Stainless Steel Water Distiller Design

[MegaMontana]

The following water distiller design is derived from the design that Mike offered on the Troubled Times website. This design, with it's condensing pot, can produce a 1/2 gallon of distilled water every hour, or 1 cup (8 oz.) every 7.5 minutes. The parts are all stainless steel. Water distillation is the one and only method recommended by the Zetas to purify your water. In all likelihood, water distillation will be needed before the hour of the poleshift even arrives. Building a water distiller seems simple but it is not all that easy. An efficient water distiller that can be operated with any heat source, most importanly fire, cannot necessarily be bought, so many look to other ways of water purification, mainly the water filter. It will always be a matter of opinion, but for those with children who will depend on them, it is urged to take a hard look at reality and what a water filter can do for you in the long term. Survival is no easy matter regardless of preparations, but since water is one of the most important aspects of survival, it should be one of the first steps taken.

I've been experimenting with different distiller designs for several years now, all the while I knew Mike's design was the best. I was intimidated by it since I had no metal working skills and wood was hard enough to work with. All the designs I came up with didn't even come close to what Mike's design could accomplish, so I sort of gave up for a while. Finally I got my act together since I don't like giving up, and created a prototype using aluminum and copper parts, since they are easier to work with than stainless steel. There were a number of failures on my part and the feeling that I wasn't going to conquer this task. I do not have welding skills, but I bought a mini kit and soon found out that I can't even keep the flame lit once the oxygen is turned on. After about 10 seconds of trying to weld, the flame would burn out, and make a loud noise at the same time which added to my insecurity. I finally bought a simple and safer propane torch and decided on lead free solder. It took me a while to get the hang of it and I found that you need the soldering flux that plumbers use or the solder will not bond well. But once it's properly done, the connection is very sturdy. Finally I had a complete distiller made of aluminum and copper that performed to my expectations of a 1/2 gallon every hour. Then the complaints came in that distilled water leached aluminum and copper, making it unsafe to drink in the long term. Apparently only stainless steel was acceptable. I didn't buy into this myth because logic and common sense tell a different story (note water tests for proof), but in an effort to appease the crowd and hopefully make a difference in the lives of children that must rely on adults for their future, an all stainless steel water distiller was made which costs more and is a metal that is much tougher to work with.

Plans are provided by Howard based on the specifications given to him and these can be taken to a metal worker if you do not feel comfortable making one yourself. In fact, I would recommend it since welding would be considered stronger and more reliable than soldering. If you choose to solder like I did, it should be noted that solder does not bond well with stainless steel, so all connections will have to be made extra tight to begin with and the solder acts like more of a gasket. But with aluminum and copper, the solder bonds very well.

This distiller utilizes a stainless steel pot to boil the contaminated water. A stainless steel pizza pan then sits on top. By using a pizza pan, it can be used on just about anything that can boil water, making it versatile. The steam travels up the 4 stainless steel tubes, into the stainless steel pie pan, where it hits the bottom of the stainless steel condensing pot that sits on top of the pie pan. The water in this pot creates the necessary temperature change to condense the steam into distilled water, where it collects in the pie pan and empties through the stainless steel drain tube. A high temperature, inert food grade silicone tube can be attached to the drain tube in order to allow water to drain into a collection container of your choice. Make sure the silicone tube has the same OD (outer diameter) of the drain tube, in this case 1/4". If the silicone tube is even just a bit larger, chances are it won't fit tight enough. To enlarge the end of a silicone tube to fit perfectly, heat it up in boiling water and then insert an object such as a pen to enlarge the tube just enough to fit over the stainless steel drain tube perfectly.

The part that will have to be constructed consists of a 16" stainless steel pizza pan, a 9" stainless steel pie pan, 4 pieces of stainless steel tubing - 1/2" OD (outer diameter) - cut to 8" each, and 1 stainless steel tube - 1/4 " OD - cut to 7-8" as the drainage tube. High temperature silicone tubing also comes in handy. It's guaranteed inert for beverages and withstands temps of up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I use 1/2" OD silicone tubing, split down the middle with scissors, and place it around the lip of the bottom boiling pot to create a better seal so steam will not escape and the system remains pressurized. The top condensing pot provides weight that seems to keep things tight enough so steam will either not escape, or very little escapes. I find that even if a small amount of steam escapes, the production results are the same. If enough steam escapes though, the system won't be pressurized very well and production can be cut in half, which is actually still more water than most electric distillers on the market can produce.

Feel free to experiment if you wish with the design. Whether you make your distiller from all stainless steel, or an aluminum/copper combo, you will have a means of purifying any water source at your disposal in the aftertime. Bacteria and viruses will be killed by the boiling process and all heavy metals including lead and mercury will be left behind as the water evaporates on it's way to the condensing chamber. Further testing will be done to deal with chemicals that also evaporate and condense such as alcohol and petrol chemicals. You will know if this is in your water in any case from both the smell and the sheen it would produce on top of the water. I will be testing to see how long it takes to boil these contaminants off, or if they can be removed effectively enough through regular charcoal and/or sand. All results will be posted and it's encouraged that others try as well and post any constructive ideas.

The following water purity tests were conducted with a TDS meter. TDS stands for Total Dissolved Solids which are the total amount of mobile charged ions, including minerals, salts, or metals dissolved in a given volume of water. TDS, which is based on conductivity, is expressed in parts per million (ppm). TDS includes any conductive inorganic element present other than the pure water molecules. TDS affects everything that consumes, lives in or uses water, from fish and plants to plumbing and laboratories. For people, the lower the TDS level in the water you drink, the more efficiently your body's cells are hydrated. The higher the TDS level in water, the greater the probability of harmful contaminants that can pose health risks or hinder the absorption of water. The U.S. EPA's Maximum Contaminant Level of TDS for human consumption is 500 ppm. Though I've seen water testing done first hand at a water treatment plant, and after the first stage of purification, the water was at 500 ppm and it looked dirty and smelled rotten. The purest water after all treatments was 50 ppm and was worthy of any bottled water. After this water made it's way through all the pipes to your house, it would no longer be so pure. TDS meters can be used to check the performance of water filters and ensure your tap water is acceptable.

The TDS meter used for these tests is brand new and I manually calibrated it using a hydroponic calibrating solution set at 342 ppm. When choosing a calibrating solution, make sure to get one that is closest to your target readings to ensure maximum accuracy. For example, 1500 ppm would be too high, but would still give you acceptable accuracy. The TDS meter used in these tests has an accuracy discrepancy of +/- 2%, which is very acceptable. Each water sample was tested multiple times to ensure accuracy as well. Here are the results from round 1 -

Hot tap water stored in a tank - 200 ppm
Iced Tea sweetened with HFCS - 180 ppm
Cold running tap water - 145-150 ppm
Cold tap water run through a Pure Source 2 water filter - 130 ppm
First cup of distilled water from aluminum/copper water distiller - 10 ppm
Second cup of distilled water from aluminum/copper water distiller - 7 ppm
First cup of distilled water from all stainless steel water distiller - 2 ppm
Third cup of distilled water from all stainless steel water distiller - 1 ppm

That is correct. There were only 1-2 particles per million detectable in the distilled water from the stainless steel distiller. It just doesn't get much purer than that. There were a few more particles detected in the aluminum/copper distilled water. The condensing pot used with that distiller was also aluminum. A very old pot that looked questionable but I used it anyway for the sake of science. 7-10 ppm is still incredibly pure and is too small of an amount to cause any long term problems. I would be more concerned about what the 130 ppm is in the filtered water, but still, that is as pure of water as a person really needs.

That leaves one of the final arguments, which is that somehow you will lose minerals by drinking distilled water. This one is hard to prove but I advise would-be survivors to use their common sense here. Nobody can say they rely on water for their mineral intake. You get these from the edible greens around you. Dandelions and Amaranth, for example, have all your minerals. I'm willing to bet that your kidneys will be happy at the increase in your distilled water intake, as you're easing their work load. Here is a link to some information about drinking distilled water and various regions that rely on it. There have never been any tests or experiments that prove distilled water is dangerous in any way. Many doctors say there is nothing wrong with drinking distilled water. The purer the water, the easier it is for your body to utilize and absorb. Your body works hard to purify the fluids it's given and distilled water eases the burden. There will be real problems in your midst that will take all your focus and energy. Having distilled water on hand will only make your life easier in the aftertime.

Here is a full view of the distiller with condensing pot on top. I ended up using the smaller 12 quart pot on bottom and the larger 16 quart pot on top.

Here is the distillation unit that has to be constructed. A 16" pizza pan connected to a 9" pie pan with 4 stainless steel tubes.

Close up of drain tube.

Here is the drain tube connection from inside the pie pan. It must be as flush as possible to allow for instant drainage.

Inside of the pie pan where distilled water collects and drains. Notice how the center has been pounded up and the area where the drain tube is connected has been pounded as flat as possible.

Here is the bottom of the pizza pan that sits on top of the bottom boiling pot.

Here is the 1/2" silicone tubing, split down the middle, being applied to the lip of the boiling pot in order to create the tightest seal.

Here is the silicone tubing fully applied

And finally a pic of the copper/aluminum prototype

Here are the plans provided by Howard that can be used by a professional metal worker or anyone with welding skills that you might know.

[tammyohagan]

@MegaMontana & @Saffron, Thank you! I Appreciate you taking the time to share your knowledge.

 

 

[MegaMontana]

My question would be whether or not there was a difference between radioactive contaminants and radioactivity. I can see a filter removing the contaminants such as Uranium and Plutonium, as they are actual materials, but radiation/radioactivity seems like it would be different. Something more widespread that doesn't disappear.

[Muzz]

I have a distiller that I wish to share with everyone, and thank you MegaMontana for such a thorough and helpful post.  I took these plans to a fabricator with two large Stainless Steel pots, and a Stainless Steel frying pan, he modified the plan and gave me the following:

Base pot about 10 litres, with lid shaped to fit into the Frypan.

Fry pan with handle removed and lid with holes drilled and slightly cone shaped, so the steam will rise.

Big pot sits on top of Frypan perfectly.

And closeup of the modified Stainless Steel Frypan, with the handle taken off, and the copper drip pipe added, this produces about 250ml per hour of distilled water.  Top pot is approx 15-18 litres.

[1ka1petpwnezc]

The Zetas do not do product endorsement. Nowhere in ZetaTalk is there any recommendation to use any brand product or source anything from any distributor or anyone else.

Such matters are for humans to work out. There is a "newsletter" referenced in the comment you are replying to. That is not the ZetaTalk newsletter.

Mona said:

Hi Julia

Can you please give me the name of the distributor that the Zeta's recommended for the distiller.

I would be interested in buying one.

julia wall said:

MegaMontana, thank you so much for sharing this lifesaving information. I tried to purchase the distiller recommended in the so and so newsletter, but once I'd found the manufacturers website, that model had sold out! love to all x

[astrogal50]

Agree with Planet Twelve about the Zetas not doing any product endorsements.

The only newsletter anyone needs about earth changes, Planet X, and the pending pole shift is the ZetaTalk Newsletter.  All others are pale imitations and almost invariably contain lies and disinfo or inaccurate paraphrasing of ZetaTalk, no matter how well intentioned.

[0soj6zjhyp4wj]

I built one.  It has a problem.

I chose a Pizza pan with too greater lip or side on it.  It cant sit FLAT on top of the pot because the side of the pizza pan sits on top of  the bottom pots handle.

Solution is... have a very small lip on the pizza dish.  

Reason for the problem...   The dish I chose was probably called a PIE DISH !!!

BUGGER!  Time to make another one.

[casey a]

I havent built a water distill set yet. But I thought I could write down two thoughts I had about water distillation. Since I dont I have working examples of my idea to show you, I'll try to implement them in the near future.

The two viable designs basically are are the  "Stacked pots" method and the "Coil condenser (video link)" method ( or variations of them)

Here is a link to a ning member's thread on the coil condenser idea. The link to the video and the ning member's discussion shows that the coil condenser can be more efficient, provided you have a way to change the water in the condensing bucket; whether it be through a  nearby stream or the aftershift drizzle.

Now to my thoughts.

First off is measuring your design's efficiency. This might seem like a hassle. But in the aftertime you will want your setup to be as efficient as possible. Here's an easy way to do so.

a) Pour 2-3 litres in your bottom boiling pot, and run the process without trying to catch the condensed steam.

That is,

- if you have a "stacked pot" setup, remove the top condensing pot and let the steam escape,

- if you have a "coil condenser" setup remove the coil and just let the steam escape from the pressure cooker.

b) Run this for half an hour. From the water that is left, calculate how much water was lost in that half hour.

Lets say you lost 0.5 litre in half an hour. Ideally, if you were running your distiller, and collected near 0.5 litre in half an hour, then your setup is good. The only thing left for you would be to redo this process on a rocket stove or outdoor fireplace similar to an aftertime climate.

b)Secondly, from reading all the examples put forward, it seems what is holding back the "Stacked pot" method is the surface area of the bottom of the cooling pot. This is the part of the cooling pot, that the steam hits from below and gets converted to water.

Say you pause time for a second and look at the bottom of a 12 inch cooling pot and a 10 inch cooling pot.

At any point in time the 12 inch pot will have more steam hitting it and turning into water.

As an alternative you can try drilling nails through the cooling pot to increase the area the steam has to condense on.

If you find this hard to believe. Imagine a very humid room with only person, and another humid room with a 100 ppl.

In the first room only the one person will be perspiring. In the second room everyone will be perspiring...Ill try to provide some kind of comparison between the two in real life examples..

[Wayne wilson]

That's a great idea.  Nothing to custom make and great barter item.  Where can we purchase one? 

[Lana]

The moca pot IS NOT A WATER DISTILER! It is the pressure from steam in the lower chamber that forces the water (which would be contaminated in the AT) into the upper chamber through a small hole. This is like a pressure cooker, so if you open it while it's under pressure - all the content will blow out in a second.

[Derrick Johnson]

From what I can tell from the diagram & the wikipedia article if you remove the funnel that holds the coffee,  or cut the stem off the bottom so it doesn’t extend down into the contaminated water,  and only steam is allowed to rise into the upper chamber it could work as a distiller. But you may need to figure out how to effectively cool the upper chamber to increase condensation.

Guido Krohnke said:

WATER DISTILLER = MOCA POT

Is a moca pot (a type of espresso coffee maker) a valid water distillation rig?

It seems like that and it is small enough for every back pack. It is produced in different sizes, starting with for 1 cup until 12 or more cups, made from stainless steel or originally made of aloy. 

[Wayne wilson]

So I bought a moka pot on Amazon and tested it out to see if it would work as a distiller.  Result is positive.  I took out all the filters and put a pot of cold water over the top without the lid and it works beautifully.   I checked and water wasn't spilling into the top from the bottom chamber because of pressure.  Pot of water is needed or else steam would come out of lid. 

I'm happy that it worked out because I bought a big pressure cooker a few months ago and was going to connect a copper tubing to it submerged in a  bucket of cold water.  But of course, like everything else, I never got around to building it because I would had to saulder the copper tube to the pressure cooker. 

My suggestion is to get the biggest moka pot you can.  They come as big as 18 cups.  They are also available in many brands with many price range.  China made moka pot is much cheaper than Italian made, but the aluminum is thinner. 

Thanks to Guido for this idea!

[Howard]

When this blog was posted 2 years ago, portable, non-electric water distillers were commercially unavailable.  Today, with the announcement of Planet X at hand, profiteers are positioning themselves accordingly.

http://www.preparedirect.com/Survival_Still_Non_Elect_Portable_Wate...

http://www.highwaterfilters.com/Vortex-Distiller-kit-with-installed...

Waterwise 1600 Non-Electric Distiller

http://www.waterwise.com/productcart/pc/1600.asp