There are several aspects that make the search for non-water based life untenable. Multiple comments are pointing out the practical aspects. A separate aspect

There are several aspects that make the search for non-water based life untenable. Multiple comments are pointing out the practical aspects. A separate aspect that is very important to know is that inorganic chemistry (non-carbon chemistry) is actually quite limited overall: we have a pretty good grasp of the possible inorganic compounds and their properties, at least within certain ranges of temperatures and pressures. And a huge number of those compounds require water to be present in some way. Now, organic chemistry is far richer and far harder to explore thoroughly. But, given all we know about inorganic chemistry, creating organic compounds in ways that don't involve the known inorganic ones, and doing so without water, seems extremely unlikely.