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, after breathable air. Food, of course, would rank second among the most needed items in the event of natural or man-made disasters or emergencies. In most cases, after a disastrous event, stores are quickly emptied of the most important items such as water and food, next would be generators, flashlights, batteries, toilet paper, propane, stoves, etc.
The water is always the first to go. Not only from the shelves of supermarkets and convenience stores, but also from electricity 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 the stores, what’s your plan? In a prolonged crisis of weeks or even months, neighbors will be draining sources such as pools, spas, and water fountains. They’ll be knocking down fences and property gates to get to it, hauling buckets at a time and emptying in days for sure. 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 rural areas. Gangs and small gangs of marauding thugs will start taking what they need or want, most likely at gunpoint. You can quickly begin to see what you should have planned for a time like this.
My purpose in writing this article is to alert and warn you that everyone who wants to survive a major crisis or disaster needs supplies, water, food, and protection. Protection? What am I saying? I will be frank and direct, only those who have planned will survive. Are you a pacifist or a Christian fanatic? Are you willing to stand by and watch a woman in your family get raped and murdered? Get a weapon and learn 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 an escape plan or are you going to get in your car and head to the nearest stop? What about buckets of beans and rice, wood stove and cooking utensils? Water? You can only carry a limited amount, and 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’ve done your homework ahead of time, you’ll know that the American Red Cross, FEMA, Homeland Security, and the CDC recommend a non-electric water distiller and strongly advise against any type of filter in an emergency or disaster. Why a non-electric still? First of all, you probably don’t have electricity. Second, they recommend boiling water to kill disease germs, bacteria, viruses, cysts, and waterborne illnesses. Distillers do just that! Also, all non-electric stills can use any heat source, electric or gas stove, propane stove, barbecue grill, charcoal, camp stove, or even a campfire. There are only four or five non-electric survivor stills available.
Eight Characteristics to Look for in a Non-Electric Survivor
1. Determine the volume of water you will purify per day. Distilled water production from available non-electric water distillers ranges from 8 gallons per day to 18+. (Be careful to choose a model that meets your family’s needs.)
2. Choose a surviving still based on the gauge of the stainless steel pot and the one with the strongest construction and strongest materials and components. Especially since your life and that of your family will depend on your performance in the most difficult circumstances and conditions.
3. Most non-electric stills present a serious scalding hazard capable of causing third degree burns. A child can quickly pull the boiling pot on himself just as well as 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 treatment. Choose a survivable still that uses a condenser cooling system and has the boiler hooked to the condenser to prevent 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 flush and replace 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 flushed and replaced with cooler water for the distiller to work and if not replaced regularly the condenser water can reach temperatures of 140-150 F hot enough to cause third degree burns with just 2 seconds of skin contact. . A survivor model uses a 9-volt pump and 5-watt solar panel with battery backup to keep the condenser cool at all times, rain or shine, day or night, and also automatically adds water to the boiling pot based on be necessary.
5. Choose a surviving still that doesn’t need to be level to work like some models do. If you’re in an outdoor camping situation and need a campfire 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 contamination or debris from a fire. Choose a surviving still that is completely isolated from the boiler through the cooling coils and postfilter and within a closed collection container. You will never have to worry about the distilled water being contaminated in the distillation process.
7. Choose a survivor still that can be easily packed and transported, in case you need to get out fast. You don’t want to be dealing with a bulky boil pot and condenser, especially if you’re 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 from the air and the bottom surface of the pot. Choose a model with a cooling coil suspended in a chilled water condenser, the steam contained within the coil is protected from outside contamination. This method also produces three times more distilled water. That feature represents the highest cost of a non-electric Survivor with a stainless steel cooling coil and automatic features. The quality of the automatic model, the high volume of pure water, and 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 Gamma screw-top lid that houses all the parts and has a handle for easy portability.
Whichever model or brand you choose, you’ll know that regardless of the water source, you’ll be able to turn it into pure, healthy drinking water in any emergency or disaster.