[brewsumore]

So, I keep a couple buckets full of tap water in my wine/beer cellar into which dish towels are suspended and humidify the room via the wicking action, with help from a fan blowing on the wet towels.  I just keep adding water into the buckets every day or two as it evaporates.

However, I believe due to lots of temporary hardness (bicarbonates?  Alkalinity?) in my tap water, the water gets very slimy in the bucket and I have to fairly regularly (once or twice per month) wash the dish towels (they get crusty) and dump out the water in the buckets, scrub them out, and then refill with fresh water.

I'm wondering if I can treat my water to prevent the sliminess, so I don't have to revitalize my setup as often.  I was thinking that maybe adding phosphoric acid to reduce the alkalinity might do the trick.

Martin, I hope you see this question!  Otherwise it's time to experiment.

Here are several attributes of my water that might show what causes the sliminess:

Total Hardness, CaCO3      138
Bicarbonate, HCO3            151
Total Alkalinity, CaCO3      124
Total Dissolved Solids Est  183

I realize it's kind of an oddball question.  I know a lot of us deal with the similar problem of Star San solution turning slimy quickly when diluted with hard water.

[dmtaylor]

Wild mold and bacteria are turning it slimy.  Try adding a teaspoon of bleach once per week.  That is what I do for my (real) humidifier.

[erockrph]

Wild mold and bacteria are turning it slimy.  Try adding a teaspoon of bleach once per week.  That is what I do for my (real) humidifier.

Agreed. Hard water may make it feel tacky or crusty, but if there's slime then there's something biological going on.

[scrap iron]

Good advise about a little bleach. If you want to soften the water you could use a little phosphoric acid,star san or vinegar. I had well water for a time that was very hard and was causing deposits in my dishwasher. I started using about a cup  of vinegar and it improved alot, helps with keeping mold and mildew down too.
 

[brewsumore]

Yeah, I already considered trying bleach.  The problem is that it is a big non-no in a winery, especially a wine cellar or tasting room since it is a lead contributor to causing TCA - a mold that causes cork taint.

I know that Star San doesn't work since it turns my water slimy very quickly.  I'll try vinegar and see if it won't create a too vinegar-y smell in the cellar.  Thanks for the ideas guys!

[brewsumore]

I might also try a commercial mold inhibitor for water.