It is not necessary to distill water for other uses like flushing toilets, bathing, washing clothes and cleaning. Distillers are commonly made of stainless steel, aluminum and plastic materials. These materials do not absorb impurities from water and are easy to clean. The unit is turned on and the water is heated to boiling. When all the water in the boiling chamber is evaporated, the unit shuts off.
Distilled water is removed from the storage container for household use.
Batch units can range from 1 gallon counter-top units to 10 gallon floor units. Batch distillers produce from 3 to 10 gallons of distilled water per day. The smallest distillers are about the same size as a coffee maker. Continuous flow or automatic units are connected to the water supply line. The water level in the boiling chamber is maintained by a float valve connected to the water supply.