DI water instead of distilled in humidifier

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:42 pm

[quote="bbeck4x4"]IHMO: bottom line is that the distilled water is good, Ro is slightly better, now would I recommend a person that is on a low budget to run out and purchase one of these units instead of buying distilled water just for their humidifier? my answer would be no, of course not.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE009 (another link)

Nitrate and Nitrite Control
Often the best solution for nitrate and nitrite pollution is relocation of the well or drilling the well deeper into an uncontaminated aquifer. The only effective methods of treatment are distillation, reverse osmosis and high quality ion-exchange columns, but these will often not be economically feasible. Activated carbon filters will not remove nitrates or nitrites.

Volatile Organic Halide Removal
The only effective methods for removing volatile organic halides are activated carbon filtration and reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis would be feasible only if other problems required its use. Studies done by The American Water Works Association show that the reduction efficiency for halogenated organics by activated carbon filters ranges from 76% for a faucet-mounted unit to 99% for several larger in-line units. However, one must keep in mind that the reduction is dependent on flow rate, contact time, and cleanliness of the unit as discussed in the section on these filters.

Trace Metals Removal
Methods for the removal of trace amounts of toxic metals include distillation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis, and activated carbon filtration. All systems are quite expensive and are usually installed on drinking water lines only. The ion-exchange resins must be selected very carefully with regard to the metals needing removal and other metals present in the water which may interact with the process. The other three methods, distillation, reverse osmosis, and activated carbon filtration, and their limitations were described earlier

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:46 pm

It is all semantics ... better for what?

As Jim just stated the difference in purity is insignificant .... but the fact is that distilled is more pure than RO. That is a fact .... "Organics such as herbicides and pesticides, with boiling points lower than 100 °C cannot be removed efficiently and can actually become concentrated in the product water" ... please ... what kind of double-speak is that? Fractional distillation removes ALL impurities (above and below 100 °C).

As for a link that proves it try the one snoredog posted above ... the US government link from the department of energy ... they are not trying to sell you any type of water filtration equipment. I bet all of your links are trying to sell you something ... like taste or "live" water or oxygenated water or minerals or some type of equipment or additives to make you healthy/smart or bigger/longer.

bbeck4x4 · Post by **bbeck4x4** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:47 pm

you've got me there, I did fail math, I did go to a us school was too busy with the hotrod in auto shop thing is of that 1% (not 1% if DI resin is used) how much of h20 is evaporated? in a humidifier?

bbeck4x4 · Post by **bbeck4x4** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:54 pm

thanks for pointing out that link, I missed it the first read, a quote from that helps my point in a way,

"Perhaps others will better address your question of chemical differences.
For most uses, R.O. is sufficient, provided the system is properly
maintained. Above certain volumes, R.O. is much cheaper than distilled"

my point was that for me and my needs (fish tank plus humidifier, I use 3-5 gallons per day total) ro water is at least equal to or better for the quanity that I use, than distilled.

how do you know the quality of the distilled bought at the local grocery store? I maintain the system that I have here.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:55 pm

On the top of page 5 of my REMstar heated humidifier manual, the last sentence says: "Use only distilled water in chamber".

The last gallon or two that we purchased at Wally World was about 57 cents.
Sounds pretty cheap to me.

Den

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:57 pm

All of it if the water is gone, the idea is not to have anything but H2O in the HH at all, Steam Distilled water does that. You can take you RO water and Steam Distill it, and then it will be as good as Steam Distilled water, if you don't contaminate it while fooling with it.

I did the math and the HotRod too. 43 years as a Mechanic, the last 22 on V-16's

bbeck4x4 · Post by **bbeck4x4** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 10:59 pm

I did read that when I got my unit, would you like to be the person who tried to explain Reverse Osmosis water to the average patient?

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:00 pm

[quote="Wulfman"]On the top of page 5 of my REMstar heated humidifier manual, the last sentence says: "Use only distilled water in chamber".

The last gallon or two that we purchased at Wally World was about 57 cents.
Sounds pretty cheap to me.

Den

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:06 pm

bbeck4x4 wrote:thanks for pointing out that link, I missed it the first read, a quote from that helps my point in a way,

"Perhaps others will better address your question of chemical differences.
For most uses, R.O. is sufficient, provided the system is properly
maintained. Above certain volumes, R.O. is much cheaper than distilled"

my point was that for me and my needs (fish tank plus humidifier, I use 3-5 gallons per day total) ro water is at least equal to or better for the quanity that I use, than distilled.

how do you know the quality of the distilled bought at the local grocery store? I maintain the system that I have here.

I just keep missing that part where it said "RO is better than distilled". Perhaps you meant "cheaper" if of course YOU define "certain" as 2.99 gallons or less.

Well you may be right ... the stuff at the store cannot be trusted ... after all the folks producing are probably just professionals and don't even have a fish tank or know how to fix a car. Actually, water being the universal solvent and all, will react with the plastic jugs if stored for a long enough period under hot conditions.

bbeck4x4 · Post by **bbeck4x4** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:07 pm

I need to check out for the night, also, have a good one, my thinking on the hot rods, once the grease is in your blood, your hooked.
my favorite engine, a 351 Cleavland with 4 bbl heads. V16's, hope its fuel injected I'd hate to tune the carbs.

Brian

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:21 pm

Wulfman wrote:On the top of page 5 of my REMstar heated humidifier manual, the last sentence says: "Use only distilled water in chamber".

The last gallon or two that we purchased at Wally World was about 57 cents.
Sounds pretty cheap to me.
Den

Dang! ... 57 cents? ....I must be getting a bargain, I always pay 53 cents at Wally World!

I wouldn't think of using anything but distilled, besides I thought the whole idea of using distilled is to keep mineral deposits and gunk out of your HH chamber, no?

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:27 pm

Vader wrote:
Wulfman wrote:On the top of page 5 of my REMstar heated humidifier manual, the last sentence says: "Use only distilled water in chamber".

The last gallon or two that we purchased at Wally World was about 57 cents.
Sounds pretty cheap to me.
Den
Dang! ... 57 cents? ....I must be getting a bargain, I always pay 53 cents at Wally World!

I wouldn't think of using anything but distilled, besides I thought the whole idea of using distilled is to keep mineral deposits and gunk out of your HH chamber, no?

I said "ABOUT"......my wife is the one who picked it up and when I asked her how much it was, I think thats approximately what she said. Could be the extra cost to ship it to the "middle of nowhere".

Best wishes,

Den

Krelvin · Post by **Krelvin** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 1:13 am

If my wife picked it up, it would be the cost of all the other stuff she got with the water... Its best if I get it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:36 pm

FORGET about the comparatively tiny issue of keeping your chamber clean. The much larger issue is that you're inhaling the evaporation products from this liquid for one third of your entire life (8 hours a day). Consider tap water, and the frightful amount of stuff that's probably in there, coming from most municipal water distribution lines!

Just one example: chlorine. They say to greatly reduce chlorine taste from tap water, you should let it sit open awhile. Gosh, could that be because the chlorine evaporates off the top? Chlorine isn't exactly the happiest and most harmless chemical out there. Now, what if we closed that container, heated it, hooked a hose up to it and blew the air over it directly into your lungs nightly?

Sure, filtered tap water may be better (reverse osmosis, etc.), but for pete's sake... whatever comes off the liquid in your humidier is being "mainlined" into your lungs! Use distilled! At $0.55/gal, and getting probably 2 weeks from each gallon, nobody's sufficiently poor to engander their lungs like that.

If you can't stand that tiny expense for something as important as the long-term safety of your lungs, it's kind of like asking your doctor to use used needles when he takes your next blood sample, so that your bill might be a dollar lower. It's crazy. Use distilled.

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 2:40 pm

I must not have much of a life to even be reading this topic that pops up like a clock every so often.

RO VS DIST VS TAP??

The only reason distilled water is preferred is because of the minerals precipitating out and forming on the chamber bottom.

Regardless of what is used, the ONLY thing that comes from the chamber is water vapor which is pure water and NO minerals of bugs or anything will be in it.

There is only one answwer. Your choice. results are the same.

Best is to use distilled water and forget about all the rest.

I have more of a life than this and must get back to concerning myself with the tragic news that Pamela Anderson and Kid rock are getting a divorce and the ongoing story of Britney Spears and P Hiltons friendship and wondering where this will go next. Not to mention Kramers big foot in mouth drama.
Sorry- gotta go- Big car chase on fox news.........

Mask