Distillation is one of the oldest and most successful forms of water purification. It simply means letting something drip. In the case of water, it means separating water from various other compounds or mixtures by boiling it and then letting it condense, which then returns to its previous liquid state. Any substance that cannot turn into steam, which is usually minerals and microorganisms, is left behind.
But with so many chap options available in the market today, it’s normal to wonder if those water distillers actually work and how you know if distillation is actually pure. Well, in this article, we’ll cover several methods to determine the pureness of the water distilled by your home water distiller.
Testing if Your Distillation is Pure
As we’ve mentioned earlier, there are several ways to find out if the water that’s been distilled is pure or not. Some, you can do at home with or without requiring any special equipment, while others will involve sending it out to a specialized lab. We’ll start with the one that doesn’t need you to buy any special equipment.
1. Self-Inspection
Fill an empty glass that’s been thoroughly cleaned with distilled water. Remember not to fill it all the way. Leave some room. Now hold the glass up to a bright source of light, preferably bright sunlight. Now look at the water closely. Also, look through the glass and see how clearly you can make out your fingers holding the glass on the other side. If the water is clean and pure, it will be perfectly transparent and won’t have any particles floating in it.
Sometimes you need to let the water settle for a few seconds before conducting the test. Because water collected from the tap will exhibit some air bubbles if you conduct the test right away.
2. Using a Strip Kit
This method involves buying some specialized equipment. However, most water test strip kits are very affordable and come in bulk, so you can use them to test your distillation purity throughout the year. You can test if your distilled water contains any Lead, Bacteria, Fluoride, pH, Iron, Copper, etc. You can also test the hardness.
- Prepare a test container by adding a water sample.
- Immerse a test strip into the container and gently swirl it.
- Allow the test strip to remain in the water sample for a few minutes.
- Remove the strip from the water and proceed to compare the color changes on the strip with a color chart provided in the kit.
Powder Kits
If you are worried that your distillation may contain bacteria like E. coli, you should perform a powder kit test instead of a strip test. Powered kits offer more accuracy when it comes to testing for bacteria. You just need to add a few drops of water to a container containing the powder. Then compare the color with the instructions.
Tip: While it’s easy to test with these kits, getting the most accurate result depends on you following the instructions properly. So read the instructions properly and conduct the test under the required circumstances only. Always wash your hands and use cold water to conduct the test.
3. Using a TDS Meter (Total Dissolved Solids)
Using TDS meters is another perfect way to find out if your water distillation is pure or not. It stands for total dissolved solids and it does what the name suggests. TDS meters can test water within seconds and find out what’s the total amount of dissolved solids in your distilled water. Naturally, no water is a hundred percent free of solids and other dissolved matter. However, when the levels are unacceptable, you should probably refrain from drinking it. Here’s a TDS level chart for reference.
| TDS Level (ppm/mg/L) | Water Quality | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Below 300 | Excellent | Very low mineral content, considered pure and healthy |
| 300 – 600 | Good | Acceptable TDS levels, moderate mineral content |
| 600 – 900 | Fair | Higher mineral content, noticeable taste, consume in moderation |
| 900 – 1200 | Poor | High mineral content, significant taste difference, suitability varies |
| Above 1200 | Unacceptable | Very high TDS levels, not recommended for drinking |
4. Using Litmus Paper
Litmus papers are also a very cheap option. In fact, you can get a bunch with less than a dollar. The way it works is really simple. You see, distilled water is really pure. And by pure we mean neutral. So, neither red nor blue litmus will show any change in color.
5. Using Silver Nitrate
To test if your distilled water is free of chlorine, do the following. Obtain a sample and prepare a silver nitrate solution. Add water drops to the solution and observe for reactions. If clear, the water is pure; if cloudy, impurities like chlorides may be present. If you suspect a false positive, conduct the test again.
6. Send it To a Test Lab
If you are still unsure about the purity of your distilled water, you should consider doing a lab test. Collect a sample in a distilled bottle or glass jar and send it to a certified test lab. They’ll take care of the rest.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions and Answers)
Is distillation a pure substance?
Yes. Proper distillation makes a substance pure.
Why is distilled water called pure?
Distillation removes all the impurities from water, that’s why distilled water is called pure water.
How purity is distilled water?
Properly distilled water has 99.9% of impurities, and inorganic matter removed from it. so, it is more than 99% pure.
End Notes
Determining the purity of distilled water can be done in a wide variety of ways. Most of them provide accurate results. If you want to test the purity of the distilled water you wish to drink, we recommend using a test kit or TDS meter. Most of the time, this should be enough. However, if you want to test the purity of distilled water for a scientific experiment, do a proper conductivity and salinity test. Properly distilled pure water has very less conductivity.
