A DIY Wood-Fired Water Distiller
The human body can only survive for three days without water. If you were to find yourself in a situation with no access to clean water, you could survive if you know how to make drinking water with a do-it-yourself, wood-fired water distiller.
Through distillation anyone can convert polluted or salty water into clean and safe drinking water.
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Things You'll Need
- 2 medium containers with covers -- metal or heat-proof glass
- Bucket
- Tubing
- Fire lighting materials
- Sealant
Instructions
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1
Light a fire using wood and any fire-lighting materials.
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2
Pass the tubing into the top of a 3/4-filled, medium-sized metal or glass container and place it over the fire. Insert the other end of the tubing into the receiving medium container. In an emergency you could use tent poles or a hose as tubing.
The idea is to boil the dirty water above the fire to create steam, which will travel down the tubing to the receiving container.
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3
Cover the tops of both containers and seal them as well as possible. In an emergency situation, mud or wet sand could suffice as a sealant so the steam doesn't escape.
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4
Place the receiving container in the bucket, which should be half filled with a cold liquid (more polluted or salt water). This cools the container, which will allow the steam to condense in it. Make sure no polluted water gets into the receiving container from the bucket.
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5
Allow the water to boil until the receiving container is full or the boiling container is empty.
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6
Boil the water in the receiving container (now full of distilled water) to eradicate any remaining microbes.
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Tips & Warnings
This technique should only be used in emergencies.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
