Distilled Water

Man has known the science of distillation for centuries as sailors distilled water from seas while on long voyages. So, it is nothing new, but one might not know in detail about uses of distilled water in modern times. This article attempts to describe some such regular uses of distilled water in our days and times.

Distilled water is not cheap to manufacture commercially so industries have often substituted de-ionized water for distilled water but level of purity in de-ionized water is always considerably lower as compared to distilled water. So, for experiments usually laboratories use distilled water, and sometimes double-distilled water.

The first and most common use of distilled water that we are familiar with is its use in topping up of our car batteries. If any other water is used instead, the lead electrodes get corroded faster and considerably reduce battery life.

Same is applicable for air conditioning and air cooling systems of cars. Use of anything other than distilled water actually reduces efficacy of anti-freezing solutions in these systems by causing totally unwanted chemical reactions. The fact that non-distilled water tends to eat away the sensitive and sophisticated innards of these machines is of course another equally distracting bit of news.

Use of non-distilled water in any form of steam boiler causes residues to remain within the boiler and connected pipes and these scales either totally jam up the pathways meant for steam or severely restrict those leading to marked reduction in levels of efficiency of these machines. So, distilled water must always be used where either water comes in contact with narrow tubes and pipes or where water is heated to obtain steam UNLESS the boiler and the pipes are made out of cast iron or other kinds of metals that rust easily, in which case, damage to the boiler and pipes is possible if using distilled water.

Some overenthusiastic lovers of colorful fish often feel filling their aquariums with distilled water in place of normal water would make the fish healthier. While there is absolutely no doubt that distilled water is purer than natural water, the former does not have essentially salts and minerals that are needed to maintain a healthy ecosystem for fish to thrive and if distilled water is indeed used in aquariums it must be replenished by adequate amounts of absolutely necessary salts and nutrients. For humans, however, consumption of distilled water is safe because humans derive close to 100% of their nutrients from food sources and not water.

Tobacco enthusiasts are of the opinion that their favorite cigars or tobacco that they stuff in their smoking pipes do not taste half as good if they are not stored in optimum humid conditions. To maintain this ambient humidity manufacturers often take recourse to humidors that use copious volumes water to maintain desirable levels of humidity. Distilled water is the only option to use in such humidors as scales from tap water will choke up the capillary type pipes in these machines if used for a considerable period of time.

And here is an all important insider information from those that prefer to brew their own drinks at home instead of buying from wine shops. For these connoisseurs, distilled water is an absolute must when they brew their Pilsners as distilled water can be safely used to mimic soft water of the famed rivers of Pilsen, and for regular drinks, distilled water enhances the flavor because of its purity.

Introduction:

Distilled water is a kind of water that has many of its impurities and harmless chemical contents removed through distillation process. The process of Distillation normally involves boiling the water and then condensing the steam into a clean container, hence leaving contaminants behind. This process has already been used since ancient times when people used to distill the sea water. Distilled water contains very low amount of dissolved solids (practically Zero). To do this, water is being cleansed by passing through one or more ECC (Evaporation Condensation Cycle). Distillation process also removes the electrolytes from the water.

Commercial Uses and Applications:

Distilled water is a pure form of water and can be used in biological and chemical laboratories. It can also be used in different industries for different purpose. Double distilled water is also used for the same purpose but when high purity in water is absolutely necessary.

Distilled water is also used in CPAP (Constant Positive Airway Pressure). These machines are used to help breathing throughout the sleep cycles for sleep apnea people.

To top off lead acid batteries, distilled water is used and these batteries are used in the trucks and cars. Tap water will reduce the lifetime of any batter, if used for this purpose because of the many impurities that tap water has.

It can be also used in automotive cooling system, model steam engine boilers and modern engines of others type as normal water can reduce the efficiency of boilers; note that if you have an old boiler made out of Cast Iron or other corrosive metal, distilled water will do damage to your boiler and pipes just like the steam of regular water will do. Authorities used to use the distilled water for aquariums as it has less chemical component than tap water but it was discovered that it is too pure to support ecosystem of aquarium.

Distilled water is also used to increase the density of air for the purpose of Airplane jet takeoff.

Drinking Distilled Water:

Distilled water can be available at home and also in bottled form in pharmacies and supermarkets. Water purification or distillation is needed where normal water resources are not suitable for chemical treatment or ingesting without boiling of water. Municipal water supplies are usually safe for consumption and contains trace component at limited or required level. Fluoride and similar ions cannot be easily removed through conventional water filter treatment, but distillation removes out most of impurities. Distilled water is also used for drinking purpose in arid seaside areas lacking of freshwater resources. Since majority of the minerals ingested by humans comes from food sources (96% or more) then distilled water is an excellent drinking source for hydration, with many people in the USA and Europe drinking it.

Importance for Health:

There are both advantages and disadvantages are available for drinking of distilled water. The water which is not distilled contains some dissolves solids and known as hard water can cause cardiovascular effect after consumption. Study results that consumption of hard water or non distilled water is the reason for atherosclerotic heart disease. The Disadvantage is the potential for not getting all the minerals in distilled water; however, minerals can easily be added to distilled water for a cost of less than a penny per glass.

Are you looking to drink clean and pure water at home? If you have concerns about the health and safety of the water you drink or just the general taste of your water you may want to go with distilled water. Here’s what you need to know about distilled water.

Why Distilled Water?

If you want to drink clean water you need to remove the impurities form your water and distilling the water will do that. You can remove sodium, bacteria, water hardness, organic compounds, solids, heavy metals and other impurities form your water. With a good distiller you can remove up to 99.5 of impurities from your water so you have clean and pure water to drink or cook with. With distilled water there are still some impurities that are left behind but this is minimal.

You may have some VOCs or volatile organic contaminants that are left behind when you distill water as these aren’t removed completely by distillation. With a good distiller you can however, remove most of these contaminants.

Testing Your Water

Before you think about distilled water it’s a good idea to have your water tested to determine what’s in the water in the first place. You should have this examined to determine the impurities ad if it’s worth it to distill the water. Some water can already be quite clean and it may be perfectly safe for you to drink. The decision to distill the water is ultimately up to you. By having the water checked you can decide on the best method for cleaning your water that will work for you.

It may be a good idea to check your water on a periodic basis to determine the quality of the water. If you have any concerns about the quality of your water then distilled water is the way to go because you’ll get clean water to drink and you won’t have to worry about testing it – Testing the water is really expensive. You can also get water treatment test results form your local community so you have a better idea of the quality of the water you’re drinking.

How Distilling Works

Distilled water is create by heating the water until it boils and then condensing that water back into a container so it’s pure. As the water boils the impurities are left behind and the steam goes through a cooling section and then this will condense back into a liquid which is your pure distilled water that you’ll drink, cook with and so on. You can then store this distilled water for whatever need you have. When you create distilled water you remove the impurities during the process.

You’re first glass of Distilled water will taste bland if you’re not used to it as you don’t have the taste of the dissolved minerals and impurities in the water, however, after one day of drinking it you’ll get used to the taste of pure refreshing water and your taste buds won’t let you go back to non-distilled water. However, you can always add minerals back into the distilled water for less than a penny per glass. You should use glass, stainless steel, or plastic to store your water. Glass is probably your best option. If you use plastic make sure it doesn’t contain any contaminants. You should only use this water for cooking and drinking as all other options such as cleaning, washing clothes and so on are just a waste of the distilled water and you get no real benefits from this. It’s safe to use regular water for these purposes.