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Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2022 9:23 am
by bobsk8
tyrinryan wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:37 am
Thanks all, for your thoughts. The gallon containers (with o loop at the top for a handle) are a little different from the milk jugs with a "formed" handle. I just thought that others might have had the same issue of too many spare water containers and found a use for them. If I could find a use for them, it would make me feel better when buying the distilled water!
I have used a PUR water filter on my kitchen sink for years. It supposed to take out 99% of everything in the water. I have been thinking that maybe using that filtered water instead of distilled water would be OK.
https://www.pur.com/media/productattach ... faucet.pdf
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2022 10:21 am
by tyrinryan
Thanks for your thoughts. But what do you think the cost of making the distilled water is? Pennies, I guess? But serious question. I haven't worked it out. .(I at least would not have to pay for the plastic jugs to put the water in) I thought you had to boil the water and then condense the steam through Ice Cube water. So you have to pay to boil, to freeze, for the water itself and then amortize the cost of the equipment and space it takes up. It's ok costs regardless, if you're making moonshine but it must cost something and take up your time to make the distilled water. I hate to waste the money on the container, even if it were actually recycled, and I am looking for further rationalization of the cost of buying distilled water at Walmart.
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2022 10:46 am
by Dog Slobber
tyrinryan wrote: ↑Thu Nov 24, 2022 10:21 am
I thought you had to boil the water and then condense the steam through Ice Cube water.
You do not need to condense the water through ice cubes.
Home distilling appliances don't use ice.
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2022 12:28 pm
by chunkyfrog
My father in law used ice when he was distilling hootch.
Alcohol requires fractional distillation, so ice makes it faster (when you're thirsty.)
Our water distiller uses a fan blowing air through the condensing coils.
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2022 6:53 pm
by Wulfman...
Dog Slobber wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:24 am
Conrad wrote: ↑Wed Nov 23, 2022 8:40 am
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Reevaluate - the fourth R.
Reevaluate your need to actually use distilled.
Is your water safe to drink?
How much calcium is left in tank?
How often and how much effort is required to clean mineral deposits.
Distilled water isn't a medical requirement. CPAP manufacturers suggested it (in some areas) for mineral buildup. Some CPAP users interpreted that as being a medical/health requirement.
Another "R":
Repurpose"
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:08 pm
by jim22
I think the cost is arround 80 cents per gallon, but it depends on the electricity rates. I start with hot tap water and it takes about 4 hours to distill a gallon. Just fill the distiller and start it, no ice required. I think it usesabout 1500 watts or a little less.
Jim
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:18 pm
by chunkyfrog
jim22 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 26, 2022 8:08 pm
I think the cost is arround 80 cents per gallon, but it depends on the electricity rates. I start with hot tap water and it takes about 4 hours to distill a gallon. Just fill the distiller and start it, no ice required. I think it usesabout 1500 watts or a little less.
Jim
Using a kill a watt meter, we determined that in Lincoln, electricity to distill
a gallon of water cost around 12 cents--maybe around 15-16 cents a gallon now.
I MEASURED to find the answer.
Kill a watt meters are worth the money--get one--stop guessing.
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Sat Nov 26, 2022 9:15 pm
by tyrinryan
I thought of distilling the water when the Covid happened because there were shortages and outages. Then I found some for sale in a 5 gallon jug and poured it into used a spare 1 gallon jug. Hey good thing I had one. However it would be good to break down the cost of this distilling process. What is the process in detail and what do the various steps cost? If the electricity is 80 cents a xxxxx (correction) gallon, there doesn't seem to be a great advantage in distilling the stuff.--???
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2022 12:50 am
by chunkyfrog
How did Jim get 80 cents a gallon, only to have tyrin think gallons equal liters?
I give up!
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Sun Nov 27, 2022 1:31 am
by tyrinryan
You're right chunkyfrog; thanks for pointing that out. I made the correction.
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 7:54 pm
by chunkyfrog
Important note: Power use cannot be deduced directly from the capacity rating,
as a thermostat only draws enough current to do the job.
A kilowatt-hour meter will MEASURE the actual usage--which I am confident
is well under the 80 cents a gallon quoted above.
The selling price of distilled water would be much higher if that were true.
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Mon Nov 28, 2022 8:34 pm
by jim22
I agree, the distiller wont run at full power the whole time. I didnt measure it myself, i'll double check with my source. It would be nice if its way cheaper, otherwise the payback on the distiller will be years out. I probably use about 15 gallons a year, maybe less.
Jim
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2022 3:35 pm
by lynninnj
I still wish I could figure out a way to inexpensively distill the water when we fire up the pellet stove.
The monster is going to run no matter what-why not take advantage?
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 7:25 pm
by jim22
Ok, I checked with my friend who actually measured the water distiller electricity usage. He reported that 4 Hrs. of distiller use used 3.1 KW. His rate for Electricity + delivery is $.242/KW, so that works out to about $ .73/Gallon. Our rates are actually about to go significantly higher in January, so we'll see how that ends up. My distiller is a Vevor, I think about the same as his. They work by heating up a gallon of water to I think near boiling, and cool the water vapor in a fan cooled coil above in the cap of the machine. I can think of way more efficient ways to do it, for example cool the vapor with the cool water. This would recover the energy by pre-heating the water and blow less heat into the room, but these are simple devices.
Jim
Re: How can I make use of the empty 1-gallon distilled water jugs?
Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2022 7:46 pm
by Jlfinkels
jim22 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 01, 2022 7:25 pm
Ok, I checked with my friend who actually measured the water distiller electricity usage. He reported that 4 Hrs. of distiller use used 3.1 KW. His rate for Electricity + delivery is $.242/KW, so that works out to about $ .73/Gallon. Our rates are actually about to go significantly higher in January, so we'll see how that ends up. My distiller is a Vevor, I think about the same as his. They work by heating up a gallon of water to I think near boiling, and cool the water vapor in a fan cooled coil above in the cap of the machine. I can think of way more efficient ways to do it, for example cool the vapor with the cool water. This would recover the energy by pre-heating the water and blow less heat into the room, but these are simple devices.
Jim
I made similar measurements and the 3 kWh number matches. In Atlanta our unloaded cost per kWh is $0.0767, so 3 kWh comes out to be $0.23 per 4L. Fully loaded with all fees it comes out to be $0.113 or $0.33 per 4L. Those rates include our latest increases.
YMMV of course depending on where you live.