Filtering IPA with a PUR pitcher

Was in the thrift store today and found a cheap PUR water filter pitcher. Swung by target and picked up a 3 pack of filters to try this experiment.

So far I am impressed.

It is slow (like 1 pt pint day) but it is coming out crystal clear


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Good idea!
One hint - if you leave the IPA into transparent (but closed) container under direct sunlight for few days, the dissolved resin in the IPA will start to cure and form thick layer on the bottom of the container. If you filter this “light cured” IPA you’ll get much better results - the amount of dissolved resin in the IPA will be less. Notice that the filtering of dissolved resin requires extremely thin pores of the filter, not sure you can get such filter (like can you filter easily the dissolved sugar in the water?).

Maybe I didn’t let it sit long enough. I put this container out in the morning and as the sun was going down it didn’t look much different. A little residue are the bottom but nothing like the sludge I see one YouTube videos.

You should check to see that your container material allows 405 nm or UV light through!

This is an old thread. But I’d expect something like a PUR filter to plug up very quickly. We’re not filtering dissolved minerals, we’re filtering particulate in suspension. A lot of particulate in suspension. A metaphorical equivalent might be filtering muddy water with a PUR filter. I’ve never tried it so I don’t know, but I wouldn’t expect it to perform very well or flow for very long…

I’ve noticed that left to its own for a day or two most of the particulate settles to the bottom of the wash tank and the IPA above it is perfectly clear. So I submerge the wash basked thing in to the tank with a sheet of paper towel laid over it. Then I come back in a day or two and slowly pull the basket and paper towel out. This method seems to be good at removing a lot of the resin. The IPA isn’t completely clear like it is before I remove the basket. But it’s definitely clearer.

Hey Everyone,

As @Randy_Cohen mentioned, we do not endorse filtering IPA with a PUR filter. However, if anyone is experiencing long-term success with the process, we would love to know more about what you’re doing!

@Jackson I was the one who did there IPA filtering with a PUR water filter. I would say it was marginally successful. I did recover clear IPA out of very cloudy IPA. However, even though the IPA was as clear as fresh IPA, it continued to leave a tacky texture after drying on parts. Also, this was in the middle of the great IPA shortage of 2020 when IPA was $30+ Gallon. Now that it is back to $8/gallon it is not worth the effort.

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