Can You Purify Water Just by Boiling It?

[quintessentone]

I made an activated charcoal filter a while ago, it was quite easy.

100mm diameter drain pipe with a length of 500mm. Cap for top end and a tap at the bottom end fitted into a reducing cone. Stainless steel scrubby thing inside bottom to retain charcoal. Whole thing mounted on a wall using a drain pipe clasp.

The charcoal was from 100% non treated local eco-wood at about a fiver a bag. Smash it up into small granules about 5mm - 10mm. Sieve out the dust. Keep crushing the larger pieces.

Soak the charcoal in distilled water and lemon juice about 5:1 for a few days.

Drain, and dry. I then blast all those little capillaries open by microwaving on full power until completely moistureless.

Then it's ready to use or to store.

The filter works really well, although I have now updated to a 5 micron filter added to my normal water filter on the household feed. Just for drinkable and cooking water etc.

I also have a well, so could filter that water if TSHTF with the charcoal filter and then boil it if necessary just to be sure although the water in my well is already pretty good.

With my new filter system, I am filling empty water bottles on a regular basis and storing it while rotating it to keep it fresh. I'm up to about 45 litres in about a week so far.

Nice.

Stay safe folks, we are made of water.

Sorted!

Thanks, that's what I am looking for, exactly how to activate the charcoal once I grind it down. How would I activate it if the microwave isn't working... cook it over a fire or bake it dry in a pot over a fire? 

At a fiver a bag, how much charcoal was in the bag?

I did read where the charcoal to be used for water filtering must be all natural and from hardwood trees, but what if a company claims their charcoal imparts a smoky flavor, could it be the wood they have used to achieve that? If they say there is nothing else added, should I believe them when they claim it gives off a smoky flavor? Maybe I am overthinking this.

I'm looking at Fogo FP8 hardwood charcoal @ up to $50 for a 17.6 pound bag, but I really have to go to the building stores to see what brands they have, maybe for less.

I have 5 micron filters (10" x 2.5") for my whole house water filter and I buy in bulk, so I could try your PVC pipe filtration system to include the 5 micron filter in there as well. Would this be all I need?

Is it overkill to use multiple (maybe up to 3) layers of sand, gravel, activated charcoal, cheesecloth and the 5 micron filter within the PVC pipe. I don't want to waste resources if I don't have to.

Interestingly enough activated charcoal filters can also be used from fish tank filters and car filters.

Thanks for any advice you can give.