Filtering a Lava Grande

[Da9L]

I was wondering.. Instead of using a lot of money on a MSR Waterfilter.. Wouldn't it be possible to just use a simple coffee filter? Or would that not work ?

[Tim Gill]

I am not too sure but from what I have seen and think I don't think it would work as well as a coffee filter which has quite large filter holes which would let through most of the muck. Where as a waterfilter is designed to turn un drinkable water into drinking water so therefore the filter system has very small holes to prevent dirt and other bacteria getting into the filtered water.

I guess you could try with many coffee filters together and filter the Grande many times that could give the same result.

[Da9L]

But those MSR filters.. They filter only the muck out ? I mean the water in the lamp should consist of a mix of different things where some of em is important.. Dont the MSR waterpump filter out some of these?

Tim Gill said:

I am not too sure but from what I have seen and think I don't think it would work as well as a coffee filter which has quite large filter holes which would let through most of the muck. Where as a waterfilter is designed to turn un drinkable water into drinking water so therefore the filter system has very small holes to prevent dirt and other bacteria getting into the filtered water.

I guess you could try with many coffee filters together and filter the Grande many times that could give the same result.

[Da9L]

If i loose some water in the process.. Allthough it will be very little, should i just add normal water to the lamp then ?

[Tim Gill]

should i just add normal water to the lamp then ?

Just no - if you do have to add water it must be distilled water and if there is a lot of water lost then you might have to consider a complete water redo.

I am not too sure about a complete water redo and how it is done but whatever you do don't use normal tap water.

[Autumn]

Do not use a coffee filter. Coffee filters only filter down to 20 microns, msr filters will filter down to .05 microns. You are wasting your time with a coffee filter, or any other filter that is not ceramic. If any liquid is lost just refill it with water. The fluid in grandes has a density so close to water that it wont effect anything.

[Da9L]

 

Okay i will try that.. Gonna order the MSR filter very soon and start the process as you have described.. I have one question though.. In the guide you have made, which is very very fine btw (thanks for that!), you have wrote the following: "After everything settled down I ran it as long as I could before it overheated to break in the wax". What does it exactly mean to break the wax ? You mean the moment the wax start to move around inside the globe or ?

 

アンドル said:

Do not use a coffee filter. Coffee filters only filter down to 20 microns, msr filters will filter down to .05 microns. You are wasting your time with a coffee filter, or any other filter that is not ceramic. If any liquid is lost just refill it with water. The fluid in grandes has a density so close to water that it wont effect anything.

Okay i will do that .. :

[Autumn]

After running the lamp for a few weeks the stuff that clouds the lamp starts to settle at the bottom. If you let your lamp sit long enough you should see white stuff start to settle under the wax. These lamps are cloudy because they are over saturated with this stuff. You want to make sure to get this stuff out, that is the key to making the lamp clear. Running the lamp seems to make the white stuff sink to the bottom over time. Then when you let the lamp sit without running it more of it will settle to the bottom. The process of breaking in occurs during this time, not only does the wax break in, the white stuff settles to the bottom. The wax goes through some sort of chemical change that makes it run better. Once your lamp is running at optimal conditions you can filter it. Filtering the lamp before you break it in will leave you with a lamp that does not run right.

Da9L said:

 

Okay i will try that.. Gonna order the MSR filter very soon and start the process as you have described.. I have one question though.. In the guide you have made, which is very very fine btw (thanks for that!), you have wrote the following: "After everything settled down I ran it as long as I could before it overheated to break in the wax". What does it exactly mean to break the wax ? You mean the moment the wax start to move around inside the globe or ?

 

アンドル said:

Do not use a coffee filter. Coffee filters only filter down to 20 microns, msr filters will filter down to .05 microns. You are wasting your time with a coffee filter, or any other filter that is not ceramic. If any liquid is lost just refill it with water. The fluid in grandes has a density so close to water that it wont effect anything.

Okay i will do that .. :

[Da9L]

So by "breaking in the wax" you mean popping the cap open ? Im very sorry but i dont quite understand what you mean about "breaking in the wax"

 

However on my first lamp i can actually begin to see some white powder like stuff on the very buttom of the globe :)

[Autumn]

No I mean run the lamp at least 16 times for 6 hours each time.

Da9L said:

So by "breaking in the wax" you mean popping the cap open ? Im very sorry but i dont quite understand what you mean about "breaking in the wax"

 

However on my first lamp i can actually begin to see some white powder like stuff on the very buttom of the globe :)

[Da9L]

Arh now i see.. And it needs to cool completely down between the runs ?

アンドル said:

No I mean run the lamp at least 16 times for 6 hours each time.

Da9L said:

So by "breaking in the wax" you mean popping the cap open ? Im very sorry but i dont quite understand what you mean about "breaking in the wax"

 

However on my first lamp i can actually begin to see some white powder like stuff on the very buttom of the globe :)

[Autumn]

Yes.

Da9L said:

Arh now i see.. And it needs to cool completely down between the runs ?

アンドル said:

No I mean run the lamp at least 16 times for 6 hours each time.

Da9L said:

So by "breaking in the wax" you mean popping the cap open ? Im very sorry but i dont quite understand what you mean about "breaking in the wax"

 

However on my first lamp i can actually begin to see some white powder like stuff on the very buttom of the globe :)