Minerals, bacteria and other substances are left behind when the steam recondenses into relatively pure water. Distillers remove bacteria, minerals, trace amounts of metals, many organic chemicals and nitrate. A fractional distiller avoids this problem. Distillers also remove benefi- cial minerals and make water taste flat or bland. Approximately five gallons of tap water is required to produce one gallon of distilled water.
Stills are relatively expensive.
They require frequent cleaning and may be difficult to keep clean. The maintenance requirements and electricity consumption should be major con- siderations when purchasing a distiller. A common problem of water supplies in Indiana is hardness, mainly caused by excess calcium and magnesium. Ion exchange systems soften hard water by removing the minerals causing hardness. The system also effectively removes some iron, manganese and many heavy metals.