Premium distilled water for ultrasonic record cleaner

IMO, using expensive double-distilled, RO purified, or reagent grade water is probably overkill.  Even distilled water from the grocery store only has a few ppm of impurities, something overwhelmingly contaminated from the junk on your records.  It might be interesting for someone to do a water conductivity study over the course of cleaning records.  I think the best course is to change the water regularly; I change mine about every 25 records. I also wipe off the superficial dust and fibers with a microfiber cloth before cleaning.  If you want to use the expensive ultra-pure water, by all means do so but I would wager its conductivity to increase significantly after only a few cleanings and therefore higher than that of new distilled water. 

5 gallons of Nerl on its way
thanks Whart

I use, like Whart, reagent grade water for my record cleaning chores.  While I don't have a fancy US cleaner, I do use it to mix up my surfactant solutions and as my two rinse.  I got mine from Amazon for a similar price as above.
http//www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0018EDGLM?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

We use to have, at work, small washer to clean flux off PC boards. It looked like regular dishwasher and used DI water for rinsing. Distilled water was not good enough even for that - we had to buy deionizing columns. DI water that you can purchase in store might be good enough for record cleaning.

Tomb- it is this stuff: [url]http://www.thermoscientific.com/en/product/nerl-reagent-grade-water.html[url]

It is also available from other third party suppliers for even less than I paid, but check the shipping cost before you order- the shipping price from Fisher to me in NY was almost nothing, and 5 Gallons is pretty heavy. 
Yes, I think Albert uses the same grade of water- in fact, I had him verify what he was using b/c I was tired of paying beaucoup prices for small containers. 

Whart
Is that the Nerl reagent grade water
or
reagent grade deionized water?

thanks

I have the four step Walker fluids that I use those on my Loricraft which I use for only really soiled records if its a rare title.  Hate to use that $$ water in the Klaudio
not sure i will keep the Loricraft

i have been using drug store off the shelf distilled water
the tank takes about 2/3rds of a gallon

I’ll check out the Fisher Scientific Thermo and compare with the Audio Intellegent

doesn’t Albert Porter use some specific brand?

thanks

Tomb- I use reagent grade water which is very expensive to buy at retail. I buy it in bulk. For a while, I was buying it from OpticsPlanet online, but it was more expensive each time I ordered it. A week or so ago, I checked their site, and it appears that they no longer carry it. I tracked down the supplier of the water, Fisher Scientific, which sells it under the Thermo brand. The price, with shipping, was about 2/3’s the cost of buying it from Optics. I use it for my KL, as a rinse when cleaning records on my Monks, and to make up cleaning fluids from concentrates like the Hannl, which is not sold in un-concentrated form here in the States. As to benefits, it is costly, but peace of mind- I don’t exactly know what processes some distilled, R/O, DI and other ’purified’ waters go though, particularly those sold in groceries or large retail outlets, the ’lab’ stuff has to meet certain standards, and goes through multiple purification steps. It is probably overkill, but since I usually do one thorough cleaning of a record and that’s it--for posterity--I want some assurance I’m leaving no residue on the vinyl surface. There are different grades of ’lab’ water, and a few sites that explain the processes to meet the various grades. To me, it is a relatively small cost given the sizable investment I have in records. To others, it may be a waste of money.
In my discussions with the preservation specialists at the LOC, they suggested DI water, which is not terribly expensive and meets the objective of not leaving mineral residue on the record. That interview is posted online.

Is LAST or Walker water any worse? I use Audio Intelligent, by the way, though not with ultrasonic machine. I have a mistrust for anything Mo-Fi so I don't even consider their water. 

Thanks guys

does the water have to be changed out more frequently?

rzado. The sale is only $200 off an expensive product
but I took the plunge -. The kitchen will be quieter

thanks

Audiotomb,

I also use the KL Audio - I don't have the silencer, but will check out the sale now.

In terms of water, you are looking for the highest purity you can obtain.  In particular, check out Audio Intelligent, which is purportedly "filtered and de-ionized in a 6 step process that produces a research grade product":

http://www.audiointelligent.com/products.htm

How are these processes done?

Why it has to be distilled water?  Distilled water is not that clean.  Reverse Osmosis water might be cleaner.  RO water I make at home has about 4ppm when membranes are new.  Deionized water should also be cleaner than distilled and you can buy it in 1 gallon containers.