Tap water?

[BADS197]

I got my 8cigar sampler and 20ct humi from CI today.

I don't have any solution for the small humidier inside and I don't have any distilled water (it's at home).

It's just a moisture pad of sorts, the free ones that come with humi's.

Can I just use tap water?

I plan on using this for my lunchtime smokes so I don't have to carry them from home/work every day and to lighten the load on my two humi's at home.

thanks
jake

[Blaylock]

Just curious...where are you that you can't get ahold of distilled water?

[BADS197]

At work.

LOL

Headed home soon, so I guess the cigars will be ok one more day..

I have a big bottle at home just wanted to know if it had to be distilled.

[Blaylock]

Ahhh...thought you were in the middle of an Ocean or something!

I would wait and use the distilled. The cigars should be fine.

[DonWeb]

Short term (up several days) there should be no problem. You just want to let them acclimatize once they're in the humi.

Longer term (given you water is "clean") you can use tap water. However, the minerals and other uglies in water will start clogging the moisture pad affecting the system.

Depending on the tap water, you may start having issues sooner than later.

All told, I haven't seen anyone recommend tap water for long term storage.

[Big A]

When i got my first humi the guy at the B&M said to use bottle water I guess it would be better than tap but i have only seen to use distilled. If its only another day i would just wait.

[Lexxxus]

I have a friend who has a couple coolers and he simply uses small bowls with small amounts of tap water to keep a 65-68% humidity and has been doing that for at least 2 years and his smokes are always great.

I know another who uses sponges soaked in tap water in his humidor and they eventually discolor a bit and he tosses them. Also no problems that he can tell.

I have my first beads on the way and I will be using distilled only (I previously and currently use / used sponges with distilled water and sometimes tap) I've never had any mold issues or taste problems.

[Codename47]

I would never use tap water

[Cigary]

Originally Posted by Codename47

I would never use tap water

Ditto,,,ya see inside the toilet tank that line in there? That would be what tap water does to your hygrometer. yuck

[Lexxxus]

I can understand people's concerns about tap water and a hygromenter...

I'm no microbiologist, but I cannot see how tap water (which many of us drink) would somehow pollute or damage cigars if it was simply being used to dampen say, floral sponge or be simply used as a moisture medium like my friend does in a simple open-air bowl in his cooler.

Has anyone heard of cigars being ruined by the use of non-distilled water? I can imagine that heavily chlorinated water might not be wise.