Water Distiller

[Renato Tonelli]

Can anyone recommend a water distiller for under $500.? I will not

need large volumes of distilled water - enough to use for ten rolls a

month or so.

[randall ellis]

Sears has one that does 1 gallon at a time for about $50 or so. I bought one many years ago and it just keeps pluggin' along. You have to clean the residue out from time to time but other than that it is very easy to use.

 

- Randy

[avisualemotion]

Why not buying it in bottles. I am doing it for years, it is cheap and ok. For 500$ you can buy about 800 liters enough for at least 2400 rolls so about 20 years and you can save your energy costs.

[richard_ilomaki]

Renato

 

I use the waste water from my air conditioner, which is distilled water. In Canada I use the Aircon only in the summer but fill several 10 L jugs and that lasts me for a long time. I also buy distilled water at Walmart or similar places for $2 for 4 litres. Much cheaper and less hassle than a still.

 

By the way, in most places you need a special license to buy a still, as it can be used for making tax-free beverages. There are many legends in the southern US about moonshine and the "revenoorers" who chased the "good old boys" through the woods when they made deliveries. That is the real origin of stock car racing in the southern US.

 

Also, by the way, why distilled water? If you can drink it, it is usually good for photo work except for final rinsing to avoid spots. The way I use it is for rinsing. About 5 drops of Photo Flow or other wetting agent in a litre of DH2O in a small plant sprayer when the negs are hanging does it wonderfully.

 

Cheers

[ronald_moravec1]

Unless you are having trouble with yur tap water, stick with it.

 

For a few spots in drying, use the plant mister idea.

[jay_de_fehr]

Distilled water at my local Walmart is 58 cents/gallon. I actually have a distiller, but never use it, because it's just so easy to pick up a few gallons from Walmart.

 

Jay

[Renato Tonelli]

Thank you all for the input. It is easier to buy distilled water but I will be in a remote area

for some time where I may not be able to find any. Distillede water is a must for Pyro

developing.

[jay_de_fehr]

"Distilled water is a must for Pyro developing."

 

Well, yes and no. If you're making up stock solutions for ABC Pyro, PMK, WD2D, etc., then yes, you'll want to use distilled water. If, however, you're using 510-Pyro, which is made up in a glycol-based concentrate, tap water is just fine for making up a working solution. Good luck.

 

Jay

[doremus_scudder1]

Renato,

 

If the water in your remote area has a very high chemical content, i.e. if it is very hard or has a lot of iron or other dissolved chemicals, then you should look into other sources. If not, why not do a test or so to see how it works. I have used moderately hard water with pyro developers with good results. I simply had to adjust my development time somewhat, since the dissolved calcium carbonate increases the activity of the developer. A 10% reduction was enough for my water. Usually, if it is good drinking water, it works for most steps of photo processing. Distilled water for the final rinse is necessary, but you could bring along a few liters for that purpose.

 

If you do need to use a different water source, there are some other alternatives to distilling that you may wish to consider. Filtering with particle and charcoal filters removes practically everything that could be a processing problem from water. I am not sure where you are located, but in the States and in many parts of Europe you can get filters with interchangeable cartridges that either attach to the faucet or are pour-though containers. I would think that these would give you a high enough water quality for your needs and be much cheaper than a distiller. Also, if you are in Europe, uncarbonated drinking water is common and cheap, and should work for your purposes. (Here in Vienna I can get a 12 liter pack for less than 3 euros.)

 

Best,