FONTUS : the self filling water bottle scam

a self filling water bottle ? sounds like an amazing survival aid right - it does - but unfortunatly " fontus " is a scam

so be warned , should it appear on your radar

the scam site

the concept of the fontus " inovation " is a simple on - which SEEMS to work - simply integrate a peltier dehumidifier module and solar power source and build them into a unit that has a screw on water bottle adaptor - and BANG ` free water from anywhere `

the reason it "seem to work" is because it actually does - in theory - but not at any usefull level of efficiency

your household // industrial dehumidifier does not use peltier tiles - it uses far more efficient dehumidifier engines - and consumes vast amounts of power [ read the spec plate ]

the problem is scale and efficiency

1 peltier modules - are horendously ineficient

2 - sollar panels [ of the size shown in the fontus concept ] generate miniscule amounts of power - even under ideal conditions

3 - the efficiency of any such system has 2 key limits

a - the absolute local humidity - thats the amount of water theoretically availiable from each cubic meter of air

b - the local temperature - which affects actuall efficiency of the peltier

bottom line is - such a portable system cannot produce a sustainable // survivable quantity of water from any realistic environment - and will not supply anything [usefull ] from hot dry environments - like the arizona desert in summer

so thats it - another scam promising the scientifcally impossible . yet the gullible continute to fall for it - the funding drive has ammassed > 300k [ USD ]

the system does " work " - but is waiting 2 ~ 3 days [ ideal - conditions ] for a litre of water REALLY ` working ` - hint you will die in many environments waiting for your bottle to ` fill `

so - the claims are pure BS - dont fall for it

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Thanks for sharing this - I saw an ad for it and thought to myself "so this thing will probably take something like 11 hours to fill up the equivalent of 1 bottle of water, and that's if there is decent humidity"

Now I know for sure this is crap.

Reminds me of that "underwater breathing apparatus" that was supposed to let you breathe underwater like in Star Wars, which was also BS

Thanks for the info *respect*

I just couldn't help but think the whole time I watched their video..."So apparently you've solved the clean water problem forever and you're using the idea to make waterbottles instead of becoming the hero of the entire planet?"

These are definitely under the "If it looks too good to be true..." category.

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Yeah, thanks for the heads up.

I use my msr sweetwater pump, and treatment drops when hiking to camping spots that are too far to lug in the water.
Works fast.

One thing I have noticed, is that the straw/charcoal type are extremely irritating to draw water through, when you are backpacking in 90 degree weather.

For those that don't know...
Solar stills are decent for emergecies, such as being stuck on an island with plants, but no fresh water, I hear.

Dig a hole, place plastic in it, then green plants, cup in the middle of hole. You then put a piece of plastic over everything, then place a rock on top where the cup is below, then the condensation coming out of the heated plants will run down into the cup. Painfully slow.