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TimeNot_0

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241
A person can look up additional websites in a search engine. For this I just used "Filtering water with dirt". Not quite the same as the Australian said, but it takes a 55 gallon plastic container, pea-sized rocks, sand, and gravel if I remember correctly. Read several websites so the first one is the one that mentions all of this or the homestead.org website.


"Clean Your Water With Dirt" By Ted Praast page one

purifying water at survivaloutdoorskills

Water Filter Experiment

How to Filter Dirty Water With a Coffee Filter | eHow.com

http://portal.acs.org/portal/fileFetch/C/CSTA_015084/pdf/CSTA_015084.pdf

Homemade Berkey Water Filter
 

TimeNot_0

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241
Food grade 55 gallon drum and charcoal can be made by burning wood or so and do not use the white ash part, just the blackened part, which can also be looked up.
 

Samstwitch

Senior Member
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5,111
Thanks, I know there are many ways of filtering water, but at the moment, I'm only experimenting with the Charcoal/Sand method, which is why I would like to know...

What kind of charcoal is used to make a Homemade Water Filtering System? I have read that Activated Carbon is used, the kind bought at a Pet Store, but it's sold in small quantities.

Does anyone know what kinds of charcoal to use and where to buy it? If so, please share. Thanks
 

TimeNot_0

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241
"Clean Your Water With Dirt" By Ted Praast page four

Since this filter uses only activated charcoal as a manufactured product, the only maintenance required is to break up the schmutzdecke occasionally, when the water flow becomes very slow. This is done by opening the top and stirring up the very topmost layer of sand where the schmutzdecke resides. Since you don't want this messy water in your potable system, shut off the delivery valve and open the diverter valve before stirring up the schmutzdecke. Open the flush valve and run water through gently until the water runs fairly clean. Don't use a lot of pressure or fast flow so you won't lose sand. Easy does it is the key. When this rinse is complete, with relatively clear water flowing from the flush valve output, close off the flush valve and start the filter once again. You must leave the diverter valve open and the delivery valve closed until the schmutzdecke is once again established. This will require at least two weeks, and you don't want unprocessed water to enter your potable water system. It's also very important that you never, ever back flush a slow sand filter, since this will destroy everything you've worked for and the filter must be rebuilt.

The only other maintenance necessary is to replace the activated charcoal occasionally. The frequency of this is dependent on the manufacturer of the charcoal and the amount of chemicals left in the filter processed water. Usually, manufacturers recommend every six months to a year for replacement of granulated charcoal. The charcoal is usually manufactured from coconut shells and isn't terribly expensive if purchased in bulk. If you've made your own charcoal filter, it's certainly not an excessive cost.

And there you have it: a method to use natural functions and some activated charcoal to make bad water into good water. Enjoy!

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Read all 4 pages of that link where it describes how to do it. Pea-size rocks, sand, and something else is needed on top of the sand. It uses activated charcoal in the PCV tubing coming out the bottom in that upward shaft where the charcoal goes. Other websites given in that previous post say you can burn wood and make charcoal if necessary to use to clean water. I do not know where you get activated charcoal that according to that first website or the link on this posting needs to be done every 6 months. I suppose searching on the web will provide an answer.
 

TimeNot_0

Member
Messages
241
Look for local activated charcoal in the yellow pages of a phone book. They just passed new ones out around here again ((with the 10 old ones I haven't disposed of yet - another thing to do along with a lot of other things to do).

Just look for water filtration probably or something similiar to that because it won't be listed where you think it should be listed in the yellow pages of the phone book and I doubt if it would be in the "A's" for activated charcoal.

Think water filtration units and where they are sold. They should also have activated charcoal to sell also - maybe a hardware store or so.

Call the store and ask them first if they sell activated charcoal for water filtration units.

Let your fingers do the walking and reach out and touch someone, I suppose. (or hit them with the fingers or give the finger to them or whatever it is.)
 

Samstwitch

Senior Member
Messages
5,111
Thanks TimeNot_O for the help.

I'm hoping someone who has already made a water filtration with Charcoal will post the information here...where they bought it, etc.
 

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