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Distilled water is the go-to type of water for CPAP machines and hospitals due to its complete lack of pollutants.
Many people choose to use distilled water for their humidifiers as well in order to take advantage of the benefits.
What most people don’t know is that you can actually make your own distilled water at home, and it isn’t very complicated.
You won’t need many supplies, and pretty much everyone will already have everything they need in their kitchen.
Let’s investigate why distilled water is the best for humidifiers and how you can make your own at home.
What Makes Distilled Water Different From Other Types Of Water?
Not every type of water is made equal, but many people don’t truly understand what separates distilled water from purified water or regular tap/drinking water. Let’s find out.
Regular Water
Standard sources of water like tap water and bottled water are safe for drinking and cooking with, but they contain minerals and have the potential to contain metals and other substances that can affect the odour or taste.
Tap water can be contaminated naturally or form by-products of human activity, and there are different regulations in place depending on where you live for what is considered to be safe.
As a result, it is recommended that you purify tap water before drinking it or purchase bottled water to be safe.
Purified Water
Purified water comes from groundwater or tap water.
These polluted water sources are put through one or multiple water filters in order to remove contaminants like dirt, chemicals, metals, pathogens/microorganisms, parasites, and more.
Filtration is the most common method to make pure water, but sedimentation and disinfection may also be used to ensure that the water is as clean as possible.
Some compounds like bleach can only effectively be removed via reverse osmosis, but filtration is very effective for most unwanted substances.
Distilled Water
Distilled water is a type of purified water that has a very unique process.
Rather than standard filters or other purification methods, distilled water comes from a process called distillation.
Water is boiled, turned into water vapor, and then this water vapor is condensed and collected in a separate container than the one it originated from.
This process removes all minerals, bacteria and viruses, and more, and is one of the best ways to create pure, uncontaminated water.
Why Should I Use Distilled Water For A Humidifier?
Distilled water has a number of benefits when used with a humidifier.
It is an incredibly clean water source since all of the impurities of hard water are removed during the distillation process.
There are three main advantages to using this type of water over using tap water.
First off, there will be less mineral buildup.
Distilled water doesn’t contain any minerals or light/heavy metals, and as a result, you won’t have any build up in the water tank or other components of the humidifier.
This will have two main advantages.
Lessening the mineral build up in the humidifier will ensure that it is able to function at full efficiency, since none of the internal components are acquiring mineral deposits that affect their performance.
This is especially noticeable in steam vaporizers that rely on a heating element to boil water.
If the heating element is coated in mineral deposits, the water may not be able to get hot enough to produce steam.
Preventing mineral buildup will also reduce the frequency at which you need to clean your humidifier.
You’ll still have to be on the lookout for mold and bacteria growth, but contaminants like calcium and magnesium won’t be a concern.
Using distilled water rather than tap water or even bottled water will also ensure that the water vapor being released into your home is clean.
Even drinking water contains minerals and other water sources can contain bacteria, viruses, and other harmful components that you don’t want to be breathing in.
Distilled water is an ultra-pure of water that won’t risk your health, lessen the indoor air quality, or scatter white dust around your home.
Methods For Making Your Own Distilled Water
Whether you want distilled water for your humidifier, CPAP machine, for drinking, or any other purpose, you’ll be happy to learn that it is very easy to make at home, even without a water distiller.
Say goodbye to the need to buy distilled water jugs from grocery stores or Amazon and start making your own distilled water at home.
What You’ll Need
Making distilled water at home isn’t an overly complicated process, but there are a couple different options for stovetop setup if you don’t want to purchase a water distiller.
You’ll need a 5-gallon stainless steel pot for boiling water, two glass bottles and a curved connecting pipe OR a glass bowl/second smaller pot, some ice cubes, and a pot lid that fits the large pot.
Method 1: Using Two Glass Bottles
- Fill one of the glass bottles with tap water until the water is about 5” from the lip of the bottle.
- Join the two bottles together at the neck, using duct tape to create a tight seal.
- Fill a 5-gallon pot with enough water to cover the bottle containing the tap water and bring it to a boil.
- Place the bottle filled with tap water into the pot at a 30 degree angle so the connecting empty bottle is hanging outside of the pot.
- Maintain the temperature of the pot at boiling. Rest a bag of ice on the empty bottle to create an area for condensation. As the tap water in the first bottle evaporates, it will make its way into the other bottle where it will condense and collect.
- When you’ve collected all possible distilled water, remove the pot and bottles from the stove carefully and allow the components to cool.
- Store your distilled water wherever is convenient.
Method 2: Using A Glass Bowl Or A Second Pot
- Fill the 5-gallon pot about halfway with tap water.
- Place a glass bowl or second pot in the large pot so it floats. If it doesn’t float, use a round baking rack to elevate the smaller bowl/pot above the water line.
- Boil the water. This will remove some contaminants and the evaporation also produces the water vapor that will be condensed later.
- Use the large pot lid to create an area for condensation: flip the lid upside down and fill it with ice. Then place the inverted lid over the top of the large pot.
- Maintain the temperature of the stove so the water in the big pot is boiling, but the collecting water in the smaller pot/bowl is not boiling.
- Turn the stove off when the large pot is almost empty of water. You will have collected as much distilled water as possible. You should end up with a nearly 1:1 ratio. If you put in 2.5 gallons of tap water, you should have close to 2.5 gallons of distilled water at the end of the process.
- Let everything cool down and then carefully pour your distilled water into a storage container.
