What Is the Process of Distilling Water?

There are many reasons that you might need to distill water. It is a great way to remove impurities from water before you drink it, and many people even distill their tap water to remove chemicals that have been placed into the water deliberately and accidentally. If you need to distill water for any reason, make sure that you have all the right equipment and understand exactly what you can and cannot accomplish with this process.

Equipment

You can distill water using things that you probably already have around your house. You need a source of heat, such as a fire or a stove burner. You also need something to collect the water in, and something to hold it while you are boiling it. The simplest way to do this is probably with a pot, two lids and a container that is large enough to hold the distilled water–but you can also use plastic and copper tubing if you wish.

Function

Distilling water removes impurities. These impurities may be dirt or chemicals. Distilled water is plain water without anything added. Many people actually distill their tap water to remove as many chemical elements such as fluoride as possible, and you must distill sea water and any other natural water before drinking to make sure that it does not contain salt or other impurities that will harm you.

Process

To distill water, place the water that you want to purify in the container over the heat source. For example, you might place the pot on the stove burner and turn on the burner. Then, bring the water to a boil. When it starts boiling, cover the container holding the water. If you are using a pot and two lids to distill the water, cover the pot with one of the lids. As the water boils, the steam will collect and condense on the lid. Swap the lids every minute or so and pour the condensed water off the lid into another container. The water that is on the lid is distilled water. The impurities will be left behind in the pot. If you are using plastic and copper tubing, position the plastic so that the condensed steam collects on the plastic and is directed down the copper tubing into a holding container.

Effects

Distilling water makes water drinkable. It also makes water better for use in humidifiers. The distillation process changes the water so that any additional chemicals that have made their way into the water are left in the waste water.

Benefits

People distill water for many reasons. Distillation kills and removes many bacteria and viruses. It also makes water taste “purer,” because the impurities have been removed. If your water has a strange aftertaste, distilling will likely get rid of this problem.