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Thursday, May 29, 2008

DIY Water Filter / Purifier

Well, a very nice reader left a comment on my blog, he gave me a website that has a water filter/purifier that can be made at home it' s easy, no difficult instructions, no impossible parts to purchase, it is a very simple system using only 4 parts, yes, 4 parts! I'll post the instructions here, and I'll give the link to the site where you can get the PDF download, I highly recommend it!

http://pottersforpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/ide-filter-user-guide.pdf

I love my Berkey water purifier, and if I had it to do over again today, I would still buy it, but I do plan on using one (or more!) of these homemade water filters too.



RABBIT WATER PURIFIER

By carefully following these instructions you will be able to

· Drink clear, safe, good-tasting water,
· Improve your family’s health,
· Reduce expenses, and
· Save time.

1. Parts of the Filter

(added by Wretha-I assume they are talking about an unglazed ceramic pot, glazed pots are water proof and the water would not flow through)


2. Take Care to Avoid Cracks

Handle the ceramic pot carefully to avoid breakage or cracking. Small invisible cracks may allow microorganisms to pass through the filter, making the water unsafe to drink.
If a ceramic pot full of water takes less than 3 hours to empty, the flow rate is too fast and the ceramic pot should be replaced.

3. Before Using the Filter for the First Time

Soak the ceramic pot in clear water (rain or tubewell water) for 12 hours

OR

Fill the ceramic pot three times, allow the water to seep through, and discard the filtered water.

Doing one of the above two steps will flush the clay smell and color from the ceramic pot. You only need to do one of the above steps, it is not necessary to do both.


Lastly, clean the receptacle tank and spigot with soapy water. DO NOT use soap to clean the ceramic vessel.



4. Daily Use

Put the filter in a safe place where it will not get knocked over and secure it to the wall or a post.



If the water source is very dirty, tie a piece of cloth over the top of the filter to strain out the dirt and debris.



The filter will flow faster when the ceramic pot is full, so fill it often.



Keep the lid closed to prevent dust and mosquitoes from entering.




5. Cleaning the Filter

The ceramic pot should be cleaned once per month or when the flow rate begins to slow down.

– Clean the inside surface of the lid with soapy water and let it dry.
Place the lid on a level surface with the clean side facing up.



– Carefully lift the ceramic pot out of the receptacle and set it on the lid. Touch only the rim when lifting the ceramic pot.



Do not touch the outside of the ceramic pot with dirty hands and do not set it on an unclean surface.

– Scrub the inside of the ceramic pot with a cloth or soft brush and rinse with clear water.
Do not use soap to clean the ceramic pot.



– Clean the receptacle tank and spigot with soapy water. Put the ceramic pot back into the receptacle tank immediately after cleaning to prevent recontamination. The pot does not have to be dried after cleaning.



6. Good Hygiene

It is important to practice good hygiene to ensure that the water that leaves the filter clean stays clean.

– Do not touch the outside of the ceramic pot, the inside of the receptacle, or the spigot opening with dirty hands.



– Place the filter up off the ground in a clean and tidy place.



– Wash hands and drinking glasses often with soap and water.



7. Effective Life of the Filter The ceramic filter pot should be replaced when any of the following occurs:

· The filter becomes cracked
· The filter flow rate is too slow and scrubbing no longer causes it to increase, or
· The filter has been used for three years.




House 22, Street 592, Toul Kork, Phnom Penh
Tel: 023 880 604 Fax: 023 880 059
ide@online.com.kh
www.ide-international.org

Water from the Rabbit Water Purifier has been tested by the Ministry of Health and meets World Health Organization guidelines for clean drinking water

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Pix For You

Here are some pix I've taken in the last few days.



Coming back from town, this is a very scenic drive.















Finally home!



Pretty storm clouds, got a little rain from this one.





Our little fox came around today, I fed him crackers while I snapped a few pix of him.









That's all for now... hope you enjoyed them.
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9 Comments


Blogger The Scavenger said...
Great pictures. Man that is some wide open space compared to what I am used too. Love the pics of the fox. You have a beautiful place, I love it.

Chris
May 28, 2008 9:54 PM
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Blogger Wretha said...
Thanks Chris, it is some wide open spaces, until you get into the mountains... the fox is a wonder to watch, we just fed it some old bread, we were sitting out on our deck and heard it walking around in the dark, got out the flashlight and saw him, he came running when he heard the bread wrapper. :) Well trained and well fed critter!

Wretha
May 28, 2008 10:06 PM
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Blogger HOLLIS said...
How is the turbine coming from the drill? Have you done some more tests using it? How did Bob wire it. I have a old cordless drill I want to test with, but I don't know where to begin.
May 29, 2008 8:39 AM
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Blogger Mayberry said...
Beautiful. I've been eyeballin' some of that Pecos land for sale, I dunno. I love the isolation out your way, but you can't grow much by way of crops I reckon. Keep the pics coming, maybe I'll come around!
May 29, 2008 12:14 PM
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Blogger Wretha said...
Hi Hollis

We haven't done any more with the drill, I don't know anything about the workings of it, I'll ask PB about it and write it down in my blog. I'll try to do it asap.

*******************

Hi Mayberry,

Yes, it is beautiful, at least it is to me, I love the desert and the mountains, I get the best of both! I am growing a garden, so far everything has been growing OK, though right now everything is still pretty small, our soil is great, but you don't have to go far to hit hard packed horrible soil, so if you are looking at a piece of land, I would recommend taking a post hole digger and checking out the soil. The only problem I might have is the altitude, I heard that okra will not grow very well up here, I just received my order of okra seeds, I'll find out soon if that's true. The only other thing that might be an issue is water, as long as you have enough water, and enough mulch, and a way to protect it from the hungry critters, you should be able to grow crops for food.

Wretha
May 29, 2008 1:16 PM
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OpenID lornkanaga said...
Now if I could just convince my hubby that you can indeed bring life to the desert (sigh).

Heck, I just want to leave the rat race--I am so envious of you.

TheMajor'sLady
June 6, 2008 4:41 AM
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Blogger Wretha said...
Thanks TheMajor'sLady, it IS quite possible to bring life to the desert. If you really want to leave the rat race, start planning now, decide what kind of place you want, desert, mountain, wooded, grassy, wet, dry... and GO FOR IT! :) You will rarely regret what you DO, only what you DON'T DO. :)

Wretha
June 6, 2008 12:10 PM
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OpenID lornkanaga said...
Agreed, Wretha. I've been searching the internet for property in various places--so far, West VA, VA, NC, MO, and now TX--and keep hoping my sweetie will look at one and say "Yes, that's it!" but I'm not holding my breath (heavy sigh). Even though he wants to leave the rat race as much as I do, he's a bit more hesitant. ;-)

TheMajor'sLady
June 8, 2008 6:28 AM
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Blogger Wretha said...
TheMajor'sLady, It is scary to up and leave everything you know for something unknown even if it is a virtual paradise!

Don't give up, remember, positive thinking really works, dream it, see it, claim it! Prayer doesn't hurt either :)

Wretha
June 8, 2008 11:51 AM