Can anyone advise what these solutions I see for sale to take the place of distilled water do? Seems to me water can't be improved upon.

Uh, what are you asking? What water to fill a credo with? I use the beads in my collerdor (waiting to order an Aristocrat until after the new year), and the puck in my desktops.

http://www.cigarmony.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=92&products_id=463

Use distilled water in the puck.

Go with the beads.

I think he is asking about propolyne glycol solutions. They are supposed to regulate your R/H right at 70%. I think they are useless. Find an element that will work using only distilled water and stick with that, or use the beads. Those 50/50 solutions are a waste of time and money.

Thanks for the help. I'll stay with distilled H2O.

Ok here is the deal as I understand it,the 50/50 solution must be used in a new humidifier(standard credo types)what it does is condition the humidor to maintain a 70% level.without conditioning with the propylene glycol the humidor will not be able to maintain a 70% level as water alone will not hold that magic number.after initial conditioning then you refill with distilled water and only use the 50/50 when you notice your humidors inability to hold the desired 70%.kinda a occasional tune up.even my daniel marshall humidor uses the 50/50 initially.

That is true spaaz, with florist foam type credos. There are several on the market that use a molecular type foam that only require distiled water. Western comes to mind. Also the wicking kind like Diamond Crown use water only.

Also, the 50/50 solution has antimold properties. That means it helps prevent mold from forming on your cigars. If mold is a concern, you should use it. It does not, in my experience, affect the taste of the cigars in any way.

Personally, I use distilled water and beads, but then my humidor is in Colorado where there's rarely mold of any kind because of the dryness.

In reguards to beads I have found this web site to be very helpful. They explain how to know how much you need based on the size of your humidor. I'm ordering mine very soon.
http://www.heartfeltindustries.com/

PG is a chemical that retards dehumidification. It is common in cigarettes, and most pipe tobaccos. Used in high enough concentrations, it has a distinctive and undesirable taste. It is not a desirable additive to tobacco, and is not used by makers of pure tobaccos.