Distilled Water Association

Water Education through Science and Engineering

Distilled Water

Chlorine in Tap and Bottled Water, Not in Distilled Water

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Chlorine is commonly found in swimming pools. It is used to clean the water, and is known for stinging the eyes. However, did you know that it can also be found in regular drinking water? This is especially the case for bottled or tap water. It is possible to enjoy pure water through the distilling process.

Chlorine in Tap and Bottled Water

Chemicals and bacteria are found in water that is not fully purified. Chlorine is one of those chemicals that is actually used as part of the purification process. It is usually trace, and to the point where you can’t really taste it. However, that does not mean it is not dangerous or will not cause health problems. This is why you need to focus on pure, healthy water to drink.

No Chlorine in Distilled Water

Distilled water is the best purified water. The chemicals like chlorine are removed. This happens through the process of boiling the water and turning it into a vapor and with the resulting water passing through a carbon filter. The temperatures are high enough to boil the water, but not to vaporize the other elements. The impure elements, and others found in water, will remain in solid or liquid form at the bottom, while the water becomes a gas.

The water is then sent through a cooling chamber to become a liquid again. The chemicals that are not removed by the first step of distillation (i.e. evaporation) are removed via the charcoal filter.

Why Remove the Chlorine?

You may think that the process of distilling water is too time consuming. Is it really that important to remove the trace elements of chlorine and other chemicals and impurities? The truth is you have no idea how much of these are actually found in your tap or bottled water. You also have no idea what else is in there. Plus, if you buy a water distiller, the process is simple and automatic.

Removing the chlorine will mean you get water that will not harm your body as a whole. The water will also taste better.

It is time to make a switch to distilled water. It is pure water, so you get a better taste and will find it is better for your health.

When to Use an Emergency Water Distiller

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You may have heard of an emergency water distiller. The question is what one of these is. Really, it does everything that it says. It will purify your water through the distilling process and can be used in an emergency, without using electricity! So, when would you find an emergency water distiller useful?

While Out Camping

If you’re going camping, it could be worth taking a distiller with you. It won’t matter where you end up or the type of water source you have. You will be able to remove the impurities and enjoy fresh, pure water. These are great if you’re going on long camping trips, when you can’t take enough bottles of distilled water with you.

On Survival Expeditions

Another time to consider emergency water distillers is when you’re out on survival expeditions. You will usually need to drink from streams and even lakes. You have no idea what chemicals and harmful bacteria are in these. Having the distiller will mean you can quickly purify your water in a way that is very healthy for you.

When There Is No Electricity

Most distillers will require an electrical socket. This is great when you’re using it at home, until you get a power cut. There have been some areas hit with long power cuts lasting a few days. What would you do then? You would have to rely on the tap water. Is that something you really want?

An emergency distiller usually runs on heat, from a stove or fire. There is no need for an electrical supply, and you can still enjoy your pure water.

Can’t Clean Filters

A reverse osmosis system or filter system may be something you prefer to use. However, you will need to clean the filters with each use and it’s not easy to move around if you go on camping trips. This isn’t something that needs to happen with an emergency water distiller. There will also be fewer trace elements left behind, as they can get caught in filters.

Is an emergency water distiller worth your money? Think about getting pure water, no matter what your water source is like.

Purified Water vs. Distilled Water: Which Is Better?

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Distilled water is just purified water, right? Well, while that is the gist of things, there are differences between the several processes of water purification. It’s important to understand these differences to know the better type of water for you.

Distilling Water

Distilling water is the process of boiling the water to the point of vaporizing it. The heat will Not vaporize all the other elements in water, so all you’re left with is pure water. That vapor is then passed into a condensing tube and cooled so it becomes a liquid again, and most distillers come with a carbon filter to remove even those chemicals that might have been evaporated. If you have extremely dirty water, it might take another attempt to really get pure water.

The other elements, like minerals and bacteria, are left in the original section of the equipment. They are then discarded and the equipment is ready to use again.

Other methods of Purifying Water

This really refers to how pure the water is; the quality of that water. It is not a set process, but can involve a variety of methods. Distilling water is one of them. However, some purified water is gained through ion exchange and reverse osmosis. The water will be 10 parts-per-million (PPM) or fewer, which means that all the extra elements are removed.

The different processes have their own pros and cons. It is important to find out how the water is purified before jumping straight for it. This will tell you whether all the other elements have been removed.

Normal Purified Water Can Still Have Chemicals and impurities

In some cases, the purified water may not have all the chemicals and impurities removed. The processes may not have been thorough enough. Distilling the water will make sure that all elements are removed. The water is only boiled to a point where only the water elements vaporize; some rare chemicals may evaporate too, that’s why most distillers also have a carbon filter for extra precaution.

Understanding the difference between the various processes will help you make a well-informed choice. Purified water is just the term for water without the chemicals etc. However, there are a few different options to get to that point, and distilling water is the best one of them.

The Distilled Water Diet: Should You Follow It?

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Did you know that the “distilled water diet” is now a thing? Well, it’s not quite a diet in itself, but the idea is that distilled water can help to speed up weight loss. It should be used instead of drinking tap water and other fluids. But is this something you should follow? Here are some facts to consider.

You Still Need Food

Many people berate distilled water because minerals are removed. It’s important with any diet to still get a healthy and balanced diet. This is also important with the distilled water diet. You need to create a calorie deficit, while focusing on healthy, filling foods.

Get your five a day, and make sure you have the right levels of calcium and unsaturated fats. Getting a balance of protein and carbohydrates is also important.

Negative Calories

Distilled water is a negative-calorie drink. That means it requires more calories to process and burn than it does to drink. While you would need to drink a few glasses to see a weight loss, it is better for you than drinking anything else, especially fruit juices and sugared drinks. Distilled water is also tastier, so you will want to drink more of it.

Health Benefits at the Same Time

Opting for distilled water in your diet will also offer health benefits, as well as weight loss. It removes the harmful chemicals and bacteria. The minerals that are bad for you are also removed, including salt. Your body remains hydrated for longer, and the water doesn’t leave residue behind. You will also find that you won’t suffer from as much water retention, which can help to reduce your weight.

Following the distilled water diet may not be the best thing if you just drink water on its own. However, it is worth adding distilled water into your current diet. It will help you lose weight, and also helps to improve your health due to getting pure water every day.

Distilled Water Vs Reverse Osmosis Revisited: Which Is Better?

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Many people get distilled water and reverse osmosis mixed up. It is understandable; the two seem to offer the same thing. However, both go through very different processes and offer many different pros and cons. It’s important to compare the two to understand which is better for you.

Reverse Osmosis

This is commonly referred to as hyper filtration. Really, it filters the water to remove the particles from it. Water is then purified by removing all the impurities, including minerals and salts, to improve color and taste. The water passes through a membrane that is only large enough to allow the water particles to pass through.

Crossflow is also not commonly used to ensure the membranes are self cleaning. The substances collected during the process are swept away.

Distilling Water

The distilling process does something similar but with heat rather than a membrane. The water is vaporized, but the chemicals and unwanted nutrients will not vaporize. Everything that could possibly be harmful to the body is left behind.

The vaporized water then goes through a condenser to cool and become a liquid again. All that is left behind is the pure water. The chemicals, bacteria, minerals and everything else is left in the vaporizing section.

Which Is Better for You?

Both offer the same benefits: you get some close to pure water. There are some problems with reverse osmosis though. You need to make sure the membranes have not been damaged, so the holes are too small for all the particles. Some may get through. With the distilling process, nothing but water will go through because the boiling points are much higher than the water. It is also easier to clean everything out when distilling the water.

Essentially, Reverse Osmosis removes almost everything in the water, leaving something that is for practical purposes almost the same as Distilled water, except maintenance of the Reverse Osmosis is constant and costly… and if you fail to do proper maintenance, you might actually end up drinking dirty water and getting sick!

There is pretty much one way to consistently get pure water, and that is by using a water Distiller. However, if the Reverse Osmosis is well maintained and the filters constantly updated, then Reverse Osmosis will create water that is basically the same thing as Distilled water. Distilling and reverse osmosis both offer the benefit of removing all the chemicals, bacteria and harmful minerals, so all you get is clean, tasty water.