How to Change Sea Water to Drinking Water
The simplest and least expensive way to convert sea water into drinking water is to distill it.
Distillation involves heating seawater in an enclosed vessel and directing the water vapor through a condensing line, capturing the resulting pure water and leaving the salt behind.
Things You'll Need
- Sea water source
- Heating source (stove, etc)
- Pressure cooker
- Flexible metal or high-temperature plastic pipe (at least three feet long and a tight fit over the pressure cooker relief post)
- Glass collection vessel (at least half the capacity of the pressure cooker)
- Soap
- Clean water
Instructions
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Do-it-yourself Desalination
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1
Clean the pressure cooker, condensing line (plastic or metal) and collecting vessel with soap and water. Air dry.
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2
Slip the condensing line over the pressure cooker lid's pressure relief post. The tighter the fit, the better.
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3
Fill the pressure cooker base 75-90 percent with sea water and place on stove burner.
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4
Fit pressure cooker lid onto pressure cooker and turn on stove burner to medium heat.
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5
Place open end of condensing pipe into glass collection vessel.
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6
Heat the pressure cooker until the collection vessel is full of pure water or until condensing water no longer drips from the hose.
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7
Remove pressure cooker from heat and allow to cool.
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8
After cool-down (at least one hour), clean the pressure cooker, lid and condensing pipe before re-using.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Run the condensing pipe through a cool water (may be sea water) bath to aid in condensation efficiency. Wet cloths wrapped around the pipe will do if the bath is not practical.
As you use the system, adjust starting volume of sea water and temperature for best yield of drinking water.
Always exercise caution when using a pressure cooker. Never open the cooker while it is hot.
