Water Distillers: Supplying Labs with High-quality Pure Water

A water distiller is a special device designed to produce contaminant-free water by converting it to vapor before condensing it into liquid form.

Water distillers replicate the earth's natural filtration process to produce unparalleled purity of water. Impurities, including bacteria, heavy metals, and arsenic, are removed during the evaporation process because they cannot be converted to vapor. These impurities remain in the boiling chamber as the water changes from liquid to gas. A distiller cools the evaporated water, converting it into pure, mineral-free drinking water. This distilled water is used in a variety of environments including fermentation, the medical industry, clinics and organic chemistry labs. It is also used in autoclaves, batteries and various other equipment. Let's learn more about the principles, components, and types of water distillers.

Principles of Water Distillers

Evaporation and condensation are the primary mechanisms that drive a distiller. While the water is still in the liquid phase, it is converted to vapor by the addition of heat. This allows the water molecules to dissociate from the molecules of other substances that have been diluted or bound to them. The collected water vapor is then transported through a condenser, which is cooled and converted to a liquid. The condensate is then collected and placed into additional storage tanks. Compared to tap water, distilled water has a pure quality and is essentially free of impurities.

Components of a water distiller

1. Steam generator/boiling tank

Small capacity water distillers are made of glass, while large capacity machines are made of stainless steel covered with copper, tin or titanium. It is designed to store the water to be distilled.

2. Water Level Gauge

It helps to regulate the amount of water in the steam generator. The device is capable of recovering the amount of liquid that evaporates when the amount of water in the liquid phase in the boiling tank drops.

3. Control Valve

It is a device that allows the flow of water to the steam generator tank and can be controlled mechanically or electromechanically.

4. Immersion Resistors

It generates heat when current is passed through them. They are sealed by a ceramic cover and isolated from the external environment by a metal plate.

5. Water Tank Outlet

It is the line for condensing water vapor (cooling).

6. Condenser

This unit cools and returns the vapor to the liquid phase after losing heat. The process is accelerated by forced convection, which involves circulating a low-temperature fluid (e.g., water or air) around the line through which the steam flows.

7. Filters

Activated carbon filters are located in the water still near the condenser or collector outlet. They remove any flavors or particles that may be present as the steam is condensed.

8. Distilled water container

It is the container that collects the liquid that has been distilled. Ionic contamination must be prevented by storing the distilled water in designated plastic containers. Containers made of PTFE, polyethylene or polypropylene are usually used.

Water Distiller Operating Procedures

Plug the machine into a power source and turn it on after adding water to the boiling chamber.

When water reaches the boiling point in the boiling chamber, it boils. It turns into steam which rises into the cooling system leaving behind bacteria, fluoride and other harmful substances.

The vapor condenses back to liquid form through a stainless steel condenser.

By adsorption, an activated carbon filter eliminates the contaminants. The water droplets leave the still and are collected in a container.

Application of water distiller

1. Distilled water promotes current flow in lead-acid batteries. It is also perfect for diluting coolant in automobile radiators.

2. Continuous positive airway pressure ventilation is a common treatment for sleep apnea patients. It uses distilled water in humidification chambers, which prevents any mineral buildup or bacterial growth from settling.

3. Nasal washers are used to flush out blocked nasal passages. The distilled water used with the nasal wash bottle ensures a sterile internal environment and relieves sinus congestion.

4. Distilled water is used in a variety of household appliances and cleaning tasks such as ironing, preventing mineral scaling, aquariums, and car washes.

5. Distilled water is also used in medical and scientific industries for experimental and cleaning purposes. They are also used in hydroponic systems.

Conclusion

There are significant differences in the contaminants removed from deionized and distilled water, although the terms are often used interchangeably. In addition to charged ions, water distiller systems filter out non-volatile organic molecules, most minerals, and a variety of chemicals. Over 95% of minerals, including salts, sulfates, nitrates, and arsenic, will be removed by a clean, well-kept distiller, and biological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, and cysts are also eliminated.

Due to high operating costs and the gradual production of treated water, distillers are typically used to produce only small amounts of drinking and cooking water. When more treated water is needed, reverse osmosis (RO) systems are often more appropriate.