Purified Di-Hydrogen Oxide.....

maxi-model said:
Hence the caveat with distilled water - not the de-ionized stuff ?

I'm in the filtered rainwater camp, pollutants non-withstanding. But I could be tempted by a T/T water distiller. Which did you purchase and where Tac ?
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If you live in a part of the UK, or wherever, where you have a supply of celestial freebies from ye which you can filter out the bird do-doo et al, then my advice is to stick with it. My TT distiller was almost £150 twelve years ago, but at the rate I use the product [and mrs tac does a LOT of ironing too], it has been worth it. However, right now it's operating, and with almost 7L of boiling water onboard , I'm understandably loathe to turn it upside down to check the brand name.

I will though, promise.

tac
 
I looked at the instructions.....here is the website for the still, as they call it, with the caveat that it is illegal to use it to make alcoholic beverages in the UK [alright on the Isle of Man, then ;)] -

www.thebrewshopuk.co.uk

It has now been reduced in price to £147.00 plus shipping.

Enjoy.

tac
OVGRS
 
I do not have a live steam engine but in preparation for one, is Reverse Osmosis filtered water ok to use in a steam powered model?
 
Avel1 said:
I do not have a live steam engine but in preparation for one, is Reverse Osmosis filtered water ok to use in a steam powered model?
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I *think* that is what a de-ioniser does?? - Prepares to be shot down if flames! ;):eek:
 
Avel1 said:
I do not have a live steam engine but in preparation for one, is Reverse Osmosis filtered water ok to use in a steam powered model?
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Since distilled water, as used by everybody of my acquaintance in their hundreds of live-steamers, cost 10c a thousand gallons where you live, why bother with fancy stuff like that?

tac
 
I have had RO/DI systems for over a decade for my marine/reef tank hobby. I can take water after the RO section, but before the De Ionizing step.
I will use distilled, but sometimes I don't want to go anywhere, so just wanted to know if RO water is ok in a pinch.
 
I really have no idea, Sir, not being of a technical watery nature. Perhaps Greg, who IS a very technical person, has an answer for you.

Meanwhile, I'm going to carry on doing what I've been doing since 1952, and running all my steam engines on distilled water.

tac
 
Well, reverse osmosis is basically a filter... it gets the heavy metals and organics out. It does leave dissolved gases (chlorine) and small molecules, pesticides and herbicides. That's probably why you do a de-ionization step afterwards. De-ionization helps remove very polar elements, the reactive ones at the left and right sides of the table of elements like the reactive metals, calcium, lithium, magnesium, etc, plus the halogens like chlorine and fluorine.

If you have both, you have pretty darn clean water. For steamers you really are mostly concerned with calcium, magnesium, etc buildup.

Greg
 
To quote from the Roundhouse website
“Tap water - in soft water areas, this is fine but in hard water areas it can quickly lead to a build up of 'lime scale' on the inner surfaces of the boiler, fittings and pipe work. The easiest way of establishing what your water is like is to look inside your kettle. If it's thick with white 'lime scale' deposits, avoid using it.”
So if anyone wants some of my nice soft tap water just let me know and you Will be most welcome to pop round and collect some. Even the Calgon test strip says my water is so soft I don’t need to use Calgon at all.
 
tac foley said:
the still, as they call it, with the caveat that it is illegal to use it to make alcoholic beverages in the UK [alright on the Isle of Man, then ;)] -
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Thanks for the information Tac. So Track Shack won't be adding it to their inventory anytime soon. I might stick to my butt, water butt that is, for the time being. Max
 
Zerogee said:
Does anyone actually know WHY it is now so hard to get this side of the Pond? Is it simply that for MOST uses the de-ionised stuff is adequate, so hardly anyone goes to the trouble and expense of making proper distilled?
Or is there some more sinister reason.....?

Jon.
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Jon, as I understand it there are two main reasons, the first being distilled water costs a lot of power to make and the second it that modern deionized water is actually purer than distilled as distilled water still contain oils and other chemicals with a similar boiling point to water which are not wanted in many medical and scientific uses.

If you buy laboratory grade deionized water it will be just as pure if not purer than distilled.
 
Paradise said:
Is there any problem with collecting rainwater in large plastic tubs then filtering it?
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I suppose it depends on what it passes through, when it starts its journey it should be OK, but it could pick up all manor of solid and chemical particulate contamination on its way down.
 
funandtrains said:
Not usually a problem unless you live near the sea or in an area with high air pollution, or if rain runs off new concrete tiles.
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No, the air is not polluted here and it comes straight from the clouds so I just have to get rid of the occasional gum nut and dead fly using a funnel with filter. I now have 20 liters stored under the house with a dark bag over the top so it doesn't go slimy green with algae. They used to put me under the house with a dark bag over the top and I never went slimy and green with algae so it should be OK. >:)
 
When I took part in a medical research project a couple of years ago, they filled my arm with Heavy Water. Not sure why or what happened to it.... Just thought I’d mention it.
 
Eaglecliff said:
When I took part in a medical research project a couple of years ago, they filled my arm with Heavy Water. Not sure why or what happened to it.... Just thought I’d mention it.
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Wasn't it the Norwegians that sabotaged Hitler's heavy water used to develop nuclear weapons?
Maybe they got to it. ;)
 
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