No one needs to be told how important water is to our survival and our ability to thrive in our world. But that life giving water isn’t all created equally! Much of it is perfectly fine to pick up and drink; but often times it isn’t. It is not uncommon to find yourself in a situation where you need purified water. And it may even need to come from a contaminated source or that is unsuitable for normal use. Boiling water and distilling water can both accomplish this objective, but do it in different ways. So how is boiled water different from distilled water?
Boiled water is not the same as distilled water. The process of boiling water uses heat to kill most dangerous microorganisms living in the water. Distilling water heats water long enough to cause it to evaporate and collect again elsewhere, leaving behind—not only microorganisms—but also minerals, metals and chemicals.
Because the result of these two processes is so different, each type of water has distinctly separate uses. Let’s take a closer look at the two below.
Detailed Explanation
The processes of boiling water and distilling water both purify water to a point that it generally is no longer harmful to drink. But doesn’t mean the water from both sources is the same. Each process is distinct, so understanding what those processes do sheds light on how the water can/should be used. Let’s start with boiling water.
As almost everyone on the plant knows, boiling water simply means applying heat to water until it reaches at least 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius). At this point the water begins to turn from a liquid state to a gaseous state (water vapor). Generally, though, the objective of “boiling water “is achieved at this point and the water can be used for its intended purpose.
It is at this temperature that most harmful microorganisms living in the water are killed, which means they are no longer harmful if they are consumed. That’s why people living in survival type situations boil water before they drink it. It significantly reduces the chances of consuming a living, harmful parasite or bacteria. A major benefit to this is that minerals within the water are unaffected. They are still consumed and provide valuable nutrition to the body. The same cannot be said for distilled water.
Distilling water is essentially taking the boiling process to the next level. To distill water, a person would bring water to a boil, as previously mentioned. But instead of stopping there, he or she would continue the boiling process so that the water all evaporates out of whatever container it may be in. As the water begins to evaporate, a separate lid or container is placed above to catch the vapor and allow it to drip collect and drip down, returning to a liquid state.
The distillation process removes the water from its source, while leaving everything else there. All the parasites, bacteria, protozoa—as well as the minerals, metals, and chemicals originally contained in the water—all stay where they were. Water, virtually in its purest form—is the result. Depending on the subsequent use of the water, this can be a good or a bad thing. If the water is going to be for drinking, removing essential minerals would be counterproductive. Below, we’ve listed some of the most common uses for each type of water.
Can boiled water and distilled water be used interchangeably?
Boiled water and distilled water can often be used interchangeably. Generally speaking, anytime boiled water is sufficient, distilled water can be used instead—though this isn’t a perfect rule. For example, because healthy minerals are removed from the water too (and not just harmful microorganisms) it isn’t as healthy to drink; it also doesn’t taste as good as its regular drinking water counterpart does. Beyond exceptions such as this, distilled water can be used instead.
However, the reverse is not true! Distilled water is often required because it lacks not only harmful microorganisms that boiled water lacks, but the minerals as well (such as calcium, magnesium and potassium). If left in, these minerals can cause undesirable chemical reactions to machines, devices and other processes. For example, certain devices may not function properly or might fail more quickly because minerals are present in the water. Let’s look at some specific examples below.
Common uses for boiled water
There are a few main purposes for boiled water, and they tend to be the more common ones we all know. Generally speaking, if the need is specifically for boiled water, it is because the harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, protozoa and parasites need to be eliminated. A few major categories follow.
To drink- the first and most widely used reason to boil water is to kill the microorganisms that could cause people to become sick. Much of the world doesn’t have access to potable water which means they need to boil the water to kill whatever may be living in it that can eventually harm them. The same applies to situations where a region of the world experiences an emergency that renders water no longer drinkable. Boiling the water is generally enough to make it drinkable. It doesn’t necessarily need to be distilled.
It should be noted, though that boiled water doesn’t remove chemicals, metals and anything else harmful that is in the water. It simply kills the living bacteria and other harmful microorganisms living there.
To sanitize things- Running hand in hand with creating drinkable water through boiling is the ability sanitize things with boiling water. While water is boiling, instruments and other tools can be placed in the water to kill the bacteria and harmful germs on each object’s surface. Once the water has is no longer boiling, it won’t kill the bacteria living on those objects. In other words, only boiling water will kill the microorganisms, whereas boiled water (that’s now cold) won’t kill anything.
Common uses for distilled water
To drink- a very common reason to distill water is to drink it. Because harmful microorganisms as well as chemicals, metals and minerals have been removed the water is not harmful to be consumed. Though, as mentioned earlier, it may have a negative effect because those healthy minerals are left behind as well. Many also note that the water has a very flat, bland taste to it as well.
For household items- Some items around the house such as irons, humidifiers and car batteries benefit from distilled water because the lack of bacteria and minerals allow them to function more efficiently and last longer than they otherwise would. Using distilled water with humidifiers, for example, reduces the chances of the mold developing inside the components or mineral deposits clogging openings.
For medical purposes- There are so many medical purposes for using distilled water such as cleaning wounds, sterilizing tools and rinsing mouths after dental work. Each of these situations—and countless more—require not only bacteria free water, but water that is clear of anything that could create an unsterile environment.
