Top 8 Features To Look For In An Emergency Water Purifier

A healthy source of drinking water is the most important item to have on hand in the likely event of an emergency or disaster, second only to breathable air. Food, of course, would rank second among the most needed items in emergencies or natural or man-made disasters. In most cases, after a disastrous event, stores are quickly emptied of the most crucial items such as water and food, the following would be generators, flashlights, batteries, toilet paper, propane, kitchen stoves, etc.

Water is always the first to disappear. Not only on the shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores, but also in electric and gas utilities, the water is also cut off. When the water stops coming out of your tap and you haven’t been able to find anything in stores, what is your plan? In a crisis that lasts weeks or even months, neighbors will be draining sources such as swimming pools, spas, and water fountains. They will be tearing down property fences and gates to get there dragging buckets at a time and drained in days safely. Now what?

Martial law and curfews will eventually be enforced, as a result of widespread rioting and looting, starting first in the cities and then slowly migrating to the suburbs and then to rural areas. Gangs and small gangs of marauding thugs will start taking whatever they need or want, more than likely at gunpoint. You can quickly start to see that you should have planned for a time like this.

My purpose in writing this article is to alert you and warn you that everyone who wants to survive a major crisis or disaster should stock up on water, food, and protection. Protection? What am I saying? I will be direct and direct, only those who have planned it will survive. Are you a pacifist or a Christian fanatic? Are you willing to stand still and see a woman in your family raped and murdered? Get a weapon and learn how to use it! With that said, let’s move on.

If the neighborhood is on fire, burning from house to house, you must get out. Do you have a bug-elimination plan in place, or are you going to get in your car and head to the nearest grid? What about the beans and rice buckets, the wood stove, and the kitchen utensils? Water? It can only carry a limited amount and the water weighs 6 pounds per gallon. What you need is a way to purify any contaminated water source using any heat source. Can’t I use a filter? If you did your homework ahead of time, you would know that the American Red Cross, FEMA, Homeland Security, and the CDC recommend a non-electric water still and strongly warn against any type of filter in the event of an emergency or disaster. Why a non-electric still? First, you probably don’t have electricity. Second, they recommend boiling water to kill germs, bacteria, viruses, cysts, and water-borne diseases. Distillers do just that! Also, all non-electric stills can use any heat source, electric or gas stove, propane stove, grill, charcoal, camp stove, or even a campfire. Only four or five non-electric survivor stills are available.

Eight characteristics to look for in a non-electric survivor

1. Determine the volume of water you will purify per day. Distilled water output from available non-electric water stills ranges from 8 gallons per day to 18+ gallons. (Be careful to choose a model that meets the needs of your family.)

2. Choose an even survivor based on the gauge of the stainless steel boiling pot and the one with the strongest construction and the strongest materials and components. Especially since your life and that of your families will depend on your performance in the most difficult circumstances and conditions.

3. Most non-electric stills present a serious burn hazard and can cause third degree burns. A child can quickly throw the boiling pot on himself and also on an adult. That’s the last thing you need is a life-threatening injury during a disaster when hospitals may not be accessible for burn treatments. Choose a surviving alembic that uses a condenser cooling system and has the boiler hooked to the condenser to avoid accidental scald injuries and the condenser water always remains at room temperature, which also prevents scald accidents.

4. Choose a surviving still that is automatic so there is no need to manually add water to the boiler or continually drain and replace the condenser water as needed with some units. It is tedious and dangerous work to handle the boiling pot and condenser. Most models require the condenser water to be drained and replaced with cooler water in order for the still to work and if not replaced regularly the condenser water can reach temperatures of 140 to 150 F hot enough to cause third degree burns with only 2 seconds of skin contact. A surviving still model uses a 9-volt pump, a battery-backed 5-watt solar panel to keep the condenser cool at all times, rain or shine, day or night, and also automatically adds water to the boiling pot as necessary.

5. Choose a survivor that does not need to be level to operate as some models do. If you are in an outdoor camping situation and you need a fire pit as a heat source, you can’t worry about whether the survivor is still perfectly level or not, as some brands need.

6. Some models do not have a closed system to prevent outside air pollution or debris from a fire. Choose a surviving alembic that is completely enclosed from the boiler through the cooling coils and after filter and in a closed collection container. You never have to worry about distilled water getting contaminated in the distillation process.

7. Choose a surviving alembic that can be easily packed and transported in case you need to get out quickly. You don’t want to have to deal with a bulky pot of condensation and boiling, especially if you go on foot!

8. The largest amount of distilled water is produced using a stainless steel cooling coil inside a condenser filled with cold water. For this reason, avoid models that use cold-water pots and use the bottom to condense steam. In this method, the steam is subject to contamination of the air and the bottom surface of the pot. Choose a model with a cooling coil suspended in a cold water condenser, the vapor contained within the coil is protected from outside contamination. This method also produces three times more distilled water. That feature explains the higher cost of a non-electric survivor that still has a stainless steel cooling coil and automatic features. The quality of the automatic model, the high volume of pure water, the ease of unattended operation and the peace of mind that you can’t burn anyone justifies the increased cost. This model also comes in a 7 gallon pail with a screw on the Gamma lid that houses all parts and has a handle for easy portability.

Regardless of the model or brand you choose, you know that regardless of the source of your water, you can convert it to clean, healthy drinking water in any emergency or disaster.