[pure-silver] Re: Deionized Water-Advantages & Sources?
- From: Lloyd Erlick <lloyd@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: pure-silver@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 07 Apr 2006 09:57:29 -0400
At 01:47 PM 4/6/2006 , Nick wrote:
> Does anybody have any comments on those small water distillers? I saw
> one
>that did 5 litres a day. Price was less then $100 I think.
>
> Nick
>============
April 7, 2006, from Lloyd Erlick,
I've been using a counter-top water distiller for years. I'm now on my
second one.
The first one cost me about two hundred dollars. I figured if I got a total
of one thousand liters of distilled water out of it before it died, that
would be about twenty cents a liter, plus the cost of water and
electricity. The total would compare quite favorably with the cost of a
liter from the store; even if it actually were slightly higher, it would be
worth it to avoid the pleasure of lifting and toting jugs of water.
However, that first machine created 6500 liters of distilled water. So the
price was far lower than I anticipated.
Eventually that machine did die. The problem was the start switch. I never
attempted a repair. Other things in life intruded ...
Anyway, after I moved and things settled down, I was engaging in one of my
favorite pastimes, wandering around a Goodwill store. I was amazed to find
the same type of machine as my old one. It actually had a bit of water in
it, so it must have seen some use. But not much. They charged me ten
dollars! (Thrift shops are a form of gambling. A small amount of money can
bring a disproportionate return -- and did in this case, since the machine
worked and continues to work -- or it can be a loss.)
The particular distiller I have is marked Ecowater. I've seen sellers on
the Internet call it the Love distiller. It's commonly available. It
consists of a lower body that is mostly a one gallon stainless steel tank
with a strap heater. The tank is encased in an external metal covering so
it's impossible to touch the hot tank. The upper part is removable (so
water can be poured in, and so it can be cleaned.) The upper part consists
of a stainless steel pipe that is open into the tank, so the steam enters,
and it has a fan to draw cooling air across the pipe. The pipe is coiled
and tilted, so gravity causes the water to run out after the steam
condenses. I have a nice old enamel-ware potty with lid to catch the water.
The maker of the unit would like to sell you some expensive consumables
several times a year. One is a 'filter' that polishes the water so it
tastes good. (The product water tastes of iron, from the stainless steel
tank. Obviously some molecules are present, since we taste them, but it's
only faint. We may not be bloodhounds, but our olfactory system is still
good enough to taste faint traces.) In any case, I've never had a problem
because of this. Their overpriced filter is unnecessary. If I want to drink
any of the distilled water (makes great coffee, sure wish I could drink the
stuff...), I pour it into a Brita. The Brita filters last an incredible
length of time when exposed only to distilled water!
Also, they sell a cleaning chemical to get rid of scale buildup inside the
tank. It's a mixture of acids, including phosphoric. I rebel at the price.
Vinegar has always worked for me. The tank is wide mouth and very easy to
clean. Mostly I just rinse it a couple of times before I fill it; once in a
while I'll fill it with vinegar and leave it for a day or overnight. I just
put a dinner plate on top to contain the smell. For many years with my
first distiller I just used a plastic scrub brush before each use. This
worked well to minimize scale buildup.
I've wondered about putting a sequestering agent into the tank each time I
use it. A teaspoon of sodium hexametaphosphate might make the scale much
softer. It certainly works in my humidifier. What do the gurus think about
this chemical dodge??
A URL in my file is wholesalewaterdistillers.com
This is the outfit selling the "love" distiller. I suppose it's good
advertising. The machine so named is the one I have. It comes in plain
white (cheapest) and various flavours of black and stainless steel. The
function would be unconnected to the color of the outer panel of the
device. They are asking ninety-nine dollars. It holds a gallon, and will
cycle in about eight hours. So about three gallons a day is possible. I
have found it perfectly able to keep up with my needs. I tend to run it
frequently until my storage tanks are filled, then no operating until I'm
running low.
regards,
--le
________________________________
Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto.
voice: 416-686-0326
email: portrait@xxxxxxxxxxxx
net: www.heylloyd.com
________________________________
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