Katadyn Power Survivor 40 E Watermaker Desalinator Review

Product Description

Affordable and reliable, the Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E 12 volt desalinator allows cruisers to go further and stay longer, without worrying about having enough drinking, bathing and cooking. Less problems than filling your water tank with suspect water in foreigh ports. The ONLY watermaker which easily converts to a manual operation in the event of a power failure or emergency. Unmatched efficiency and simplicity. The 40E is a high end system for even the most budget concious cruiser.

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The efficient and convenient Katadyn PowerSurvivor 40E water desalination system allows you to cruise further and stay longer without worrying about your water supply. This highly durable 12-volt watermaker is a high-end system for even the most budget-conscious cruiser. It delivers 1.5 gallons of water per hour, and it’s the only watermaker that converts to manual operation in the event of a power failure. It operates quietly and is designed for low maintenance.

Simplified construction and rugged design make the PowerSurvivor 40E remarkably easy to install, operate and maintain. (The 40E contains 40 percent fewer parts than its popular predecessor, the PowerSurvivor-35.) This compact unit can be easily installed in the nooks and crannies otherwise unusable in many yachts. And, using only 4 amps of power, the 40E can run for extended periods on alternative power alone. Armed for the rigors of the marine environment, the 40E features a rugged stainless steel, high-pressure pump. Katadyn cover most of the 40E’s components with a 3-year warranty.

Specifications

• Power requirements: 12 volts DC (draws 4 amps)
• Water production (+/- 15%): 1.5 gallons/hour (5.7 liters/hr)
• Weight: 25 lbs (11.33 kg)
• Dimensions – Pump : 6.75″ (17.2 cm) by 16.5″ (41.9 cm) by 15.5″ (39.4 cm) (HxLxW)
• Dimensions – Prefilter Module: 12″ (30.5 cm) length, 6″ (15.2 cm) diameter (allow 7″ (18 cm) for hose bend)
• Feedwater flow rate: 20 gallons/hour (75.7 liters/hour)
• Salt rejection: 98.4 percent average (96 percent minimum)

Katadyn Technology
Reverse osmosis desalinization is simple in concept: squeeze salt water through a semi-permeable membrane fine enough to remove the salt, other minerals, and contaminants. Unfortunately, that membrane must be so fine that the filtering process requires enormous pressure (typically 800 psi) to push the fresh water through. And developing that pressure uses a lot of energy.

Katadyn PowerSurvivors improve this process with its line of high-pressure energy recovery pumps by capturing some of that energy and reusing it instead of sending the remainder to overboard discharge as other watermakers do. The pressurized reject water is recirculated to the back side of the piston to aid the next stroke. This energy is kept in the system, resulting in less work to achieve fresh water. This reduces the energy expenditure and allows the use of 12-volt motors at low amperage. The result is one of world’s most energy-efficient watermakers.

What Size is Right for You?
The first step in choosing a watermaker is understanding your water needs. Sounds simple, but what many forget is the change in mentality from living in a house to spending time on a boat. Just like you take fewer clothes, fewer shoes, and shorten your menu, water needs decrease dramatically as well. In fact, the average daily usage on a cruising sailboat is between 1.5 and 3 gallons of water per person per day. Thus, a crew of two would require between a conservative 3 and a more average 6 gallons of water, while a crew of four would require between 6 and 12 gallons. We recommend choosing a model that can produce your calculated daily water needs in 2 to 4 hours of operation per day (minimum).

PowerSurvivor 40E

• 2 hours: 3 gallons/ 11.4 liters
• 4 hours: 6 gallons/ 22.8 liters

PowerSurvivor 80E

• 2 hours: 6.8 gallons/ 25.8 liters
• 4 hours: 13.4 gallons/ 51.6 liters

PowerSurvivor 160E

• 2 hours: 13.4 gallons/ 50.8 liters
• 4 hours: 26.8 gallons/ 101.6 liters

About Katadyn
Katadyn of Switzerland has been producing high quality portable water systems since 1928. Their history has been one of innovation and durability. Katadyn products are used by militaries, health organizations and outdoor adventurers world-wide. No other water system provides higher quality or longer lasting performance. Katadyn is the global leader in portable water treatment. With subsidiaries in the United States, Germany, France, and Singapore; Katadyn develops, produces and distributes high quality products which are used whenever safe drinking water isn’t available–for travel, camping and humanitarian operations.