does RO = distilled?

[Zaphirah]

I'm so confused. Is distilled water better or worse for you? Does RO create distilled water or just purify it a bit? There's a rumor in town that some of the mains have asbestos in them-which can lead to benign intestinal polyps-but some people in town are blaming the cancer rate on the water pipes. I am very worried to drink the water, I've read that bottled water is not healthy. My dc only get nalgene water bottles filled from the tap for snack/lunch....what's a mom to do?

I don't mind spending $$$ on a water filtration system-but if distilled water is also unhealthy...which is the lesser of the 2 evils?

[Zaphirah]

bueller? bueller?

[EZ rider]

IMO distilled water is the best you can do. It is the same as the natural process where water is evaporated into the air to make clouds and then rain which is what a distiller does. A distiller boils the water into steam leaving all the impurities behind. Distilled water is just water and nothing else. How can that be unhealthy ? Some people say that they prefer lots of junk in their water. If they want that then they deserve what they get - inorganic junk in their water.

[Zaphirah]

thanks. So does a reverse osmosis filter make distilled water or just filtered water?

[EZ rider]

The only way to get distilled water is to turn it into steam. Reverse osmosis does not boil the water it is a filtering system. I have heard that reverse osmosis is a very good way to filter water.

[JennaBoBenna]

bueller? bueller?

hahahha! :D :p

[exurb]

zaph I've looked into this at length. Whether you want to get a distilled or RO depends partly on your desires for maintenance and a few other factors.

1) In the RO the "membrane" will have to be changed, probably about once a year. In a distilled, there is no membrane as it works by steam. So you don't need to pay anything else to use it other than your power and to rinse it out with vinegar on occasion.

2) Both will be quite pure, but it is generally said that an RO is slightly more effective than a still for a few potential contaminants. You may or may not have these in your water, and I think the proportions are very small.

3) the amount of "wastewater" My understanding is that an RO uses about 3x the water it gives you at the end. That might be a factor more for someone who lives in the country with a septic and precarious well.

Hope that helps a bit.

Bottled water's problem is that the ozonation can create carcinogens, eg Bromide in the water becomes carcinogenic bromate. Ozone is a free radical. If you're stuck getting a bottle here and there, go for something european, they have better standards in my understanding, as they rejected some American waters when they launched there.

[Zaphirah]

wow. thank you exurb for that wealth of info. I appreciate you!

[Raw Mom]

The latest is distilled is better than RO. RO was and still is big for taking everything out of your water. iron, maganese etc..... That's everything out. Even all the good stuff you'd want in your water. I have a well, so important for me to take out crap. I have RO. Only because that was what my parents used and a very good friend has a water filtration business. I will eventually switch to distilled. Probably just about the time "they" decide that something else is better than distilled. Talk to a water filtration company. They will do tests of your water for free usually. And they could tell you what is in yours if you don't already know. :cool:

[Raw Mom]

check out this....better than all of the above. A friend told me about it

nikken.com

[exurb]

That's not my understanding, as RO have tested slightly better for full removal of some volatile compounds and things like 2,4-D / certain agricultural chemicals, etc.

I'm sure it depends on who you're asking, the RO company or the still company :rolleyes: ; BOTH are great. We're talking about splitting hairs with the difference between the two in terms of what is taken out, as they both take out just about everything.

[Zaphirah]

as long as they take out asbestos I'm happy. :rolleyes: