Zero Water vs Distilled Water

Hi all,

I'm not going to re-open the whole distilled vs tap water discussion, but here's an idle thought for us in the Distilled camp:

If the purpose of using Distilled is to prevent mineral (dissolved solids) buildup, wouldn't a Zero Water filter work just as well?

Yes it would. I use mine all the time....it removes all the chemicals from the water pretty much and makes the water taste so pure and crisp. I don't go anywhere without it. I love it!

So it doesn't taste "flat" like distilled does?

No, just the opposite....it tastes like pure, crisp water to me. I eat healthy and I try to drink water but always had trouble because of the taste. I love the taste of the zero water. Very clean. I think this process is different...it puts the H2O back in the water and that's why it tastes so much better.

AmyRogers wrote:it puts the H2O back in the water and that's why it tastes so much better.

I think that statement is very telling....

I wonder if it removes Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO).

There are two reasons to use purified water. The first is so you are not breathing mineral crud that may be in the tap water and the other is to keep stuff from growing. Mold grows because it is feeding on trace elements in the water and filters just don't capture all of that stuff. If the filters capture enough, then there may not be enough food for the mold to grow.

I've been using tap water with my machine since I got it but I broke a clip on the water tank so I'm using distilled so I don't have to clean the tank every day. Otherwise I would be using tap water since the stuff here is very clean.

-tim wrote:There are two reasons to use purified water. The first is so you are not breathing mineral crud that may be in the tap water and the other is to keep stuff from growing. Mold grows because it is feeding on trace elements in the water and filters just don't capture all of that stuff. If the filters capture enough, then there may not be enough food for the mold to grow.

I've been using tap water with my machine since I got it but I broke a clip on the water tank so I'm using distilled so I don't have to clean the tank every day. Otherwise I would be using tap water since the stuff here is very clean.

Not ending up with a crusted up tank is also a good reason to use distilled or otherwise mineral free water.

Zero Water removes all the crud from the water and does what you're wanting to do. That's why it's called "Zero" water. It takes the water back to pure water like it's supposed to be with no additives or chemicals in it. We use ours in our aquarium, we use it for all of our drinking water and even our pets water. It has a digital water tester with it that proves it's worth. I wouldn't drink anything else now.

Do people still feel it is ok to use ZeroWater in place of distilled water. I've just ordered a ZeroWater 40 Cup Ready-Pour Glass Dispenser.

golfer71909 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 09, 2018 8:30 am

Do people still feel it is ok to use ZeroWater in place of distilled water. I've just ordered a ZeroWater 40 Cup Ready-Pour Glass Dispenser.

Based on TV ads and assuming the conductivity readings they show of the water are not fudged, I would say yes, it is fine to use, and certainly better than straight tap water. I recall they compare it to Brita and that really isn't a fair comparison and certainly exaggerates what ZeroWater does. I'm quite sure Brita is a just a carbon filter, and is not intended to remove minerals, just taste and odour which are usually organics. I assume that ZeroWater contains an anion and cation resin that exchanges with minerals in the water. It should work fine, but since I assume there is no way to regenerate the resin, you are just throwing it away, and that will be expensive for the amount of water you get out of it. Not sure how it compares to just buying distilled water from the drug store.

There are three main ways to produce high quality demineralized water, and in increasing order of quality (amount of remaining dissolved minerals) they are:

1. Reverse Osmosis
2. Distilled water
3. Demineralized water using ion exchange

What we have been doing for 3 years now is using the bulk reverse osmosis water that we can get at our local Canadian Tire stores. It used to cost $1 per 5 gallons, but now has doubled in price to $2. Still cheaper than buying it at the drug store.

FWIW folks.....I kinda wondered about the poster (brand new to the forum and the only post happens to mention this product) resurrecting this old thread.
Smells a bit spammy to me and most of you will know what I mean.
When I am in doubt....I don't let my nose rule until there's no doubt.

So....zombie thread alert because of a new member post about a product and the whole thing smells spammy to me and I decided to wait and see what else that poster does.

I always use distilled water at home. It sells for about 88¢ (US) at Walmart near me. When traveling abroad, I generally use any water that is safe to drink and is not carbonated, flavored, or colored. This is due to the difficulty of finding distilled water in another country landing at odd hours and not speaking the language. When I get back home, I give the tank an extra thorough washing. Also, I am extra careful to see that the tank, hose, and everything else are bone dry to make sure nothing grows in them.

D.H. wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:21 am

I always use distilled water at home. It sells for about 88¢ (US) at Walmart near me. When traveling abroad, I generally use any water that is safe to drink and is not carbonated, flavored, or colored. This is due to the difficulty of finding distilled water in another country landing at odd hours and not speaking the language. When I get back home, I give the tank an extra thorough washing. Also, I am extra careful to see that the tank, hose, and everything else are bone dry to make sure nothing grows in them.

We do the same, but often we find that the bottled water that resorts provide is reverse osmosis water with very low solids. It works well. The secret to using tap water is to rinse out the reservoir every day with fresh water. That keeps solids and scum from building up.

Apparently Zerowater claim one filter which costs about $33 here will produce about 25 gallons of water, depending on water hardness. That works out to over $1 a gallon, not considering the cost to buy the machine.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 09, 2018 9:14 am

FWIW folks.....I kinda wondered about the poster (brand new to the forum and the only post happens to mention this product) resurrecting this old thread.
Smells a bit spammy to me and most of you will know what I mean.
When I am in doubt....I don't let my nose rule until there's no doubt.

So....zombie thread alert because of a new member post about a product and the whole thing smells spammy to me and I decided to wait and see what else that poster does.

Agreed!

There is no way in current physics that a pour over filter could filter as well as distillation or reverse osmosis.

I have been using a countertop DISTILLING unit for years.
It has paid for itself several times over.
The electricity usage is under two bits a gallon.
We use the water for my cpap and for cooking with the sous vide.
I would want to see an independent water analysis [before and after]
prior to EVER considering this product.
No manufacturer should be trusted to tell the truth, though some have.