Water distiller Guide

Everything you need to know about water distillers and distilled water 

This article is designed to cover everything you need to know about drinking distilled water. Let’s kick off with the first question everyone asks.

Why drink distilled water? 

Distilled water is water that has been purified through the process of distillation, which involves boiling the water and then condensing the steam to remove impurities.  

Reasons why some people choose to drink distilled water: 

• It is free of impurities: Distillation removes impurities such as chemicals, and contaminants that may be present in tap water and bottled water. Tap water typically has a large number of contaminants, everything from dissolved solids like limescale to organic compounds like herbicides, fuels and even medications and illegal drugs. Bottled water is not much better – any bottled water that comes in a plastic bottle contains microplastics that your body is unable to excrete. The only way to know what you put into your body is to use a water distiller to create your own distilled drinking water.
• Medical reasons: Distilled water is often recommended for specific medical procedures or conditions that require strict control of mineral intake. For example, in specific laboratory tests, medical procedures, or when preparing baby formula, distilled water may be preferred to minimise potential interactions with minerals or other substances. 
• CPAP machines: These machines are used for sleep apnoea treatment. 
• Tropical plants: Tropical plants are sensitive to water quality and hardness. Distilling water removes the impurities mentioned above, leaving you with pure H20. Using distilled water for tropical plants ensures you know exactly what you are giving them and not giving them.
• Home appliances: Distilled water is often used in appliances like steam irons, humidifiers and car batteries, it can help prevent mineral buildup and extend the lifespan of the devices. The absence of minerals in distilled water reduces the likelihood of scale deposits or clogs. 
• Pure water: Some individuals prefer distilled water because they believe it provides a cleaner and purer form of hydration. Your body is 70-80% water. You need to drink 1.5-2 litres of water every day. And just as a healthy diet is an important way to avoid illness and live a long, healthy life, so too is drinking healthy water. Water distillers provide water purity superior to any other method, in fact, water distillation is THE ONLY method for producing absolutely pure water. Water distillers are better than water filters, reverse osmosis and any other method, all other methods allow some level of contamination.  

Is distilled water safe to drink? 

The answer is yes, distilled water is safe to drink. Distilled water is created through a process of boiling water and then collecting the condensed steam, which removes impurities and minerals present in the original water source. Distilled water is the purest water you can get. 

There are differing opinions on drinking distilled water. Some concerns raised about drinking exclusively distilled water include: 

• Lack of minerals: Distillation removes minerals naturally present in water, such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium. While these minerals are typically obtained through a balanced diet, some argue that drinking distilled water may contribute to a potential mineral deficiency over time.
• Altered taste: Distilled water has a different taste compared to tap water or water with natural mineral content. Some individuals find the taste of distilled water to be flat or less appealing. To us, it tastes similar to cold, boiled water.
• Electrolyte balance: Distilled water does not contain electrolytes, which are essential for maintaining proper bodily function. These can be obtained from a healthy diet or by adding salts to your distilled water. 

What are the benefits of drinking distilled water? 

The foremost benefit is you are not ingesting toxic chemicals. Other benefits include:  

1. Distilled water is good for your teeth 

Water distillers remove fluoride from your water. Fluoride was originally added to local water supplies to help strengthen teeth, however, too much exposure leads to fluorosis, which leaves a brown staining effect on young teeth. By distilling your water you can protect your children’s teeth. Most toothpaste contains fluoride and the good thing about that is you apply it where it is needed (to your teeth) if you drink fluoridated water, you are taking it into your whole body system, which you do not need. There is also an ethical issue because some people view this as the Government medicating people through the water supply. 

2. Distilled water is cheaper and more convenient than bottled water 

We do get a lot of people asking us how much a distiller costs to run. It costs about 96p for four litres of electricity. MUCH CHEAPER than bottled water and in fact MUCH CHEAPER than buying water filters. Bottled water is also enormously polluting. Take a look at this article in which we reveal the facts about bottled water – be warned, you will never want to buy bottled water ever again. 

3. Drinking distilled water Improves body function 

Tap and bottled water contain dissolved solids including sodium and calcium ions which contribute to arteries hardening and blood vessels calcifying. This can also lead to damage to the many small and delicate arteries, veins and capillaries in your brain leading to vascular dementia – a common form of dementia. The same chemicals also contribute to kidney stones and other kidney problems. Researchers found a 50% increase in urinary calcium associated with people drinking hard water compared to soft water. 

What does a water distiller remove? 

A water distiller is a device used to purify water by removing impurities through the process of distillation. It removes:  

• Bacteria and Viruses: Distillation can kill or remove many types of bacteria and viruses present in the water due to the high temperatures involved in the process.
• Heavy Metals: Distillation can remove heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminium, cadmium, and others that may be present in the water.
• Dissolved Gases: Distillation can effectively remove dissolved gases, such as chlorine, fluorine, and volatile organic compounds, which can affect the taste and odour of water.
• Organic Compounds: Distillation can eliminate certain organic compounds, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, herbicides, and some industrial chemicals that may contaminate the water.
• Minerals and Salts: Distillation effectively removes minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium and various salts that may be present in the water. 

The full list of contaminants can be found here.

The Drinking Water Directive sets quality standards for drinking water and requires drinking water quality to be monitored and reported. If water surpasses the recommended limits for contaminants, it poses health risks and necessitates appropriate treatment. The standards can be found here: https://www.dwi.gov.uk/drinking-water-standards-and-regulations/   

Water distillation offers a method to obtain clean drinking water without altering its chemical makeup. Nevertheless, distillation is not used in the treatment of water in the UK due to the fact that water devoid of minerals can become more soluble and absorb metals and other substances from ageing pipes.  

Is distilled water acidic?  

Some people talk about acidity in distilled water. The theory is that because distilled water is very mildly acidic it can leach minerals from the body. There is also a competing theory that the acidity of distilled water makes the body ultimately more alkaline. And there are many advocates of drinking alkaline water. Anyway, let’s now examine the scientific basis for this. 

Distilled water at the time of distillation is considered neutral, meaning it has a pH value of 7. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14, where values below 7 are acidic, 7 is neutral, and values above 7 are alkaline.  

Distilled water is produced by a process of distillation, which involves boiling water and collecting the vapour that condenses. This process removes impurities and minerals, resulting in water that is devoid of any significant acid or alkaline content.  

However, over time, when exposed to the air, distilled water can absorb carbon dioxide, to make a very small amount of carbonic acid, much less than you would get with a carbonated drink, which can slightly lower its pH (to pH6) and make it slightly acidic.  

That is about the same as most fish meat, asparagus, butter, olives, or curry. With the pH scale lower is more acidic and it is also logarithmic. What that means is that pH6 is 10x more acidic than pH7, pH5 is 100x more acidic than pH7, pH4 is 1000x more acidic than pH7, etc. Something really acidic like Coca-Cola (and most fizzy drinks) is pH 2.5. Your stomach acid is pH 1.5 to 3.5. The acidity of a car battery is about pH0.7 - 1.0. You can see, yes distilled water is technically acidic, but not very much.  

Now what happens in your gut? 

When you consume anything, it triggers the release of hydrochloric acid into your stomach. One of the functions of this acid is to eliminate any harmful microorganisms present in the food. Moving on from the stomach, the food reaches the duodenum, where a significant amount of bicarbonate is released to neutralise the pH. As the food continues through the intestines, it gets absorbed into your body. 

Maintaining the pH of your blood within the range of 7.35 to 7.45 is crucial for your body's optimal functioning. If the pH deviates from this range, your enzymes start to lose their structure, and immediate medical attention, usually via ambulance to the hospital, is required. Even a slight deviation, such as a pH of 7.25, can cause severe illness. However, it's important to note that your blood would need to be highly acidic, below pH 6, to begin dissolving minerals, and reaching such acidity would lead to fatality long before that occurs. Additionally, minerals are stored in bones as a complex organic compound called hydroxyapatite, which consists of Vitamin D and Calcium. The release of Calcium from the bones requires the action of enzymes, not acid. 

Although the concept of acidic water may sound concerning, it does not pose any harm to you. If it did, rainwater and most foods would also be harmful. Drinking distilled water is safe and harmless. However, if you have any concerns about its mildly acidic nature, you can always add a small amount of Sodium Bicarbonate to rebalance the pH. 

Is your body deprived of essential minerals when you consume distilled water? 

There is a debate among individuals regarding whether drinking distilled water, which has had all its minerals removed, results in a deficiency of vital minerals in the body. However, it's important to consider that humans have evolved in environments like jungles, where the primary source of water is distilled water in the form of rain. Consequently, our evolutionary adaptation has led us to obtain minerals primarily from food rather than water. The notion that water serves as a significant mineral source lacks scientific support.

To illustrate this point, let's examine a table that outlines the mineral content in Evian, a reputable mineral water brand, the daily mineral requirements for the body, and the volume of Evian one would need to consume to meet those requirements. 

Water Distillation 

Water distillation is the only process by which you can achieve absolutely pure water. While boiling water alone can eliminate bacteria, viruses, and germs, the process of water distillation takes it a step further. 

In a water distiller, water is continuously boiled, transforming it into steam. This boiling action eradicates any harmful microorganisms, leaving behind pure water vapour. As the vapour rises, it is condensed back into liquid form by circulating through a heat exchanger within the distiller. The resulting steam is purer than tap water because the impurities, having higher boiling points than water, are left behind. However, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with lower boiling points can still permeate the steam.  

To address this, Megahome Distillers incorporate an activated charcoal filter at the final stage of the process to remove any VOCs that have not been vented off.  

Water distillation stands as the sole means to obtain absolutely pure water, devoid of any contaminants, including substances like fluoride. Laboratories rely on this method to produce water of the utmost purity. Moreover, it mirrors the natural process of rain formation—water evaporates from the oceans, condenses in clouds, and ultimately precipitates as rain. 

While water distillers are generally affordable to purchase, it is important to note that they may require additional maintenance efforts. Additionally, the cost of electricity to operate a distiller typically amounts to around 24p per litre of water. 

You may have read about these water types: 

Purified Water 

The term "Purified water" lacks a clear definition. Different individuals may use it to describe various processes. For example, some may consider water purified if it has been taken from a river and passed through a sand filter to eliminate a significant amount of sediment. Others may define purified water as distilled water, which is considered pure. While the term implies the removal of impurities through a specific process, if one desires completely pure water, water distillation remains the sole method to achieve this level of purity. 

Demineralised water or Deionised water 

Demineralised and deionised water can be considered synonymous since most minerals exist in the form of ions. This kind of water closely resembles distilled water as it undergoes a large-scale industrial process to eliminate the majority of its mineral content. However, it's important to note that demineralised water does not eliminate bacteria or viruses since it hasn't been subjected to boiling, and certain substances like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) may still be present. Consequently, demineralised water is unsuitable for consumption due to the potential (albeit minimal) health risks associated with VOCs, which are known to be linked to cancers and neurological problems. Typically, demineralised water finds application in car batteries as it lacks ions. Moreover, distilled water can also be considered a form of demineralised or deionised water, and it can be used in car batteries as well. 

What is the best way to purify water? 

When it comes to purifying water, there are several methods to consider. Charcoal filtration proves highly effective in eliminating VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that haven't been vented off. Meanwhile, a slow, rolling boil is the best technique for eradicating viruses, bacteria, and any other biological contaminants. However, water distillation stands out as the most comprehensive purification method due to its ability to remove a wide range of impurities and neutralise biological contamination.

It is worth noting that distillation should be complemented by charcoal filtration to effectively eliminate VOCs. Therefore, the most optimal approach for water purification entails employing a water distiller alongside a charcoal filter within the purification process.