During those years of COVID bliss, it was interesting to see which supplies disappeared first from shelves or became difficult to obtain. So many shoppers had to visit several stores to buy everything on their lists.
Anyway, distilled water was hard to find for some. And they panicked because it never occurred to them that there could be a shortage. And it’s something they needed to run their CPAP machines. I guess I look at it like I do all things essential to life—why would you not have enough on hand to last at least a few months? The same goes for things like insulin, thyroid meds, food, etc.
Fortunately for those who need distilled water, the DIY options are easy enough and you already have everything you need on hand. DIY insulin is a little more complicated.
Keep in mind that CPAP users are not the only people who will need distilled water in the future. When sterilizing medical equipment in autoclaves or pressure canners, distilled water is best and safest. Sterile distilled water is also preferred for producing intravenous fluids. Distilled water can be sterilized by boiling.[1]
Countertop Distillers
For the lazy and/or well-to-do, there are countertop distillers. They run about $100 on Amazon. It might be a worthwhile investment for those who need distilled water to live. Of course, electricity is required.
Snow and Rain
This is my favorite option and what I would consider the easiest. I wish I’d taken advantage of it a few weeks back when we were covered with snow. But as it is only the middle of January, I’m pretty sure I’ll have another chance before long.
From Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition:
Freshly fallen snow and rain are good sources if you are not in a city due to the high risk of contamination of city air. For snow, use the top layer only. If you don’t get to it right after it starts snowing, scrape off the top layer and collect underlying layers, avoiding the bottom layers. Once melted, this can be considered the equivalent of distilled water.[2]
Stovetop
The stovetop option is one recommended by the US government. The instructions below come directly from the Ready.gov website.
To distill, fill a pot halfway with water. Tie a cup to the handle on the pot’s lid so that the cup will hang right-side-up when the lid is upside-down (make sure the cup is not dangling into the water) and boil the water for 20 minutes. The water that drips from the lid into the cup is distilled.
The whole tying a cup to the handle of the pot lid seems a little cumbersome to me. I prefer the idea of setting a glass or stainless steel bowl on a rack and using that to collect the water. You just have to make sure that the water the bowl is setting on can’t get into the bowl.
Links to related posts:
How to Purify Water with Bleach
How to Purify Water with Calcium Hypochlorite
How to Purify Water with Betadine
Comparison of Water Treatment Methods in One Easy to Read Chart
SODIS Method of Purifying Water
References:
https://www.ready.gov/water
[1] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2017, 540.
[2] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3rd Edition, 2017, 540.
19 january 2022
Question: Is the water coming from a canner vent distilled?
ReplyDeleteNot exactly, your making steam condensate not distilled water. Thats because your doing at a higher temp so some items that normally don't carry over at 100C will at higher temps, like co2, that makes the water acidic. This is why boilers have to adjust the ph of the condensate to prevent it corroding piping.
DeleteExile1981
I am still curious about this one. I see on some websites still, that, putting a dehumidifier in your backyard and filling a jar with the water is drinkable. Has anyone ever had this water tested and is it a suitable water for drinking? I have done the stove top method and the plastic wrap in the sun method of distillation. Stove top tasted OK but the sun/plastic wrap method tasted like crap!
ReplyDeleteSo if you were outside the home, filled a stock pot of water over a fire and set to boiling the water. Place some sticks across the top of the pot and covered with a cloth that had contents wrung out into another container. Is that defined as distilled water or another product ? To me, a simpler method of gather water without using a closed system to condense it.
ReplyDelete