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Imagine yourself drinking a glass of water and later finding out that it had a very high amount of fluoride. How would that make you feel?
Fluoride is the 13th most abundant element found in the Earth’s crust; and it can easily seep into the soil and then groundwater, making its way to your domestic water supply. Of course, that’s a natural process. But oftentimes, the fluoride present in your water supply is a result of human intervention.
According to scientists, fluoride can prevent tooth decay. And that’s why governments artificially add fluoride to water supplies.
That said, the infamous salt isn’t always safe. Overconsumption can lead to issues like poor brain development in children and weak bones. So, if you worry about these problems, you should consider taking productive actions to remove fluoride from your drinking water.
Water distillation is quite a well-known method of purification, but does it help to remove fluoride? We have an answer for you.
So, here is our guide answering the question, does distilling water remove fluoride?
Contents
TL;DR
- Fluoride can be removed from water by distillation.
- As it is, distillation is a highly effective purification technique that provides you with the cleanest form of water.
Does Distilling Water Remove Fluoride?
The simple answer to this question is a resounding yes. Distilling water does remove fluoride.
To be more precise, distillation is a highly effective purification process that removes 99.9% of fluoride from water.
In addition, distilled water is free from almost all other contaminants and impurities. The water purification method is relatively superior to most techniques out there.
Does Distilled Water Have Fluoride?
Distilled water is one of the purest forms of water. So no, distilled water does not have fluoride.[1]
Is Using a Water Distiller at Home a Good Idea?
A water distiller can provide you with pure water whenever you want to quench your thirst. But before you opt for such a device, you need to understand its working mechanism, advantages and drawbacks…
How Water Distillers Work
Here’s how a water distiller works:
- You plug the distiller into a power socket.
- You fill it with water from the tap.
- The machine starts heating the water until it reaches the boiling point.
- The boiling water evaporates, converts into steam and leaves the chamber.
- When the condensate reaches the cooling coil, it converts into water again and collects in a jug.
This process enables water distillers to remove any impurities such as fluoride, bacteria, arsenic, nitrate and lead. That’s because these elements/compounds have a higher boiling point than water, so they stay in the kettle while pure H2O evaporates.
If you want an easy-to-handle water purifier, we wouldn’t necessarily recommend a distiller, though. Not because it would require much maintenance or cumbersome preparations before use – it doesn’t.
However, it takes almost 4 to 6 hours to give you a gallon of water. And this water will be highly mineral deficient.
But let’s go through all the benefits and drawbacks of water distillers from start to finish.
Advantages
If you are doubtful about purchasing a water distiller, read about their prominent benefits below.
Clean Drinking Water
There is nothing better than consuming safe and pure water under your own roof.
So, suppose you have lately been a victim of water-related problems and contaminations. In that case, you might want to save yourself and your loved ones by purchasing a distiller and removing all kinds of chemicals etc. present in your water supply.
Ease of Use
Except for regular cleaning, a water distiller doesn’t require any time-consuming maintenance. Besides, it doesn’t even demand filter replacements like most other water purification gadgets.
Plug ‘n’ Play
Here is good news for you. If you have never used a water filter because of its cumbersome installation, you can easily use a distiller as it doesn’t require any plumbing or tubing connections. You only need a power socket to plug it in.
No More Bottled Water
A distiller helps you to stay away from bottled water. The latter is not only bad for the environment but is also quite expensive.
Little Space Required
Water distillers are pretty compact so they do not take much space. Besides, they are pretty lightweight, which means you can move them around easily.
Water Efficiency
It is safe to say that a distiller is resource-efficient in terms of water usage.
Low-Cost
Most water distillation systems are worth $300. However, when compared to the results such a unit produces, the price is acceptable.
In addition, every gallon of distilled water is worth 40 cents or below. This price is nothing compared to a gallon of bottled water costing around 8 to 9 dollars.
Disadvantages
Like any other thing in this world, a water distiller has its own set of problems. So take a look at the cons before you invest in one.
Lengthy Process
Unfortunately, a distiller takes around 4 to 6 hours to produce a single gallon of clean water. This implies that you might have to wait for a long time before you can get another batch of distilled water.
If you have enough funds, you can buy two distillers to speed up the process.
Dead Water
Distillation also removes all healthy minerals such as magnesium and calcium from water. So, before your body faces a deficit of these essential nutrients, in the long term you need to remineralize your distilled water and get all the essential minerals back.
Water Filters Suited for Fluoride Removal
Here is a list of other types of residential water filters that can help remove fluoride. Before you select any one of them, make sure to check a filter’s NSF certifications that specifically mention its property of removing fluoride.
RO Systems
Reverse osmosis systems can conveniently eliminate 95% of the infamous salt. An RO filter features a semi-permeable membrane that almost only lets water molecules pass through it.
Bone Char
Bone char filter media can eliminate radioactive particles, heavy metals and fluoride from water. Made from charred animal bones, the filter media has a black color and exhibits a granular form.
Activated Alumina (AA)
An activated alumina filter contains highly porous aluminum hydroxide capable of adsorbing a high percentage of fluoride and a few other impurities. Interestingly, AA can reduce the levels of fluoride in water down to 1 ppm.
However, this filter media may fail to work properly without its required conditions. For instance, the fluoride removal effectiveness highly depends on the alumina’s quality and the pH level of the water.
Conclusion
In summary, distilling water removes fluoride.
In fact, water distillation is highly effective at removing fluoride and any other water contaminant.
Using a water distiller at home has pros and cons.
For one, it’s incredibly easy to use and the water you get is highly pure. On the other hand, the purified water is mineral deficient which is why you should remineralize it before drinking.
Water filters suited for fluoride removal are reverse osmosis systems and bone char/activated alumina filters.
Further Reading
- What Are the Best Fluoride Water Filters?
- Best Fluoride Water Testing Kits & DIY Strips
- Does Your Water Contain Fluoride? Find Out Here!
- Can You Boil Fluoride Out of Water?
- Does a Carbon/Charcoal Filter Reduce Fluoride?
Resources
Outside of his writing work, Rory enjoys photographing the Irish landscape and making music!