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.

[Lavonne]

Have the parts and taking to be manufactured next week.  Will let everyone know cost and what they say.  Thanks for info.

[Chris Harris]

4 weeks ago I took Megamontana’s distiller plans to a specialist stainless steel fabricator and explained what I was after to some rather sceptical and intrigued engineers. They agreed to supply all food grade stainless steel components required and weld and assemble. I have now collected my unit for the total cost of Aus$220 and it looks like this:

 

 

The specifications are:

3.93kg weight of unit using 2mm thick stainless steel

400mm diameter base plate with a rim down of 50mm

9mm diameter stainless steel tubing spaced 110mm apart

170mm diameter condenser pot with a rim up of 50mm

400mm long drainage tube providing 200mm clearance of base plate edge

40mm protrusion of steam tubes below base plate

25 mm protrusion of steam tubes above condenser pot base

 

I used 5mm silicon tubing (slit with a penknife) to seal the top rim of the condenser pot and 8mm silicon tubing to seal the bottom source pot.

When I combine the unit with an 8L bottom or source pot and a 12L top or condenser pot from our kitchen (both 18/10 stainless steel) I get this arrangement:

 

 

I ran some performance tests on a standard domestic gas stove using the above setup starting with 3L of cold water in the source pot and the gas flame on medium high. It took 13 minutes to bring to the boil and then start the distillation process. After 15 elapsed minutes there was a constant drip rate of some 5 drops per second as the unit “hummed” in operation. This “humming” sound appeared to be an indicator of optimum distillation efficiency and when this sound was present this ensured that the distillation output was a constant stream of fast drips. If the heat applied to the source pot was too high then steam escaped from the collector tube. The following demonstrates the rate at which I collected the first litre:

 

200ml after 12 minutes = 1 litre per hour production rate

400ml after further 9 minutes = 1.25 litre per hour

600ml after further 10 minutes = 1.2 litre per hour

800ml after further 8 minutes = 1.5 litre per hour

1000ml after further 12 minutes = 1 litre per hour

This took 51 minutes to produce 1 litre of distilled water

 

After running for 51 minutes, the top condensing pot contained water at the hot, preboil state and could have been used for washing dishes or even topping up the source pot. Having benchmarked the distillation output at 1 litre per hour I will now run some “real world” trials over an open fire.

Much love and big thanks to Megamontana for providing the original post, designs and inspiration for this critical piece of pole shift survival equipment.

[MegaMontana]

Congrats Chris H.! I couldn't thank you enough for sharing your experience and results. That is what makes this discussion worth it. I am more than honored to be of the slightest help and all thanks that come my way will be passed on to Mike of Troubled Times for the original idea. We can also assume alien inspiration as well. They know their stuff and work through their contactees the best they can.

[21ulivwq0uf81]

@Dana, astrogal -recieved my Waterwise 1600 last week, unbroken and looks to me like a very fine and unique appliance. Yes the collection cup is delicate, so will take care. Haven't had a chance to fire 'er up yet, but will report when I do.  The company even included a gift shower filter ($39 value) so I'm  satisfied, so far.

@Raven, I also have a steam juicer and think it works great too! 

And to all of you (on poleshift site), just deep appreciation and kindest regards... seems like "my tribe" here.

[1c1kjeeqhitzg]

Soft copper tubing. You probably wont need any fittings or soldering if you bend it properly.

 

With soft copper you can make the entire device, without any fittings. It can be highly portable and diverse in this way as well. 1/2" type L soft copper is common. a J can be made, and a simple cap of any type placed over the low part of the J when it is in operation. Copper has an AMAZINGLY high heat transfer coefficient, next to some stainless steels. However stainless is harder to work with. Copper, soft copper especially, is very malleable, and will bend without the need of a device or bender. Hard copper is bendable, with a bender and a torch to heat the radius.

 

Another thought that I had was if you're hellbent on stainless, use two concentric pots. One of them has to fit inside the other. Place the lid for the larger pot upside down, and fill the outer pot. Apply MED HEAT, you do not need a violent boil. Steaming is sufficient. However the hotter the water, the faster the distillation.

 

Both methods do not require tools.

 

I wouldn't use aluminum for this AT ALL. It is very unstable when exposed to air and water. In fact, the dullness that aluminum has is corrosion. The stores may sell aluminum cookware, but it doesn't mean that aluminum oxides are safe to consume. In fact, if you are unsure, only use copper or stainless steel. Read into NSF61, AB1953 and similar mandates. Some plastics would be acceptable, but not with the heat. So you're safest bets are least number of connections, and only using copper stainless steel or bronze. And if a magnet sticks to it, don't use it for this type of application.

 

Good information to know:

1 BTU = Heat required to heat 1 pound of water by one degree F.

1 Gallon = 8.34 Lbs

Steam expands 1600:1

1 BTU = 3.412 WATTS

 

When water reaches 212F, it requires an additional 570 Btu per pound to convert it into steam. However, it will continuously vaporize as long as the temperature is higher than the ambient via evaporation.

 

If you do not seal the system, expansion will not be as much of an issue. If you add enough BTUs the steam pressure may become problematic or unexpected, even if the system is loose but not sealed.

 

For distillation, you do not necessarily want to see steam coming out, rather drips of water is the indication that the system is working. If you're steaming really bad, remove some heat. It's pointless. Distillation simply takes a little time.

 

 

 

[1ol2r81w468cf]

to Saffron, I contacted waterwise  and they immediately sent out a replacement collection cup.  I had not had a chance to fire it up until yesterday.  It worked great.  I also received the shower head.

So now I have a good working distiller, and one broken collection cup, and I think I will try to find a local welder to repair it so I will have as back up in case the other should ever break.

[21ulivwq0uf81]

Glad to hear it, Dana. Can't wait to try it out, and having a spare part for a fragile component is a wise move. For the repair, perhaps something out of a tube could work, too? (like JB Weld or Liquid Steel), I have both in my toolbag...also, thank's for Waterwise availability notice, I'd thought it was a lost cause till I saw your post.

[2niehxg708r6d]

Thanks all for this article and all the input.

I would like to suggest A QUICK and CHEAP WAY to TEST your water quality, AND the distilled water you have left in  storage (particularly if it in an open container) for a while in the after times. Or to quickly test water given to you to drink, and you are not sure of the source AND quality of the water, per possibly the provider lacks the knowledge that it NECESSARY to distill all water FIRST before drinking or water used in any food.

PLEASE KNOW AND TAKE SERIOUS FOR THE FUTURE AFTER TIMES that many people are very ignorant to the concept of distilling water, I have experienced this; and you are likely to experience this particularly among the poor. They thinking that JUST BOILING the water -  is enough - not understanding the distilling concept or the process to distill water. Many think all is OK to proceed to use just BOILED WATER (water not properly being distilled, or they might believe boiling is the same as distilling) for drinking and WITHIN the preparation of foods. Thus you might find self having to explain that metals or heavy substances NOT SEEN BY THE EYE are not remove per just boiling water, and that these metals and or heavy substances do exist in the water and are a major concern to ones health, they understanding boiling is enough to destroy germs and stopping there.

I stress that one should do their water distilling as the Zeta's recommend, even if you get a positive TEST result, if you have any doubt or question about the water or its source STILL distill the water.

Now with all that said, I suggest that all should obtain LITMUS PAPER to use to be able to QUICKLY test the water before use. If you get a "pH" reading of 7 around room temperature, on a scale of 0 to 14, for pH; then the water is considered neutral and pure water . If with a pH reading of less than 7, then the solution is considered "acidic." If with a pH reading greater then 7, then the solution of water is considered "alkaline" or "base". I suggest one read more about pH and LITMUS PAPER being defined on the net. The use of litmus paper is a cheap test and is available for sale on line at eBay. More accurate devices to read pH are also available but after the batteries are used up and all dead they will be worthless. Again I recommend following the Zeta's advice to distill the water, particularly if in doubt if the source had distilled the waters.

[tammyohagan]

Can anyone tell me if Distillation removes the toxins from water contaminated from a Nuclear meltdown or a volcanic explosion?

Thanks
Tammy

[Chris Harris]

Tammy, the distillation will remove heavy metal contaminants like lead and mercury that volcanic action may pollute groundwater and rainwater with; however it will not remove radioactivity - in fact if the distiller is constructed of stainless steel it will absorb nuclear radiation. 

tammyohagan said:

Can anyone tell me if Distillation removes the toxins from water contaminated from a Nuclear meltdown or a volcanic explosion?

Thanks
Tammy

[tammyohagan]

Chris,

 

Thank you for your quick reply.  Are there any options? My thought is without power it won't take long for the nuclear plants to melt down. Living here in WV,  according to this diagram we will get hammered!  http://www.ki4u.com/nuclearsurvival/states/wv.htm#continent We are currently working on our water survival options and I must admit Its a lot to take in!

[MegaMontana]

I imagine when it comes to radioactivity, you're pretty much out of luck. If there was a way to remove radioactivity, we would be applying that to the nuclear disasters we've already had. As far as removing chemicals with lower boiling points than water, you will have to boil the water to release these chemicals. How long it will take is anyone's guess and depends on how concentrated the chemicals are. You'd have to be in a pretty dire situation to only have heavy chemically contaminated water at hand. You'd have to change locations no matter what because water that bad would mean the whole area is a cesspool.

Petroleum has a boiling point of roughly 410 degree F. So try and keep your water on a low boil. Use all senses when testing water and never drink questionable water. If it's been distilled and smells and tastes practical, then it's the best water you're going to get so enjoy. It may not taste like Vermont's finest spring water but it's clean.