Distilled water in humi's

jlmarta

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and I have a question for Kuzi or anyone else who can answer it for me. 

When distilling water, I think it's boiled and the steam somehow goes through a condenser leaving all the trace minerals and any other impurities behind since they won't travel through the air along with the steam.  (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)  What's left, then, is distilled water.

Now, if I place a half-pound of 65% beads in my small coolidor and place a small bowl of plain ol' tap water in the coolidor as well, it seems to me that any moisture going into the air in the form of humidity so as to be absorbed by the beads MUST HAVE left all the minerals, etc. behind since they can't travel through the air. 

I can see insisting on distilled water when you're applying it directly to the beads or anything else you don't want to get all clogged up with minerals, etc. but when the moisture has to travel through the air in vapor form to reach it's goal, I think tap water would work just fine.

Am I right?  If not, please clarify it for me.

Thanks very much

Marty

iminaquagmire

Yes, you are. Until the point that the tap water in the bowl itself grows mold and spreads spores. You're putting a bowl of water, a good breeding ground, in a closed, usually dark environment with high humidity. If you leave it in there for any length of time, it will grow mold.

kuzi16

jlmarta:

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and I have a question for Kuzi or anyone else who can answer it for me. 

When distilling water, I think it's boiled and the steam somehow goes through a condenser leaving all the trace minerals and any other impurities behind since they won't travel through the air along with the steam.  (Someone correct me if I'm wrong)  What's left, then, is distilled water.

Now, if I place a half-pound of 65% beads in my small coolidor and place a small bowl of plain ol' tap water in the coolidor as well, it seems to me that any moisture going into the air in the form of humidity so as to be absorbed by the beads MUST HAVE left all the minerals, etc. behind since they can't travel through the air. 

I can see insisting on distilled water when you're applying it directly to the beads or anything else you don't want to get all clogged up with minerals, etc. but when the moisture has to travel through the air in vapor form to reach it's goal, I think tap water would work just fine.

Am I right?  If not, please clarify it for me.

Thanks very much

Marty

you are right on your assumptions that the minerals will not travel through the air into the beads.

that however, is not the issue.

Distilled is used in humidification devises not only because of the minerals but also because of the smells that may be in tap water.
my local city water every summer has a problem with algae that makes the water a bit stinky. its perfectly safe to drink (i havent died yet) but it does smell bad. if you can smell it so can your cigars... and beads. that smell will never come out of the beads.

that is why i will only use distilled water.

kuzi16

iminaquagmire:

Yes, you are. Until the point that the tap water in the bowl itself grows mold and spreads spores. You're putting a bowl of water, a good breeding ground, in a closed, usually dark environment with high humidity. If you leave it in there for any length of time, it will grow mold.

that too.

Scrambler

kuzi16:

Distilled is used in humidification devises not only because of the minerals but also because of the smells that may be in tap water.

I was gonna mention this too, I'd be worried about the chlorine odor.

jlmarta

You guys all make very good points....and ones I hadn't thought of.  Thanks very much for straightening me out on this.

Marty

BigDan.

iminaquagmire:

Yes, you are. Until the point that the tap water in the bowl itself grows mold and spreads spores. You're putting a bowl of water, a good breeding ground, in a closed, usually dark environment with high humidity. If you leave it in there for any length of time, it will grow mold.

ooh wow thats no good because i was putting regular water in a shot glass hoping that would work, so this is a bad idea?

BigDan.

iminaquagmire:

Yes, you are. Until the point that the tap water in the bowl itself grows mold and spreads spores. You're putting a bowl of water, a good breeding ground, in a closed, usually dark environment with high humidity. If you leave it in there for any length of time, it will grow mold.

ooh wow thats no good because i was putting regular water in a shot glass hoping that would work, so this is a bad idea?

jihiggs

I wouldnt. it will take a VERY long time for the beads to charge that way anyway. Just go to the supermarket and get a gallon of distilled water, its only like 2 bucks. I have only had to buy one in the last 4 years. So far as I know it doesnt get contaminated if you never put anything IN the bottle, just pour into another medium, I use a spray bottle to douche my beads.

kaspera79

jihiggs:

I wouldnt. it will take a VERY long time for the beads to charge that way anyway. Just go to the supermarket and get a gallon of distilled water, its only like 2 bucks. I have only had to buy one in the last 4 years. So far as I know it doesnt get contaminated if you never put anything IN the bottle, just pour into another medium, I use a spray bottle to douche my beads.

Damn Jiggs, when you put it that way it kind of loses the appeal..

jihiggs

lol!