this post was submitted on 30 Nov 2024
19 points (100.0% liked)

Coffee

8457 readers
2 users here now

☕ - The hot beverage that powers the world!

Coffee gadgets - It's always great to learn about new gadgets. Please share your favorite hardware or full setups. It might inspire newcomers to experiment!

Local businesses - Please promote your local businesses. If you are not the owner of the business you are promoting, kindly ask the owner if it's okay. It would be great if the business has a physical store to include an exterior or interior shot.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

I live in a super hard water region. So hard in fact that it destroys every appliance despite regular descaling. I've remineralized 5l jugs of demineralized water for years but I feel it's not very sustainable in the long term. Plus demineralized water is not supposed to be safe for human consumption.

I'm looking for an affordable RO system that removes most if not all TDS so I can remineralize it using my favorite recipe.

Do you use any? What are your thoughts? Thanks !

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Eheran 4 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Why is"demineralized" water not safe? How is it demineralized?

Have you thought about getting a water filter for your water supply? Reverse osmosis or ion exchange.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Honestly, no idea. It's written on the jugs that it's improper for human consumption and destined to be used in appliances. It might just be that it's not been certified, or maybe the general processing chain is not food grade. I dunno. Or maybe because it's been demineralized it lacks the chemicals considered "essential" for drinking water.

[–] Eheran 4 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

There are no essential ingredients in water. There is usually so little in water that you can compare a liter water to a small piece of beard. Also note that in some areas the water is naturally extremely soft.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Yeah, well the water here is so hard that using a boiler once is enough to have it all scaled up. Like opaque white in a single use.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

In college I discovered the physics department's distilled-water tap and started filling my water bottles from that because the regular drinking fountain on that floor was nasty. A classmate tried to tell me distilled water would make me die from dissolving all my minerals away or something, which I poo-poohed and kept drinking it for the taste. In hindsight I should probably have avoided it for the same reason as the big sign on the physics department ice maker, also accessible anonymously from the hallway: "No maintenance is performed to deter bacterial growth". Oops. Well I turned out ~~just fine~~ ~~pretty good~~ okay so all's well as ends without food poisoning.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

This water will end up in my espresso machine's boiler, I doubt anything really harmful would survive several hours a day at 95C.

[–] HeyThisIsntTheYMCA 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

i don't know about the ice maker, but wouldn't they test the distilled-water tap? or is that just something you do in clean facilities.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

ELI5: Your body runs on slightly salty water, aka saline. By drinking "pure" /demineralized water, you reduce the concentration. If you only drink distilled water with no other mineral intake, you will start bursting/killing your cells due to osmosis. However, most everyone has plenty of salt/minerals in their diet anyways from food, so it's not a problem for most people. TLDR: don't go on an all distilled water diet, and you'll be fine.

[–] Eheran 2 points 2 weeks ago

For your cells it does not matter if it is distilled or normal water, the concentration of salts is way too low in either case. Hence drinking 15 liters in one go will kill you. Other than that you will have a hard time getting in trouble from drinking to little salts, unless you live at an ocean and only consume that water for salt while also being extremely careful not to take in any salts... perhaps.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

From what I've read you should be getting adequate minerals from your diet anyways. Ive been drinking RO water for like 2 years now, but I take a multivitamin daily as well.