DIY Water Filter

Zefrik · 11-02-2011, 08:53 PM

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about how to get water that is more pure. I know I could just buy an RO/DI and be swimming in pure water but being 17 means I am also not swimming in money. I have been buying distilled water for my reef tank, and I use treated tap for my planted. It gets old after a while having to worry about what is coming out of my tap. So now this idea has now come to my mind.

First I started to think about all the ways to collect water. Tap, rain, pet store, rivers, lakes. Then I thought about making a distiller unit but after research I figured that would be too complex. I finally thought of something, a dehumidifier. Technically speaking the water would be "distilled".
But the more I started to think about it I felt more concerned that the water might still be contaminated. Things like dust and microbes, mold and mildew maybe even chemicals. So I thought, could I just make a filter for the water to go through. I got a tall bread container with holes in the bottom and put a new clean hose on the dehumidifier output so it would have to fall through the container. I then filled the container up with different kind of filter flosses and some micron pads. I also put a 1/4 inch layer of activated carbon. Then all the water trickles through to a bucket with a UV sterilizer unit circulating the stored filtered water.

Here is a quick microsoft paint sketch-

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Tell me what you think. Do you think it is safe? I have not used the water yet and I don't want to do anything bad. I don't have any fancy equipment to test the water with other than a regular aquarium test kit.

KrazyFish · 11-02-2011, 10:18 PM

IMO this is could very well work.

My concerns would be; how much water could you collect? Do you have enough humidity in your home to make it worth while? Also I would be somewhat leary of what may leach off the condensing coils, things such as copper or chemical coatings. After all these machines were not made to accumulate water for any other purpose but to get it out of the air and drain it away. The filtration definetly would help but would it be enough to make the water safe for your critters?

AirstoND · 11-03-2011, 02:23 AM

Something I would evaluate in using a dehumidfier:

1) Pipe braze joints might have lead/tin and resin that dissolve in tank water upon adding of fertilizer salts with chloride.

2) Dissolved copper or aluminum oxide from piping might accumulate in tank.

Some other alternatives worth considering IMO:
A) DIY glass steam distiller
B) Water sonicator or "ultrasound diaphragm" used as humidifers/foggers

proaudio55 · 11-04-2011, 01:12 PM

I use a dehumidifier all summer long to do my water changes, this works great! When I first bought this unit, I let it run 1 summer so the copper / zinc / everything could oxidize and/or rinse out. That first year, all the water went down the drain. Then the 2nd year I was brave enough to use the water in my planted tank.

The only thing to be aware of is that it's literally 0deg hardness and 0deg Kh. I always add in some potassium carbonate so my Ph doesn't crash from the CO2 injection. I also mix in about 20% tap water to get the Gh up to a little more reasonable level.

As for microbes . . . Just remember that most tropical fish / plants normally live in malaria and disease infested jungle. I'm pretty sure the stuff growing in your dehumidifier is pretty tame compared to a jungle river.

RipariumGuy · 11-04-2011, 04:22 PM

Add some of Seachem's Prime to the UV collection bucket.. It'll detoxify any heavy metals.

Zefrik · 11-04-2011, 06:26 PM

My pump died for my UV. Until I can get a new one I am boiling the water in a glass pot, because glass is inert right?

jasonpatterson · 11-06-2011, 01:38 AM

Yep. You really shouldn't need to boil the water though. It's not like the swamps these shrimp come from are clean.

OverStocked · 11-06-2011, 01:48 AM

The reality is 2 fold. 1) if you don't already run a dehumidifier full time, this seems silly. It is a very inefficient way to collect water. Since the northern hemisphere is getting into the dryer time of year, I don't think it will be very productive 2) which leads me to this... in your house, 90% of the moisture in the air probably comes from your aquarium... so run a dehumidifier and you are just sucking water out faster and expediting the need for top offs and water changes. Faster evaporation means your TDS level will creep up quicker.

Zefrik · 11-06-2011, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OverStocked

The reality is 2 fold. 1) if you don't already run a dehumidifier full time, this seems silly. It is a very inefficient way to collect water. Since the northern hemisphere is getting into the dryer time of year, I don't think it will be very productive 2) which leads me to this... in your house, 90% of the moisture in the air probably comes from your aquarium... so run a dehumidifier and you are just sucking water out faster and expediting the need for top offs and water changes. Faster evaporation means your TDS level will creep up quicker.

I thought that a dehumidifier only collected water that was already airborne. Does a dehumidifier speed up the evaporation of the aquarium water? I also should say I have a 110g stock tank for my goldfish for the winter. I didn't know if evaporated water from the stock tank would fill up the dehumidifier more even though it is about winter time.

Zefrik · 11-06-2011, 11:38 PM

BTW I ran into some extra money so I will probably be getting an RO/DI soon. If anybody has one let me ask a question. Can you connect it to the faucet because I am about to move in a few months? I don't want to have to have it completely installed and then have to take it all apart again. lol

DarkCobra · 11-07-2011, 12:24 AM

A dehumidifier removes water from the air. Dryer air increases rate of evaporation from aquariums.

We have an RO/DI at work. Understand a few things about them - they're slow, they require a pressurized source of water to operate, and they produce about 10x as much wastewater as pure water, which is discarded.

A temporary faucet hookup is just a matter of plumbing an appropriate connection. Then you'll need to leave it connected, with the water turned on, for hours; with the exact length of time depending on how much water you need. The output rating of the RO/DI is for 24 hour operation. During that time the faucet will be unusable, unless you plumb in something like a splitter and another valve. You'll also need a container to collect the clean water as it slowly accumulates. And a line running to the drain for wastewater, careful that it's secure and can't be accidentally be knocked loose sending the wastewater to your floor, or that the drain can be plugged.

You might look to portable dishwashers for inspiration, or even parts. They have a faucet connector and drain that may serve well for an RO/DI. Saw one of these in my childhood. Not knowing any better, I put a plate in the sink, blocking the drain; and when the dishwasher went to drain, it overflowed the sink and made a heck of a mess in the kitchen. So the pitfalls of such a setup are permanently etched in my brain by the ass-beating I got.

proaudio55 · 11-07-2011, 12:58 PM

Check out ebay . . . I got a decent RO/DI for less than 100 bucks.

CaptainPictusIII · 11-09-2011, 11:52 PM

Another thing to consider is that flux is used to solder copper joints. Flux is a pretty strong acid that sticks around forever and is almost impossible to clean off entirely. I would not add the water to my fish tank until I have tested all aspects of the water. One idea that I have is that water collected from a dehumidifier should be completely neutral. So if you run it through a PH test and the PH is high I would consider the water contaminated.

Zefrik · 12-26-2011, 06:37 PM

Just an update I am getting a BRS RO/DI this week. It was ordered as a present. Lol, I was confused when I opened a gift box and there was a picture of an RO/DI sitting in the box. I have been adding the water to my 110 gallon stock pond and everybody is ok.

11-02-2011, 08:53 PM	#1
Zefrik Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Topeka, Kansas Posts: 1,017	DIY Water Filter I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about how to get water that is more pure. I know I could just buy an RO/DI and be swimming in pure water but being 17 means I am also not swimming in money. I have been buying distilled water for my reef tank, and I use treated tap for my planted. It gets old after a while having to worry about what is coming out of my tap. So now this idea has now come to my mind. First I started to think about all the ways to collect water. Tap, rain, pet store, rivers, lakes. Then I thought about making a distiller unit but after research I figured that would be too complex. I finally thought of something, a dehumidifier. Technically speaking the water would be "distilled". But the more I started to think about it I felt more concerned that the water might still be contaminated. Things like dust and microbes, mold and mildew maybe even chemicals. So I thought, could I just make a filter for the water to go through. I got a tall bread container with holes in the bottom and put a new clean hose on the dehumidifier output so it would have to fall through the container. I then filled the container up with different kind of filter flosses and some micron pads. I also put a 1/4 inch layer of activated carbon. Then all the water trickles through to a bucket with a UV sterilizer unit circulating the stored filtered water. Here is a quick microsoft paint sketch- Tell me what you think. Do you think it is safe? I have not used the water yet and I don't want to do anything bad. I don't have any fancy equipment to test the water with other than a regular aquarium test kit.

11-04-2011, 01:12 PM	#4
proaudio55 Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Blaine, Minnesota Posts: 620	I use a dehumidifier all summer long to do my water changes, this works great! When I first bought this unit, I let it run 1 summer so the copper / zinc / everything could oxidize and/or rinse out. That first year, all the water went down the drain. Then the 2nd year I was brave enough to use the water in my planted tank. The only thing to be aware of is that it's literally 0deg hardness and 0deg Kh. I always add in some potassium carbonate so my Ph doesn't crash from the CO2 injection. I also mix in about 20% tap water to get the Gh up to a little more reasonable level. As for microbes . . . Just remember that most tropical fish / plants normally live in malaria and disease infested jungle. I'm pretty sure the stuff growing in your dehumidifier is pretty tame compared to a jungle river. Last edited by proaudio55; 11-04-2011 at 06:15 PM..

11-04-2011, 04:22 PM	#5
RipariumGuy Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Green Bay, Wisconsin Posts: 3,614	Add some of Seachem's Prime to the UV collection bucket.. It'll detoxify any heavy metals. __________________ "My next hobby is going to be tearing up $100 bills while simultaneously banging my head against a wall and flooding my basement." "Ask not what the hobby can do for you, but what you can do the the hobby" - ScapeFu The Jake-arium Wabi-Kusa Pimp #3

11-07-2011, 12:24 AM	#11
DarkCobra Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (5/100%) Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Baton Rouge, LA Posts: 2,959	A dehumidifier removes water from the air. Dryer air increases rate of evaporation from aquariums. We have an RO/DI at work. Understand a few things about them - they're slow, they require a pressurized source of water to operate, and they produce about 10x as much wastewater as pure water, which is discarded. A temporary faucet hookup is just a matter of plumbing an appropriate connection. Then you'll need to leave it connected, with the water turned on, for hours; with the exact length of time depending on how much water you need. The output rating of the RO/DI is for 24 hour operation. During that time the faucet will be unusable, unless you plumb in something like a splitter and another valve. You'll also need a container to collect the clean water as it slowly accumulates. And a line running to the drain for wastewater, careful that it's secure and can't be accidentally be knocked loose sending the wastewater to your floor, or that the drain can be plugged. You might look to portable dishwashers for inspiration, or even parts. They have a faucet connector and drain that may serve well for an RO/DI. Saw one of these in my childhood. Not knowing any better, I put a plate in the sink, blocking the drain; and when the dishwasher went to drain, it overflowed the sink and made a heck of a mess in the kitchen. So the pitfalls of such a setup are permanently etched in my brain by the ass-beating I got. __________________ Life happens. On semi-hiatus, checking in infrequently.

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11-02-2011, 10:18 PM	#2
KrazyFish Planted Tank Obsessed (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Binbrook, Ontario, Canada Posts: 425	IMO this is could very well work. My concerns would be; how much water could you collect? Do you have enough humidity in your home to make it worth while? Also I would be somewhat leary of what may leach off the condensing coils, things such as copper or chemical coatings. After all these machines were not made to accumulate water for any other purpose but to get it out of the air and drain it away. The filtration definetly would help but would it be enough to make the water safe for your critters?

11-03-2011, 02:23 AM	#3
AirstoND Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: NJ Posts: 1,187	Something I would evaluate in using a dehumidfier: 1) Pipe braze joints might have lead/tin and resin that dissolve in tank water upon adding of fertilizer salts with chloride. 2) Dissolved copper or aluminum oxide from piping might accumulate in tank. Some other alternatives worth considering IMO: A) DIY glass steam distiller B) Water sonicator or "ultrasound diaphragm" used as humidifers/foggers

11-04-2011, 06:26 PM	#6
Zefrik Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Topeka, Kansas Posts: 1,017	My pump died for my UV. Until I can get a new one I am boiling the water in a glass pot, because glass is inert right?

11-06-2011, 01:38 AM	#7
jasonpatterson Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Macedonia, OH Posts: 1,572	Yep. You really shouldn't need to boil the water though. It's not like the swamps these shrimp come from are clean.

11-06-2011, 01:48 AM	#8
OverStocked Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (76/94%) Join Date: May 2007 Location: SoDak Posts: 10,732	The reality is 2 fold. 1) if you don't already run a dehumidifier full time, this seems silly. It is a very inefficient way to collect water. Since the northern hemisphere is getting into the dryer time of year, I don't think it will be very productive 2) which leads me to this... in your house, 90% of the moisture in the air probably comes from your aquarium... so run a dehumidifier and you are just sucking water out faster and expediting the need for top offs and water changes. Faster evaporation means your TDS level will creep up quicker.

11-06-2011, 11:38 PM	#10
Zefrik Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Topeka, Kansas Posts: 1,017	BTW I ran into some extra money so I will probably be getting an RO/DI soon. If anybody has one let me ask a question. Can you connect it to the faucet because I am about to move in a few months? I don't want to have to have it completely installed and then have to take it all apart again. lol

11-07-2011, 12:58 PM	#12
proaudio55 Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Blaine, Minnesota Posts: 620	Check out ebay . . . I got a decent RO/DI for less than 100 bucks.

11-09-2011, 11:52 PM	#13
CaptainPictusIII Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: MASS, USA Posts: 38	Another thing to consider is that flux is used to solder copper joints. Flux is a pretty strong acid that sticks around forever and is almost impossible to clean off entirely. I would not add the water to my fish tank until I have tested all aspects of the water. One idea that I have is that water collected from a dehumidifier should be completely neutral. So if you run it through a PH test and the PH is high I would consider the water contaminated.

12-26-2011, 06:37 PM	#14
Zefrik Wannabe Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Topeka, Kansas Posts: 1,017	Just an update I am getting a BRS RO/DI this week. It was ordered as a present. Lol, I was confused when I opened a gift box and there was a picture of an RO/DI sitting in the box. I have been adding the water to my 110 gallon stock pond and everybody is ok.