Activated Carbon / Charcoal

[Crossy]

Hi People.

OK, my ever-loving has fallen in love with the Kenwood jug water filter we brought from the UK.

Unfortunately, the filter cartridges are unobtainable here (unless someone knows otherwise).

The filter uses a mixture of sand and activated carbon granules. It is supposedly possible to re-activate the carbon by baking it, but my experiments have met with only moderate success

So, has anyone seen activated charcoal for sale here. I suspect a medical supply outlet or pharmacy may be the place but I have no idea what Thai for 'activated carbon' is

As always, I fall at the feet of this most knowledgable group

[lopburi3]

Any water filter store, large hardware store, department store, Lotus and such will have bags of it for use in the normal water filters sold here.

[Crossy]

Any water filter store, large hardware store, department store, Lotus and such will have bags of it for use in the normal water filters sold here.

As always Lop comes riding to the rescue

I'll will go foraging immediately.

[lopburi3]

Forgot you will also find in the small kiosks located in various shopping malls that sell water filters such as TMD.

[Crossy]

Forgot you will also find in the small kiosks located in various shopping malls that sell water filters such as TMD.

Got it and the ion exchange resin as well (it's not sand).

As usual I've been walking past the stuff for months in Tesco, it just didn't register in my brain. I must be going senile.

Cheers for the assitance

We shall see shortly if the other half thinks it works as well as the 'proper' Kenwood stuff. Not going to tell her that it is a recycled filter cartridge, that might skew the result

Edited May 28, 2005 by Crossy

[Nordlys]

Is it the same thing as what the Thais call "carbon"?

How about ones they use for fish tank filters? Would that suffice?

I bought bags of those for my fish tank filter replacement.

They sell those at shops in Sunday Plaza (big open-air acquairum fish market) next to JJ market just opposite Children's Musemun. I don't remember how much they cost (they come in different size bags - but same small pieces of charcoal) but not more than B500 at the most, I think.

[Crossy]

Is it the same thing as what the Thais call "carbon"? 

How about ones they use for fish tank filters?  Would that suffice? 

I bought bags of those for my fish tank filter replacement. 

They sell those at shops in Sunday Plaza (big open-air acquairum fish market) next to JJ market just opposite Children's Musemun.  I don't remember how much they cost (they come in different size bags - but same small pieces of charcoal) but not more than B500 at the most, I think.

Not sure I'd want to use the fish tank stuff Lotus have 'food grade' carbon and ion exchange resin, 120 Baht or so for 1 litre, enough to refill my cartridges for the next 100 years by the looks of it.

I have refilled a Kenwood cartridge, awaiting the verdict from the other half

Edited May 28, 2005 by Crossy

[easttech]

I don't think there is a difference between "food" grade activated carbon and what you would find in a pet shop for aquarium use. Activated carbon is activated carbon, although they may try to put the 'food" grade label on it to charge more. Don't be scared off by carbon used for fish tanks, after all would you ever drink water a fish could not live in?

[lopburi3]

There are fish swimming in water I would not consider drinking - and some of them have three eyes.

[Nordlys]

I don't think there is a difference between "food" grade activated carbon and what you would find in a pet shop for aquarium use. Activated carbon is activated carbon, although they may try to put the 'food" grade label on it to charge more. Don't be scared off by carbon used for fish tanks, after all would you ever drink water a fish could not live in?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I would think so too.

Actually just found out where on the label (in Thai) does it say specifically it is for the fish tank use. They just sell it at acquarium shops (for the purpose of absorbing ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc. that are harmful to the fish). They come in the size about the same as fish tank gravel.

Edited May 28, 2005 by Nordlys