1. Before distillation, the impure water is placed in a container before heating.

2. As the water reaches a certain point, it boils and begins to evaporate. In this gaseous state, the water vapor is then introduced to a cooling agent such as a cold environment.

3. Eventually, this will cause the water vapor to return to its original liquid state, sans the previous impurities it had at the beginning of the process.

4. Distillation works by taking advantage of the different boiling points of the water components. Because water has a lower boiling point than other liquids, it’s the liquid that evaporates first.

5. As long as the temperature of the impure water is kept constant, only the water evaporates and not the other substance, causing the initial separation.

6. What you are left with are the initial impurities after all the water evaporates.

As you may have noticed, it can be a very dangerous and complicated process since you’re operating at different temperatures. Check out this article here on how dangerous home distillation can be and make sure you don't take any unnecessary risks!

Pros of drinking distilled water

Through distillation, you can get rid of most metallic contaminants as well as more solid impurities in the water such as minerals and dirt. These substances have higher boiling and melting points that water, so they get left behind after the water evaporates.

On top of making it safe for drinking, it’s also great for cleaning because you don’t get any other contaminants with your cleaning water.

No scratch marks on your glass or on your car or on your silverware when you clean with distilled water.

Another reason why you need distilled water is the fact that your municipal water already comes with contaminants that can be safely removed through distillation.

Examples of these contaminants are iron, fluoride and calcium. The presence of these contaminants results from treatment and procurement processes from most local dams and water reservoirs.