DIY Desalination
Earth isn’t called the “Blue Planet” for nothing, but the majority is saltwater and therefore not immediately drinkable. Hence we need the desalination process which removes the salt from saline water so we can drink it.
One of the main hurdles living outside the system is having a reliable source of clean, fresh drinking water. Dr Rahul Nair of Manchester University in the UK has just announced a breakthrough Graphene micromesh that will be on the market in 3 years time that will literally strain the salt out of water. Meanwhile, how about cheap DIY methods you can do at home?
Desalination can take advantage of evaporation. The dirty or saline water is heated and the water turns to steam, leaving the impurities (salt) behind. All that then needs to be done is capture the steam, condense it and voila clean drinkable water.
Below are some videos of easy and cheap methods of making your own DIY desalination devices!
The first is based on a whistling kettle, some pipe, a coolant around said piping and a collection tin – easy peasy!
Here is another version of a similar system using a pressure cooker instead – who said they are only good for canning!?
If you want to invest in some specific desalination kit, then check out this video which uses the non-electric distiller by Water Wise.
No camp fire or stove to hand? No problem! Check out these solar distillers – not exactly top tech, but proves you can capture the power of evaporation really easily. (Ignore the soil eating cat!)
And one using a plastic bottle!
Let’s face it we have all wanted to live by a golden beach in a sunny spot at some time in our lives. But with water at a dollar a pop for a 100cl plastic bottle, desalination has a definite cash benefit.
What do you think? Have you tried any of these methods? Let us know in the comments below!
