Humidifier Water

The last gallon of distilled water I got at Wal-Mart was about $.85. I just looked at the label and it's made by Deep Rock Water Co., Denver, CO. The label says it's produced by steam distillation.
I've been using it in my humidifier tank for the last five-plus years and the tank still looks like new.

http://www.deeprockwater.com/


Den

RO Water from a dialysis unit may not be superior to distilled water (unless it comes from Walmart), but it is certaily suitalble for a humidifier. After looking up the differences I find that they are about equal, though RO water doesn't have the 02 boiled out. Neither is suitable as the only source of drinking water due to the lack of mineals. I have heard of people being advised to take thyroid medicine with distelled water. That is very interesting that what we are buying for distilled water may or may not be the real thing. Hence a weekly or monthy vinegar rinse (similar to cleaning the mineals out of the coffeemaker)
may be very important.

[quoteDistillers typically remove a few parts per million more of common mineral constituents like sodium. However, distillers don’t do a good job with volatile chemicals with a low boiling point. Chloramines, for example, which many cities now use instead of chlorine as a disinfectant, aren't removed well by distillers. Reverse osmosis, with the carbon filters that accompany it, does a very good job with chloramines. Unless volatile chemicals like chlorine are removed by carbon filtration before they enter the distiller, they will be released into the room air or they will end up in the distilled water. But in general, distilled water is very pure, as is reverse osmosis water.][/quote]

I use Ozarka brand distilled water ~ 90 cents at local grocer. Organic volitiles are filtered out with activated carbon prior to distillation process.

They explain process here starting about page 9 ...

http://www.nestle-watersna.com/pdf/OZ_BWQR_91206.pdf

D:
> I strongly doubt that the distilled water being sold by any retailer is strictly abacterial/afungal

I hear this argument used as a reason for not using distilled water from time to time. It is a fallacious argument from a logical standpoint.

We are not seeking perfection. Nothing is perfect. What we are looking for is a _qualitative_ difference. Distilled water is QUALITATIVELY different than tap water in terms of its mineral and organic contents.

Someone even said "Once you take the cap off it's not pure any more." That's missing the point. It's qualitatively different. Perfection is not the issue.

Now you understand the old saying: the perfect is the enemy of the good.

And as I said previously, this is just a _4 cents per night_ decision (or less). To get a "very good" (not perfect) improvement for 4 cents per night is a real bargain.

Another point. Think about all the people who have posted about itching (under their masks). There are lots in this forum over a long period of time. Some (not all) have allergies and don't know it (yet). Distilled water helps that.

You still have to clean your humidifier from time to time though. Because (wait for it): nothing's perfect. :)

> It is likely reverse osmosis ion exchange water produced in a local plant
> Distilling water is VERY energy intensive

I know nothing about the exact cost of RO. However I read about it in the newspaper whenever some city in our region proposes the RO solution to address the perrenial water shortage. After yet another expensive study, they always conclude that "RO is too expensive".

DS:
> I use Ozarka brand distilled water ... .pdf

"Prior to being bottled deep in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, ..."

My great-grandfather, in those same Ozark Mountains in Arkansas, did some distilling too. I heard plenty of stories when I was a kid. Nobody had a problem sleeping, as I recall.

I only use distilled water in mine. I am a rule follower.

I use RO water (and have since I started using the machine)... buy it from a local store in town that has a machine (it's called a "water" store). It's the same water that I drink 'cause the stuff from the taps around here is nasty.

I've used RO water for quite some time as I have a Kinetico system in the house. When I last checked I have about 10,000 hours on my home machine and I clean the reservoir rarely. My travel machine has about 3000 hr and I end up using bottled water (demineralized preferred) in it most of the time. I use tap water in it when I don't have any bottled water, however the chlorine in the tap water irritates my nose. I do have to use vinegar on the travel tank every 6 months or so to get rid of the scale buildup.

Chris

we have a RO system under the kitchen sink that we use for drinking

I have used it for almost 4 years most every night - no problems

I think if you have access to basically free RO water its a good option
Packer

We have a pond out back. Every night before bedtime, I dip my humidifier chamber in the pond until it's half-filled, then install it in my S9/H5i.

Just kidding. I only use distilled water.