[Tittywahah]

As you can see from the uploaded image my gas central heating makes a brilliant source of steam, lots of it.  So instead of a small kettle boiling with tubes running through ice packs I decided to use the extreme cold weather here and this free source of steam to collect water.   I would like to know if the steam would have any un-wholesome effects on normal plastic drain pipe, would there be any risks of contamination?  The idea is to attach the 7 inch diameter wide pipe via hooks onto the end of the cage, not removing it, thereby allowing for some natural escape of steam just to play it safe.  I reckon that I could collect 1 litre of water every day instead of having to buy the stuff, which is expensive here.  My only concern is the use of plastic, since I have no technical knowledge at all about their properties.  Obviously glass is out of the question. The extreme cold provides an excellent condensor in this process.
Thankyou.

[curiouscat]

I'm curious where do you live? Wondering if 1 L / day is worth the effort?

Plastic is generic; what kind is it? HDPE? etc.

[Tittywahah]

I'm curious where do you live? Wondering if 1 L / day is worth the effort?

Plastic is generic; what kind is it? HDPE? etc.

Hi, live in Ireland, very cold right now.  Well 5 litres cost me about 7 euros.  I can get through that in three weeks but I want to use it for photographic purposes where tap water is sufficient otherwise.  But the nature of the photographic processes would best be served with an absence of interfering carbonates, sulphates and chlorides in order to establish the best and the consistency.  In this way I probably would use about 5 litres in 2 weeks.  So 1 litre a day is great that's a lot of money saved.  As for the plastic, I will look up HDPE, I have no idea about types of plastic, so buying a drain pipe is well just a drain pipe to me.

[Borek]

I am not convinced you will be able to make a lot of pure water the way you described. In the long run I would look for a RO unit used by aquarists (something like this: http://www.ro-world.co.uk/acatalog/3_Stage_36_Gallon_Per_Day_Reverse_Osmosis_System.html#a41 - this is the first one I found googling for an example, in no way I am endorsing this particular make/product).

[Tittywahah]

I am not convinced you will be able to make a lot of pure water the way you described. In the long run I would look for a RO unit used by aquarists (something like this: http://www.ro-world.co.uk/acatalog/3_Stage_36_Gallon_Per_Day_Reverse_Osmosis_System.html#a41 - this is the first one I found googling for an example, in no way I am endorsing this particular make/product).

Well I have bookmarked that item.  An eye opener, did not know that these things were available for home plumbing.  Thanks.   However, for the moment I would like to pursue my first idea, it will give me enough for the present needs and 1 litre a day was a minimum.  Anyway I have just looked up very useful information and discovered what HDPE is, also PVC class 2 could be used from what I read.  Hey thanks for that osmosis kit, something to consider in the future, especially in my work.

[fledarmus]

Most of the plumbing pipe here in the states is PVC or CPVC. The major difference is that PVC tends to warp when it is used to carry hot water, while CPVC doesn't. Both of them tend to get brittle in really cold conditions, however.

An interesting challenge - how do you make sure that your pipe is long enough to condense all the water without being so long that the water freezes before dripping out the end? Or is your definition of "extremely cold" different from mine? Also, when it gets extremely cold here, it also tends to get extremely dry - you may end up not being able to condense much steam at all out of the air, just due to low humidity in the ambient air.

[Tittywahah]

Most of the plumbing pipe here in the states is PVC or CPVC. The major difference is that PVC tends to warp when it is used to carry hot water, while CPVC doesn't. Both of them tend to get brittle in really cold conditions, however.

An interesting challenge - how do you make sure that your pipe is long enough to condense all the water without being so long that the water freezes before dripping out the end? Or is your definition of "extremely cold" different from mine? Also, when it gets extremely cold here, it also tends to get extremely dry - you may end up not being able to condense much steam at all out of the air, just due to low humidity in the ambient air.

Actually you have made some very good points, but fortunately cold for me is between 0 and 5c in Ireland.  Also Damp damp Damp, there is so much water around that dryness is the problem here.

[curiouscat]

Most of the plumbing pipe here in the states is PVC or CPVC. The major difference is that PVC tends to warp when it is used to carry hot water, while CPVC doesn't. Both of them tend to get brittle in really cold conditions, however.

An interesting challenge - how do you make sure that your pipe is long enough to condense all the water without being so long that the water freezes before dripping out the end? Or is your definition of "extremely cold" different from mine? Also, when it gets extremely cold here, it also tends to get extremely dry - you may end up not being able to condense much steam at all out of the air, just due to low humidity in the ambient air.

One problem with plastic is that it's a bad conductor of heat. Another is that if you do manage to get any grease or grime on the surface that might be a tad hard to clean.

Actually you have made some very good points, but fortunately cold for me is between 0 and 5c in Ireland.  Also Damp damp Damp, there is so much water around that dryness is the problem here.

[curiouscat]

An interesting challenge - how do you make sure that your pipe is long enough to condense all the water without being so long that the water freezes before dripping out the end?

Would a steam trap work?

[Tittywahah]

The fact that the plastic is a bad conductor of heat works in my favour - the outlet that you see is where blistering hot steam gets shot out at some speed.  The second half of the equation is simply to have re-directed from going up into the sky to going into a pipe where it will cool quickly and drip...that's it....I think...so simple I imagine.  As far as a steam trap why would you do that?  I confess that DIY is my worst nightmare - even my wife builds kitchen units while I complain about the badly written instructions...

[Borek]

The fact that the plastic is a bad conductor of heat works in my favour

It doesn't. For the condensation to work you need to remove condensation heat. Otherwise after some initial condensation the steam will simply flow through the tube heated above the dew point.

[curiouscat]

  As far as a steam trap why would you do that? 

Before I confuse you further: Do you know what a steam trap is? I wasn't sure so thought I'd ask. No offense intended.

[Tittywahah]

  As far as a steam trap why would you do that? 

Before I confuse you further: Do you know what a steam trap is? I wasn't sure so thought I'd ask. No offense intended.

Well actually no.  But I assume something to trap the steam so that it has time to condense? Busing looking it up.
Ok, looks like a complex piece of engineering.  So basically I am under the impression that what seemed a good idea - cheap and quite efficient is really going to be not worth it, I might as well stick to the kettle and tubes idea with a tube running through my ice packs soaked in a frozen towel and the condensed water dripping into a container on a level lower than the kettle.

[curiouscat]

Ok, looks like a complex piece of engineering.  So basically I am under the impression that what seemed a good idea - cheap and quite efficient is really going to be not worth it, I might as well stick to the kettle and tubes idea with a tube running through my ice packs soaked in a frozen towel and the condensed water dripping into a container on a level lower than the kettle.

Don't let me dissuade you. You probably won't need a trap; I was speculating. 

[Tittywahah]

Sorry for the delayed response.  Thankyou for the input, and no I am not dissuaded.  If and when I get round to trying I shall expose my failures or celebrate my inginuity on this forum.