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.

[Lee Gregan]

Thats excellent, i've been thinking about this recently and this has answered all questions, thanks.

[Lavonne]

I have purchased the materials that were mentioned above by howard and was getting ready to take to fabricators this week but noticed above posts by Chris.  Does this mean that the stainless steel will NOT work?  Just wondering before I get a quote and take all the stuff in.  Is there a way to make it work?  Perhaps a special welding material?  Only have the fabrication left to do and finally located someone not too far away.  Thanks

[Chris Harris]

@Lavonne: I have found that commercially available steel used in kitchen equipment (like pie pans, pizza dishes and saucepans) is usually only 1mm thick or less - and then it is often stainless steel plated aluminium or copper. The fabricator I consulted recommended the steel be minimum 1.5mm thick to ensure a secure weld and for this reason I ended up paying for the supply of materials.

Your mention of  "a special welding material" reminds me of Brown's Gas which will weld almost anything together (even non-metals) but that still leaves the thickness problem unsolved....

Lavonne Luscombe said:

I have purchased the materials that were mentioned above by howard and was getting ready to take to fabricators this week but noticed above posts by Chris.  Does this mean that the stainless steel will NOT work?  Just wondering before I get a quote and take all the stuff in.  Is there a way to make it work?  Perhaps a special welding material?  Only have the fabrication left to do and finally located someone not too far away.  Thanks

[1ol2r81w468cf]

So Chris are they using a specific type of stainless, like 316? or do you know?

[Chris Harris]

@Dana: I do not know the gauge of steel that they are using yet....but will let you know when I pick it up.... 

dana said:

So Chris are they using a specific type of stainless, like 316? or do you know?

[MegaMontana]

That is awesome to see others taking the initiative on a serious issue. I am sorry to hear of the problems encountered by professional fabricators. I actually have an all stainless steel distiller, more professionally made than the one I built, that was fully welded, stamped, and fabricated. It's a beauty but unfortunately they are not sold anymore. I wouldn't be surprised if that operation was shut down somehow by the elite, whether directly or indirectly. But I do know that it proves it is possible to fabricate a fully welded and stamped stainless steel distiller. Though other ways are efficient as well, no question.

[1ol2r81w468cf]

Chris 316 is type of stainless, not the gauge.  316 stainless the the type most used for food production and in medical field.  But it is not the type most used by welders.  They typically 304 as it is easier to weld, but it does not have the corrosion resistant properties of 316.

Mega you mention a professionally made distiller.  I assume this is a non electric model?  The only one I can find that was made, was manufactured by a company called waterwise model 1600. You can still see it on their website but they are no longer being manufactured.  However I called the company yesterday and they are beginning production again. They said around the first of October they will be available again.   I want one , I just hope all hell doesn't break loose before I can get one.

[MegaMontana]

I have found the website where I bought my distiller years ago. I can't believe it is still running. I have called the number several times in the past and I couldn't get a hold of the man so I assumed it is no longer produced. But they give an illustrated breakdown. At the moment I'm not sure what type of stainless steel was used, but the shine of it insists there is chrome in it making it the typical food grade stainless steel.

Here is the link to the Fire Distiller

[1ol2r81w468cf]

Thanks Mega, I stumbled across that one yesterday.  I sent an email to him to see if it is still for sale.

[Derrick Johnson]

 

 

Hi Jerry2012

You should still distill your drinking water after the shift unless you want lead poisoning which is worse than a mineral deficiency. You can always get minerals through your diet as in eating the edible plants in your area or insects. I imagine you could also add minerals to you water by boiling egg shells or bones in the distilled water if you have them. Mineral deficiency is by far the lesser of two evils when it comes to lead poisoning.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/lead-poisoning/FL00068/DSECTION=sy...

[MegaMontana]

People from around the world drink distilled water everyday with no adverse effects. I watched a travel show where distilled water is big in Spain. Spreading the propaganda that you will become mineral deficient won't be taken lightly on the important issue of clean water.

[0zosqnzq2jcjr]

 I use a juicer steamer all stainless steel purchased from Lehmans. com . Seems like a lot of work gathering all the materials then modifying them and what you use like aluminum pie pans and what not when one can purchase a juice steamer for around 80 dallors that will give plenty of distilled water.