This is the deal, I'm fed up. I'm fed up with the Mr. Clean water filter thingy that Dave cannibalized for me because it becomes spent in no time at all. I'm a little more pleased with the PUR filtration system, but I have to soak the filter first, then always make sure there's water going through it, gotta nurse it along, gotta pour that water into a larger bin to save it. So, I'm thinking, is there a better way to do this, since I have to store the water anyway?

The answer is, possibly, yes. A solar still. I don't want anything fancy, don't want to have to mess around with something like a parabolic reflector. I've seen pictures of solar stills being used in what appears to be India, looks like a black plastic tray that holds about 5-10gals, sides built up at the rear and sides so that a sheet of glass can be angled to allow water heated up via solar radiation would condense upon its surface, collect into drops, and drip down into another container.

It's natural, it's essentially free, and it produces what is one of the few purified water products around. Filtration cannot be called purified (or something like that, there's some deal about the language), but this can be. I think I would like something that produces about 10 gallons/week, doesn't have a huge footprint, is cheap and easy to construct. Storage itself shouldn't be a problem for too long, although I seriously want a cistern for rainwater, but that's another deal entirely.



So! Whaddaya think??
If anyone has any knowledge or information to share, I'd love to see it. I've got some pages saved, a couple of schematics, one doesn't use a huge footprint, but oddly enough uses a black bath towel (water surface area increaser? Plus maybe heats it up?).

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Jeez, no one? Am I really breaking new ground here?

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yeah ive done it before .. but it was with school and i used salt water ... how much where u looking to evaporate?

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Gilfman's 2009 Outdoor Alaskan Ice, White Widow and Rhino,and LR2 Grow

i tried drawing it but i cant attach... simple concept
get one large container and one smaller container
pour water into large container
place in smaller container withs something to keep it in the center
place black garbage bag over large container and wrap something around to keep it still
place a small weight in center of bag .. making sure that the bag concaves inward
place in sun and wait

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Gilfman's 2009 Outdoor Alaskan Ice, White Widow and Rhino,and LR2 Grow

10+ gallons per week. It's just well water, but it's really BAD water for putting on potted plants repeatedly, I need something for flushing, mixing ferts, etcetera.

I think we have some carboys that should have appropriate parts, but I don't know if I can convince my husband to let me use them outdoors.

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I think thats a great idea especially in the hot summer just do a test to see how long it takes diffrent amounts of water to evaporate and condense on the glass. So this glass and the container would be air tight correct?

Some other filtration devices I have seen before on like National Geographic were with sand they use sand to filter rain water to make it drinkable, I was high when I saw it of course. I dont really know how sanitary it will actually make the water but just another idea.

stop playing, break down and buy a RO filter system


or why not start rain harvesting?

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da fuck?

here is your cheap and easy one............

I prefer the black pond basins you can get free from people on craigslist but hey, kiddie pools must be on sale right about now to get rid of them.

take kiddie pool and fill with water 1/4 way. Place bucket (plastic or aluminum NEEDS TO BE SHALLOWER THAN THE BIGGER TUB) in the center of pool or pond tub and a few CLEAN ROCKS for ballast to hold it down.

Now duct tape some 1mil visqueen or plastic painters tarping around the tub and place a small rock in the center of the tarp.

Black obviously works better

Sunlight goes thru the tarp, heat is trapped and evaporates water in pool or tub. Water condenses on tarp and follows the decline and collects at rock dripping into bucket.

Pure clean water, dont know how fast it will work but you could do say 5 5gallon buckets that are black or painted black with 2 gallon buckets in them. The heat absorbtion of the bucket will do the trick.

Have fun, this whole primitive resources thing will have you building solar panels soon enough.

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We certainly have plenty of black plastic. I've been trying to find more designs that don't take up a huge footprint, as I want this to go out on the deck extension my husband made for me (it's about 6'x7'). I found one design that's vertical, kind of a trip, seemed easy enough to make with scrap bits of wood. The old pond is a good idea, too.
Because, you lose water for that you've gained, too wasteful. Not to mention that I believe the filters and resins would likely be exhausted very, very quickly.
We shall! When it rains.

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