is used around the world as the primary method of water purification. The method involves taking a contaminated water source and passing it through a semi-permeable membrane that will only allow the freshwater molecule to pass through. The water is separated into two streams, purified water and brine water.
FCI Watermakers’ automatic freshwater flush ensures the system gets cleansed after every use, reducing the need to change the oil to every 500 hours, and only change the prefilter as needed. Manual freshwater flushes were vulnerable to human error, which often lead to premature failures.
Routine preventative maintenance is still the norm. For example, you’ll want to replace seals after every 1,000 hours of use and valves after every 1,500 hours of use. If you enjoy long-haul cruises, it’s a good idea to carry important spare parts like prefilters, high-pressure pump oil, GAC filters, high and low-pressure pump seals and high-pressure pump valves.
Todd Patterson, managing director of B+G said: “We chose to partner with FCI because they share many of our same values. From the moment we met with the reps from FCI they spoke of relationship building, team effort and exceeding expectations through a sharp eye for detail, customer satisfaction and treating people with respect. All values we at B+G stand behind.”
FCI Watermakers is the only watermaker manufacturer to offer controls that are Bridge Certified for marine use with Type Approval Certifications from ABS, GL, Lloyd’s Register EMEA, Det Norske Veritas and Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.
Whether you need a complete water maker install or are ready to upgrade and replace your existing watermaker, come see us at B+G and we will be happy to show you a unit and explain why FCI is our first choice.
The Aquamiser+ marine reverse osmosis systems are also DTS+ (Dockside Treatment System) compatible. FCI DTS+ units allow you to create purified drinking water, and enjoy spot-free wash-downs from your dockside municipal source at minimal cost without compromising your seawater membranes. The FCI DTS+ add-on component works in-line while utilizing your existing Aquamiser+ pump and control system.
Calculating the Amount of Water Needed
Marine watermakers should provide ample fresh water to all passengers onboard on a daily basis. As a guideline, the U.S. Coast Guard recommends that 30 gallons of water per person per day should be available onboard. So, for example, if you are planning to have 4 people onboard, then you should plan on having 120 gallons of water available per day.
When calculating the amount of water you will need don’t forget to consider all the uses.
Salt water can be used for:
- Taking showers (but you’ll want to rinse with fresh water at least once at the end)
- Washing dishes
- Cooking (this depends on what you are cooking)
- Washing your hands
You’ll use desalinated water for rinsing the decks, cooking, showering, and drinking. Remember to calculate the drinking water you bring in bottles as well as your storage tanks.
How Long to Run the Watermaker
Next, determine how many hours per day you want to operate the watermaker to make the capacity that you need. Most people are comfortable with between two and five hours per day.
Then, compute how many gallons of water you need to make per hour to make your daily demand considering the period of time you would want to operate the watermaker. Considering the example above, if a person wanted to make 120 gallons of water in a two-hour time period, then a watermaker capable of producing 60 gallons of water per hour is required.
Marine watermakers are rated based upon how many gallons of water they are capable of producing per hour. This information is also stated in terms of daily production (that is, the rated hourly production multiplied by 24).