Australia's Science Forum

G'day guys!

We have an IEC electric still here and it is producing acidic water! It ranges between 4-5pH where as the water from the tap that feeds the still has a pH of 7.5.

What is going on? The containers are very clean and have been used for nothing but distilled water. I ran about 500mls this morning from the still directly into a new glass beaker and a pH of 5 still came up. It has new O rings and is spotlessly clean!

Am I going mad?

I had that problem the year before last, and wasn't able to find a satisfactory solution. Cooled distilled water still more acidic than tap.
Still was only a year old. Checked everything, talked to supplier. New tubing etc.
After that episode, then all the discussion last year on the amount of tapwater being used to produce such small amounts of distilled we switched to buying distilled water.

If you figure it out, please let me know!

WE have been advised NOT to make our own distilled water. But to purchase it, because of the water ban's. Not too sure if that is a Sydney thing or not. Memo came in term 3 last year.

Didn't see the memo - we're on higher level restrictions here on the Central Coast than Sydney so I better contact the office. We have a Coles supermarket literally across the road so it's no problem to buy.

I did not see the memo either... Although we probably should buy it instead, considering the amount of water our crappy distiller wastes

PS. Slartibartfast (what does that mean???) my agar plates turned out beautiful, thanks for the help

Glad about the agar plates - made some this morning myself and they were a work of art!

Slartibartfast is a character out of 'The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy" that I like & admire. I get a giggle out of saying his name.

"Douglas Adams writes in the notes accompanying the published volume of original radio scripts that he wanted Slartibartfast's name to sound very rude, but still actually broadcastable. He therefore started with the name "Phartiphukborlz", and changed bits of it until it would be acceptable to the BBC. He came closer to achieving this aim the following episode, with the double-act Vroomfondel and Majikthise"

Back to pH - I just plumbed in our other still and it does exactly the same thing. Scale build up?

Congrats SASSI & best wishes!!!!

Now we all know what you look like Richard!

I have been buying my water from bi-lo or woolies for some time now.
( PS Have you checked the water still for aliens?)

How neutral is the pH of bought distilled water? (can't possibly be any worse than we have now!) It's the basis for everything we make practically and it puts everything else's pH out of wack as a result if it's not right to start with.

Rainbow-sky, do you think I look good for my age? (37) I think my long hair makes me look 'mature'.

IF you are able to go to DET site, and click on In Principal, click again on your area, you should be able to find water/bann's distilled water in term 2 or term3 2007.

Couldn't find anything relating to us with water restrictions here on the Central Coast. I'd still like to buy it from the supermarket though. Is it expensive? I've never looked.

After opening up the original still it was found to have a baked on layer of 'deposits' which I'll now endeavour to remove and retest the unit.

Do you buy deionised water or distilled water (and what's the difference?)? I haven't seen distilled water in supermarkets, only deionised. Big W has some in 4L bottles but they run out pretty quickly and storage/disposal of the bottles is an issue. I get distilled water in 20L containers from the local Blackwoods store. I'm considering starting up the still again in the lab because we've had so much rain and the dam is back up to 70% but I think I'll check with the council first...

Hi ya all
I also have an IEC water still and the water PH has always been about 6PH.I have tried every thing that I thought may make a difference.However I have had no success. My head teacher says a PH of 6 won't make much of a difference when making solutions.
Because of the vast amount of water that has to be used to make four litres of distilled water,(about 20 litres to make 1 litre of distilled!!!!) we are now looking at a Culligan (under sink) deioniser or a Vertex(under sink) deioniser. Does anyone out there have either of these? Some feedback would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Mother

I have just ordered myself a brand new vertex deioniser, the bench top one. I used to have one at my previous school and it wastes very little water. Actually Serrata, where I ordered it from, claims it wastes NO water, so I am hoping that is true!

Hope this helps,

Sanscha

Hi All,

The pH of the water coming out at the pH 5 is normal for the distilled water at the moment. Don't forget water quality will fluctuate during the times when water is pumped from the Hunter and or the Central Coast. Also when Distilled water is made there is absorbtion of Carbon Dioxide in the air this contributes to the high pH range (5) also. These two factors will render water (at the moment) slightly high in pH readings. Quite Normal so don't worry too much.....

Cheers,

Robb.....

Ah you bugger Robb! I've scrubbed the inside of my still with 2M Nitric to rid it of the deposits. It's spotless!!!!!!

I've got it online again and it is now at pH 6.5 and producing much more water to keep also.

I'm stoked. There was so much brown crustiness deposited on the inside after years of use that it altered the pH & output a fair bit. It was a fair bit of elbow grease to clean it but it now works better than ever!

We have a Permutit deioniser and it does not waste any water. One hose in and out comes the clean water in the same amount. It works on ion exchange resin and about every 2-3 years needs its cartridge changed.
Water is still slightly acidic, but it was never an issue.
Lada

I only ever buy de-ionised water from a battery factory place in our industrial area. They have to meet ppm specifications, so its very pure, neutral pH, and only 50c per litre, which is way cheaper than supermarkets or even Bunnings!

We don't have water restrictions (no kidding) but I buy it out of principle, and because my lab is hot enough without running a still!

Cheers, K

BTW Richard, the fact that you've resolved your still/pH problem hasn't necesarily touched on your original question of "Am I going mad?"

Cheers, K

...and yet again, I come in at the end of all the excitment! Oh well, I will throw my 2c worth in any way!

I went through the whole distilled water thing about 18 months ago when it occured to me that I was wasting about 50L of water for every litre of distilled that I produced. We tried buying distilled from various shops, and found it was pH about 5. We tried deionised, and still got pH 5 or so. The old still gave pH 5 but as you said, the tap water was spot on 7. We then bought the Vertex filter, and the User Manual actually confirmed Robbs story about the pH being naturally low because the purer the water is, the more it absorbs CO2. So there! No matter what you do, if you try to make your water pure, all you get is Carbonic Acid!

I guess it was lovely pure rainwater that carved out Jenolan Caves, so it is not all bad!

There was a discussion about the pH of water last year. Search "pH of water"

regards
Ian

Well through giving it a good scrub I've gotten the pH much closer to a level I'm more than happy with. It would be interesting to test a brand new still. Both mine had the entire inside to the height of the water level coated in deposits, now it's gone it works much better. There isn't much reason to open these apart from changing the o rings periodically so basically they go unchecked. It heats up much faster and wastes far less water. Not in the same league as an on tap de ioniser obviously (I'd buy one if I could) but we're doing the best with what we have.