Do you pan with Hot or Cold water?

[GrizzlyGremlin]

I personally always pan with hot water at home with a de-tensioning agent.
Has anyone else tried hot water?

 

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[arizau]

The surface tension of water decreases as it's temperature rises. Don't know how much of an advantage that gives you but it would obviously help to discourage gold to float along with the surfactant you use. CHEM-GUIDE: Surface tension

 

[Hamfist]

I don't pan with hot water, but I use jet dry, which seems to make hot water unnecessary.

Today I panned in a creek that had ice chunks in it. Oh well.

 

[Bonaro]

a couple drops of wetting agent does far more to reduce surface tension that water temp. Warm water to pan is sure is nice on tired hands

 

[russau]

I tried the hot water BUT it didn't stay hot for very long. I thought about using a small heating element but never got around to doing it. looks like Ill just stay with whatever temp water I got!

 

[Hoser John]

Dishwasher anti spotting agent is fantastic for reducing the dynes and doing away with surface tension that floats away your fines. Panned with my wetsuit heater on in deep dark canyons in winter and never really saw a real difference, but kept my butt warm and THAT was good. John

 

[smokeythecat]

Lukewarm with a drop of detergent in it.

 

[Kuntzy]

I use warm water with a couple drops of jet dry.

 

[goldhog]

I use hot / warm water whenever possible, does help on surface tension and in the winter
it just feels better.

I tend to pan on Saturday which is bath day.

 

[Hoser John]

That's the one K jet dry worked for many years and NEVER SOAP as soap bubbles and away goes your goodies. When you need to clean the absolute best, cheapest, easiest chemical is NON-SUDSING AMMONIA . Cleans like a champ and zero suds to float away them fines but rinse good prior to final recovery or panning. John

 

[Capt Nemo]

Warm city water is the best, as it will offgas rapidly, whereas cold will not. Cold water will offgas slower and can get gold either floating or neutrally buoyant even in the presence of Jet Dry. It's why you have to add cold water variation into dive table times to prevent DCS or the "bends" below 70 degrees. Run the water hot and let it cool before panning.

 

[bedrock bubba]

That's the one K jet dry worked for many years and NEVER SOAP as soap bubbles and away goes your goodies. When you need to clean the absolute best, cheapest, easiest chemical is NON-SUDSING AMMONIA . Cleans like a champ and zero suds to float away them fines but rinse good prior to final recovery or panning. John

I use non sudsing ammonia as a clay buster! Toss some sand in your bucket with the clay, stir like crazy, and then float off the crud. Works great!It helps to mash the muck thru a screen in the bucket, too.

 

[Reed Lukens]

Warm water = warm hands. I have a hot water spigot on the side of the house just to run it directly into the panning tub in the winter. I've had to break the ice in the morning many times & hot water wins over frozen hands every time.