Make distilled water for wmi

[Will L.]

So distilled water is given as better than tap.
School science class was decades ago, but if you steam water and collect/ condense it that is distilled water, so

I am thinking of those clothing steamers that are in yardsales all the time for $10. Fill the tank, plug it in, 20 seconds later tons of steam is flying. Much faster than a teapot and my stove is commercial with 8” flames- yes I compared and our steamer was like $50 new.

So if I siphon feed into the tiny tank the steamers have from 5 gallon bucket(s) or some kind of auto dog water filler and collect into a plastic drum, I could do a set it and forget it thing on a daily basis.

No meth wmi and the homemade wmi systems use more water than the really nice ones. And my climate in really calls for long sustained sprays. Trying to do it all on the cheap, and currently use a couple gallons a week for other stuff at the house.
Distilled water here is $1.30 gallon plus the inconvenience of buying it.

So what is good and what’s bad about this plan for the distilled water?

 

[ak diesel driver]

have you checked out reverse osmosis?

 

[jrsavoie]

Distilled water here is about .88 a gallon at Walmart and Menards.

Have you checked any water supply places? I would think if you supplied barrels you could get it cheaper.

 

[WarWagon]

Electric is more expensive than gas for heating. Your rates may vary and could change this.

 

[FellowTraveler]

Distilled water here is about .88 a gallon at Walmart and Menards.

Have you checked any water supply places? I would think if you supplied barrels you could get it cheaper.

About the same price here.

 

[FellowTraveler]

No meth wmi and the homemade wmi systems use more water than the really nice ones. And my climate in really calls for long sustained sprays. Trying to do it all on the cheap, and currently use a couple gallons a week for other stuff at the house.

WMI is best run from a 1k psi pump for best atomization of droplets and sizing nozzles critical to use the least amount of water.

Lots of info here: http://www.rbracing-rsr.com/waterinjection.html

 

[schiker]

Distilled water is best but is it required for a 6.5? I don't know but am thinking really clean water is fine. Clean meaning it's been filtered to ~ 5 microns or better (not too far from the tap) and not hard or leaves a lot of lime/scale or mineral deposits.

I might try to call a local drinking water supply and see what bulk prices are assuming those 3-5 gallon water cooler jugs are good enough water?

 

[Twisted Steel Performance]

I think with the relatively small amount of water used it would take a really long time to build up any noticeable amount is scale or anything like that.. I used a good bit of water on the last motor, had a 60gl tank in the bed and sprayed nearly all the time on the road, my system was progressive boost based.. I never found any buildup on the nozzles or anywhere else and I used well water that is high in sulfur, lime, and every other mineral known...

The only place I do use distilled water is in the cooling system...

 

[Will L.]

Distilled is way cleaner than reverse osmosis. One of the other business the plastics to fuel partners is starting is cleaning water in industrial settings and drinking water for 3rd world countries. Actually got water to 99.999% pure. Only MIT achieved same thing. If I could get a few hundred gallons from him

Walley world is only 20 something minutes Away, but I hate that place- haha. Really thought about just buying a pallet worth at a time.- most likely option. Water places here dont do distilled.

The electric vs gas, the specific designed steamer turns out so much, so fast it was better on little tests I tried. It is amazing how long it takes to collect 1 gallon of water from steam. Play with a steam pot on your stove and collect just 1 cup.

As for the higher pressure pumps and super misters, yes you are spot on. But the $ has kept it out of my ride for the last decade. There are guys that did comparison testing and under $200 total that get about 40%-50% results depending on engine. That maybe I can swing. I need to come up with $8k and with chaos abound for last few years, am currently around -$1200 so any chance for water is on the cheap only. It sux helping others sometimes, especially when trying to go parts shopping-haha.

6.5 vs 6bt, etc doesn’t really matter. Its about the pump, valves, and nozzels. Filtered water is like reverse osmosis- better than nothing but near same cost as distilled so might as well go all the way.

The draw backs to low pressure ones are the water cant mist nearly as good, so it takes 2-3 times as much to get 1/2 results. Water build up here is calcium problem, We have almost the hardest water with highest calcium count in the country. the 2 guys I talked to running the low pressure setup both said calcium built up on water nozzles in 5,000 miles. They now run distilled and no issues for over 25,000 miles from it. But surely dont want long term water cost and more repair time to add up.

The other part I didn’t mention is the consideration of spraying on the exterior of the cooling stack. There is a massive difference in my hummer on a humid day vs the psycho dry climate days. My plan and huge desire is the thermal coating on the stack that Chris done to his. I know it works but if the crap hummer stack design can’t be overcome 100%, a second pump can spray wmi and stack at same time. And that will use far more water.

Thanks everyone. I’m still long ways away before install, just thinking and planning since I can’t make any real progress currently.

 

[JayTheCPA]

Well . . . If you really want to get water on the cheap . . .

From aviation history IIRC that airships had a water recapture system in the exhaust stream. Functionality was that water vapor got collected from the exhaust, stored in a tank, and the increase in weight was used as ballast to offset weight loss from burnt fuel.

So, maybe rig something to the tailpipe of your gasser(s)?

 

[FellowTraveler]

Well . . . If you really want to get water on the cheap . . .

From aviation history IIRC that airships had a water recapture system in the exhaust stream. Functionality was that water vapor got collected from the exhaust, stored in a tank, and the increase in weight was used as ballast to offset weight loss from burnt fuel.

So, maybe rig something to the tailpipe of your gasser(s)?

You can also recover condensation from the AC evaporator core box drain.

 

[Will L.]

Ya know the bad part is, the steamer thing that gave me the idea- we just gave away a brand new one at 2 weeks before I started this thread. I could have just put it in my garage and tried it.

 

[NVW]

Ya know the bad part is, the steamer thing that gave me the idea- we just gave away a brand new one at 2 weeks before I started this thread. I could have just put it in my garage and tried it.

LOL, sorry Will. Throw something away you've kept for years, and tomorrow you'll think of a use for it.

You're in good company, welcome to the club.

 

[FellowTraveler]

LOL, sorry Will. Throw something away you've kept for years, and tomorrow you'll think of a use for it.

You're in good company, welcome to the club.

I guilty of this too.....but then again old parts, bolts, nuts, washers, other fasteners, clips from 35/40 years still get the job done.

 

[n8in8or]

Could you somehow use exhaust manifold heat to boil the water and then condense it in a tank to use for wmi? Downside is more water to carry (distilled PLUS pre-distilled), but the upside is no additional energy consumption.

Or in your climate, I would think a rooftop solar heat situation could be made that would have a ton of capacity.

 

[Will L.]

It really takes a long time to make any volume of steam and then cooling and condening back down is the issue. That’s why I was thinking of a “set it and foget it” type of non industrial (big $) devise so it could run a few days straight. Doing it on vehicle is really not practical for me. Plus it is going to get a lot of calcium & other mineral build up. And any of our home brewers here will tell you, vibration on the condensing line is not helpful. Also incase any of those home brewers here knew of some cool gadget, I figured I’d ask. I like the use free heat way of thinkin though.

Solar heater may be a good way.

I just didn’t know if anyone else here was enough a control freak to not want the 95% allowable level of “pure” when buying packaged distilled. Many things require “double distilled” for that reason.

 

[Husker6.5]

Solar distilling is the ONLY way to go, @Will L. ! NO cost to run it, can be made inexpensively with common materials (1/2" plywood, a roll of window insulator sheet plastic, flat black latex paint, a funnel, a box of either zinc galvanized or stainless steel screws and a length of clear hose to fit the end of the funnel) with which you can crank out at least a gallon a day with the sunshine and temps in Vegas.

 

[Husker6.5]

Now if you REALLY want to go gung-ho, I can show you how to make a solar concentrator with a parabolic trough reflector that can make several gallons a day.

 

[n8in8or]

Now if you REALLY want to go gung-ho, I can show you how to make a solar concentrator with a parabolic trough reflector that can make several gallons a day.

....with parts sourced from Surplus Center, of course!

 

[Will L.]

Parabolic trough with evacuated tube is a cool setup. Have to devise a self refilling system as the steam is extracted. Gotta make sure those don’t go empty-or that makes quite a mess.