What to Look for When Buying a Distiller
Brand Name
It is important to buy a distiller from a
reputable company with a sound line of brand names. Buying a well known distiller
will last 25 years or more with only minor upkeep and maintenance. Small companies
often carry lesser known brands and often go out of business. Buying distillers from
these companies creates the possible problem of not finding spare parts in the life of
your distiller. There are four big names in water distillation products worldwide: Polar
Bear, Durastill, West Bend, Pure Water. Each has over 20 years experience in the design
and manufacture of water distillers and a successful financial record to back it up.
Production Rate
Production rate is the specification that
measures the rate at which water is produced through the distiller. Distillers range
from 3 gal/day (1gal/8hrs) to 12 gal/day (1gal/2hrs) and more for commercial applications.
Type
Distillers are either Manual, Semi-Automatic
or Automatic. Manual distillers produce one gallon of water at a time due to limitations
of the boiling chamber size. While automatic distillers are connected directly to
the water line and can continually produce water.
NSF Certified
NSF, a non-profit organization has been around
for 50 years testing and certifying products to strict public health standards.
There are five basic requirements to be NSF Certified (Please Note: 'Tested to NSF
Standards' is not the same as 'NSF Certified').
- assures claim of containment reduction are true
- assures nothing harmful is added by the system itself
- assures a structurally sound system
- assures all advertising and labeling is straightforward and truthful
- assures over time the materials and manufacturing process stay at a consistent quality.
Water Purity
Distillation, the process of removing
contaminants from water, removes 98%-99.9% of water contaminants. The distance
between the boiling chamber and condensing coil along with the construction material is
the determinate of the distilling of impurities.
Distance - When water boiled it is first converted to wet steam and then to dry steam. Contaminates rise with wet steam, but not with dry steam. The longer the distance between the boiling chamber and the condensing coil produces more dry steam resulting in purer water.
Construction - The best construction material is surgical quality stainless steel.
Storage Containment - The best materials for water storage is stainless steal or glass. While glass maintains a high level of water purity, it is not as durable as stainless steal, which is why it is not the most reliable storage container.