Where to find distilled water?

[Big Guy]

I take some YouTube videos with a grain of salt. I've seen some really bad ones that were completely way off base.

[mesenteria]

Melman, I posted it for informational purposes for those reading over our shoulders who might not realize that distilled water isn't neutral.  Our friend, the stationary engineer in days past, knew to treat distilled water because it has 'problems' for boilers with various metals involved.

[Melman]

Melman, I posted it for informational purposes for those reading over our shoulders who might not realize that distilled water isn't neutral.  Our friend, the stationary engineer in days past, knew to treat distilled water because it has 'problems' for boilers with various metals involved.

I understand, I just didn't want anyone to think the mild acidity is hazardous in any of our CPAP applications. You may not be aware, but some brands of bottled drinking water have a lower pH than distilled water, although most are somewhat alkaline. (Just an interesting although somewhat meaningless bit of trivia) The EPA standard for drinking water is 6.5-8 but much ground water from wells has a pH as low as 6. I'm not sure why the standard is so narrow given that most fruit juices and other beverages have a lower pH. I assume there's a valid scientific reason. Maybe there's a chemist on the forum who can explain it.

[ppca]

Got me thinking about mixing up a martini for my CPAP tub tonight...

Just make sure it's shaken, not stirred.  

All joking aside, I've always been using distilled water, and my water tank looks like new, after years of usage. Now, with this damn Coronavirus, I'm out of distilled water, and it is impossible to find. I'll probably just boil tap water, and see how that works.

However, that martini idea doesn't sound too bad either.

[Melman]

No need to boil tap water. You inhale tap water aerosols every time you shower wash your hands, or brush your teeth.

[arhdc]

If you can not get distilled water just use tap water. Worst case you need to replace your water tank in a few months. It most likely will not be more than you would have spent on distilled water over the period.

[3rdMarDiv]

I stand corrected.

After seeing quite a bit of kickback about using distilled water over tap water I did some simple research. ResMed has a Covid-19 update page of FAQ's that I have been following and today see an update concerning the use of distilled water, which, is as follows:

There’s a shortage of distilled water where I live. What can I use as an alternative for my CPAP humidification?

As stated in our clinical and user guides, *optimal* humidifier performance requires distilled water. That’s because most or all of its minerals have been removed, preventing mineral buildup in the humidifier tub. That said, tap or bottled water may also be used. It will not harm the device or pose a risk to patients. It will, however, require more rigorous humidifier cleaning to prevent excess mineral buildup in the tub.

I'm still going to continue using purified / distilled water for as long as I have access to it. But, obviously I was wrong about it being harmful to the machines internal workings.

To anyone who has been contradicting me out there and stating exactly the above...I have thrown in the towel.

[Big Guy]

Thanks for posting that. When I started my SA Therapy, my RT told me to use only distilled water. When asked why, I was told that tap water would damage the machine's internals. Well, that was good enough for me. 

But then, I became a member of this forum and became enlightened. Even @ only $0.99 a gallon, it adds up over time. That's gas money for my m/c. I've been riding for as long as I can recall. It's just every bit as important therapy for me as my SA Therapy is. 

Actually, come to think of it, it's far, far more important. 

[3rdMarDiv]

Hey, what can you do...When ya wrong ya wrong...LOL

One thing I did notice was I would have liked to find an emoji of a little guy waving a white flag...  

We could use one in case someone wants to surrender...

[Big Guy]

Aw come on, as a Marine, you know that you fight to the very end.