YOU DO NOT NEED IT.

Posted by jsm (A) on September 12, 2006 at 12:26:57

In Reply to: define "good quality" distilled water posted by chosenhandle on September 12, 2006 at 07:58:26:

Turn the question around? Why do you need such pure water? Are you using a RCM to clean your records? It will pull off much more than 95%, probably 99% of the water on your record. Thus at most only a few percent will dry on the record and probably less than that. Now suppose you use grocery store steam-distilled water. The amount of dissolved solids in that water is incredibly small, and at most you may evaporate a tiny fraction of an ml of the water on your record. The amount of stuff you deposit on your record from this would be so small it would probably take sensitive lab equipment to detect it. Your stylus isn't going to notice it.

I did experiments with my Nitty-Gritty RCM, where I used just tap water for my last rinse. I dried the record immediately after the rinse, and careful inspection with a bright lamp (I was an optician in earlier days and very experienced in looking for extremely small scratches, defects, stains, and surface markings of any kind) showed know evidence for anything on the records. The dead wax was always a clean, uniformly shiny black. However, I do use a final (ordinary) distilled water rinse because it makes me feel better and, more importantly, it keeps my RCM from gettng all gunked up with tap water residue. Careful listening showed absolutely no difference in the sound between those records with a final tap water rinse and those with a distilled water rinse. Both methods gave equal, fine results.

Finally, you have to consider the following: what is the level of dissolved solids in the grocery store distilled water compared to pure H20? Do you really think that is going to make a difference after all of the above?

Joe

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - lab grade water needed - chosenhandle 06:34:07 09/12/06 (21)

Re: lab grade water needed - JimL 11:06:45 09/12/06 (0)

Lab grade water: what is it good for... - John N 08:20:16 09/12/06 (0)

Why not buy your own distiller? - chriss 07:59:31 09/12/06 (1)

Good suggestion! Remember Lab water is triple distilled. - tubesforever 09:38:59 09/12/06 (0)

Re: lab grade water needed - Fred J 07:40:26 09/12/06 (10)

define "good quality" distilled water - chosenhandle 07:58:26 09/12/06 (9)

YOU DO NOT NEED IT. - jsm 12:26:57 09/12/06 (0)

Free your Mind - Fred J 11:24:03 09/12/06 (5)

I asked as fairly simple question.... - chosenhandle 12:18:40 09/12/06 (4)

With a bit more experience, you'll learn that there is absolutely - powermatic 19:23:06 09/12/06 (0)

My intent was simply to - Fred J 12:59:48 09/12/06 (2)

thank you for your response - chosenhandle 08:03:59 09/13/06 (1)

Re: thank you for your response - Fred J 08:19:03 09/13/06 (0)

Lab water is simply triple distilled water, probably deionized as well. - tubesforever 10:20:51 09/12/06 (0)

18 megOhm-cm is the standard in my business - mhardy6647 09:54:14 09/12/06 (0)

Re: lab grade water needed - J Harris 06:38:41 09/12/06 (5)

article - chosenhandle 07:54:03 09/12/06 (0)

What is the difference between distilled water and lab grade water? (nt) - John Elison 06:42:43 09/12/06 (3)

You got a lot of sub par responses on this. - tubesforever 12:54:27 09/13/06 (0)

For Non serious Lab or commercial formulation Purposes, the Cost $$( nnt) - Fred J 07:46:17 09/12/06 (0)

Sadly, in most cases, very little. nt - Jack Seaton 06:47:19 09/12/06 (0)

Follow Ups

YOU DO NOT NEED IT. - jsm 12:26:57 09/12/06 (0)

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