Are Countertop Water Distillers the Best Units For Purifying Drinking Water?
If you are considering buying a countertop water distiller, first learn about distillation and compare it to other treatment methods.
First off, any treatment method is better than no method. But why use distillation for your purification needs when another option provides better-quality water at lower cost? Do your homework before making a decision you may regret later.
Why You Shouldn’t Use a Countertop Water Distiller
Countertop water distillers use distillation, which was developed over 40 years ago for industries requiring mineral-free water. Because of the effectiveness of this method in treating water for such industries, its use for homes became a reality.
But lo and behold, the purification industry didn’t realize it was creating a bed for the potential development of health problems. What did the industry learn? Distillation deprives your body of essential minerals by stripping them out of the water you drink.
Dr. Zolton Rona, noted author of the book titled “The Joy of Health,” states “The longer one consumes distilled water, the more likely the development of mineral deficiencies and acid state.” So what does this mean?
When we consume distilled water, we are in essence consuming substance with an acid state–water that’s unstable. Once it enters our bodies in an acid state, it’s important for it to become stable. How does it become stable? In short, it pulls minerals from our teeth and bones in order to neutralize the acid. Without neutralizing acid, our bodies become breeding grounds of free radicals, causing an increased risk of cancer.
Countertop water distillers are not effective for removing synthetic chemicals. Before water reaches a boiling point in order to vaporize and condense, the chemicals vaporize and condense. This happens because virtually all chemicals boil before water boils.
Countertop water distillers generate drinking water at a very slow rate. The cost of generating this vital substance can be anywhere from 20 to 26 cents per gallon, which is expensive compared to sub-micron carbon filtration.
Other Alternatives
Reverse osmosis is a process that allows the passage of water through a semi-permeable pore structure while filtering out the inorganic contaminants and essential minerals. This process, like distillation, was used in industrial applications requiring the removal of minerals.
Reverse osmosis is not effective for removing synthetic chemicals, such as herbicides, because their molecules are smaller than water molecules. So in order for this method to filter out synthetic chemicals, it must be used in conjunction with carbon filters.
One concern with using this method is the amount of water it wastes in proportion to the amount it filters. By some estimates, it wastes about two to three gallons for every gallon of water it filters. Filtering water can cost as much as 18 to 24 cents per gallon, which is expensive in comparison to sub-micron filtration.
Activated carbon block filters are the most common, effective, and inexpensive systems for filtering water. Experts often recommend the multi-stage activated carbon filters, which include media with sub-micron pore structures for filtering out THMs–the byproducts of chlorine treatment–and cysts, such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
The EPA recognizes activated carbon filters as the best filters for removing THMs and VOCs (volatile organic chemicals), contaminants often found in our municipal drinking water supply.
These systems also use a patented method called ion exchange for putting the essential minerals back into the filtered water.
A multi-stage carbon filter costs only about 10 cents per gallon and isn’t hard to install. To treat drinking water or water for cooking, you can choose among the countertop or under-the-sink varieties.
Do not get duped into paying your hard-earned money for a filtration system that could cause long-term health complications. Instead, shop smart and get a system that removes all the bad stuff while keeping the essential minerals nature intended for us to consume in fresh drinking water.
By: N. Anderton
About the Author:
N. Anderton is the owner and editor of http://www.aquasanapremiumwaterfilters.com, a website specializing in Aquasana water filters, replacement filters and filter accessories. To learn more about the high-quality water filters he endorses, visit his site now.