filtered water versus distilled

[tedtomato]

I use (Brita) filtered water from the tap, and I get very little deposits in my humidifier.

I live in a hard water area, and my Brita jug is preventing lots of limescale in several appliances, like coffee machine or kettle.

[D.H.]

In the U.S., distilled water is sold at Walmart for 88¢ per U.S. gallon. Note that a US gallon is 3.78, liters which is approximately 20% less than the gallons that Canada used before metric conversion.

I was not able to find this product on Walmart's Canadian site.

When I was in last Canada in 2002 (OK, I know it was awhile ago), I was able to get distilled water in a supermarket at a reasonable price. That was in a relatively remote part of Alberta near Banff, so you should not have a problem in Toronto.

[BlackSpinner]

In the U.S., distilled water is sold at Walmart for 88¢ per U.S. gallon. Note that a US gallon is 3.78, liters which is approximately 20% less than the gallons that Canada used before metric conversion.

I was not able to find this product on Walmart's Canadian site.

When I was in last Canada in 2002 (OK, I know it was awhile ago), I was able to get distilled water in a supermarket at a reasonable price. That was in a relatively remote part of Alberta near Banff, so you should not have a problem in Toronto.

That assumes you want to haul it back from the store on a bus in the winter. Oh and Banff and anything near it is not "remote".

[Jack Burton]

Its lugging the extra 9 pounds that I would like to avoid.

[Pugsy]

Its lugging the extra 9 pounds that I would like to avoid.

I don't blame you. There have been times where the added weight of that gallon was a huge problem for my shoulders.

You can use tap water. I have done it and I live in an area where we joke about the water being so hard if it hit you on the head it would knock you out. The only downside was the mineral build up in the water chamber and that's easily cleaned with a little bit of vinegar. Depending on the mineral content of your local tap water (or whatever other sourced water you opt to use) the build up may not be that big of a deal for you to deal with.
If you do elect to use something other than distilled I would suggest dumping any leftovers the next morning and letting the chamber air dry as this will lessen any build up that might occur which of course would lessen any vinegar cleaning you might have to do.
I don't like the smell of vinegar....so I don't do it unless I just absolutely have to.

[Goofproof]

Its lugging the extra 9 pounds that I would like to avoid.

I don't blame you. There have been times where the added weight of that gallon was a huge problem for my shoulders.

You can use tap water. I have done it and I live in an area where we joke about the water being so hard if it hit you on the head it would knock you out. The only downside was the mineral build up in the water chamber and that's easily cleaned with a little bit of vinegar. Depending on the mineral content of your local tap water (or whatever other sourced water you opt to use) the build up may not be that big of a deal for you to deal with.
If you do elect to use something other than distilled I would suggest dumping any leftovers the next morning and letting the chamber air dry as this will lessen any build up that might occur which of course would lessen any vinegar cleaning you might have to do.
I don't like the smell of vinegar....so I don't do it unless I just absolutely have to.

Take the rocks out of your shopping bad, Water weights about 7 lb per gallon, even less when distilled, the rocks stay in the boiler. Jim

[MrGrumpy]

The manuals and the respiratory techs who send you out the door with your brand new gear ALWAYS tell you to use distilled water ONLY. Water from city or county municipal water plants has been treated with various chemicals. Also, tapwater has some bacteria in it. I never use tapwater when I lived in the city. I would not think of it.

I live in a rural area now and have well water. Once in a rare while, I will be lazy and let myself run out of distilled water. I will then boil good old well water for five minutes to kill all biological organisms that could be going up my nose during the night and set off a slow but steady and subtle sinusitis event. I let the water cool down to lukewarm temp before I put it in the humidifier pot.

99.99% I use DISTILLED WATER ONLY. Its under $1 a gallon here in the USA and a gallon lasts me slightly over a week.

Some people on here just dont seem to be able to follow directions!!! Distilled water, folks! Distilled water only!

[Jack Burton]

Take the rocks out of your shopping bad, Water weights about 7 lb per gallon, even less when distilled, the rocks stay in the boiler. Jim

Oh Jim... SMH.
4 liters of water = 4 kilograms = 8.81849 pounds.
The rocks are not in my shopping bag.

[Somewhat knowledgable]

The answer is it depends very much on the local geology and who supplies your water. Everywhere in the planet is a little different. I used to live ina town where the water had so many minerals that our faucetspractically had stalctites of mineral deposits hanging off them and no amount of filtering would get them out. Now I live in a town where our drinking water is heavily polluted with agricultural runoff. Even filtered I don't want to be breathing that.
The way I look at it, distilled water is cheap insurance and we all could use the exercise.

[Goofproof]

Take the rocks out of your shopping bad, Water weights about 7 lb per gallon, even less when distilled, the rocks stay in the boiler. Jim

Oh Jim... SMH.
4 liters of water = 4 kilograms = 8.81849 pounds.
The rocks are not in my shopping bag.

My bad, I got my numbers confused, I was thinking of GASoline... 8.34 lb per u.s. gallon @ 62 degrees F. for Water. I've carried more Gas than water. Jim

[BlackSpinner]

The manuals and the respiratory techs who send you out the door with your brand new gear ALWAYS tell you to use distilled water ONLY. Water from city or county municipal water plants has been treated with various chemicals. Also, tapwater has some bacteria in it. I never use tapwater when I lived in the city. I would not think of it.

I live in a rural area now and have well water. Once in a rare while, I will be lazy and let myself run out of distilled water. I will then boil good old well water for five minutes to kill all biological organisms that could be going up my nose during the night and set off a slow but steady and subtle sinusitis event. I let the water cool down to lukewarm temp before I put it in the humidifier pot.

99.99% I use DISTILLED WATER ONLY. Its under $1 a gallon here in the USA and a gallon lasts me slightly over a week.

Some people on here just dont seem to be able to follow directions!!! Distilled water, folks! Distilled water only!

That is just stupid. Boiling water intensifies the minerals. The only reason to use distilled water is because of the minerals, if the water is safe to drink it is safe to use in the humidifier. The "water" you breathe is evaporated water - in other words it IS distilled by the time it gets to your mask.

[Jack Burton]

I had the municipal supply tested and Toronto water is within their own spec.
However the water tasted bad and smelled worse.
It smelled so bad that not only would I not drink it, I wouldn't drink a beer from a glass that had been washed in it.
Since I got the Kinetico Kube I drink it all the time and it is very nearly as pleasant as my favourite spring water.
I save about $1000.00 per year and don't have to lug 70 pounds of drinking water per week up the stairs.

[chunkyfrog]

My distiller weighs about 12 pounds, and.filling it only requires a little goose.

[cpapdude1]

distilled is the best. always use distilled

the hospital told me always use distilled.

[palerider]

The manuals and the respiratory techs who send you out the door with your brand new gear ALWAYS tell you to use distilled water ONLY. Water from city or county municipal water plants has been treated with various chemicals. Also, tapwater has some bacteria in it. I never use tapwater when I lived in the city. I would not think of it.

I live in a rural area now and have well water. Once in a rare while, I will be lazy and let myself run out of distilled water. I will then boil good old well water for five minutes to kill all biological organisms that could be going up my nose during the night and set off a slow but steady and subtle sinusitis event. I let the water cool down to lukewarm temp before I put it in the humidifier pot.

99.99% I use DISTILLED WATER ONLY. Its under $1 a gallon here in the USA and a gallon lasts me slightly over a week.

Some people on here just dont seem to be able to follow directions!!! Distilled water, folks! Distilled water only!

That is just stupid. Boiling water intensifies the minerals. The only reason to use distilled water is because of the minerals, if the water is safe to drink it is safe to use in the humidifier. The "water" you breathe is evaporated water - in other words it IS distilled by the time it gets to your mask.

you're absolutely right.
I'm starting to see a pattern.