Donna Kat on thu 28 sep 06
I have been reading through some old posts on glazes and came across
postings on using distilled water for your glazes. If you want a free
source of distilled water, use the water from your de-humidifier.
(of course this will be meaningless to those of you who have spent your
lives in the southwest).
Donna
P.S. Toilet brushes are the best glaze stirrers I have ever come across.
They will even get Pinnell's that has settled mixed up (sorry if I created
bad images there - sterilized or new brushes of course)....
Ivor and Olive Lewis on sat 30 sep 06
I suppose one of the main reasons for using water that has been recently =
distilled is that it does not contain dissolved solids. In particular =
these would be those that are used to treat reticulated water supplied =
to households. In Australia where some major public water supplies =
contain Sodium chloride up to and beyond acceptable limits of =
portability, distilled water might be a prudent option when preparing =
glazes.=20
Why is this important to a clayworker. Sodium salts can have a strong =
fluxing action, melting at just over 800 deg C.
Recently I used boiled rain water to find out if it behaved in a similar =
way to unboiled water when preparing plastic clay. I found a significant =
difference. The paste resulting from mixing boiled rain water with clay =
had a pH value between 8 and 9 and was a very wet mixture suggesting =
deflocculation. In contrast, my sample made with unboiled water had a pH =
between 4 and 3 and was quite stiff. The mass ratio of both samples were =
identical.
This may have some significance where a glaze contains a major =
proportion of clay in the recipe.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
Donna Kat on sun 8 oct 06
On Sat, 30 Sep 2006 15:19:24 +0930, Ivor and Olive Lewis
wrote:
>I suppose one of the main reasons for using water that has been recently
distilled is that it does not contain dissolved solids. In particular
these would be those that are used to treat reticulated water supplied to
households. In Australia where some major public water supplies contain
Sodium chloride up to and beyond acceptable limits of portability,
distilled water might be a prudent option when preparing glazes.
>
>Why is this important to a clayworker. Sodium salts can have a strong
fluxing action, melting at just over 800 deg C.
>
>Recently I used boiled rain water to find out if it behaved in a similar
way to unboiled water when preparing plastic clay. I found a significant
difference. The paste resulting from mixing boiled rain water with clay
had a pH value between 8 and 9 and was a very wet mixture suggesting
deflocculation. In contrast, my sample made with unboiled water had a pH
between 4 and 3 and was quite stiff. The mass ratio of both samples were
identical.
>
>This may have some significance where a glaze contains a major proportion
of clay in the recipe.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Ivor Lewis.
I wonder what the PH would be of water out of the humidifier? My first
thought would be that it would be neutral but I'm not sure how the
condenser works or for that matter what gases you would find in the
basement. I mean I assume there isn't much difference between the
admosphere of the general area and local isolated areas but I can't say
for certain. I also assume that in acid rain what is happening is that
the liquid H2O (rain, snow) is washing the solid participates out of the
atmosphere but again, I don't know. Anyone ever test their humidifier
water for PH?
Donna
Ivor and Olive Lewis on tue 10 oct 06
Dear Donna Kat,=20
I do not know what a "Dehumidifier" is so I cannot answer your question.
But if you mean an air conditioner that uses a refrigeration system to =
cool the air and as a consequence removes moisture, through =
condensation, from the atmosphere then perhaps I can give an answer. The =
water that condenses should be neither alkali not acid but neutral, pH =
7.
Acidity is generally the result of Carbon Dioxide in solution, some of =
which combines with water chemically to become Carbonic Acid (pH ~ 5). =
Water has to be exposed to the atmosphere for some time, and possibly =
agitated if it is to dissolve a significant amount of Carbon Dioxide.
Alkalinity is often due to dissolved Calcium salts. Since particulate =
matter should be removed by the filters in these machines that should =
not be an influence.
Acid rain is, to be best of my understanding, a term coined to describe =
precipitation that has adsorbed an excess of industrially produced =
acidic gases such as Sulphur Dioxide and Trioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide from =
Auto Exhaust and other nasties. Some acidic gases are generated when =
lightening is discharged. I suppose the current excess of Carbon Dioxide =
due to industrial and Auto emissions has also exacerbated the continuing =
deterioration of our environment.=20
If that does not clarify things for you let me know.
Best regards,
Ivor Lewis.
Redhill,
South Australia.
Donna Kat on thu 12 oct 06
On Tue, 10 Oct 2006 16:39:44 +0930, Ivor and Olive Lewis
wrote:
>Dear Donna Kat,
>
>I do not know what a "Dehumidifier" is so I cannot answer your question.
>
>But if you mean an air conditioner that uses a refrigeration system to
cool the air and as a consequence removes moisture, through condensation,
from the atmosphere then perhaps I can give an answer. The water that
condenses should be neither alkali not acid but neutral, pH 7.
>
>Acidity is generally the result of Carbon Dioxide in solution, some of
which combines with water chemically to become Carbonic Acid (pH ~ 5).
Water has to be exposed to the atmosphere for some time, and possibly
agitated if it is to dissolve a significant amount of Carbon Dioxide.
>
>Alkalinity is often due to dissolved Calcium salts. Since particulate
matter should be removed by the filters in these machines that should not
be an influence.
>
>Acid rain is, to be best of my understanding, a term coined to describe
precipitation that has adsorbed an excess of industrially produced acidic
gases such as Sulphur Dioxide and Trioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide from Auto
Exhaust and other nasties. Some acidic gases are generated when
lightening is discharged. I suppose the current excess of Carbon Dioxide
due to industrial and Auto emissions has also exacerbated the continuing
deterioration of our environment.
>
>If that does not clarify things for you let me know.
>
>Best regards,
>
>Ivor Lewis.
A de-humidifier is not an air-conditioner but it probably works in a
similar way. People in humid climates use them. It essentially condenses
the water from the air where it is held in a tub of sorts until emptied or
connected to a drain. I also think it would have a neutral PH but as I
said, I don't know the mechanism for the process. I'm just guessing.
Donna
Long Island NY (formally, Colorado, Utah, San Berdo CA, many other CA
homes, MA, NJ, CT, etc.) USA
Don Goodrich on thu 12 oct 06
Ivor, Donna,
It's been raining and it seemed a good idea to plug in
the studio's dehumidifier last night. Remembering your posts,
in the spirit of scientific inquiry I cleaned the
drip pan and coils, and waited. After some water had
accumulated, I checked it with PH test tape. The reading was
awfully close to 7, indicating neutral. From this I'd infer
that a dehumidifier is indeed a potential source of distilled
water, as long as the thing is kept reasonably clean.
Cheers,
Don Goodrich in cold, wet, Zion Illinois where the season's
first snow has just melted
goodrichdn@aol.com
http://www.dongoodrichpottery.com/
Ivor and Olive Lewis on sat 14 oct 06
Dear Donna Kat ,
In that case it would be easy to test. The Garden department of major =
chain stores should stock pH test kits for around $10 or less which =
cover the limits from about pH 6 to pH 8.Just dip the stick in and =
compare the colour to the diagram on the pack.
Best regards,
Ivor.
Ivor and Olive Lewis on sat 14 oct 06
Dear Don Goodrich,=20
Thank you for that confirmation. Really great when someone with the =
equipment takes the empirical road. So those who use De-Humidifiers will =
have a useful resource that they can rely on, Almost Pure Water.
By the way, what does Rain feel, smell and sound like ?=20
Enjoy your weekend.
Best regards,
Ivor
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