Distilled water is the filtered form of water prepared by boiling impure water and then condensing the steam back into liquid form. It removes the impurities and makes the water healthy and pure.
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Is There Any Difference Between Boiled Water and Distilled Water?
Now the question is that if boiled water is the same as distilled water or not? The answer is “no.” Boiled water is normal water that is heated in a container until it reaches its boiling point. On the other hand, distilled water is pure water that has lost all its impurities, microorganisms, and even minerals.
Even the filtered water is different from distilled water so that distilled water loses all its minerals, including the essential and healthy ones. But filtered water loses the impurities and unhealthy minerals only, whereas the healthy and useful minerals remain intact within the water.
Making distilled water is simple, and you can even use tap water for this purpose. After distillation, tap water becomes pure and drinkable.
If you are out of clean drinking and fear that the available tap water is not good for your health, no worries at all. Learn how to make distilled water without using any chemical methods and any laboratory or fancy equipment.
Example of Distillation from Nature
The process of distillation is also evident when the sun heats the water on the earth. The water rises in the atmosphere leaving behind the contaminants. The risen vapors go up and form the clouds. When the temperature goes high, the same clouds cause rain to fall. The droplets of rain are the condensed form of the vapors.
Method of Distillation
Distillation involves the two main physical procedures combined but performed stepwise. The two processes include:
- Boiling
- Condensing
Boiling
At first, the contaminated water is boiled in a container. The vapors of boiling water rise in the atmosphere. The impurities are left behind in the container because their boiling points are higher than that of water (100°C).
Condensing
Condensation is the process of converting the vapors back into liquid water. This process is used in distillation to get the pure liquefied water from the evaporated water vapors. This procedure is carried out in a completely separate container.
The impurities had already been left in the boiling container, and the vapors were of pure water.
Step Wise Procedure of Distillation
Distillation provides you with good quality drinking water. The yield is usually 100%. Make sure you use some extra amount of water than the actual required amount. Because if we condense back the entire amount of water, then it might cause damage to the pot which is being used for the purpose
Now we will carry out the stepwise procedure of distillation. It has the following five steps:
- Selection of the required utensils and materials
- Filling the pot and heating the water
- Arranging the receiver flask and lid to collect the vapors
- Using the ice for condensation
- Condensation forming
Required Utensils and Materials
The following three materials are needed for carrying out the procedure of distillation:
- A deep pot with a domed lid
- Ice
- A floating glass-bowl
Deep Pot
First of all, you need a deep pot with a lid that is domed in shape. The domed shape, when put upside down on the pot, becomes concave. The specific concave shape helps to hold the ice in place.
Ice
The second required item is ice. This item is optional. If you don’t have any access to ice, then you need not worry about it. The procedure can take place without ice, too, but it will be a little more time-consuming. However, if you have ice, then the procedure will be quick. The amount of ice depends on different factors. The amount of water being boiled is the first factor, and the other factor is the outside temperature.
A Floating Glass-Bowl
The third and the last item needed is the glass bowl. You have to check that up to what extent does the glass bowl sink into the pot. This is done to ensure that the product of distillation does not make the bowl sink in the pot. It saves the product from spoilage.
Step 1
To start, we need to take a large bowl and place it on the stove’s burner. Add almost 8 to 9 cups of water to it. Inside this filled bowl, place a relatively smaller empty bowl. The smaller empty bowl should be floating on top of the water present in the larger bowl. The purpose of this step is to provide a good air-flow to the circulating vapors. The perfect air-flow is provided by ensuring that the sides and top of the small bowl have enough space for the newly forming vapors to move freely.
Step 2
In the second step, you have to set up and maintain the temperature. It is advised to keep the temperature below the boiling point of water so that if any of the impurity has the same boiling point as water, it will not evaporate with the water and remain in the container. This ensures the quality and purity of the distilled water. The recommended temperature is about 180 to 200 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale of temperature.
Step 3
In the third step, you have to place the pot’s lid in the upside-down direction to give it a concave look. When the lid is placed on the top of the pot, the water vapors cannot escape the pot and hence start collecting on the lid. The lid’s concave shape helps gather all the evaporating vapors to assemble in the center of the lid.
Step 4
In the second last step, all you have to do is put the ice on the top of the lid. The side which is facing you and not the inside of the pot. This creates a difference in the temperature of both sides of the lid. This difference in temperature leads to an increase in the speed of condensation. The vapors rise from the lower larger bowl and condense in the form of droplets on the lid, and because of being in the center, they fall into the smaller pot, which is placed in between the larger one.
Step 5
The last and final step includes the collection of these droplets in the smaller bowl carefully and removing the smaller floating bowl from the larger pot.
Final Conclusion
The simple five steps, if carried out with complete precautions and as per description, provide you with fresh, healthy, and pure water. Pure distilled water is good for your health and solves the problem of shortage of pure water in case of emergency. Enjoy clean water and safe health.
