Distilled Water and Boiled Water are two methods of making water safe for drinking. Water is one substance in our planet that is found in abundance and nearly two thirds of earth is covered with water. It is a tasteless, colorless, and odorless liquid that is also present in our bodies. In natural state, water is found in liquid state though it is also found in solid (ice) as well as gaseous (steam and water vapor) state. 55-78% of our bodies are made up of water which indicates the importance of water in our daily life. Not only for consumption, it is used for various other purposes as well. Other substances readily dissolve in water making it impure for consumption by human beings. Humans require drinking sufficient quantities of water every day to remain healthy and fit as it performs and aids in many body functions. The water supplied to our homes comes to us after filtering but still contains many impurities that we need to remove either through distillation or boiling. Both these procedures produce pure water. Let us understand the difference between distilled water and boiled water to know their features and to decide which one we should attempt to make for ourselves.
Key Takeaways
- Distillation and boiling are two methods to make water potable.
- Boiling is a quick method to ensure safe water in emergencies.
- Distillation is considered better than boiling as it removes all types of impurities from water which is not possible with boiling.
Boiled water
Boiling water is a great way to make it safer to drink. In emergencies and when there is no other way to make water pure, boiling is the simples and quickest method to make water pure. One of the physical properties of water is that it boils at 100 degree centigrade. Most of the bacteria that are present in water get killed when water is heated to bring it to boiling point. Other parasites and viruses that may be present in water and may cause water borne diseases such as diarrhea also get killed by boiling. The only thing to remember is to keep boiling the water for a minute after it has attained boiling point. Cool down the water to drink.
Distilled water
Distillation is a more elaborate process though it begins with boiling. Here, water that becomes steam is condensed and cooled, and collected in a container. This distilled water is totally free from impurities and ideal for drinking. Distillation not only kills the bacteria, viruses and germs because of boiling, it also eliminates other impurities that are not visible through naked eyes such as heavy metals, salts and other chemicals that are hazardous for health. Sometimes, distilled water is again distilled to ensure that it is totally pure ands safe. Since steam is carried over to another container where it is cooled down to become water again, all impurities and sediments remain in the first container where heat is being applied.
It is clear from the above comparison that distillation is certainly a better method to ensure purest form of water. However, it is a complex process that is not easy to carry out in homes and is mostly done in laboratories. Boiling is easy and in emergencies, the best method to ensure safety of those who are to drink it. Distilled water, though pure, lacks in certain essential element s that our bodies require in small amounts such as sodium, calcium and potassium. Fluorine, which is important for our teeth, is removed through distillation. Both distilled and boiled water have a bland taste as many minerals that give taste to water are removed.
