Distilled water, how many of you distill your own?

[barryjyoung]

Thanks Tundra, that is exactly why I wanted to use distilled, and making my own rather than buying it is pretty much how I try to live if possible.

I have whole house water filtration installed but even that showed significant variability in developer action over the course of a year, at least when the home was first new. So, I use distilled to make stock solutions and working developer, fix, and toner. Everything else is tap water.

[barryjyoung]

I am pursuing some intense Zone work and need extremely consistent chemistry. I use a Big Berkety for our drinking water also. Thanks for your response.

I had a complete house reverse osmosis (RO) system in my previous home. It was a necessity due to the well water's high sulfur content. If the washing machine and dishwasher were used simultaneously, the house would sometimes have an unpleasant odor. In my current home, which has city water, I've been using a Berkey system for drinking water and mixing photo chemicals for 10+ years, and it's been working well with changing filters every other year. I wish you the best of luck in addressing your water supply issue.

[barryjyoung]

Hi Vaughn:

I do not know about the water that comes from a dehumidifier. I know it says don't drink it on either of my dehumidifiers. So if I cannot drink it, I do not know how consistent it is, which is my goal.

How about the water created by a dehumidifier? I am thinking of getting one as winters can be very damp here. Distilled water would only be a bonus. Tap water here is fine for just about everything. I use distilled water for just a few mixed chemicals related to platinum printing and carbon printing (only to make the sensitizers).

I know that some folks like a final rinse in distilled water -- esp. for film.

[barryjyoung]

Thank you Jason:

I have a 5 gallon still I found at a second-hand store years ago that works perfectly. I use distilled water for mixing developer, sensitizer, and toner. I use tap water for everything else. The dehumidifier water we get tends to get a bit dirty (the bucket is hard to clean) so I don't use it for photography. I just dump into our clothswasher for the first rinse.

[barryjyoung]

Thank you diversey:

Yes, I was shocked that the cheapest distilled water I could find was $2.39 per gallon. Also, that is a 70 mile round trip for me. It made sense to buy a still for under $200. I was just curious if others distilled water.

I use dH2O for mixing chemicals and last 2 washes. It was 88 cents a gallon before pandemic and now is $1.20 a gallon in Walmart. There are a lot of minerals in our tap water.

[barryjyoung]

Hey Tundra:

Well, it is 70 miles to town and back. That cost has to be added in too, and my still was less than $200.

I wonder what the cost operating that is compared to buying distilled water at $1.05/gal? I've looked into distilling my own water but the $3000 initial cost plus electricity to operate it, kind of put me off the idea.

[barryjyoung]

Hello revdoc:

I have two dehumidifiers, I have looked seriously at the condensate from them, they both have very dirty tanks, I would not put that on my prints.

Vaughn is right. You just need a dehumidifier.

I use one for drying laundry here in Sydney. I collect the condensate for clearing VDB prints, amongst other things. It produces more than I need; depending on ambient humidity, up to 4 litres in a day.

[barryjyoung]

Thank you rfesk:

I have had a distiller for over 25 years. Does a gallon at a time. For photographic needs-
distilled water is used for all but the wash water.

Have been using a Berkey filter system for drinking/cooking etc. water needs for several years.

[barryjyoung]

Hi Peter:

Yes, calcium is my main issue as well. At least I think it is, sort of a poop brown hard material also some white stuff I think may be magnesium.

Yep we also just use distilled water for chemical mixing, and ours is very similar to one grey-lensman has.

Very handy and easy to use, but because of our hard water, it needs to be cleaned after each use.
So we distill about 5 gallons, doing a gallon a day, with a quick clean, and then at the end of the batch of five, do a thorough clean, using vinegar to get all calcium off and out.

[barryjyoung]

Thanks Willie:

I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said. I am shooting 11x14 film at nearly $20 per shot. I am also building a photo vehicle with platform that I am into $15K so far, It is a lot of time and effort to make fine art prints what with film processing, printing, paper processing, mounting and cutting mats, why would I not buy a cheapo Chinese still?

Dehumidifier are not that great in dry/desert climates and many places during winter cold/extreme cold.

Driving to and back from WalMart costs in fuel. Rural locations can add a fair amount to the cost as well as a few hours driving time.

Tap water in some areas isn't that good and filtration is needed - but not always results in water clean enough for chemistry and rinsing negatives. Then you have the 'flushing the system' problems with a lot of particulate matter in the pipes. Not to mention brown water at various times, water which no filter removes.

Home and small unit distillers can be worth it for many. Good friend has three, one a 5 gallon and two 1 gallon size. None bought new as he picked them up at Rummage sales for nearly nothing. Same way he has picked up a number of pyrex glass trays for his sheet film development.

We go to a lot of trouble to get our images. Why chance problems with sub standard water for processing?