Why waste money on plastic jugs of distilled water when you can make your own at home for a fraction of the price? Building a DIY water distiller is an excellent way to purify water.
Knowing how to make distilled water is not just useful in a survival situation. It can also be an invaluable skill if your home’s tap water contains certain chemicals or impurities that you’d rather not drink. In addition to common substances like fluoride and chlorine, your tap water may contain toxins like lead, mercury, arsenic, dioxins, and even perchlorate, a key ingredient used in rocket fuel and explosives.
Tap water isn’t the only thing that can negatively affect your health. Spring and well water are often not as fresh and pure as you would think. Chemicals from local farms, lawns, and factories can seep into the ground and infiltrate these water sources, making them unsafe to consume. Creating a DIY water distiller is an easy way to gain access to purified water without the need for expensive equipment or hard-to-find ingredients.
Distilled Water and Your Health
Water is an essential component in the human body. It acts as a solvent by carrying important nutrients to living cells and transporting water material out of the cells. When you drink distilled water, your body becomes better equipped to remove harmful substances and inorganic materials.
Distilled water is simply water that has been boiled into vapor and then condensed into a liquid again. During this process, impurities are left behind leaving only the purified water. However, it is important to remember that distilling water also removes most of its natural minerals. If you plan on drinking distilled water on a regular basis, you will need to ensure that you are getting sufficient minerals from a well-balanced diet.
A Closer Look at Water Distillers
A water distiller is a device designed to turn water into stream with the purpose of removing fluoride, lead, arsenic, viruses, and various other contaminants. It essentially acts as a water treatment to create a natural filtration process that makes contaminated water pure again.
The basic process of distilling water is as follows:
- The water distiller boils the contaminated water which turns it into steam.
- The distiller then forces the steam to condense and cool, which brings it back to a liquid state.
- Any impurities that cannot turn into steam, such as microorganisms and minerals, are left behind.
A water distiller can be used to remove a wide range of contaminants, such as certain chemicals, microorganisms like bacteria and viruses, and inorganic materials like fluoride and lead. The water distilling process is effective as microorganisms are not able to survive the boiling and streaming process.
You may be thinking that your tap water is already treated. This is partially true. Municipally treated water does meet certain guidelines deeming it safe to drink. However, these treatment systems do leave certain impurities behind. In addition, most water treatment centers purposely add fluoride and chlorine to their water.
How to Make a Water Distiller
There are many ways to build a DIY water distiller. This versatile tool can be constructed using various materials you may have laying around your home. You can also purchase a store-bought water distiller to store in your bug-out bag.
To build a water distiller at home, you will need a few basic materials, including:
- Large metal pot with a tight-fitting metal lid
- Drill and drill bit
- Stainless steel hose barb with a 3/8-inch inner diameter
- 3-foot food-grade silicone hose with 3/8-inch inner diameter
- Large glass container
To make your homemade water distiller, start by drilling a hole into the metal lid of the pot. Insert the stainless-steel hose barb into the hole, ensuring that the barbed end is on the outside of the pot.
Place the clean pot that has been thoroughly cleaned with dish soap and warm water onto the stovetop. Also make sure that the lid, glass container, and hose have been thoroughly cleaned, rinsed, and dried well before starting.
Fill the metal pot about ¾ of the way up with the impure water. Turn on the burner and wait until the water temperature has reached 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the lid on the metal pot and allow stream to escape through the stainless-steel hose barb for about five minutes.
Finally, carefully attach the silicone hose to the stainless-steel hose barb. Place the other end of the hose into your clean glass container. Steam from the metal pot will then slowly condense. As the steam condenses it will return to a liquid state and begin dripping from the hose into the glass container. The water in the glass container is now purified.
Be sure to allow the metal pot sufficient time to cool before touching it. Once the hose stops dripping, remove it and clean it thoroughly. You can then clean the metal pot which should contain the contaminants from the water. Thoroughly dry your equipment to prevent it from rusting.
Replacing Minerals Lost from Distilling
Remember that distilling water results in the loss of important nutrients. If you get enough of these minerals through other sources, such as food, you may be fine going without it in your water. However, if you are in a survival situation and need these extra nutrients, consider alternative ways to get them.
An easy way to get the minerals you need is by simply keeping mineral drops in your bug-out bag. Mineral drops are essentially natural mineral concentrate that has been extracted from water sources. The amount of drops you need will depend on how much water you’re trying to distill. About 2 to 3 drops will distill about 8 ounces of water, while an 8-ounce bottle of mineral drops will re-mineralize about 192 gallons of water.
If you don’t have access to Mineral Drops, you can also add a couple granules of Himalayan sea salt to your water. A standard bottle of salt stored in your bug-out bag can go a long way. Pink Himalayan salt contains 84 different minerals which can help replace the minerals lost through the distilling process. However, you will want to be cautious if you are on a low sodium diet or sensitive to salt.
Using Your Do-It-Yourself Water Distiller
Purchasing a water distiller can be quite pricey. Fortunately, a water distiller can be easily made using just a few basic materials you probably already have laying around your house. If you are ever faced with a survival situation and do not have access to tap water or store-bought water, having the ability to purify your own can be invaluable.
With this method, you can purify rain water, water from local streams, or water from melted snow, or other sources. If you do not have a stovetop to heat your water, you can also create a fire to heat your metal pot. While you never expect to be in a situation that requires you to acquire water from outside your home, it is always a possibility.
Learning how to distill water can be a highly useful skill for both your health and survival. Distillation helps remove impurities that could negatively impact your well-being, including dangerous bacteria and viruses. Don’t rely on bottled water to get you through a crisis. Become more self-reliant by making your own water distiller at home.
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