Antibacterial Properties Of Silver

[Dug]

I know silver has antibacterial properties and was wondering if silver plating could be used instead of a additive? If so this might be good for bong users.

NOTE: Silver is not toxic. I think is stops a enzyme the bacteria needs.

BTW, will galvanic corrosion be a factor?

 

[Deadlifter]

That's all true, but I think this might be the wrong forum?

 

[Lou Natic]

No, it's associated with cooling (water cooling to be alittle more specific). And this is the cooling forum, so it's all good.

Silver is definately antibacterial, which is the reason alot of people swear by colloidal silver. Although I don't think you would get the same effects if it were plated silver in the bong instead of silver additive. The reason being that the additive is mixed into the water so it's effecting the whole of it, where as silver plating would only do stuff at the surface of the container.

 

[Iron Hawk]

That's all true, but I think this might be the wrong forum?

Possably, but what forum would you rather have it in. Seeing that this applys to s, and those are a major part of some cooling setups, this seems to be an appropriate location. Sounds like a good idea Dug.

 

[Colin]

Colloidal silver is great. My wife and I never get colds, cuts heal faster, etc.

During the covered wagon days, a silver dollar or two at the bottom of the water barrel kept the water fresh. Silver coins were common in milk pitchers for the same reason. The six months I ran a bong cooler, all the water was filtered through a silver impregnated ceramic/charcoal filter. I never had anything growing in the water.

 

[Lou Natic]

Do you use a colloidal silver generator, or buy it? The generators seem pretty handy to have around.

Just curious though, how would you go about plating everything with silver? Is that something you can easily do without a kiln?

 

[craigiz1]

Here is an idea based on this subject. I know there is a special water treatment unit that is used in aquariums that hooks inline with the water filtration system that uses ultra-violet light to kill bacteria. It's a very simple unit. It just looks like a piece of PVC with end caps and a electrical cord. Not too expensive.
Has anybody tried this or heard about it before?

 

[Diggrr]

That's an ozonator. The heavy UV creates ozone in the water.
They also use them for pools and hottubs when you don't want chlorine. Usually in a pool application, they just blow air through a box with the UV lamps in it, then the air is bubbled into the filter system.

Actually, I never thought of it, but that's an easy way to kill the buggies...cold cathode black light.

 

[craigiz1]

In the unit I'm thinking of, every bit of the water passes through the unit for treatment. I would think this to be an ideal use on watercooling setups.

 

[Colin]

Do you use a colloidal silver generator, or buy it? The generators seem pretty handy to have around.

I have made a few generators for friends but since I used to be a Water Oz dealer, I have plenty of their stabilized colloidal silver on hand.

UV generators for aquarium use are very expensive. A decent ozonator for water is too.

 

[Dug]

If surface area is a problem you could plate some metal mesh and place it where the water flows (maybe catch some water too).

You can purchase (silver) electroplating kits.

Still Wodering about corrosion.

 

[Crash893]

you could just coat a heat sinks fins

they have lots of surface area


i think haveing a tube lined would do the job becuase the water is moveing past it so many times its bound to get every one.


is a black light a uv light i thought it was a step down.

or we would al get sunburnt when we went to chesesy parties
also if you did get a uv light you would have to be care full not to degrade your pvc pipes i think they are sensitive to uv

 

[Crash893]

http://www.lenntech.com/uv_en_range.htm

 

[flounder43]

From Quackwatch:

Colloidal Mineral Supplements: Unnecessary and Potentially Hazardous
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/DSH/colloidalminerals.html

Colloidal Silver: Risk Without Benefit
http://www.quackwatch.com/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/PhonyAds/silverad.html

 

[ocean]

You could make the bong out of clear acrylic, add an ozonator.........Betcha it would look pretty cool and no noseeums!
Excellant Smithers......